Season's Greetings to everyone Whilst transcribing some entries from the Navy List for 1844, and checking one with the NBD, I came across the following: Circa late 1809: Lieutenant Matthew Gray reports in his entry in the Naval Biographical Dictionary (NBD) that prior to sailing in HMS Thalia to the West Indies, in one of the frigate's boats, and while in attendance of the King, off Weymouth, assisted in saving the royal barge ; an occasion on which the late Sir Harry Neale lost his son. I wondered if anyone could add to the saga or does this sum it up ? And just for the record, the following snippets from the Naval Chronicle from a few years earlier would indicate that the Napoleonic Wars probably came quite close to home and our relatives, at times: 1 - 29 Jan 1799 - Two brigs, with iron from Cardiff to London, have been captured by a French privateer, retaken by the PIGMY cutter, and brought into Portland, with the cutter. Unnamed vessel captured off Portland by French privateer. Ann & Susan (American Ship), Captain Fricker ?, captured off Portland by privateer, 18 guns and carried into Cherbourg. Sorry to bore all those who don't have maritime interests ;-) Regards Paul 50.33.50N 02.26.70W http://www.pbenyon.plus.com/Naval.html