364 
French admiral, that he might sditplbey of 
ill treatment, and was at last summoned to 
his presence in the uncomfortable habiliments 
mentioned, and in such a Condition, as would 
have caused a British victor to have blushed 
at in a prisoner of the meanest rank. Mon- 
sieur Botromont and his countrymen were 
‘Sparing of every thing but civil speeches, 
which could neither clothe nor feed Britain’s 
brave tars. Captain Roddam told the admiral 
that Captain Merville and his officers had 
acted in so cruel and improper a way in every 
respect, that they ought to be broke. He 
was asked what had induced’ him to hold so 
unequal a contest, and to refuse to hoist: his 
boat out? he answered, (iat having very 
lately heard that an English man of war\had 
been taken by a French line of battle ship 
and a frigate, and that the Captain had been 
compeiled to carry his sword in his own boat 
to the frigate; he was resolved that such a 
disgrace should fot happen to him, for bis 
sword so reguired should only have been deli- 
Vered through the body of the persun demand- 
Ing it in a manner so degrading and insulting. 
Himself and his ship’s crew were talcen to 
Hispaniola. About two months after they 
were all embarked for Jamaica, except one 
lieutenant, who died at the Cape, and one 
who remained there, having been wounded. 
Upon his arrival at Jamaica, Captain Roddam 
was tried by, 2 court-martial, in Port Royal 
harbour. When the court presented. the 
sentence to Admiral Coates, commander-in- 
chief, he immediately complimented Captain 
Roddam, by giving him the minutes of the 
court, with a request that he would print 
them, as reflecting great credit on the service, 
and the British flag; it was accordingly 
printed at Kingston, in Jamaica. Captain 
Roddam returned to England upon parole, and 
as soon as he was exchanged, he- went out 
passenger in the Montague to Sir Edwar 
Hawke, and took the command-of the Col- 
chester under his Lordship, off Ushant, the 
7th of December, 1759, 1m waich ship. he 
was sent to Plymouth to procure what the 
Colchester wanted, and to conduct any con- 
voy that might be ready for that station; 
with which in ten days the Colchester re 
joined Sir Edward Hawke, who ordered Capt. 
Roddam commanding her, with Captain Her- 
vey in the Monmouth, and Captain Rowley 
in the Mentague, to watch the French fleet 
close off Brest. Three French men of war 
ame out, which the English ships chaced 
within the batteries, and run one of them on 
shore. After this service, Captain Roddam 
was ordered to relieve Captain Duft off Bel- 
. lisle 5 on this vccasion he carried the Colches- 
ter through the narrow rocky passage (Le 
Ras,) between the Saints and the shore into 
Audierne bay, which was believed to be the 
first English ship thatever made the attempt. 
After some other services, the Colchester 
was ordered to Spithead, and being found un- 
serviceable, was paid off. Feace was soon . 
Jcoaies of the late Admiral Roddam. 
[May 1; 
after proclaimed 5 upon’ which Captain Rod= 
dam turned his sword into. a ploughshare, 
laid the foundation of those improvements. 
in his own county, at Roddam 5; an es- 
tate which in the year 1776, he became, 
heir to by the death of his eldest brothers 
Edward Roddam, esq. in whose life-time he 
built the present mansion-house, retaining 2 
singular and strong attachment to the ancient 
possessions of his family. On a supposition 
of war breaking out with Spain, about the 
year 1770, Captain Roddam was cemmission= 
ed on the 7th of December in that year, for, 
the Lenox of 74 guns, at Portsmouth, and 
continued in) her command three years as a 
guardship, being relieved the 19th of Decem- 
ber, 1773, by Captain Matthew Moor; and 
at the commencement of the American wat 
he was commissioned for the Cornwall of 74 
guns, at Chatham, the 17th of March 17775 
with orders to proceed to Spithead, and com- 
manded one of the twelve ships then intended 
for the Mediterranean; but upon being ap- 
pointed Rear-admiral of the White, on the 
29th of April, 1778, he was succeeded in 
the command of the Cornwall by Captain Ti- 
mothy Edwards,” and was ordered immediately 
to Chatham as commander-in-chief of his mae 
jesty’s ships and vessels in the river Medway 
and at the Nore; and on the 19th of March, 
1779, received the rank of Vice-admiral of 
the Blue, and continuing in the same com- 
mand was promoted to be Vice-admiral of 
the White, on the 26th of September, 1780; 
Vice-admiral of the Red on the 24th of Sep- 
tember, 17873 and on the 20th of Apzil, 
1789, he was appointed com mander-in-chief 
at Portsmouth, where he continued three 
years a most active and attentive commander. 
By early hours and regularity he carried every 
business quickly forward; and the expecta- 
tion of a war, with its hurrying consequences, 
gave him in that situation many opportunities 
of exerting his professional zeal. 
other instances, he received orders to get the 
guardships ready for sea, which he comple- 
ted in five days, except men; and the like 
order being repeated fer fitting out five sail 
more, he had them aiso entirely ready at 
Spithead in fourteen days, which he announ- 
ced to the Lords of the Admiralty, with earn- 
est offers to go with the squadron to any part 
of tne world. ‘This extraordinary expedition 
in getting men of war ey for sea,soastonish- 
ed the French nation, that their newspapers 
noticed that British ships of war sprung up 
complete like mushrooms. His professional 
services have, with a strong wish for em-= 
ployment, been offered upon every, occasion, 
but he has not had an opportuni.y of exerci- 
sing them since he struck his flag at Ports- 
mouth in the year 1792. Upon the 1st of 
Febtuary, 1793, fa wae promoted to be Ad- 
miral of the Blues on the 12th of April, 
1794, Admiral of ie White; and in 1805, 
Admira! of the Red, at the head of which’ 
PROVINCIAL 
list he was placed, = * 
Among. 
