Editing Samuel Barrington (section)

===American Revolutionary War===
[[File:Shrivenham StAndrew Monument BarringtonAdmiralSamuel 1800.JPG|thumb|upright=1.2|[[English church monuments|Marble monument]] by [[John Flaxman]] to Rear Admiral Barrington in [[Shrivenham#Churches|St Andrew's Church, Shrivenham]], now in [[Oxfordshire]]]]

In 1778 Barrington became commander-in-chief of the [[Leeward Islands Station]].<ref>{{cite book|last1=Haydn|first1=Joseph|title=The Book of Dignities: Containing Lists of the Official Personages of the British Empire ... from the Earliest Periods to the Present Time ... Together with the Sovereigns and Rulers of Europe, from the Foundation of Their Respective States; the Peerage of England and Great Britain Original 1851 Digitized by the University of Michigan|date=13 June 2008|publisher=Longmans, Brown, Green, and Longmans|page=279|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aURnAAAAMAAJ&q=%22Admiral+William+O%27Bryen+Drury%22&pg=PA272|language=en}}</ref> While in post he organised the construction of Fort Barrington in Montserrat to enhance the defences of the capital Plymouth. Barrington and Jervis then took a private cruise along the Channel coast calling at various harbours including [[Brest, France|Brest]] and making and improving their charts as they went. Barrington and Jervis, later Earl St. Vincent remained firm friends throughout their lives.{{cn|date=January 2022}}

On his return home, Barrington was offered, but declined, the command of the Channel fleet. He accepted the position of second in command of the fleet, under Admiral [[Sir Francis Geary, 1st Baronet|Francis Geary]], in May 1780. The fleet patrolled far into the Atlantic, ensuring the safety of British [[convoy]]s, preventing a junction of the opposing French and Spanish fleets, and capturing twelve merchant ships from a French convoy. The extended cruise caused an outbreak of [[scurvy]] and the fleet returned to England in August. Greary went ashore sick and Barrington assumed command. The Admiralty ordered him to return to sea with the fleet. Barrington refused to obey, which was seen as at least partially motivated by political machinations, and he was relieved of command.{{sfn|Rodger|2004|pp=346–347}}{{sfn|The Naval Chronicle|1907|pp=188–189}}

After a change of government, Barrington was again appointed second in command of the Channel Fleet in 1782, this time under Admiral [[Richard Howe, 1st Earl Howe|Richard Howe]]. After a summer of manoeuvring, mostly against the Spanish, the fleet sailed to relieve the [[Great Siege of Gibraltar|siege of Gibraltar]] on 11 September. After successfully resupplying the garrison the British fleet of 35 [[ship of the line|ships of the line]] encountered a Spanish force of 46 ships. After some [[Battle of Cape Spartel|inconclusive skirmishing]] the British were able to evade them and returned to port. The war ended in February 1783.{{sfn|Rodger|2004|pp=355–356}}

As admiral he flew his flag for a short time in 1790, but did not serve in the [[French Revolutionary Wars]]. He died in August 1800.