Me too, but I think I'm resigned to it being wishful thinking
I think a closer inspection of the Tynemouth PRs would definitely be helpful though as the missing pages and Hood / Wood uncertainty really isn't helping matters. The Joshua Hood will naming his brother as John Hood of North Shields could be something though, but Ive no idea what the petition could refer to.
... in the Pearl 18 Feby 97
['Pearl' possibly a misspelt abbreviation for Parliament.]
As it starts DO I'd wondered if it meant Died Overseas & is referring to HMS Pearl? From what I can make out (and ships really aren't my thing) Commerce of Marseilles didn't leave dock again, so could Joshua have transferred to the Pearl?
http://www.kenthistoryforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=15085.0"HMS Pearl spend the years between the end of the American War of Independence in 1783 and the outbreak of the French Revolutionary War in 1793 engaged in the peacetime duties of a frigate, those of patrolling and 'showing the flag'.
Once war broke out again, HMS Pearl continued as she had during peacetime. On 16th April 1797, HMS Pearl captured the French privateer L'Incroyable of 24 guns, in company with the 36 gun frigate HMS Flora"
