Deptford

Posted by Albert Parker on Sunday 18th of April 2021 03:21

The records that Rif Winfield relied on might not have recorded a flag shift thousands of miles and about six months away. Richmond (Navy in War of 1739-48, III, 186), who was probably following Barnett's journal or Phillipson's, says that Barnett sent Winchester to reinforce Medway in the Straits of Malacca and Deptford to protect Cuddalore (Ft. St. Davids), shifting his pendant to Harwich. Deptford and Harwich were both 50s, and Richmond doesn't explain why Barnett didn't just send Harwich to Cuddalore and stay on Deptford. Possibly, he didn't trust the captain of Harwich with a detached mission. Some time later, he sent Deptford home with Dolphin, 20, and the homeward bound trade. Deptford was probably at that point his least well found ship of the line. This all happened before February 1746 but Richmond does not give dates.
On April 25/May 6, 1746, Barnett, in ill health, "sent his ships to cruise without him" (p. 188), shifting his pendant to Lively but going ashore. He died on April 28/May 9.
The July and August 1746 Disposition Report still has Barnett in Deptford and John Moore as her captain. The next one I have, March 1747, has Barnett in Harwich with Philip Carteret as flag captain--11 months after Barnett's death. By June 1747 the DR has Thomas Griffin in command in the East Indies in Princess Mary (I don't have the April and May DRs).

Posted by cy on Saturday 10th of April 2021 07:37

Thanks Albert
I've added the command, however Winfield has im in the Medway in 1746, not the Harwich?

Posted by Albert Parker on Saturday 10th of April 2021 05:08

Deptford was the flagship of Commodore Curtis Barnett from April 1744 (the East Indies squadron sailed from St. Helen's on April 30/May 11) until early 1746, when Barnett shifted his broad pendant to Harwich. Barnett was a regular temporary flag officer, commander-in-chief on a foreign station, with a post captain (Phillipson) for the ship in which he was embarked.