which veffel (be having in the intermediate time been put out of commission) he was again made captain of, in the year 1667. The time of his d. ath is uncertain.

BATTIN, or BATTEN, William,—was the son of fir William Battin, who, after having been appointed by the parliament vice-admiral of their fleet, and manifefted the ftrongest averfion to the royal caufe, at length quitted their fervice in difguft, and carried over one of the finest fhips, the Conftant Warwick, in their fleet, to the prince of Wales, afterwards Charles the fecond. His fon was, probably, the fame captain Battin, who, on the 30th of November, 1653, (he then commanding the Guardland) in conjunction with a captain Hookston, or Arkston, boarded Van Tromp's fhip, and would certainly have taken him had he not been relieved by two other flag ships of his divifion. In the end these bold and brave commanders, fo highly deferving a better fate, were themselves captured. Campbell, on what authority does not appear, afferts they both fell in the action. Lediard, who is, generally speaking, ftrictly to be depended upon, fays, peremptorily, they were taken: if that was the cafe, we may reasonably conclude this gentleman to have been the perfon who was commander of the Drake at the time of the reftoration, and in the fame year was knighted and appointed one of the commiffioners of the navy, as we find, in the duke of York's Memoirs, a report, dated the 4th of September, 1660, on the fate of the navy, figned by fir William Battin, tranfmitted to the duke of York, the lord high admiral. It is probable he continued in this ftation till his death, as it does not appear he ever afterwards went to fea.

BATTS, or BATES, George,-was appointed commander of the Great Gift, in the year 1660, by the duke of York In the year 1661 he was removed into the Little Gift. In 1663 he became captain of the Francis. In the following year he was promoted to the Hampshire, of forty guns. In the two actions fought between the English and Dutch fleets in 1666, he commanded the Unicorn, a third rate of fixty guns, by commiffion from prince Rupert, and the duke of Albemarle, who, at that time, executed the office of commander in chief jointly. BEER, John,-commanded the Cygnet in the year 1660, by cominion from the duke of York; but we

have not been able to learn any thing further relative to this gentleman, or whether he ever ferved afterwards.

BOWEN, Peter, was appointed by the duke of York, in the year 1660, to command the Succefs. Previous to the second fight between the Dutch fleet under De Ruyter, and that of the English under prince Rupert, and the duke of Albemarle, he commanded the Matthias of fifty-four guns. In that action it appears, from an authentic manufcript lift of the fleet, he commanded a fhip called the Digar, probably a Dutch prize, of forty guns. He very foon was removed into the Newcastle. In the year 1670, he was made commander of the Centurion, and fent to the Mediterranean for the purpose of protecting our trade from the outrageous attacks of the Algerines, and other piratical ftates in that part of the world. On the 13th of November in the fame year, he fell in with an Algerine frigate off Cape de Gatt: but, notwithstandin: he made every poffible effort, during a very long chace, and partial action, the corfair, from the affiftance he derived from his oars, conftantly prevented the Centurion from clofing with him, till the darknefs of the night put an end to the conteft, and even rendered all further purfuit fruitlefs. He returned to England in the month of May following, having under his protection the homeward bound Streights fleet. In the battle off Solebay he continued to command the fame ship, and was foon afterwards promoted, probably on account of his gallantry in that action, to the command of the Leopard of fifty-fix guns. In all likelihood he died foon afterwards, as it does not appear he ever was appointed to any other fhip.

BOWRY, John,-was appointed by the duke of York, in the year 1660, to the command of the Drake; but it does not appear he ever served afterwards.

BROWNE, John,-commanded the Rosebush in the year 1660, by commiffion from the duke of York, as lord

* He brought home, at the fame time, the body of Mr. Clifford, eldeft fon of fir Thomas Clifford, who had died at Florence. This circumflance would, probably, not have been worth recording but for the extraordinary solemnity used on the occasion, and the very particular regard fhewn to him by the great duke, and all thofe of the English nation who were in that country.

high admiral; but we have not been able to obtain any farther account of him.

BUNN, Thomas,-was appointed captain of the Effex in the year 1660, by the duke of York; and the following year was promoted to the command of the Lyon, a third rate of fifty eight guns. He, in all probability, died foon afterwards, as it does not appear he was ever appointed to any other thip.

