English Captain: John Wyborne

John Wyborne served in the Restoration navy. He commanded the fireship Joseph in 1666. He seems to have taken part in John Harman's attack on a French squadron at Martinique in 1667. The French squadron was annihilated, and this was the only English success of the year, according to Frank Fox. He commanded the Portsmouth in 1668 and 1669. The Portsmouth was rigged as a ketch in 1668 and as a pink in 1669. Later in 1669, he was operating with Sir Thomas Allin's squadron off of Spain and the North African coast. The Portsmouth was apparently still rigged as a ketch in that period. In 1672, he was appointed to command the Garland. On February 15, 1675, the King appointed John Wyborne to command the Speedwell and later in 1675 to command the Pearl. Sir John Narborough appointed him to command the James Galley on 8 October 1677. The Commissioners appointed him to command the Bristol on 21 October 1679 and the Rupert on 29 November, just over a month later. On 16 July 1681, the Commissioners appointed John Wyborne to command the Happy Return. Sources:

1. R. C. Anderson, The Journals of Sir Thomas Allin, Vol.II 1667-1678, 1940.
2. Frank Fox, A Distant Storm: the Four Days' Battle of 1666, 1996.
3. J.R. Tanner, A Descriptive Catalogue of the Naval Manuscripts in the Pepysian Library at Magdalene College, Cambridge, Vol.I, 1903.