John Watts (Royal Navy officer)

John Watts (c. 1750 – 1794) was a British Royal Navy officer who served during the American Revolutionary War and the French Revolutionary Wars. He is primarily known for his command of HMS Canada and his capture of the Spanish frigate Santa Leocadia in 1781.

Watts entered the Royal Navy in the 1760s and gradually rose through the ranks. He was promoted to lieutenant in 1774 and commanded small vessels during the early stages of the American Revolutionary War.

In 1780, he was promoted to captain and given command of the third-rate HMS Canada, a ship of 74 guns. On 29 August 1781, while cruising off Ushant, Canada encountered the Spanish frigate Santa Leocadia, under the command of Commodore Don Francisco de Paula Gelí. After a sharp action lasting about an hour, Watts forced Santa Leocadia to strike her colours. The capture was a significant prize for the Royal Navy.

Following the peace with France and Spain in 1783, Watts remained in the Navy. He continued to command ships and was involved in peacetime duties. With the outbreak of the French Revolutionary Wars in 1793, Watts was again active in naval operations.

Captain John Watts died in 1794 while serving on the Jamaica station. His capture of the Santa Leocadia remained his most notable accomplishment, and he was remembered as a capable and courageous officer. His name is sometimes confused with other contemporary John Watts in England, including a noted politician.