Admiral darby was a disciple of that school, which is now almost extinct. He was contemporary with Rodney, Geary, Barrington, Hawke, and others, whose names appear to so much advantage in our naval annals.

Respecting his earlier services, our information is but slight. On the 12th of September, 1747, he was appointed captain of the Warwick; from which, by the month of December following, he was removed into the Aldborough, of 20 guns, on the American station. In January, 1748, he joined Commodore Knowles, at Jamaica; but it does not appear that he was present at the subsequent attack on St. Jago de Cuba, with that officer.

The peace which soon afterwards ensued, deprived Captain Darby, in common with most of the officers of the British navy, of any early opportunity of distinguishing himself; and it is not until the year 1757, when he commanded the Norwich, of 50 guns, on the West India station, that we find his name again mentioned.–Having returned to England, he was employed in the same ship, in the summer of 1759, at the bombardment of Havre de Grace, under Rear-admiral Rodney; after which, he continued, for some time, with the squadron, on a cruise in the Channel.