thereupon, being dissatisfied with Captain Heathcote’s proceedings, requested Rear-Admiral Stopford would cause an enquiry to be made into his conduct. The Court, having heard what Captain Heathcote had to offer in justification of his conduct, agreed, that the two first charges were proved; but that in consideration of the motives, which led him to deviate from the orders he had received, and which appeared to have arisen from a zeal for the good of his Majesty’s service, they deemed them of such a nature as to justify his conduct in the present instance. The charge of not affording convoy to the China ships, was not proved; and the Court did therefore adjudge Captain Heathcote to be acquited. We regret that our limits will not allow us to present our readers with the excellent defence made by Captain Heathcote. It will be found at length in the Nav. Chron. vol. 27, p. 492, et seq.
In the following year, Captain Heathcote was appointed to the Scipion, of 74 guns, which ship he commanded on the Mediterranean station, at the close of the war. He received the honor of knighthood, July 20, 1819. His brother Gilbert is a Captain, and one of his sons a Midshipman, R.N.
Agent.– J. Copland, Esq.
ANDREW FITZHERBERT EVANS, Esq
[Post-Captain of 1798.]
This officer was made a Lieutenant, Dec. 1, 1787; and on the 4th May, 1796, when commanding the Spencer sloop of war, captured, after a brisk action off Bermuda, la Volcan, a French corvette of 12 guns, pierced for 16, and 95 men. His post commission bears date April 15, 1798; and from that period until the peace of 1801, he commanded the Porcupine of 24 guns, on the Halifax and Jamaica stations. We subsequently find him in the AEolus frigate, and Vanguard 74, employed in the blockade of St. Domingo, and various other services. Towards the close of 1810, he was removed from the superintendence of the Stapleton depot for prisoners of war, to be a resident Commissioner of the Navy at Bermuda, where he had a broad pendant flying on board the Ruby 64, in 1816 and 1817.
Agent.– John Chippendale, Esq.
