Captain John Pilfold CB (before 20 January 1769[1] – 12 July 1834) was an officer of the Royal Navy whose solid naval career during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars was most noted for his command of the ship of the line HMS Ajax in Nelson's division at the battle of Trafalgar whilst only a lieutenant.

[5] John Pilfold followed the usual method of introduction to the Royal Navy of the day, joining a ship aged 13 and slowly learning his trade as a midshipman in HMS Crown under the capable guidance of William Cornwallis.

Arriving home, Pilfold found his father had died in 1790 and that his estate, Effingham East Court Manor, had been sold.

Pilfold distinguished himself in the battle of the Glorious First of June in 1794, and was specially recommended by his dying captain John Harvey of HMS Brunswick for his bravery and competence.

[7] As a reward, he was posted to the 18-gun sloop HMS Kingfisher and made some money from prizes captured during operations off the Spanish and Portuguese coasts, sailing from Lisbon.

A notorious and wealthy first lieutenant, Pilfold met and married Mary Anne Horner on 20 June 1803[8] during the Peace of Amiens, but was back aboard ship in 1803, moving from HMS Hindostan to HMS Dragon and from there to the Ajax, which was then commanded by Captain William Brown.

Brown was embroiled in the scandal which followed and resulted in the court martial of the admiral in charge, Sir Robert Calder.

Called home to give evidence at the trial, Brown placed Pilfold in charge of the Ajax, which joined Nelson's fleet during the blockade of Cadiz.

He was buried at St George's Church, Plymouth, but the churchyard containing his tombstone was destroyed by German bombers in the Blitz in 1941.