He was appointed in 1768 to the frigateHMS Venus as governor to the Duke of Cumberland, who remained with him in all ranks from midshipman to rear admiral. Between 1772 and 1775 he accompanied Captain John Jervis to Russia where they spent time in St Petersburg and inspected the arsenal and dockyards at Kronstadt, and took a tour of the yacht designed by Sir Charles Knowles for Catherine the Great. The pair continued on to Sweden, Denmark and northern Germany. All the while Jervis and Barrington made notes on defences, harbour charts and safe anchorages. They came home via the Netherlands, the two once again making extensive studies of the area and taking copious notes describing any useful information.
In 1778 Barrington became commander-in-chief of the Leeward Islands Station.[2] While in post he organised the construction of Fort Barrington in Montserrat to enhance the defences of the capital Plymouth. Barrington and Jervis then took a private cruise along the Channel coast calling at various harbours including Brest and making and improving their charts as they went. Barrington and Jervis, later Earl St. Vincent remained firm friends throughout their lives.[citation needed]
On his return home, Barrington was offered, but declined, the command of the Channel fleet. He accepted the position of second in command of the fleet, under Admiral Francis Geary, in May 1780. The fleet patrolled far into the Atlantic, ensuring the safety of British convoys, preventing a junction of the opposing French and Spanish fleets, and capturing twelve merchant ships from a French convoy. The extended cruise caused an outbreak of scurvy and the fleet returned to England in August. Greary went ashore sick and Barrington assumed command. The Admiralty ordered him to return to sea with the fleet. Barrington refused to obey, which was seen as at least partially motivated by political machinations, and he was relieved of command.[3][4]
After a change of government, Barrington was again appointed second in command of the Channel Fleet in 1782, this time under Admiral Richard Howe. After a summer of manoeuvring, mostly against the Spanish, the fleet sailed to relieve the siege of Gibraltar on 11 September. After successfully resupplying the garrison the British fleet of 35 ships of the line encountered a Spanish force of 46 ships. After some inconclusive skirmishing the British were able to evade them and returned to port. The war ended in February 1783.[5]
As admiral he flew his flag for a short time in 1790, but did not serve in the French Revolutionary Wars. He died in August 1800.
* The Barrington papers: selected from the letters and papers of Admiral the Hon. Samuel Barrington, edited by David Bonner-Smith. Publications of the Navy Records Society, vols. 77, 81. ([London]: Printed for the Navy Records Society, 1937–41).
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