軍歴
During his time in office Anson instituted a series of reforms to the Royal Navy.
He was appointed as a Lieutenant RN 1716.
He was appointed as a Commander RN 1722.
He was appointed as a Captain RN 1724.
He served twice on the North American station as captain of HMS Scarborough and of HMS Squirrel from 1724 to 1730 and from 1733 to 1735.
In 1737 he gained the command of the 60-gun ship of the line, HMS Centurion.
He was appointed as a Commodore RN 1740. he became commander (with the rank of commodore) of the squadron sent to attack Spanish possessions in South America in the War of Jenkin's Ear. Anson was Member of Parliament (MP) for Hedon in Yorkshire from 1744 to 1747.
In 1747, he commanded the fleet that defeated the French Admiral de la Jonquiere at the First Battle of Cape Finisterre, capturing four ships of the line, two frigates and seven merchantmen. In consequence, Anson became very popular, and was promoted to Vice Admiral and elevated to the peerage as Lord Anson, Baron of Soberton, in the County of Southampton. Anson subsequently continued his naval career with distinction as an administrator, joining the Admiralty Board in December 1744, then becoming First Lord of the Admiralty from June of 1751 to November of 1756, and again from June 1757 until his death. Among his reforms were the transfer of the Marines from Army to Navy authority, uniforms for commissioned officers, devising a way to effectively get superannuated Captains and Admirals to retire on half-pay and submitting a revision of the Articles of War to Parliament which tightened discipline throughout the Navy. During Anson's period at the Admiralty they mantained a much larger peacetime fleet than had previously been allowed, largely due to the likelihood of imminent war with France
