Anson, George, 1st Baron Anson

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Anson, George, 1st Baron Anson (1697–1762). A circumnavigator of the world, Anson shared some attributes with plundering Elizabethan ‘sea-dogs’ but his work also pointed Britain towards a modern commercial imperialism in the Pacific region. Entering the navy in 1712, Anson rose to command a Pacific expedition in 1739. He captured a Spanish treasure ship and sailed on westwards to reach home in 1744 a rich man. Further active service and politics qualified him for a peerage and spells as 1st lord of the Admiralty from 1751 to 1762. His careful reforms helped to ensure the naval triumphs of the Seven Years War.

Roy C. Bridges

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George Anson Baron Anson

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