Page:Royal Naval Biography Marshall sp1.djvu/491

 ship, and three transports, part of a fleet bound to the Mauritius.

From this period, the Marlborough served with the Channel fleet until the commencement of 1782, when Captain Penny was sent out to reinforce Sir George Rodney’s fleet at the Leeward Islands, where he arrived a few days previous to the decisive battle of April 12th, and on that occasion had the honor of leading into action. The Marlborough’s loss was 3 killed and 16 wounded.

Mr. Spear continued in that ship until she was paid off at the conclusion of hostilities; from which period he served on board the Orestes sloop, Ardent 64, and Bellona, a third rate, till promoted to the rank of Lieutenant, Oct. 15, 1790. During the remainder of the peace we find him serving as first of the Swan sloop, on the East India station. His subsequent appointments were to the Audacious 74, Triton frigate, Saturn 74, Jupiter 50, and St. Albans 64; the latter ship bearing the flag of Vice-Admiral Vandeput, by whom he was made a Commander into the Lily sloop, on the Halifax station, about Sept. 1799.

In 1802, Captain Spear exchanged into the Chichester 44, armed en flute, which ship returned home Feb. 13, 1808. In June following, he conveyed the second battalion of the Royal Scots from Portsmouth to Barbadoes, making the voyage in 26 days. While disembarking the troops in Carlisle Bay, he observed a brig passing the anchorage under Dutch colours, and as a renewal of the war with Holland appeared very probable at the time of his departure from Spithead, where the Chichester had been kept two days waiting for despatches after she was reported ready for sea, he immediately sent his boats out to detain her, the ship he commanded being the only one then in the bay. Two days afterwards Commodore Hood arrived, and on being made acquainted with the 