CHAPTER II

He is made Rear-Admiral and Vice-Admiral of the Blue, and Commander-in-Chief at Portsmouth; his proceedings there and in the Channel, and afterwards with the Grand Fleet till their return into harbour.

COMMODORE LEAKE arrived at Spithead from his late successful expedition to Newfoundland the 10th of November, and the 9th of December he was appointed Rear-Admiral of the Blue Squadron of Her Majesty's Fleet, to which would have been added the honour of knighthood, but he industriously avoided it. He had no sooner received his commission than he repaired to Portsmouth, as well to hoist his flag, as to relieve Sir Stafford Fairborne, who had leave to come to London. He arrived at Portsmouth the 23rd of December, and hoisted his flag the same day on board the Stirling Castle in that harbour. The 28th he issued his orders to the Lord Dursley to hasten the equipment of his ship, and to cruise between the Land's End and the Start and the Lizard, pursuant to His Royal Highness's orders; and the 4th of January,1 the like orders to Captain Allen of the Flamborough to cruise between Chichester and the Ness, to protect the trade, and particularly to prevent the running of wool, and bringing over French silks. The Swan and Fly

1 1703.

2 Dungeness.

:

brigantine he ordered to cruise between Folkestone and Hastings, to do the same and having (as usual, upon being made a Flag-Officer) considered upon the choice of a ship, and a captain to command the ship at all times where he should hoist his flag, by his letter the 8th of January 1702-3, to the Lord High Admiral's secretary, he signified that he had made choice of Captain Stephen Martin, then commander of the Lowestoft, a cruising upon the Guernsey station, his brotherin-law, to be his captain, and the Royal William, a First Rate ship, in that harbour,2 to go to sea in, desiring that Captain Martin might therefore be discharged from the one, and have a commission for the other; which was complied with the latter end of that month. This gentleman he made choice of for his Captain, not so much on account of his alliance to him, as for his qualifications, and the friendship he bore him: for Captain Martin had been bred up under him, had been several years his lieutenant, and he had been a witness of his behaviour: so that he knew him to be a brave experienced officer, though but a young Captain, and one who would always have his honour at heart: a circumstance few Admirals have been happy in, and upon which the success of every enterprise very much depends, the best concerted designs having been frequently rendered abortive by the infidelity or carelessness of those who were to carry them into execution. The change was indeed disadvantageous to Captain Martin, a cruising ship being the only means to get a fortune at sea in time of war; but he gave up that consideration out of regard to his brother-in-law and friend; and from this time, wholly attached himself to his fortune.

1 N.R.S., vol. v, p. 67.

2 Portsmouth.

TITLE TO HOLD COURTS MARTIAL 107

The 12th of January 1702-3, Rear-Admiral Leake was appointed Commander-in-Chief of all Her Majesty's ships at Spithead and Portsmouth, to be in force for twenty days from the date. The same day he run out to Spithead. The 20th he removed his flag from the Stirling Castle to the Resolution, where he continued to give the necessary orders from time to time, as occasion. required, till the 28th, when he struck his flag at Spithead, and hoisted it on board the Royal William in the harbour.

The 4th of February he received Her Majesty's Order in Council, of the 1st instant, for laying a general embargo on all shipping, for the more effectual and speedy manning the fleet. No ships that cleared outwards were to proceed till they had furnished Her Majesty's ships with one fourth of the number of men belonging to them, and those that had not cleared out were to furnish half their complements; which implied a great scarcity of seamen at that time. The 8th of February he received another commission from the Lord High Admiral, dated that day, appointing him Commander-in-Chief at Spithead and Portsmouth for twenty days, accompanied with a warrant empowering him to hold Courts Martial; and having before mentioned another commission of the like nature, it will be proper to observe, that all Commanders-in-Chief, as Admirals, Vice-Admirals, Rear-Admirals, Commodores of squadrons, and even private Commanders for particular purposes, are empowered by warrant from the Admiralty to hold Courts Martial, but with this difference; that an Admiral, or ViceAdmiral, have only a warrant, authorising them to hold such courts: whereas, if a Rear-Admiral is to be so authorised, he must have a commission,

appointing him Commander-in-Chief, as well as a warrant for so doing, because none but Commanders-in-Chief can hold Courts Martial.1 But why a Rear-Admiral, being the Commanding Officer, and acting in all other respects as fully as a Vice-Admiral, should not be esteemed a Commander-in-Chief for this purpose, as well as the other, does not occur. Perhaps, the reason may be this; that a Vice-Admiral, as the name imports, is in the stead or place of the Admiral, as his deputy in his absence: whereas, a RearAdmiral, being of an inferior rank, and no other than commander of the Reserve or Rear of the squadron, as his name implies, he cannot represent the Admiral. And as a deputy cannot have a deputy, so neither can he represent the Vice-Admiral, and therefore must first be constituted a Commander-in-Chief, because none but Commanders-in-Chief can exercise that authority. Of this kind were the two foregoing commissions, in order to enable him to enquire into the misdemeanours committed on board the ships in that harbour, and to punish the delinquents.

By virtue of this authority, the 12th, he held a Court Martial upon the Purser of the Chatham, on board the Royal William in Portsmouth harbour, and dismissed him his employ and as he was pleased to cast some reflections upon the Court, after the sentence was read, the Admiral ordered him to be confined on board the Chatham during His Royal Highness's pleasure. The next day he hoisted his flag on board the St. George, and the following held a Court Martial upon two deserters, one of whom was sentenced to die, and the other to be whipped. The 19th he removed

113 Charles II, cap. 89.

VICE-ADMIRAL OF THE BLUE 109

his flag on board the Nassau, and the 24th held another Court Martial on board the Royal William, and dismissed the boatswain of the Dreadnought. Besides these, which were the most remarkable proceedings at the Courts Martial, there were many other smaller offenders, that merited a whipping, but not to be particularly mentioned in this place.

Soon after this there being a promotion of Flag-Officers, Rear-Admiral Leake was advanced to Vice-Admiral of the Blue squadron. By this promotion he was advanced three steps at once,. for by regular gradation, he should have been first Rear-Admiral of the White, and then RearAdmiral of the Red, before he had been made a Vice-Admiral. But this did not proceed from any partiality or favour to him, but was entirely owing to the vacancies that happened to be at that time; and was equally fortunate to Mr. Byng, who by the same means, from a private Captain, at once became Rear-Admiral of the Red.1 The 4th of March he received his commission, dated the first of that month, accompanied by a warrant of the same date for holding Courts Martial.

The same day he received his commission, he hoisted the Blue Flag at the fore topmast head on board the Nassau at Spithead, upon that occasion only, presently removing it again_on board the Royal William in the harbour. But two days after he shifted it from thence to the St. George. These frequent removals of the flag, from one ship to another, were occasioned by the necessity of being sometimes at Spithead, and sometimes in the harbour, and by reason of the

1 Camden Society's Publications, New Series, vol. xlvi,