Captain Archibald Kennedy, 11th Earl of Cassilis (1720 – 30 December 1794) was a Scottish peer who lived in the English colony of New York which became part of the United States.
Contents
Early life
Kennedy, who lived in New York City at 1 Broadway in the Kennedy mansion, was the son of Archibald Kennedy (1685–1763) and Maria (née Walter) Schuyler Kennedy (1689–1764). He was born in 1720. His mother, a daughter of mayor Robert Walter and Catharine Leisler (a daughter of New York colonial governor Jacob Leisler, known for his role in Leisler's Rebellion), was briefly married, and widowed, to Arent Schuyler before her marriage to his father. His father, a direct descendant of the second son of Gilbert Kennedy, 3rd Earl of Cassilis, died in 1763.
Career
Having joined the Royal Navy, Kennedy passed his exam for the rank of lieutenant on 11 December 1744 and was promoted five days later. He was appointed to serve on the 14-gun sloop HMS Otter, which he did until 29 February of either 1747 or 1748. Still a lieutenant, he was next appointed to serve on the 20-gun frigate HMS Centaur on 6 April 1751. He left Centaur on 16 August 1754 and was promoted to commander on 13 March 1756. At the same time as his promotion, he was given command of the 18-gun sloop HMS Halifax, but his ship was captured by the French on 14 August of the same year. Kennedy did not receive another command as a commander, but was promoted to post-captain on 4 April 1757 and given command of the brand new 32-gun frigate HMS Vestal. He commanded Vestal until 10 June of the same year.