Part III - Frigate Captain, 1793–1802

Summary

This Part covers Durham’s years as captain of, successively, the Hind [53–70], Anson [71–186], and Endymion [187–205]. On 24 June 1793, the ambitious, prize-hungry, increasingly cocksure young man who had been so impressive in command of the Spitfire was posted to the 20-gun frigate Narcissus, but no cruise appears to have been undertaken and, following a brief visit to Scotland he was, on 20 October 1793, given command of the Hind (28), complement 200 men, fitting out for Channel service at Sheerness. On the morning of 10 January 1794, returning from Guernsey, where he had landed troops, he was chased by ‘six large French frigates and a cutter’ and it was only when two British ships of the line, Impregnable (90) and Majestic (74), appeared to leeward off Portland Bill that his pursuers, who were catching up to him, abandoned pursuit [55]. On 11 February, he wrote from Spithead to his maiden great-aunt Elizabeth Steuart of Coltness:

I am in hopes of sailing in a few days on a cruise, and hope to be more fortunate than in the last – in taking prizes – although I must own we were particularly lucky in escaping from the French frigates. They are making every preparation on the coast of France for landing in this country, but have no idea they will be so mad as to attempt it. I am well convinced that if they do, not one will ever return.

In June, in company with the Thalia (36), Captain Grindall, and the Fox (32), Captain Drury, the Hind escorted a convoy of 157 British merchant vessels from the Gulf of Cadiz to the Downs [62–65]. A few leagues west of the Lizard, Grindall and Drury somehow parted company, leaving Durham to get the large and valuable convoy safely home. In gratitude for his feat the merchants at Lloyd’s suggested to the Admiralty that he be rewarded. And in October, following further months of escort duty in which he found little scope for prize-taking, he was.

Although he had been a post-captain for only 16 months, he was in October 1794 given command of the rasée frigate Anson, mounting 44 guns.