Byng, John (1704-1757), was a British admiral and governor of Newfoundland who was executed for neglect of duty during the Seven Years’ War. Byng was born on Oct. 29, 1704, in Bedfordshire, England. He was appointed governor of Newfoundland in 1742. In 1756, he was promoted to admiral and sent to relieve Minorca, in the Mediterranean Sea, which was threatened with invasion by the French. Byng found that the island had already fallen. Byng’s squadron attacked the French ships supporting the invasion but was beaten off with heavy losses. Byng was later found guilty of neglect of duty, and he was shot on March 14, 1757.
