Newfoundland Station

The Newfoundland Station was a formation or command of, first, the Kingdom of Great Britain and, then, of the United Kingdom's Royal Navy. Its official headquarters varied between Portsmouth or Plymouth in England where a squadron of ships would set sail annually each year to protect convoys and the British fishing fleet operating in waters off the Newfoundland coast and would remain for period of approximately six months based at St. John's Harbour. In 1818 the station became a permanent posting headquartered at St John's. It existed from 1729 to 1825.

History
The Commodore-Governor was both a British Government and a Royal Navy official who was commander-in-chief of the annual fishing convoy which left England each spring, sometimes from Portsmouth and other times from Plymouth, to fish off Newfoundland: the fleet were tasked with protecting the fishing convoys from harm. They were also responsible for administrative and judicial functions, including assisting the fishing admirals in Britain in maintaining admiralty law and order and compiling the annual report on the fish stocks for the British government. From 1729 to 1775 the officer appointed was usually of Commodore rank; however the station's increasing importance after that date led to appointments of more senior flag officers.

The squadron stayed in Newfoundland for approximately 4 to 6 months annually. How long they remained depended on the orders the received from the Admiralty, according to the ships' condition. The fleet usually arrived off Newfoundland in July and August, generally returning to England, via the Lisbon Station, towards the end of October. A number of circumstances usually precipitated its return: bypassing the horrendous weather conditions prevalent in the Atlantic at that time of year and escorting the British fishing fleet. In spite of these problems, the naval administration continued to grow throughout the 18th century. By 1818, the colony had a sufficiently large permanent population to warrant having a full-time resident governor. The station's responsibilities were merged into the North America Station in 1825 when a full-time civilian governor was appointed.

Commanders
Commanders included:


 * Commodore Henry Osborn, (1729-1730)
 * Commodore George Clinton, (1731)
 * Commodore Edward Falkingham, (1732)
 * Commodore Robert Muskerry, (1733-1734)
 * Commodore FitzRoy Lee, (1735-1737)
 * Commodore Philip Vanbrugh, (1738)
 * Commodore Henry Medley, (1739-1740)
 * Commodore Thomas Smith, (1741)
 * Commodore John Byng, (1742)
 * Commodore Thomas Smith, (1743) second time.
 * Commodore Charles Hardy, (1744)
 * Commodore Richard Edwards, (1745)
 * Commodore Sir James Douglas, (1746)
 * Commodore Charles Watson, (1748)
 * Commodore George Brydges Rodney, (1749)
 * Commodore Francis William Drake, (1750-1752)
 * Commodore Hugh Bonfoy, (1753-1754)
 * Commodore Richard Dorrill, (1755-1756)
 * Commodore Richard Edwards, (1757-1759)
 * Commodore James Webb, (1760)
 * Commodore Thomas Graves, (1761-1763)
 * Commodore Hugh Palliser, (1764-1768)
 * Commodore John Byron, (1769-1771)
 * Commodore Molyneux Shuldham, (1772-1774)
 * Commodore Robert Duff, (1775)
 * Vice-Admiral John Montagu, (1776-1778)
 * Rear-Admiral Richard Edwards, (1779-1781) second time
 * Vice-Admiral John Campbell, (1782-1786)
 * Rear-Admiral John Elliot, (1786-1788)
 * Vice-Admiral Mark Milbanke, (1789-1791)
 * Rear-Admiral Sir Richard King, (1792-1793)
 * Rear-Admiral Sir James Wallace, (1794-1796)
 * Vice-Admiral hon. William Waldegrave, (1797-1799)
 * Rear-Admiral Charles Morice Pole, (1800-1801)
 * Vice-Admiral James Gambier, (1802-1803)
 * Vice-Admiral Sir Erasmus Gower, (1804-1806)
 * Vice-Admiral John Holloway, (1807-1809)
 * Admiral Sir John-Thomas Duckworth, (1810-1812)
 * Vice-Admiral Sir Richard Godwin Keats, (1813-1816)
 * Vice-Admiral Francis Pickmore, (1817-1818)
 * Vice-Admiral Sir Charles Hamilton, (1818-1825)