Rear Admiral's Flagship, Sans Pareil 1795

[kate gralton]

I have this information about the Sans Pareil below.

"Lord Hugh SEYMOUR, 03/1795, promoted Rear Ad. on first anniversary of the battle - (June 1 1794 when ship was captured from the French). Capt. W. BROWELL, 08/1795. (with Rear Ad. Lord H. SEYMOUR's flag). Channel fleet. Took part in Lord BRIDPORT's action with the French fleet off Belleisle on 22 June, silencing both the FORMIDABLE and Le PEUPLE. SANS PAREIL lost ten killed and two wounded. After SEYMOUR was appointed to the Board of Admiralty in the autumn she cruised off the French coast, using her French build and flying the tricolour as a ruse to lure privateers within range. Sir Hugh retained her as his flagship and sailed on several summer cruises in her."

Can I understand from this that Lord Hugh Seymour captained her until he was made a Rear Admiral and then he would have been on land most of the time, just cruising with her occasionally until he took her to the West Indies in 1800?

What happened on board when there was a rear Admiral and the captain at the same time? I imagine the Captain gave the orders, but I was also wondering about sleeping arrangements and whether the rear admiral would have midshipmen or boys assigned to him personally.

[PMarione]

Flag officers had a flag captain. Contrary to captains of other ships of the line, flag captains where often junior captains. I suppose that their role depended from the flag officer if he was or not interested in the command of his own ship.
When they were in charge of a fleet they also had a fleet captain (a senior captain with the rank of commodore) who acted as a chief of staff.

Young gentlemen were not assigned to officers but to the ship. Seymour certainly had a say in their picking but they had their own jobs on board. He certainly had some personal servants and a secretary.

About the accomodations, the Sans Pareil was a 80 (I believe) and so a 2 decker with no special quarters for flag officer. Officers' stuff and furnitures were all "easy to move" as their quarter were very quicly cleared at battle time. One can imagine that when Seymour was not on board, the captain moved in the great cabin but this is pure speculation.
Maybe you can find something like "moved captain's stuf in the cabin" in the log books?

@+P