Both Samuel and William Daunt were discharged from H.M.S.Greenwich on 29 March 1782 to transfer to H.M.S.Arethusa 'on preferment'. The ship had discharged prisoners for Forton prison, with the exception of a few who decided to enlist in the Royal Navy, before Samuel and William joined it at Spithead on 30 March 1782. It was then preparing to set off on a voyage to Newfoundland for which Samuel is recorded in the ship's muster book as being a Masters Mate. It is also recorded that he was on the Greenwich pay list. The Captain for the voyage was Ro Pearson, the Purser Alec Murray, the Master Alec Taylor and Boatswain George Hackey.

The ship took three months to reach St Johns, thereafter spending three and a half months on station in that area in it's participation of the American Wars. On 20 August, the ship took on 71 prisoners captured when the Thorn of Newberry, a former British sloop, was recaptured. The return voyage took two months including a short stopover at Lisbon, arriving at Portsmouth early in January 1783, so Samuel had spent another Christmas at sea.

Samuel was discharged from this ship on 16 February 1783 by order of Admiral Pye. The muster book shows him as owing nine shillings for trusses which indicates that the reason he left was because he had suffered a rupture, something not uncommon amongst sailors at that time

Below is information which relates to the time that Samuel was on board, extracted from the ship's muster books which are kept at the Public Record Office at Kew.

ARETHUSA'S. Compliment 280 men. Began wages and Sea Victualling the 1st October 1781. NB Five pay books & slop book and three alphabets made up for the time between 28th March 1782 and the 30th September following were sent from Portsmouth to the Navy Office in London on the 12th April 1872 but the ship proceeded on a voyage to Newfoundland without being paid.

1782	Mar	8	Spithead	1782	Sep	5	Halifax
		15	Portsmouth Harbour			13	Halifax
		19	Portsmouth Harbour			21	At sea
		30	Samuel joined ship			29	St.Johns
	Apr	10	Spithead		Oct	4	St.Johns
		18	At sea			11	St.Johns
		24	At sea			19	St.Johns
		30	At sea			28	St.Johns
	Jun	2	Caplin Bay Newfoundland		Nov	5	Sea
		10	Caplin Bay Newfoundland			13	Sea
		18	Sea			20	Sea
		26	Sea			27	Sea
	Jul	3	Sea		Dec	4	Lisbon
		10	St.Johns			10	Lisbon
		18	St.Johns			18	Sea
		25	St.Johns			28	Sea
	Aug	2	St.Johns	1783	Jan	7	Portsmouth cheque
		9	Sea			22	Portsmouth cheque
		19	Sea			27	Portsmouth cheque
		29	Halifax		Feb	7	Portsmouth cheque
						10	Portsmouth cheque
						16	Samuel discharged
						21	Portsmouth cheque

 

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