Henry Digby and Alcmene
Posted: Thu Nov 16, 2023 4:19 pm
Hello All -
I'm new to this forum; this is my first post.
I'm trying to find out more information about Alcmene (32, 1794) between the evacuation of Naples and the battle of Copenhagen. For much of this time she was captained by Henry Digby, including when she helped capture the Spanish frigate Santa Brigida in 1799. Winfield, in British Warships in the Age of Sail (and the pages on Threedecks for Alcmene and Digby), gives Digby's command as starting on 4.1800 and names Hope as her captain for 1799. But, as I wrote on the Threedecks page "Capture of Spanish Treasure Ships, 15th October 1799 - 17th" before I thought to join this forum, many other sources (the London Gazette 15197:1094, Naval Chronicle 2:542 and Naval History of GB p.402) all agree that Digby was in fact in command at this time.
Does anyone know of any other sources that might identify when Digby took over from Hope?
A related question is if anyone has any information on when Alcmene departed Palermo (under Hope, after helping evacuate the Neapolitan royal family) and/or arrived at the Lisbon station?
I've exhausted the sources that I know of without finding the answers. In welcoming me to the forum, Cy suggested a trip to Kew. This won't happen any time soon, so any suggestions of where else to look would be much appreciated.
I'm new to this forum; this is my first post.
I'm trying to find out more information about Alcmene (32, 1794) between the evacuation of Naples and the battle of Copenhagen. For much of this time she was captained by Henry Digby, including when she helped capture the Spanish frigate Santa Brigida in 1799. Winfield, in British Warships in the Age of Sail (and the pages on Threedecks for Alcmene and Digby), gives Digby's command as starting on 4.1800 and names Hope as her captain for 1799. But, as I wrote on the Threedecks page "Capture of Spanish Treasure Ships, 15th October 1799 - 17th" before I thought to join this forum, many other sources (the London Gazette 15197:1094, Naval Chronicle 2:542 and Naval History of GB p.402) all agree that Digby was in fact in command at this time.
Does anyone know of any other sources that might identify when Digby took over from Hope?
A related question is if anyone has any information on when Alcmene departed Palermo (under Hope, after helping evacuate the Neapolitan royal family) and/or arrived at the Lisbon station?
I've exhausted the sources that I know of without finding the answers. In welcoming me to the forum, Cy suggested a trip to Kew. This won't happen any time soon, so any suggestions of where else to look would be much appreciated.