Folios 169-172: John Tomkinson, HMS Mosquito, off the Texel. Letter to urge their...

Folios 169-172: John Tomkinson, HMS Mosquito, off the Texel.

Letter to urge their Lordships to consider his promotion, since he feels others with the same rank and a similar service record, have been preferred above himself. He lists his commands, in the Otter, assisting Commodore Rowley of the Boadicea, off the Island of Bourbon, at the recapture of the Africaine from two enemy frigates, the capture of the French frigate Venus, and the recapture of the Ceylon. Then he had been given command of the Ceylon by Commodore Josias Rowley, restored her from a wreck to seaworthy in 14 days and sailed with a convoy of 3-4,000 troops to the attack on the Isle of Fance, in just 20 days, and assisting very actively at the taking of the island. Captains George Henderson and Thomas Graham, who did similar duty, have already been honoured he says, with post captain rank, and even the lieutenants who were there have been promoted also. He himself has received only the command of this sloop and feels he has been passed over in a singular manner, yet without any blame attached to his service. Two further pages detail his many examples of active and effective service, and the approbation he has received from various commanding officers.