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Graves was the second son of Rear-Admiral Thomas Graves and first cousin to Admiral Samuel Graves (1713-1787) He was with his father in the NORFOLK at the attack on Cartagena in 1741 and went with him to the Mediterranean and transferred into the MARLBOROUGH in 1742. In 1743 he was appointed Lieutenant of the ROMNEY and was present at the action off Toulon in February 1744. In 1746 he was in the PRINCESSA at the attack on L'Orient and he then served in the MONMOUTH under Anson and Hawke in the Channel. Between 1751 and 1754 he made two voyages to Africa. In 1754 he was given command of the HAZARD in home waters. He was made a captain in 1755 and appointed to the Sheerness, but in 1757 was court-martialled for refusing an engagement with an enemy ship, which appeared to be of superior force, and sentenced to be reprimanded. Graves was appointed to the UNICORN in 1758 and served in the Channel under Anson and Rodney. In 1761, as Captain of the ANTELOPE, he was Governor and Commander-in-Chief, Newfoundland. On his arrival he found there had been a French invasion and he organized a relief expedition which drove them from the island. On his return home he was made Captain of the TEMERAIRE in 1764 and in 1765 was sent to the west coast of Africa to investigate charges of maladministration in the British forts. He served as Member of Parliament for East Looe, January to May, 1775. In 1778 he commanded the CONQUEROR in North America and the West Indies, returning home the next year on his promotion to rear-admiral when he served as second-in-command of the Channel Fleet. He was sent to America as Commander-in-Chief in 1780 and led the British fleet at the action off the Chesapeake in March 1781 which resulted in the surrender of Cornwallis at Yorktown. Graves sailed for home from the West Indies in 1782 but lost several ships in a storm He was made a vice-admiral in 1787 and in 1788 Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth. He hoisted his flag in the CAMBRIDGE in 1790. In 1793 he was appointed second-in-command of the Channel Fleet under Lord Howe. He was promoted to admiral in 1794. He was raised to the Irish peerage for his part in the battle of the First of June 1794 but received a wound which forced him to give up his command and he saw no further service.