Basil Keith
{{Short description|British naval officer and Governor of Jamaica}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2022}}
{{Infobox military person
|honorific_prefix = Sir
|name = Basil Keith
|honorific_suffix =
|image =
|image_upright =
|alt =
|caption =
|nickname =
|birth_date = {{circa}}1734
|birth_place =
|death_date = 15 November 1777
|death_place = Jamaica
|placeofburial =
|allegiance = Kingdom of Great Britain
|branch = Royal Navy
|serviceyears = 1747–1777
|rank = Captain
|commands = HMS Medway
HMS Badger
HMS Dover
HMS Amazon
HMS Levant
HMS Preston
HMS Pearl
Governor of Jamaica
|known_for =
|battles = {{Tree list}}
- War of the Austrian Succession
- Second Battle of Cape Finisterre
- Seven Years' War
- American Revolutionary War
{{tree list/end}}
|battles_label =
|awards = Knight bachelor (1772)
|memorials =
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|spouse =
|children =
|relations = Robert Murray Keith (father)
Sir Robert Murray Keith (brother)
|signature =
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}}
Sir Basil Keith ({{circa}}1734 – 15 November 1777) was a British naval officer and Governor of Jamaica.
He was born the second son of diplomat Robert Murray Keith and the younger brother of Lieutenant-General Robert Keith.{{cite web|url=https://collections.rmg.co.uk/collections/objects/14125.html|title=Captain Sir Basil Keith (d. 1777)|publisher=Royal Museums Greenwich|accessdate= 21 August 2019}}
Keith joined the Navy, and was promoted lieutenant in 1756 while serving in {{HMS|Badger|1745|6}}. He was raised to commander in 1758 and appointed to {{HMS|Dover|1740|6}}. He was finally promoted captain in 1760 and given command in turn of {{HMS|Amazon|1745|6}}, {{HMS|Levant|1758|2}}, {{HMS|Preston|1757|2}} and {{HMS|Pearl|1762|2}}.
He was knighted on 10 June 1772 and appointed Governor of Jamaica in February 1773, taking up his post in January 1774.
He died in Jamaica in 1777 and a large marble monument by sculptor Joseph Wilton was erected in his honour in 1780 at St Catherine's Parish Church (St Jago de la Vega church) in the old capital of Spanish Town.