The second son of Rear-Admiral Thomas Graves of Thanckes in Torpoint he came from a renowned naval family and he numbered six Admirals or Rear – Admirals amongst his cousins.

Graves had a long and initially successful career, serving in the West Indies and in the Mediterranean during the War of Austrian Succession. Promoted to Captain of HMS Sheerness he was reprimanded for failing to capture a French merchant vessel but promotions continued until he reached the rank of Admiral and was sent to assist Cornwallis’ defence of  Chesapeake Bay.

In command of the naval forces in North America, he reached Chesapeake Bay on this day in 1781 only to find that Cornwallis had surrendered and, instead of attempting to retake it from the French, returned to New York.  Under severe criticism he returned to England to defend himself but lost his flagship, HMS Ramillies, en route and faced a number of Parliamentary enquiries.  He emerged unscathed and continued his career until forced to retire after being seriously injured in 1794.  

Raised to the Irish peerage, he died at the family home in 1802.