by Richard Hiscocks | Jun 10, 2018 | 1788, The Peace of 1784-1792
Admiral Lord Howe?s position as the first lord of the Admiralty became untenable following parliamentary disquiet at his superannuation of a large number of officers due for promotion to flag rank in favour of more worthy officers further down the captain?s...
by Richard Hiscocks | May 22, 2018 | 1788, The Peace of 1784-1792
The practice of placing the names of ?in absentia? young gentlemen on the muster-roll of a ship in order for them to fulfil the requisite six years sea-time before sitting a lieutenant?s examination had long been an unsaid tradition in the navy. It was not...
by Richard Hiscocks | Jun 9, 2018 | 1788, The Peace of 1784-1792
The promotion of captains to flag rank had never been a cut and dried process, despite the general assumption that the achievement of the rank of post captain entitled one to join the list of officers who would in strict succession reach the rank of admiral....
by Richard Hiscocks | Jun 10, 2018 | 1788, The Peace of 1784-1792
On 22 December 1786 the frigate Phaeton 38, Captain George Dawson, left Portsmouth bound for the Mediterranean station where the peace-time squadron consisted of the commander-in-chief?s 50-gun vessel, four or so frigates and a couple of brigs or sloops. Here...
