Order book, 1807 Jun 9-1809 May 1

This leather-bound volume contains copies of letters and orders sent and received on board HMS Trent, Cork Harbor:

• Order for James Hawkins Whitshed, Vice Admiral of the White and C-in-C Cork and coast of Ireland to hoist his flag aboard HMS Trent (9 June 1807)
• A list of ships under his command and their commanders
• Numerous routine orders related to sailing instructions, maintenance, provisioning, discharges, promotions and manning
• A number of sailing orders dispatching ships under his command, including the Sloop Helena and other vessels, to search for and convoy the homeward-bound West Indies fleet, in response to information received from the Admiralty that 15 sail of French privateers are seeking to intercept and capture the merchantmen (21 July 1807)
• An order dispatching the HMS Helena in pursuit of Aleig (sp?) of 14 guns, based on an extract of secret intelligence received from the Admiralty that states “the Aleig, a remarkably fast sailor, is on the point of sailing and is to go North about.” Enclosed is a copy of the numeral flags as altered by Rear Adm Cochrane in consequence of the capture of HMS San Lucia, (25 August 1807)
• General orders for capture of all Danish merchants vessels, as ships are able to fall in with (30 August 1807)
• An order directing the prize masters of all Danish shipping held in port to muster their crews on deck every evening at sunset to “prevent any disorderly conduct from taking place on shore, from their mixing with the English seamen or the Inhabitants in Public Houses,” on pain of losing their daily subsistence. (15 October 1807)
• A general order directing that all those being held aboard the Danish merchantmen be removed to naval vessels and considered prisoners of war (15 November 1807)
• Orders for a cruise by HMS Druid in response to the sighting of a large French schooner 8 leagues off Kinsale Harbor (3 December 1807)
• Orders to seize and send into port any Russian vessel that ships may be able to fall in with (11 December 1807)
• Orders to HMS Fortunee and HMS Virginie to cruise in response to intelligence that a French squadron, consisting of one three-decker, 4 two-deckers and a frigate escaped from Rochefort on 17 December, (23 January 1808). Similar order to HMS Niobe (26 January 1808)
• Order to the captain of HMS Argus to accompany a convoy to Spithead and then report for repairs and refitting, in consequence of “having reported to me that you were obliged to throw 11 guns overboard at sea in a heavy gale.” (15 February 1808)
• Order to HMS Vengeance to proceed to port for refitting, in consequence of damage suffered in action with the Dutch frigate Guilderland (27 May 1808)
• Order to Captain of HMS Druid to discharge one Frederick Leets, said to be an American and to report if he has been impressed, when and by whom, in response to an application by the American Consul to the Admiralty (30 December 1808)
• Order to HMS Dryad for a cruise in response to reports of a group of French privateers (one of 32 guns, one of 20 guns and one of 16 guns) to be cruising between Scilly and Ushant and to have captured a number of merchant vessels (15 January 1809)
• A general order directing stricter attention be paid to the Admiralty order establishing uniforms to be worn by Masters Mates and Midshipmen, based on patterns to be sent, but not to consider this order as “intended to prevent the Young Gentlemen from wearing uniform jackets and all Petty Officers Round Hats.” (27 April 1809)