For a research project, I need to find out who was the captain of two ships during 1724-1725. I know the Navy list, but is there a captain list somewhere? I need to know so I can find their letters in the PRO admiralty collection. For details on the ships, here is what I have:

HMS Diamond
5th Rate, 50 guns, 536bm 117 x 32.5 ft, Johnson, Blackwell, 12.10.1708. Rebuilt, Deptford, 1722 as 595bm, 40 guns. Sold 18.12.1744.

HMS Spence Log
Sloop, 8 guns, 114bm, 64.5 x 20 ft, Deptford DY, 13.3. 1722. BU 3.1730.

Can anyone help me? The reason I am researching them is because these are the vessels that chased Francis Spriggs the pirate (who I am doing for a research project).

DIAMOND: Commissioned 1723 by Captain James Windham (who died in the Bay of Honduras 3rd January, 1724/5). Captain Sir Yelverton Peyton from 22nd March, 1725. In June, 1726 Captain Charles Cotterell.

SPENCE: Commissioned in April, 1723 by Master and Commander Sir Yelverton Peyton (until sometime in 1724?); in March, 1725 under Master and Commander Perry Mayne who was made Post into the DRAGON on 24th September, 1725.

The above information is gleaned from Rif Winfield’s “British Warships in the Age of Sail 1714-1792” and John Charnock’s “Biographia Novalis”. In such details from the early eighteenth century there is a considerable margin of possible error .

wow, I didn't expect a reply that quickly. Well, Windham sounds plausible because the Diamond was chasing Spriggs in the Bay of Honduras, so having the captain die in that area seems about right. So, does to either of these books you listed just have lists of captains or something like that?

All of the available information in the two books relative to the ships in thetime period specified is included in my earlier post.

For Peyton see:

http://books.google.com/books?id=sgMKAA ... on&f=false


Rif Winfield's book should be available through your library system and I would recommend that you peruse it (or even buy it!).

You may also have seen this (note the spelling of Windham's name):

http://books.google.com/books?id=0kEftr ... nd&f=false

http://www.ageofnelson.org/MichaelPhill ... p?ref=5230

is a good website for details on any ship of the old navy. Copy and paste this into your browser and HMS Diamond should come up.: then for any other ship, use the index.

Occassionally,details may be sparse

I've noticed there are errors, so double check the info if you use this site.