Sandwich, John Montagu, 4th earl

Sandwich, John Montagu, 4th earl of

(born Nov. 13, 1718—died April 30, 1792, London, Eng.) British first lord of the Admiralty (1748–51, 1771–82). He served as secretary of state for the north (1763–65, 1770–71) and led the prosecution of John Wilkes. Appointed first lord of the Admiralty during the American Revolution, he was criticized for keeping much of the British fleet in European waters to avoid French attack. His promotion of exploration led Capt. James Cook to name the Sandwich Islands (later Hawaii) after him in 1778. The sandwich was named after him in 1762 when he spent 24 hours at a gaming table without other food.