Royal Naval Hospital, Paignton 1808

[ainslie]

Alexander Crigan (M.D. Edinburgh, 1903) is listed in vol. 20 (1808) of the Naval Chronicle as appointed to the Naval Hospital, Paignton as a 'medical mate', under the heading of 'assistant surgeons'.
Does anyone know of records which might include more details?  Crigan cannot have spent long in the naval service, as by 1816 he had changed careers and was a curate in Lincolnshire.
[There is another thread about him in the Occupations section].
That hospital existed from 1800 to 1816 to serve the Naval anchorage in Torbay.

Later addition:  FindMyPast show that Crigan was captured by the French while serving as surgeon in HMS Shannon, frigate.  More details being pursued!

Ainslie

[MaxD]

You've probably found it by now but this would be the vessel:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Shannon_(1803)  correctly described in the Verdun prisoners book as a 36 gun frigate.
A number of interesting hits on "British prisoners at Verdun" including this book which mentions the Shannon https://archive.org/details/napoleongaolerpe00frasiala

MaxD

[ainslie]

Many thanks, MaxD for the two references.  I had half hoped it might have been the Shannon which fought the Chesapeake, but not so. 
The book you mention looks very interesting - I have skimmed only parts so far but will return to it.
Any help with the notations on Crigan's FindMyPast entries, especially the date in revolutionary French, would be gratefully received.
A

[MaxD]

Not sure of the question, can't see a date in the French calendar?

The list is "Nominal roll of English Officers and other prisoners of that nation held on parole at Verdun 30 April 1806"  The handwritten remarks at the top of the last column say "The frigate Shannon of 36 cannons".
The list dated 5 Jun 1813 refers to the 1806 entry but under date of capture says "doesn't state" and the remark "surgeon at home" is in another column..
The date of the wrecking of the Shannon is given as 10 Dec 1803 which was 18 Frimaire Year XII in the French revolutionary calendar which ceased in 1805, another Shannon man on the 1813 list has 13 Dec 1803 which is 21 Frimaire Year XII.  The book has simply December.

The end of the book telling about the release in 1814 is particularly interesting.

MaxD

[ainslie]

Thank you for the explanation of the dates in the old French style.  If Crigan like other PoWs was not released until 1814, that makes his appointment to Paignton during his captivity, which seems odd.

I will read further in case I have missed something.
A

[ainslie]

Answering my own post, I have now found another reference to Crigan's captivity.  A Gutenberg transcription of 'The Depot for Prisoners of War at Norman Cross, Hunts, 1796-1816' has a chapter on the British prisoners at Verdun.  Crigan is listed as a surgeon's mate of 'Shannon' and in a separate column is noted 'escaped from Arras'.

[MaxD]

I had wondered about that.   The note in the 1813 record "at home" may well refer to him having escaped some time between the 1806 record and the 1813.  The first book speaks of men being moved from one depot to another.  Fascinating!

MaxD

[ainslie]

If only Kew were nearer...

One of Rev Alexander's brothers was shot and killed in a duel, another, a n infantry major, died of wounds received at Corunna.  As you say, fascinating.
A