In 1796 Lord Northesk was elected one of the sixteen representatives of the peerage of Scotland, in the Parliament of Great Britain. He was in the same year appointed to the command of the Monmouth, of 64 guns; and employed in the North Sea, under the orders of the late Viscount Duncan; until, in May 1797, the spirit of disaffection which had originated in the Channel Fleet, unfortunately spread to that squadron; and the Monmouth was one of the ships brought to the Nore. The subsequent events of that temporary delirium among our seamen are already noticed in our memoir of Admiral Sir John Knight; to which we shall only add, that when the firmness of the mutineers began at length to be a little shaken, they determined to try to effect a reconciliation with government through the medium of Lord Northesk. For this purpose, on the 6th June, the two delegates of the Monmouth were rowed on board that ship, where his Lordship was confined, and informed him, it was the pleasure of the committee that he should immediately accompany them on board the Sandwich, as they had proposals to make leading to an accommodation; his Lordship complied, attended by one officer; he found the convention in the state cabin, consisting of 60 delegates, with the chief ringleader, Parker, sitting at their head.
Before they entered upon business, the president demanded of the gentleman who accompanied Lord Northesk, “who he was?” the answer was, “An officer of the Monmouth, who accompanied the Captain as secretary.” – “Who knows him? – say, delegates of the Monmouth, what kind of man is he?” The two delegates stated he was a worthy good man; on which it was unanimously voted he might attend the conference. Parker then said to Lord Northesk, “That the committee, with one voice, had come to a declaration of the terms on which alone, without the smallest alteration, they would give up the ships; and that they had sent for him as one who was known to be the seamen’s friend, to be charged with them to the King, from whom he must pledge his honour to return on board with a clear and positive answer within fifty-four hours.”
Parker then read the letter, which contained some compliments to his late Majesty’s virtues, and many severe strictures
