He served in the West Indies, and distinguished himself after the outbreak of the Napoleonic Wars by superintending the Blockade of Saint-Domingue, with the post of commodore.

He still held this rank by the outbreak of the French Revolutionary Wars and in January 1793 was appointed to command the fireship HMS Conflagration.

[2] Promoted to commander on 16 May 1793, he sailed Conflagration to the Mediterranean on 22 May and was part of Lord Hood's fleet at the occupation and siege of Toulon.

Bellerophon was among five ships ordered to join Admiral John Duckworth's squadron in the West Indies, and having stored, she sailed from Torbay on 2 March 1802.

[12] The squadron gave chase, and on 25 July overhauled and captured Duquesne after a few shots were fired, while Duguay-Trouin and Guerrière managed to evade their pursuers and escape to France.

[12] Loring remained blockading Cap-François until November, when the French commander of the garrison there, General Rochambeau, approached him and requested to be allowed to evacuate his men, which were being besieged by a native Haitian force led by Jean-Jacques Dessalines.

The French were allowed to evacuate on three frigates, Surveillante, Clorinde and Vertu, and a number of smaller ships, and were escorted to Jamaica by the squadron.

[9][14] Loring was ordered to sail her back to Britain in June, escorting a large convoy, and arrived in the Downs on 11 August.

He briefly paid her off and she was taken into Portsmouth Dockyard for a refit, before rejoining the Channel Fleet, still off Brest, and under the command of Admiral Sir William Cornwallis.

[9][16] Loring was then appointed to command the 112-gun HMS Salvador del Mundo, the Plymouth guardship, later that month, holding the post until being superseded in June 1807.

[17] He was then in command of the Sea Fencibles covering the district between Emsworth and Calshot, and died in this post on 9 November 1808, still a captain, at Fareham, Hampshire.