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'''John Eliot''' ([[1742]]-[[1769]]) was governor of [[British West Florida]] for a one-month period in [[1769]].
==Naval career==Hailing from a family with considerable political connections, Eliot began his naval career in 1752 as a midshipman. In 1757 he joined the ''Augusta'' as a third lieutenant, where he served alongside first lieutenant [[George Johnstone]], who would also serve as become governor of British West Florida. Eliot later served on the sloops ''Viper'', ''Dreadnought'' and ''Hornet'', the latter as lieutenant.
In 1759, Eliot's sister Elizabeth married Charles Cocks of Eastnor, which connected their family to [[Wikipedia:George Anson, 1st Baron Anson|George Anson]], First Lord of the Admiralty. At the urging of Eliot's brother Edward, Anson soon arranged to have young John made captain of the sloop ''Hawke''.
After only a few months in command of the ship, the ''Hawke'' was captured by the French privateer ship ''Duc de Choiseul'', and her crew was taken to St. Malo. Thanks to his family connections, Eliot and a handful of other prisoners were traded for a French pilot in March 1760. At the subsequent court martial, Eliot was praised by members of the ''Hawke'''s crew for his "great calmness and resolution" during the attack and was concluded to have "behaved like a gallant officer, and, with his officers and seamen, [taken] every prudent measure in his power to defend and save the sloop." Having been acquitted "of all blame and censure," Eliot was assigned to Baltic convoy duty the next month.
His next commissions were aboard the ''Coventry'' and the ''Unicorn'', the latter's captain having died, before taking command of his new vessel, ''Thames'', in March 1761. The ship's complement was reduced after the end of the Seven Years War, and Eliot's next few years were largely uneventful. While transporting Ambassador Henry Greenville home from Constantinople in November 1765, the ''Thames'' was waylaid by a severe leak and did not reach Plymouth until February 1766. Thereafter Eliot began an extended shore leave before taking command of the guardship ''Firm''.
==Governorship==
When [[George Johnstone]] returned to England in [[1767]] after two years as governor of West Florida, Eliot's brother Edward — now a member of the Board of Trade — and their uncle Robert Nugent arranged to have John appointed to lead the colony, and it was confirmed by the Earl of Shelburne on [[March 16]]. Eliot's naval service ended on [[June 11]] of that year, but circumstances delayed his shipment to Pensacola, and [[Montfort Browne]] served as governor during the interim.