Page:Royal Naval Biography Marshall sp4.djvu/471

 Bartholomew, who appears to have passed in June last, but declines serving without promotion. The letters are written in rather a superior style, but in a presuming tone, and Lord St. Vincent thinks the gentleman’s address will be more properly deposited with you; on the other side, you will find the different residences of this personage, according to his letters. I have the honor to be, &c.

(Signed)“.”

At the top of this letter, Captain John Markham, then one of the Lords of the Admiralty, wrote:

“D$r$ Richbell, – The undermentioned appears to be a proper subject for you. – Your’s truly,

“J. M.”

“Send him to the Nore as soon as you can catch him.”

On the following morning, Lieutenant Robert Dunham, superintending one of the press-gangs under Captain Richbell’s orders, was ordered to look out for Mr. Bartholomew, and cautioned “not to let him slip through his fingers; as it would be a feather in his cap if he caught him.” The manner in which he was kidnapped will be seen by the evidence of John Lill, midshipman of the gang, when examined before a Select Committee of the House of Commons, May 28, 1805.

Having thus noticed this solitary instance of a First Lord of the Admiralty giving orders for any particular individual to be impressed, we shall conclude with an extract from the