'' (
David Martin, 1778) While in the West Indies, Lindsay had a child with a Black woman named Maria Bell, who gave birth to a daughter in 1761 when she was about 15. Lindsay then returned to England in 1765 presumably with Maria and their daughter. Later accounts claimed that Maria met Lindsay when he captured a Spanish ship that she was on board. in England, the daughter was baptized as
Dido Elizabeth Belle by Maria in November 1766 at St George’s Church Bloomsbury, Lindsay was absent from the baptism and record, Dido wasn't publicly acknowledged by her father hence she was given her mother's last name instead. Lindsay wasn't in England around this time, as he appeared in Jamaican baptism record of his other daughter named Elizabeth Lindsay in December 1766. Under colonial law, Dido Belle was born into slavery and after her baptism, she was taken to
Kenwood House to be raised by Lindsay's uncle
William Murray, 1st Earl of Mansfield, who educated and cared for her alongside her cousin,
Lady Elizabeth Murray. Dido lived with them for 30 years and married after her uncle's death. Murray's will officially confirmed her freedom alongside a sum and an annuity in 1793. On 19 September 1768, Lindsay married Mary Milner (1740-1799), daughter of Sir William Milner. They had no children. Despite being married, Lindsay still kept Maria Belle in England with him until 1774, when Lindsay having made her free and paid for her manumission, also transferred a piece of property in Pensacola to Maria, where she was to live and required her to build a house within 10 years, "
the manumission transaction for the sum of two hundred Spanish milled dollars paid by Maria Belle a Negro Woman Slave about 28 years of age" dated 22 August 1774. By the end of his life, Lindsay was known to reside in Scotland, he only acknowledged two children in his will, leaving £1,000 to "John and Elizabeth, my reputed son and daughter."
East Indies From August 1769 to March 1772 Lindsay was promoted to
commodore and assigned as
commander-in-chief of the
East Indies Station, flying his
broad pennant flown from the frigate
Stag. While in India, he was awarded the
Order of the Bath (28 June 1770), though he was still a relatively junior sea officer. He was ordered to investigate dealings between the
British East India Company and the Indian
nawabs. This made him unpopular with the company and he was soon recalled.
Ushant under Lindsay's command From March to May 1778, he was the first captain of the
first-rate HMS Victory. He was assigned as captain of the
90-gun HMS Prince George when
Admiral Keppel decided to
raise his flag in
Victory (with
John Campbell as his
flag captain) after the ship's commissioning in May 1778. Lindsay commanded the
Prince George in the disastrous
Battle of Ushant on 27 July 1778. After giving evidence against
Sir Hugh Palliser to the ensuing
courts martial, he resigned straight after Keppel. He refused to accept any command during
Lord Sandwich's administration of the Admiralty, thus missing the
American War of Independence.
Later life and death His successors appreciated Lindsay's ability, and he was appointed as
Admiralty Commissioner between April and December 1783. He next was assigned as
commodore and
commander-in-chief in the Mediterranean, with
HMS Trusty as his flagship. At
Naples 24 June 1784, he entertained the
king and
queen of Sicily on board his ship. Soon afterward, his health began to fail and he had to return to England. He was promoted to "
rear admiral of the
red" on 24 September 1787. For health reasons he held it as an honorary role rather than an active one. He died at
Marlborough, on his way from a health trip to
Bath, on 4 June 1788, aged fifty-one. He is buried in
Westminster Abbey. ==Mansfield family tree==