Capt. Charles Wemyss

Admiral Murray commissioned Prevoyante under Captain John Poo Beresford, who had been captain of Hussar. He proceeded to pay for some of her fitting out from his own pocket. They also took Raison into service. While on the Halifax station, Hussar, Captain Charles Wemyss, and Prevoyante captured the ship Minerva on 10 May 1796.Six or so months after Beresford had assumed command, the Admiralty appointed him to Raison and Charles Wemyss to Prevoyante.[5] Then Beresford apparently returned to command of Prevoyante as he was in command when Prevoyante captured the ship Argus on 7 August 1797.

In October 1797 Wemyss replaced Beresford on Prevoyante. On 9 November 1798 Prevoyante captured the brig Norge.

In January 1799, Captain J. Seater replaced Wemyss.[1] On 16 May, Prevoyante captured the schooner Caroline.

Biography

Commanded the Prevoyante during the Napoleonic Wars: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pr%C3%A9voyante_(1793). Having been transferred to the " Royal George," under the command of another old friend of his father's, Admiral Kempenfelt, Charles was on board that vessel off Spithead when she foundered on 29th August 1782. He was one of the few who were saved (at least 900 drowned): http://www.royalnavalmuseum.org/info_sheet_RoyalGeorge.htm Letter between Charles and his father on his escape from the Royal George: September 13th, Portsmouth, 1782. Dear Father, — I received your letter to-day, and I am very happy to hear that you are well. I had the luck to save thirteen shirts and 17 pair of stockings which I had sent ashore to be washed, along with my little trunk in the boat, which was a going to the recalls with near 60 men in her, and had left the ship about 5 minutes when she sank. I was in the gun room when the accident happened, and I climed up to one of the starboard ports by the help of the tiller rope, the ship being upon her beam ends, and I catched hold of one of the men's jackets that was a getting out of the port (for the water was over my head before I could get out of it), and the man brought me above water with him. I took hold of a grating, and then got upon the topmast shrouds, which are above water, and in about half an hour afterwards was picked up by the Buflaloe's boat and carried on board of the Buffaloe, where I was very well treated.

I am at Mr. Barton's at present. The officers that were drowned were Mr. Saunders, 1st lieutenant, Admiral Kempenfelt, Mr. M'Killop, 4th lieutenant, Major Graham of Marines, and Lieutenant Currie, Mr. Sarrel, the master, Mr. Bertram, the surgeon, Mr, Beumont and Mr. Cleland, surgeon's mates, and Mr, Delaplace, The master's mates were Messrs. Buchanan, Sullivan, Cock, Wilkins, Bradie, and Jones, and Mr. Kenwood, mate of the hold. The midshipmen were Messrs. Fish, Grinless, Story, Hamilton, Gray, Diverne, Lys, Frazer, Billing, and Waghorn, the captain's nephew, Messrs. Culpack and Davies, captain's under clerks, and about 700 men, women, and children, were drowned. Mr. Saunders, the 1st lieutenant, was picked up two days ago, and I was at his burial, Mr, Sarrell, the master, was also picked near St. M . . . , but he smelt so offensively that they were obliged to sow him up in a hammock and sink him by weights. Mr. Waghorn, the captain's nephew, was also picked up and buried. Mr. Wemyss, the lieutenant of marines, is here at present. I saw [him] the other day.

Give my love to my mother, my sister and brothers.

I am, your dutiful son,

General Register Office: Registers of Births, Marriages and Deaths surrendered to the Non-parochial Registers Commissions of 1837 and 1857. Records of the General Register Office, Government Social Survey Department, and Office of Population Censuses and Surveys, Registrar General (RG) 4