Clark Gayton (Royal Navy officer)  Admiral Clark Gayton (1712 – 5 March 1785) was an admiral in the British Royal Navy serving in the American Revolutionary War and in the West Indies before retiring to his home in Fareham, England. His brother George Gayton was also in the navy and achieved the rank of vice-admiral. He was born in Portsmouth, England, the third son of John Gayton who was postmaster of Portsmouth and Eleanor Clark. He was christened in St Thomas' Church, Portsmouth, Hampshire on 18 April 1712. He served as Midshipman to Captain Peter Warren aboard the "Squirrel" off the coast of North America when he was in his twenties and thereafter in the West Indies under Commodore Knowles who promoted him to command the storeship "Bien Aimé" on 12 August 1744. He was based in Boston in July 1745 again under Commodore Peter Warren when he was placed in command of the "Mermaid" and also in charge of a convoy returning to England in March 1746. He remained in command of the "Mermaid" based in Portsmouth until September 1747. We was then without a ship and on half pay until he was given the command of and commissioned the "Antelope" in May 1756, transferring to the "Royal Anne" guardship based in Spithead in August of the same year. Six months later he served as Flag-Captain under Admiral Henry Osborn in command of the "Prince". In 1758 he was appointed to the "St George" and it was in command of this vessel that he departed for the West Indies joining the squadron under the command of Commodore Moore. Engagements at this time included the failed attack on Martinique and the invasion of Guadeloupe in 1758/1759. The "St George" returned to Europe at the end of 1759 and remained there attached to the "Grand Fleet" in the Bay of Biscay until the declaration of peace. From 1769 Gayton commanded the guardship "San Antonio" at Portsmouth. He was promoted to rear-admiral in October 1770 and left England four years later with his flag on the "Antelope" to take command of the Jamaica Station where he met a young Horatio Nelson, then Lieutenant Nelson  when he served as lieutenant aboard the "Lowestoffe". Gayton had many difficulties with the French officials that were his counterparts in Cap Français as well as the French governor concerning movements of his forces in the conduct of their duties.