1911 Encyclopædia Britannica/Narborough, Sir John

NARBOROUGH, SIR JOHN (d. 1688), English naval commander, was descended from an old Norfolk family. He received his commission in 1664, and in 1666 was promoted lieutenant for gallantry in the action with the Dutch fleet off the Downs in June of that year. After the peace he was chosen to conduct a voyage of exploration in the South Seas. He set sail from Deptford on the 26th of November 1669, and entered the Straits of Magellan in October of the following year, but returned home in June 1671 without accomplishing his original purpose. A narrative of the expedition was published at London in 1694 under the title An Account of several late Voyages and Discoveries to the South and North. During the second Dutch War Narborough was second captain of the lord high-admiral’s ship the “Prince,” and conducted himself with such conspicuous valour at the battle of Solebay (Southwold Bay) in May 1672 that he won special approbation, and shortly afterwards was made rear-admiral and knighted. In 1675 he was sent to suppress the Tripoline piracies, and by the bold expedient of despatching gun-boats into the harbour of Tripoli at midnight and burning the ships he induced the dey to agree to a treaty. Shortly after his return he undertook a similar expedition against the Algerines. In 1680 he was appointed commissioner of the navy, an office he held till his death in 1688. He was buried at Knowlton church, Kent, where a monument has been erected to his memory.

See Charnock, Biog. Nav. i.; Hist. MSS. Comm. 12th Rept.