On Sat 03 Jan 2004, Paul Benyon wrote: >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. Having checked the Weymouth reports in the Sherborne Mercury between May 1809 and June 1810, the following is the only incident involving loss of life in connection with a Royal vessel: "Weymouth, October 13 [1809] The following very melancholy accident happened here on Monday evening last: As a boat was coming into the harbour from the Royal Sovereign yacht, in passing the bar a squall of wind upset the boat, and we are sorry to have to add, that Mr. John Burrard, Midshipman, and the son of General Sir Harry Burrard, was drowned, every exertion to save him proving unsuccessful. He was a young man of excellent character, and very amiable manners. The other persons in the boat were fortunately saved. It has blown a violent eastern gale all this week. The men of war rode it out in safety; but the Royal Sovereign yacht, on Wednesday, was in a dangerous situation, and excited great anxiety for her fate. Mr. Kerridge, one of the pilots of the town, in consequence of the signals made, and in the midst of the gale brought her safe into the harbour, to the great joy of a great assemblage of spectators met together on the pier to witness her approach." The Royal barge is apparently undamaged only a week later: "Weymouth October 20 [1809] He [the Duke of York] accompanying his royal sisters to the barge; the morning being beautifully fine they took the benefit of the sea air for near two hours." The only mention of names occurring in your incident are as follows:: "Weymouth September 22 [1809] Tuesday, the weather being remarkably fine the Prince of Wales, the Duke of Cambridge, and the Princesses Mary and Amelia, attended by Sir H.B. NEALE, Lady NEALE, &c, &c, went in the King's barge to the Royal Sovereign yacht, and got under weigh, with the Narcissus and Thames frigates, and had a very pleasant excursion." Also, King George III did not vist Weymouth after 1805, so your man cannot have been "in attendance of the King, off Weymouth" in 1809. Dave Hills, Dorchester