Folios 89-90: John Martin Hanchett, HMS Raven, Plymouth Sound. As requested he encloses...

Folios 89-90: John Martin Hanchett, HMS Raven, Plymouth Sound. As requested he encloses a statement concerning John Meyer. He writes that Mr Meyer is deserving of some form of recognition, either payment of £200 or else appointment to a junior customs situation for the services he has rendered. He was of great help to the Captain after he was badly wounded when trying to get to his house at Zeirikzee on the island of Schouwen to pay him money Mr Meyer was owed and so he had to entrust the task to others. Mr Meyer assisted him to escape some years earlier.

Folio 91: enclosure with folios 89-90. Letter from Joshua Mockett to John Meyer dated 13 Jan 1809. The letter thanks him for the support he gave to the English in Holland and also to the English prisoners now in France whose situation would have been infinitely worse without Mr Meyer's interventions and assistance. He wishes he could introduce him to Sir Sidney Smith, so he too could thank him, but that is impossible at present.

Folios 92-93: enclosure with folios 89-90. Letter dated 5 February 1809 by John Martin Hanchett, HMS Raven. He gives an account of the circumstances under which he met Mr Meyer in 1803. He had been ordered by Admiral Russel and Sir Sidney Smith to conduct an experiment with three flat bottomed captured boats to see if they would be serviceable as sea going vessels. He left Yarmouth Roads but a gale drove them near the coast of Holland. So dangerous was the situation that he ran his vessel ashore on the Island of Goeree. He and his crew defended their position there for three days and two nights. By that time only 5 crew members were still alive and so they relaunched to boat and boarded a vessel under the batteries of the Island of Schouwen from where they were, eventually, taken prisoners of war and taken to Zeirikzee. There he met Mr Meyer who was the interpreter. While in prison the Dutch realised he was the British captain who had burnt vessels in the Vlie Passage a few months previously and had also destroyed vessels at Zerikzee and killed some Dutch seamen in the process and so he was put in irons and was to be sent to the Citadel at Valenciennes, but Mr Meyer helped him to escape together with two youngsters. He left his gold braid hat and uniform with Mr Meyer. Escape proved difficult and so he put the youngsters to school in Nordwyck, claiming they were Americans and he set off on his own. Eventually he got passage to England on an American ship. It was wrecked, however but luckily he was rescued and eventually he was saved, one of only 3 of the ship's company that was. He reported to Earl St Vincent and Sir Sidney Smith on his return to England who praised his actions. As a consequence of which he received a sword from the Patriotic Fund. Mr Pitt asked for information about the state of affairs in Ostende and Boulogne and so he returned in HMS Antelope and set off again to make contact with Mr Meyer, with whom he had left a key of correspondence when a prisoner. He was caught by a patrol and in the skirmish he was severely wounded, but managed to escape back to his ship. A message was got to Mr Meyer, who himself visited Ostende and Boulogne and got the information required. Mr Meyer also acted on behalf of the Navy on several other occasions but no opportunity has yet been had to pay him or thank him for his services. A postscript was added to the effect that Mr Meyer has a wife and family and recompense by way of a customs appointment such as that of a tide waiter or the sum of £200 might serve.