Carysfort was the third and youngest son of
John Proby, 1st Earl of Carysfort, and his first wife Elizabeth (née Osbourne), and was educated at
Rugby School between 1792 and 1798.
Naval career Proby entered the Navy on 21 March 1798 as a midshipman aboard the
74-gun ship under the command of Captain
Edward Berry, and serving as the flagship of Sir
Horatio Nelson. Proby saw action at the
Battle of the Nile on 1 August 1799, then transferred to the ship with Captain Berry, and while blockading Malta, took part in
the capture, on 18 February 1800, of the ship and the armed store-ship
Ville de Marseilles. He also took part in the
action of 31 March 1800 in which
Foudroyant, in company with the 64-gun ship and frigate , captured the French ship , the flagship of Rear-Admiral
Denis Decrès, during which
Foudroyant sustained a loss of 8 men killed and 64, including Proby, wounded. In 1801 he was present in
Foudroyant under Admiral
Lord Keith during the Egyptian campaign. He then served aboard the frigate , under Captain Robert Campbell; the frigate , Captain Hon. Philip Wodehouse; and , flagship of Lord Nelson. There, on 24 October 1804, he was promoted to lieutenant, and transferred to the frigate , Captain
Ross Donnelly. In May 1805 he transferred to the 98-gun ship , Captain
Thomas Fremantle, and was present on 21 October in the
Battle of Trafalgar.
Political career Apart from his military career Carysfort also represented
County Wicklow in Parliament from 1816 to 1829 and served as
High Sheriff of Wicklow for 1831. In 1855 he succeeded his elder brother to the earldom and entered the
House of Lords. •
William Proby, 5th Earl of Carysfort (1836–1909) • Lady Frances Proby (d.1863), unmarried • Lady Emma Elizabeth Proby (d.1900), who married
Lord Claud Hamilton (1813–1884) • Lady Isabella Proby (d.1866) ==See also==