piz
GeqJI. Naval Expeditions, &c. of the Englisti, Book VI*
1728.
1729.
A Supplygrant ed. forthe Navy.
Resolutionstaken con-cerning theDepredations,committed by :the Spanirards.
the Royal Family, and the whole Courtand to the universal Satisfaction of theNation.
The twenty-first of January, 1729.the Parliament met; And the thirty-sirstthe House of Commons agreed to the Re-solutions, taken some Days before, fora Supply for the Navy. (»)
(0) In the Month of March, therewere again several Removes in the Na-vy, (p) occasioned by the Death ofRobert Hughes, Esq; The fourteenth ofthe fame Month, the House of Commonshaving for some Days before examinedinto the Accounts of the Spanish Depre-dations, and called for several Papers,relating thereunto, came to the follow-ing Resolution: That from the Peaceconcluded at Utrecht, in the Year, 1713.to this Time, the British Trade andNavigation, to and from the several Bri-tish Colonies in America, had beengreatly interrupted, by the continualDe-predations of the Spaniards, who hadseized very valuable Effects, and unjust-ly taken and made Prize of great Num-
bers of Briti/h Ships and Vessels, in those i 7 2 9 *Parts, to the great Loss and Damage ofthe Subjects of this Kingdom, and inmanifest Violation of the Treaties subsist-ing between the two Crowns, (q) Seve-ral other Papers were afterwards calledfor, and farther Resolutions taken,which ended in a second Address, muchto the same Purpose.
The Beginning of April, three and }n
thirty of His Majesty’s Ships of War, CommtJJioti.including Guard Ships, (r) were put in-to Commission, and order’d forthwith tobe equip’d ; And, not many Days after,
Warrants were issued out for impressingSea-men.
The ninth of May, Sir Charles Wagerarrived at Portsmouth, and, the nextDay, hoisted his Flag, on Board the w - t f h y lSCornwal, at Spithead, where, on the Squadronsive and twentieth, there still remained, s ? ic t ead 'drawn up in a Half Moon, or Line ofBattle, under Sir Charles's Command,eighteen of the Ships already mentioned,together with the Adventure and the Se-vern ; Where they were joined, the
fourth
to St. James’s before it was known lie was comingto England ; And the Secrecy, with. which it wasmanaged at Hannover, gave Occasion to severalodd Reports in Germany, among which none wasmore ridiculous, than that which were spread fortwo or three Days at Hamburg , where I at thatTime was; viz. That some of the Pretender'sEmissaries had spirited His Royal Highness awayfrom a Masquerade, and had carried him no Bodyknew whither ; and that the Gates of Hannoverbeing kept lhut for some Time, was in Order tosearch for the Tray tors, or their Accessaries j Butthis incoherent Story, which met with little or noCredit, was, soon after, totally exploded, by theArrival of an Account to Sir Cyril Wicb , of hisRoyal Highnefs’s Departure {orEngland.
(n) They were to employ fifteeen ThousandSeamen, at four Pounds per Man, per Month, forthirteen Months, for the Year 1729. And twoHundred and six Thousand, and five and twentyPounds, for the Ordinary of the Navy, for thefame Year.
( 0 ) This Year was ushered in with farther Ac-counts of the Depredations of the Spaniards , inAmerica ; Who now, not content with taking ourShips, were so cruel, to turn their Men adrift,in small Boats, and leave them to the Mercy ofthe Seas : ’But Commadore St. Loe, soon after,received such Instructions, as it was hoped wouldenable the Men of War, stationed in those Parts,to prevent the like for the future.
(p) Philip Cavendish, Esq; succeeded him asRear-Admiral of the Red ; John Balchen , Esq;was made Rear-Admiral of the White , and Ed-ward St. Loe , Esq; Rear-Admiral of the Blue.
(q) In Consequence of this Resolution, it was,farther moved and resolved,Nemine contradicente,That an Humble Address be presented to HisMajesty, to desire he would be graciously pleased,,to use His utmost Endeavours to prevent such De-predations j To procure just and reasonable Satis-faction for the Losses sustained ; And to secure toHis Subjects the free Exercise of Commerce andNavigation, to and front the British Colonies in
America. In Answer to which, His Majesty wasgraciously pleas’d to promise His best Endeavoursto answer their Desires.
(r) These Ships
were the following
:
Rates. Ships.
Commanders. Men. Guns,
3
Princess Amelia >
Capt. Falkingbam.
520
80
3
Burford,
Sir Chaloner Ogle.
440
70
3
Cornwal,
Hughes or Davis. r 2 o
80
3
Devonshire ,
5 20
80
3
Berwick ,
Norbury.
440
70
3
Grafton,
Haddock.
440
70
3
Kent,
0 Brien.
440
70
3.
Monmouth ,
Purvis.
440
70
3
Nassau,
Vanbrugh.
440
70
3
Royal Oak ,
Lestock.
440
70
3
Bedford ,
440
70
4
Dreadnought,
Geddis.
365
60
4
Kingston ,
Danfie.
Z65
60
4
Lion,
Ed. Reddish.
3%
do
4
Tork,
John St. Loe.
3 6 S
60
4
S under land,
Clinton.
3 6 5
60
4
■Argyle,
Roberts.
280
5°
4
Advice,
Martin.
280
50
4
Assistance,
Graves.
280
5°
4
Falkland,
Atkins.
280
50
4
Guernsey,
Cockburn.
280
5°
4
Leopard,
Warren.
280
5°
4
Oxford,
lAFere Beauclerk. 280
5°
4
Portland,
Rowzier.
280
5°
4
Winchester,
Lock.
280
5°
5
King sale,
Harvey.
190
40
5
Loo,
Berkley.
190
40
6
Solebay,
Sparks.
130
20
6
Scarborough ,
Barnfley,
130
20
Cr/^a-Fire-lhip.
Bennat.
7hunder-Bomb.
Erevor.
Drake-Sloo^.
Dundas.
Otter- Sloop,
Williams.
The Dutch Squadron, which joined this Fleetafterwards, consisted of twelve Men of War, anda Bomb-Ketch.