Philip Stephens. Robert Bourcher Nichols informs us that he was appointed Chaplain...

Philip Stephens. Robert Bourcher Nichols informs us that he was appointed Chaplain of the Asia by Vice Admiral Graves and desires to be paid the usual allowance for some men, who were lent to her from other ships during the time he was Chaplain of her. The Asia's complement was 300 men to November 1776, then 500 men and that Mr. Nichols the Chaplain, was entered in January 1775 at Boston, by warrant from Admiral Graves and discharged in January 17776 at Rhode Island. The fourpences of the men lent from the guardships to the Asia, having been paid to the Chaplains of the respective ships, no allowance can be paid to Mr. Nichols but from November 1776, the day they were put on the Asia's books, as part of the complement, to January 1777, when he was discharged. The Asia sailed to North America with the complement of a guardship of 64-guns and as the fourpences of guardships of that class were appropriated to the Chaplains of the ordinary, Mr. Walter, Chaplain of Portsmouth yard, would have been allowed these until the augmentation of the complement, had it not been for the appointment of Mr. Nichols by Admiral Graves. No abatement was therefore made from the Chaplains of the guardships for the lent men.