Folios 3-4: G Hope, London. He encloses a letter from James Squire, Master of the...

Folios 3-4: G Hope, London. He encloses a letter from James Squire, Master of the Baltic Fleet requesting that he may be paid as a Pilot in addition to his pay as a Master. Captain Hope observes, by reference to the enclosed letter, that it was necessary to have two pilots aboard HMS Victory for the purpose of supplying ships when needed. Mr Squire has always been in charge of navigating HMS Victory and on many occasions has guided the line of battle both in and out of harbour when no pilot was available. He therefore thinks his claim is a just and reasonable one and he requests the Admiralty to pay him accordingly.

Folios 5-6: enclosure to folios 3-4. A letter dated 10 December 1809 from James Squire, Master of the Baltic Fleet, HMS Victory, Spithead to George Hope, Captain of the Fleet. He refers to a letter Captain Dumaresq has received from the Commissioners of the Navy refusing him pilotage for HMS Victory. He asks for Captain Hope's assistance. He points out that he had sole charge not only of HMS Victory but many of the largest ships of the fleet in taking them in and out of some of the largest ports in Sweden when it was impossible to secure a pilot. Despite this heavy responsibility he is only being paid as a master. By contrast the masters of private ships who are similarly qualified and working in the North and Eastern seas, as he has, are being paid both the full pilotage rates even though they do not bear the heavy responsibility that he does, being as he is responsible for the Fleet. He asks Captain Hope to intercede for him with the Commissioners of the Navy and ask them to consider giving him the additional remuneration