Printer Friendly
Dictionary, Encyclopedia and Thesaurus - The Free Dictionary
1,774,298,288 visitors served.
forum mailing list For webmasters
?
New: Language forums
Dictionary/
thesaurus
Medical
dictionary
Legal
dictionary
Financial
dictionary
Acronyms
 
Idioms
Encyclopedia
Wikipedia
encyclopedia
?

Byng, John

   Also found in: Hutchinson 0.01 sec.
Byng, John, 1704–57, British admiral; son of George Byng, Viscount Torrington Torrington, George Byng, Viscount (bĭng, tŏr`ĭngtən), 1663–1733, British admiral.
..... Click the link for more information.
. Sent (1756) to prevent the French from taking Minorca, he arrived when the island was already under siege and, after an indecisive naval engagement, withdrew without relieving the siege. His court-martial and execution for "failure to do his utmost" brought charges that he had been used as a scapegoat for ministerial failure and prompted Voltaire's suggestion (in Candide) that from time to time the British find it desirable to shoot an admiral "pour encourager les autres" [to encourage the others].

Bibliography

See study by D. B. E. Pope (1962).



How to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, add the site to iGoogle, or visit webmaster's page for free fun content.
?Page tools
Printer friendly
Cite / link
Email
Feedback
? Mentioned in
 
Encyclopedia browser? ? Full browser
 
 
Encyclopedia
?

Disclaimer | Privacy policy | Feedback | Copyright © 2009 Farlex, Inc.
All content on this website, including dictionary, thesaurus, literature, geography, and other reference data is for informational purposes only. This information should not be considered complete, up to date, and is not intended to be used in place of a visit, consultation, or advice of a legal, medical, or any other professional. Terms of Use.