Seahorse Foretop — Rated Midshipman
Generated illustration. Not a historical photograph. A British 64-gun two-decker. Not a named portrait of Seahorse, a 20-gun ship.
Overview
Carcass Coxswain — Phipps Arctic Voyage 1773 already records the Arctic posting. Lieutenancy Examination — 8 April 1777 already records the later examination. This note covers the Seahorse midshipman rating only. The East-India illness and the Dolphin passage home stay on HMS Dolphin — Invalided from India.1
The Rating
Southey says that after the Arctic ships were paid off, Nelson was placed by his uncle with Capt. Farmer in the Seahorse, of 20 guns, going out to the East Indies in the squadron under Sir Edward Hughes. He was stationed in the foretop at watch and watch. His conduct attracted the master, afterwards Capt. Surridge, in whose watch he was; and, on that recommendation, the captain rated him as midshipman.2
A later lieutenancy stays on Lieutenancy Examination — 8 April 1777. This page does not invent a commission date for Surridge or a hull number for Seahorse.
Sources
Related
Navigation
Same Subject
- Suckling Maurice — Captain
- Lieutenancy Examination — 8 April 1777
- Worcester Acting Lieutenant — Gibraltar Convoy — acting post only
- HMS Dolphin — Invalided from India — invaliding only
- Nelson Horatio — Biography Overview
Cross-Domain
Footnotes
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Arctic coxswain only: Carcass Coxswain — Phipps Arctic Voyage 1773. Examination only: Lieutenancy Examination — 8 April 1777. ↩
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“Nelson was then placed, by his uncle, with Capt. Farmer, in the Seahorse, of 20 guns, then going out to the East Indies in the squadron under Sir Edward Hughes. He was stationed in the foretop at watch and watch. His good conduct attracted the attention of the master (afterwards Capt. Surridge), in whose watch he was; and, upon his recommendation, the captain rated him as midshipman.” @southey1813nelson vol. 1, p. 22 (1813). Do not invent a later rate or a launch year. ↩