Phillip Gidley King, to act as lieutenant of the same vessel, in Oct. 1805. His first commission, however, was not signed by the Admiralty until May 17th, 1809.
On the 13th of August, 1806, Commodore William Bligh, then just arrived from England, read his commission, and superseded Governor King in the command of New South Wales and its dependencies. In January, 1807, he appointed Mr. W. G. C. Kent, acting first lieutenant of the Porpoise Store-ship, Captain John Putland; and in May following, to the command of the colonial armed brig Lady Nelson, then about to be employed in removing the settlers from Norfolk Island to the Derwent and Port Dalrymple. His subsequent conduct towards this young officer will be seen by the following minutes of a court martial assembled on board H. M.S. Gladiator, at Portsmouth, in Jan. 1811:–
“The Admiralty order for assembling the court-martial, dated the 31st Dec. 1810, being read, and the members sworn in, the Court proceeded upon the trial of Lieutenant William George Carlile Kent, late acting commander of H.M. ship the Porpoise, and senior officer in the command of H.M. ships and vessels on the coast of New South Wales, during the suspension of Captain William Bligh, late governor of that territory, and commodore commanding H.M. ships and vessels there, on the following charges exhibited against him by the said Captain William Bligh.
“charges.
“First, That the said William Bligh having, on the 29th day of March, 1808, while such senior officer, given the said Lieutenant William Kent a commission, or order, appointing him acting commander of His Majesty’s ship the Porpoise, in pursuance of which he took the command of the said ship; the said Lieutenant Kent did, on or about the 19th day of April, 1808, without any order from the said William Bligh, who was then such senior officer, or any other person duly authorized to give such order, sail, with the said ship from Port Jackson, where she was then lying, and quitted his station there.
“Second, That the said Lieutenant Kent, having returned with the said ship to Port Jackson, and received a written order from the said W. Bligh, then being such senior officer, dated on or about the 30th day of July, 1808, to hoist and wear his broad pendant on board His Majesty’s ship Porpoise, he did, on or about the 1st day of November, 1808, without any order from the said William Bligh, who was then such commodore and senior officer, strike such pendant, and again sail from the said port with the said ship, and quitted his station there. The said Lieutenant Kent, on the several occasions mentioned in this and the preceding article, acting
