thumb|Arms of Holburne: Quarterly 1&4: gules, a fess couped between three crescents or; 2&3: Or, an orle gules, as seen on his monument in St Mary Magdalen's Church, Richmond
Admiral Francis Holburne (1704 – 15 July 1771) was a Royal Navy officer and politician. He served as commodore and commander-in-chief at the Leeward Islands during the War of the Austrian Succession and then took part in an operation to capture Louisbourg as part of the Louisbourg Expedition during the Seven Years' War. He went on to be Port Admiral at Portsmouth and then Senior Naval Lord. In retirement he became Governor of Greenwich Hospital. He also served as a Member of Parliament.
Origins
He was born in 1704 the second son of Sir James Holburn, 1st Baronet of Menstrie, Clackmannan, Scotland, by his wife Jean Spittal, a daughter of Alexander Spittal of Leuchat. He was the brother to James Holburne, 2nd Baronet and William Holburne, who both served in the Navy.
He was raised and educated in Inverkeithing in Fife.
Holburne had known Lord Morton as an intimate family friend and may well have owed his advancement in the Navy to Archibald Campbell, 3rd Duke of Argyll who "took him by the hand in his younger days and made him a captain".
Flag officer
Promoted to rear-admiral on 5 February 1755, Holburne was quickly sent in May to reinforce Admiral Edward Boscawen's fleet in the North Atlantic. Boscawen's mission to intercept French ships from resupplying Canada was in danger as his ships' companies were not only sickly but short of men. Holburne was later appointed a member of the court-martial that was convened to try Admiral John Byng. Holburne sent the most heavily damaged ships back to England while he wintered in Halifax with the rest of the fleet. On 4 February 1758 he was advanced to Vice Admiral of the White and thereafter returned to England, with his North American command transferring to Admiral Edward Boscawen. In September 1760 Francis made political capital of his position as Port Admiral when he stood for Provost in his native lands at Inverkeithing. It is reported that he unscrupulously brought in armed press gangs to a trades meeting and with his sword drawn and by intimidation and bribery secured the return of his party.
thumb|Memorial in St Mary Magdalen's Church, Richmond
In November 1764 Holburne ordered a secret investigation into an apparent plot to set fire to Portsmouth Dockyard. as Senior Naval Lord under the North Ministry in February 1770, holding office until he was made Governor of Greenwich Hospital, by way of retirement, in February 1771. and died just a few months later, in July 1771.