BUTTON, William*,-was appointed, by the duke of York, to the command of the Drake fome time in the year 1660, whether before John Bowry, or as his fucceffor, is not known, nor does it appear he ever had the command of another ship.

year

CLARK, Robert,-after having feverally commanded the Mary of fifty eight guns, to which he was appointed in the year 1660, as well as the St. George of fixty fix, and the Royal Charles of eighty-two guns, in the following year, in 1663, was removed into the Antelope of fifty. In Lediard's Naval Hiftory, chap. xxxviii. there is a note which states New York to have been reduced in the 1664, by a fquadron under fir Robert Carr†: but as no fuch perfon appears on the most authentic lifts, of naval officers, exifting, fome may naturally conclude the name to have been mifprinted for Clark. In the year 1665 he again commanded the St. George, which he quitted foon afterwards for a smaller fhip, the Gloucefter, a third rate of fifty-eight guns. In the following year he was dif patched, as commodore of a small fquadron, to lay off the mouth of the Texel in order to watch the motions of the Dutch fleet. He arrived on this ftation the 14th of May, and the following day captured seven (out of twelve fail

*It may admit of doubt with fome, whether this gentleman ever exifled, or whether he is not the fame perfon who has already been taken notice of under the name of William Battin. It may be fupposed an error, to which all manufcripts are liable, may have given rife to this miftake if it is one. We are inclined, however, to think otherwife, a captain William Button having commanded a fhip, called the Mandrake, during the time of the commonwealth.

It is most probable, after all our investigations, that fir Robert Carr was commander of the land forces; as, from a thoufand concurring circumflances, we have every reason to believe fir Robert Holmes to have had the command by fea at the reduction of New York.

which were in company) fhips of 400 tons each from the Baltic, bound to Amfterdam; the lofs of which must have diftreffed the enemy in the moft eminent degree. The approach of the enemy's fleet obliged him to quit his ftation a few days afterwards. Having effected a junction with the duke of Albemarle at the Gunfleet on the 24th of May, he bore as diftinguished a part in the action, which commenced on the 1ft of June, as the fize of the fhip he commanded, the being only a fourth rate, would allow. The Gloucester being totally difabled in the action, captain Clark, in teftimony no doubt of the high fenfe they entertained of his fervices, was promoted by the joint commanders in chief, to the command of the Triumph, a fecond rate. Holding this ftation, he again eminently fignalized himself in the ever-memorable action with the Dutch, on the twenty-fifth of July. In the year 1667 he was removed by the duke of York, first into the Monmouth, and afterwards into the Mary; which laft ship he was re-appointed to in the year 1669. The time and place of his death is not known.

COPPIN, John,-was appointed captain of the Centurion of forty-eight guns in the year 1660. In the year 1665 he was promoted to the St. George, a fecond rate. He commanded this fhip at that bloody conflict of four day's continuance between the Dutch fleet under De Ruyter, and the English under the duke of Albemarle and prince Rupert. Here, with many other brave men, he fell exhibiting that gallantry which merited a more fortunate, but not more glorious end.

COUNTRY, Jeremiah,-commanded the Greyhound in the year 1660; but nothing more is known of him.

COWES, Richard,-commanded the Paradox at the fame time, and is in the fame predicament with the lastmentioned gentleman.

CURTIS, Edmund,-commanding the Newcastle in the fame year with the former, is like them equally unknown in any other refpect, except that in the duke of York's Memoirs, there is an order from him to the principal officers of the navy board, "To permit captain Curtis to take away the brafs bafes and pieces of cable to his own

ufe, which were by him taken out of a galley funk on "the coaft of Spain, for his fervice in destroying the faid "galley; as alfo that they fhould give direction for the "payment of the wages due to captain Curtis, notwith"ftanding any ftop put on the fame.

CUTTANCE, Henry,-was appointed commander of the Speedwell in 1660, of the Forrefter in 1661, and the Happy Return in 1665, all by commiffion from the duke of York.

CUTTANCE, Sir Roger,-commanded the Royal Charles, a first rate of eighty-two guns, in the year 1660; the Royal James, of the fame force, in the following year; and in the year 1665 was removed into the Prince. In this fhip fir Roger, though only ftiled captain, ferved as vice-admiral of the blue under the earl of Sandwich. On the 1st of July, 1664, been foon after the duke of York's action with the Dutch, king Charles (among other commanders who had eminently diftinguished themfelves) knighted captain Cuttings. No fuch name appears on the lift of officers we have already alluded to: the mistake, on one fide, or other, has evidently arifen from a corruption in the pronunciation. 'Tis probable he died foon afterwards, or retired from fervice, as neither public history, nor private information afford us any thing further relative to him.

DALE, William*, commanded the Francis Prize in 1660, the Fox and Golden Lyon in 1665, the London hired fhip in 1666, and the Hind Dogger in 1673.

DE GENS, John,-commanded the Mary yatch in 1660, and the Katherine yatch in 1661. Nothing further is known of him.

DIAMOND, Thomas, was captain of the Martin at the time of the restoration. No further mention is made of him.

DUCK, Robert,-captain of the Hunter at the fame period, is in the fame fituation.

FENN, Henry,—was appointed, by his royal highness the duke of York, to command the Bristol, a fourth rate,

* It is moft likely this gentleman never rofe to any higher rank than that of master and commander: though no fuch diftinction being then ufed, he is inferted in the lift of captains commanding poft fhips; that is to fay, of twenty guns and upwards.

So fpelt in the books of the Herald's college.