Sir Peter, an admiral, distinguished by his virtue, learning, and undaunted courage, was descended from an ancient family in Ireland, and received a suitable education to qualify him for a command in the royal navy, in which he served for several years with great reputation; but the transaction which placed his great abilities in their full light, was the taking of Louisbourg in the year 1745, when he was appointed commodore of the British squadron sent on that service. He joined the fleet of transports from Boston in Canfo bay on the 25th of April, having under his command the Superb of 60, and the Launceston and Elham of 40 guns; he was afterwards joined by several other men of war sent from England, and took possession of Louisbourg on the 17th of June. The French, exasperated at this loss, were constantly on the watch to retake it; and in 1747 fitted out a large fleet for that purpose, and at the same time another squadron to prosecute their success in the East Indies. These squadrons failed at the same time; but the views of the French were rendered abortive by the gallant admiral Anson and Sir Peter Warren, who had been created rear-admiral, who with a large fleet of ships fell in with the French, defeated the whole fleet, and took the greatest part of the men of war. This was the last service Sir Peter rendered to his country as a commander in the British fleet; for a peace being concluded in the succeeding year, the fleet was laid up in the several harbours.

He was now chosen one of the representatives in parliament for Westminster; and in the midst of his popularity he paid a visit to Ireland, his native country, where he died of an inflammatory fever in 1752, sincerely lamented by all ranks of people; and an elegant monument of white marble was erected to his memory in Westminster abbey.

is a franchise or place privileged by prescription or grant from the king, for the keeping of beasts and fowls of the Warren; which are hares and coneyes, partridges, pheasants, and some add quails, woodcocks, and water-fowl, &c. These being feræ nature, every one had a natural right to kill as he could: but upon the introduction of the forest laws at the Norman conquest, these animals being looked upon as royal game, and the sole property of our savage monarchs, this franchise of free-warren was invented to protect them, by giving the grantee a sole and exclusive power of killing such game, so far as his Warren extended, on condition of his preventing other persons. A man therefore that has the franchise of Warren, is in reality no more than a royal game-keeper: but no man, not even a lord of a manor, could by common law justify sporting on another's foil, or even on his own, unless he had the liberty of free-warren. This franchise is almost fallen into disregard since the new statutes for preserving the game; the name being now chiefly preserved in grounds that are set apart for breeding hares and rabbits. There are many instances of keen sportsmen in ancient times, who have sold their estates, and reserved the free-warren, or right of killing game, to themselves: by which means it comes to pass that a man and his heirs have sometimes free-warren over another's ground.

A Warren may lie open; and there is no necessity of inclosing it as there is of a park. If any person offend in a free-warren, he is punishable by the common law, and by statute 21 Edw. III. And if any one enter wrongfully into any Warren, and chase, take, or kill, any coneyes without the consent of the owner, he shall forfeit treble damage, and suffer three months imprisonment, &c. by 22 and 23 Car. II. c. 25. When coneyes are on the foil of the party, he hath a property in them by reason of the possession, and action lies for killing them; but if they run out of the Warren and eat up a neighbour's corn, the owner of the land may kill them, and no action will lie.