1785 Overview

The second year of peace remained a quiet one for the navy, with very little activity. The otherwise under-occupied Admiralty was forced to recall Commodore Sir Charles Douglas from his position as the commander-in-chief at Halifax in February due to disputes with local officialdom, whilst in the Leeward Islands a young Captain Horatio Nelson, with the support of Captain Cuthbert Collingwood, caused conflict with the local authorities and his own commander-in-chief through his attempts to enforce the Navigation Laws, resulting in him facing a civil trial in May.

Back home the trial took place in 1785 of Captain Isaac Prescott on charges of cruelty towards his wife, whilst equally sensational, but for far different reasons, was a novel balloon ride undertaken by Admiral Sir Edward Vernon on 23 March.