English Captain: John Temple

John Temple was appointed lieutenant of the House of Swyte in 1660. In 1665, he was appointed as lieutenant of the Constant Catherine. He was dismissed from the service in 1666. We next see him as captain of the 6th Rate Drake in 1671. John Narborough wrote that on 12 May 1672, he took 50 men off John Temple's ship, the Drake "galley", to reinforce the Prince. In 1672, he was captain of the Mermaid. While cruising off the Texel in the Mermaid, he "took a valuable prize". The King appointed him as captain of the Adventure on 9 August 1673. The King next appointed him as captain of the Quaker ketch on 29 March 1675. A short while later, on 22 April 1675, the King appointed him to command the Dartmouth. On 10 March 1678 (they called it 1677 in the old style date), the King appointed him to command the Jersey. The commissioners appointed him to command the Sweepstakes on 19 June 1680. It was the King who appointed him on 11 June 1685 to command the Mary Rose. He was reappointed to command the Mary Rose on 6 September 1685. He died in July 1687. Sources:

1. R. C. Anderson, Journals and Narratives of the Third Dutch War, 1946.
2. William Laird Clowes, The Royal Navy: A History from the Earliest Times to the Present, Vol.II, 1898.
3. David Syrett, R. L. DiNardo, The Commissioned Sea Officers of the Royal Navy 1660-1815, 1994.
4. J.R. Tanner, A Descriptive Catalogue of the Naval Manuscripts in the Pepysian Library at Magdalene College, Cambridge, Vol.I, 1903.