guns, where he continued until the period of the mutiny at Spithead, which created a considerable degree of alarm throughout the kingdom, and threatened to subvert that discipline in the naval service by which our fleets were so well regulated, and consequently so often led to victory. On this occasion the Marlborough’s crew committed the most daring outrages, and evinced a spirit of disaffection in a greater degree than that of almost any other ship[1].
In the summer of 1801, when Sir Charles Morice Pole was sent to relieve the late Lord Nelson in the command of the Baltic fleet, Captain Nicholls accompanied that officer, and continued with him during the remainder of the war. In 1802 he was appointed one of the Commissioners of the Board of Naval Inquiry, and afterwards Comptroller of the Navy; which latter office, however, he enjoyed but a short time. He was advanced to the rank of Rear-Admiral, Oct. 2, 1807; Vice-Admiral, July 31, 1810; and nominated an extra K.C.B. May 20, 1820[2].
Residence.– Clifton.
SIR HERBERT SAWYER,
Vice-Admiral of the Red; and Knight Commander of the most honourable Military Order of the Bath.
This officer is the eldest son of the late Admiral Herbert Sawyer, of whom the following anecdote is related:– “Captain Sawyer of the Active frigate, and Captain Pownall of the Favorite sloop, paid their addresses at the same time to two sisters, and were favorably received by them; but their father, a merchant of immense property at Lisbon, although sensible of their personal merit, objected to their want of fortune, and desired that they would discontinue their courtship until their circumstances were much improved; which was shortly the case, by the prize-money gained by the capture of the Hermione, a Spanish register ship, in 1762. Soon after, the earthquake happened at Lisbon, and deprived the merchant of all his
