Name Sir Holburn, | Died January 22, 1772 | |
Captain Sir Alexander Holburn, 3rd Baronet (alternatively Holborne or Holburne, d. January 22, 1772) was a Scottish sea captain in the Royal Navy. He was the second son of the advocate Sir James Holburn, 2nd Baronet (grandson of Major General James Holborne of Menstrie) by his second wife Jean, the daughter of Alexander Spital of Leuchat, and succeeded to the baronetcy on the death of his father in 1758, his elder brother James, also a naval officer, having been killed at sea in 1756.
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Naval career
Admiral Saunders, upon leaving the Mediterranean in 1757, took with him his chaplain, his flag captain Alexander Hood, and all six of his lieutenants, among whom was Alexander Holburn. The presence of Hood, a follower of Admiral Smith, and Holburn, illustrates the common practice among patrons of swapping recommendations. Holburn was promoted to the rank of Captain in 1763.
Imprisonment
Before he could take command of his ship, Holburn was imprisoned for debt at the King's Bench Prison, Southwark, where he remained until shortly before his death. His wife, Maria Holburn, approached the Duke of Portland in 1766, in the hope of securing Sir Alexander a position. Holburn died childless, and the baronetcy passed to his cousin Francis, son of Admiral Francis Holburn.