He reached flag rank soon after the start of the French Revolutionary Wars, and served mainly in Home waters as commander in chief of some of the stations on the south coast.

[1] Lutwidge embarked on a career in the Navy, and is listed as a lieutenant in 1763, taking command of the purchased cutter HMS Cholmondely in April that year.

[5] Sailing with the Carcass was a young Horatio Nelson, whose position as a midshipman on the expedition had been arranged by his uncle, Maurice Suckling.

Lutwidge's later version, in 1809, reported that Nelson and a companion had given chase to the bear, but on being questioned why, replied that "I wished, Sir, to get the skin for my father.

[7] Lutwidge was appointed to command the 28-gun sixth rate HMS Triton in August 1775, and sailed to North America in March the following year.

[13] He led the naval forces pursuing the Americans who were retreating from the fall of Fort Ticonderoga in July that year.

[12] Lutwidge then briefly took command of the 74-gun third rate HMS Yarmouth and sailed her back to Britain with American prisoners of war, paying her off after her arrival in March.

[17] By September he was back on the North American station, re-capturing the 20-gun HMS Lively on 29 July during his voyage across the Atlantic.

[29][31] A monument to his memory was raised in St Paul, Irton parish church,[32] to the east of Holmrook, in the form of a stained glass window.