The name of Faulknor, which has descended from an ancient family in Hampshire, claims a pre-eminence in the naval history of the British Isles. From the close of the seventeenth century, and as it would appear even previous to that time, it has uniformly adorned the list of our Admiralty: and it is to be hoped, that whenever this honourable Board shall be pleased to abandon the blasphemous deities and monsters of Pagan history, and the names of brutes, for some titles more in character with the patriotism and heroic valour of the British Navy, they will select other names, besides that of our ever to be lamented Hero, Admiral Lord Nelson, wherewith to denominate the wooden bulwarks of our country.

(I.) Our first attention is directed to Captain Faulknor's great grandfather, William Faulknor, Esq., who, so early as the year 1695, appears as fourth Lieutenant of the Royal William. On the 17th of March, 1707, he was advanced to the rank of Captain, with the command of the Torbay. He was afterwards removed into a frigate; and, in 1715, was appointed to the Cumberland, of 80 guns, under the flag of Admiral Sir J. Norris, commander of the Baltic fleet. In 1720 he commanded the Sandwich, of 90 guns, on the same station, and under the same Admiral.