Blumfield Barradall

Posted by Albert Parker on Thursday 30th of April 2026 18:56

Here is whom the Admiralty clerks compiling the monthly disposition reports thought were the captains of Stirling Castle and Falkland:
Feb. 1743, Sep. 1744, Oct. 1744, June 1745—SC, Thomas Cooper
Oct. 1745—SC, Thomas Cooper; Falkland, Thomas Grenville
Mar. 1746, Aug. 1746, Mar,. 1747, June 1747, Oct. 1747—SC, John Fawler; Falkland, "Blum." "Barradall" or "Barradale"

SC was in the Mediterranean for all of these reports and Falkland was in the "Convoys and Cruisers" category based in England.

Fawler was tried for misbehavior in abandoning prize Volage in April 1746. I don't know when or where he was tried but it must have been in the Mediterranean. He was sentenced to be severely reprimanded and to forfeit his pay, but was NOT dismissed his ship, and remained in command of her. Perhaps Barradale commanded SC briefly betwween Cooper and Fawler. Admiralty clerks in London would of course have been somewhat behind the times in their records of overseas appointments but thought Barradale was in command of Falkland by March 1746. If he was appoointed to SC in January he could not have been in command for very long if he was back in England by 1 March, the date of the disposition report.

Posted by Cy on Tuesday 28th of April 2026 07:03

Strange that there's records of his commission to command the Stirling Castle then?

Posted by MarkC on Tuesday 28th of April 2026 04:47

This record is in error: Barradall was NEVER in cmd of Stirling Castle; he was CO of Falkland (50) from at least 17 46-July-01 (possibly earlier) until late 1747, as shown in the ADM 8/024 series "Ships in Sea Pay".