ADMIRAL DIGBY'S NAVAL ORDER BOOK

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On July 10, 2006, Lady Dione Digby, DBE, DL, visited the Admiral Digby Museum.  She made a presentation and gave to the Museum copies of Admiral Robert Digby's Naval Order Books. These were books into which his secretary copied each official letter made by him.  Within these records is fascinating information related to the settlement and treatment of the Loyalists who were transported as refugees by ship from New York in 1783 to Nova Scotia. 

Lady Dione Digby 

In 1991, Lady Dione Digby was appointed a Dame Commander of the order of the British Empire (DBE) for her contributions to the arts and a Deputy Lieutenant (DL).  She was the founder of the Summer Music Society of Dorset and served as president of several organizations including Dorset Opera.  In 2006, she was appointed the Chancellor of Bournemouth University.

Admiral Robert Digby was a distant ancestor of Edward Kenholm Digby, the 12th Baron Digby, husband of Lady Dione Digby.  He joined the navy at the age of 13, commanded his first vessel at 23, and became Captain of the HMS Ramillies at 39 in 1779.  He was then promoted to Rear Admiral and took charge of the North America fleet in 1781 based in New York.   He arrived there on 21 August 1781 during the American Revolution.  In New York, he married Eleanor Jauncey, widowed daughter of Andrew Elliott, then Lieutenant Governor of New York.  

The Naval Order book demonstrates how he commanded his captains and officers to transport and provide support for the Loyalists.  Some interesting entries were:

17 April 1783
To Captain Mowatt, La Sophie

You are hereby required and directed to take his Majesty's ship Amphitrite under your Command, and whatever Transports or any other Vessels that may be bound to Port Roseway and the Bay of Fundy under your Convoy and when you shall think proper to order the Amphitrite to part Company, to see that part is bound to Port Roseway.  You are to proceed yourself with those bound to the Bay of Fundy and give them every protection and assistance you can.  And you are to direct the Agent to Transports to get the Vessels cleared and watered as quick as possible and to assemble at Annapolis from whence you are to convey them to Port Roseway, and from thence here, giving the Loyalists at the Place every Protection and Assistance in your Power.

(In 1783, La Sophie, under the command of Captain Henry Mowatt, was actively engaged in the evacuation of Loyalists from New York to Nova Scotia. She was a frigate built armed vessel captured from the French and put into service by the British at New York in 1782.)

17 April 1783
Instructions for Captain Mowatt 

As the Loyalists in general have requested that you might be appointed to protect them for some time, and as I think too much cannot be done for their Assistance, you are to visit the Settlements at Port Roseway and in the Bay of Fundy frequently, and give them such assistance as they may require.  And when this Service will admit of it, you are to proceed to Halifax to complete your Provisions.

There also appear references to Black Loyalists:

23 July 1783
to Lieutenant Philips, L'Abondance

You are hereby required and directed to move immediately into the North River opposite the Burnt Church with His Majesty's Armed Storeship under your Command and receive on board such Negroes as may be sent to Captain Chads, and as soon as they have been properly inspected, you are immediately to proceed to Port Roseway and land them there, and then return to the Port without loss of time.

(In 1783, the ship L'Abondance, under the command of Lieutenant Nathaniel Phillips, was acting as a British troop transport and store ship during the evacuation of the Loyalists from New York City to Nova Scotia.  He took command of her at Plymouth, England in April 1783. It made multiple journeys between New York and Nova Scotia carrying both white and Black Loyalists.)

29 July 1783
To Lieutenant Trounce, Clinton

You are hereby required and directed to receive on board His Majesty's Arm'd Storeship under your Command all Negroes as Captain Chads may send, and as soon as they have been properly inspected, you are to proceed to Annapolis and St. Johns and land them there, and then return to this Port without loss of time.

(In July 1783, His Majesty's Armed Transport Clinton was under command of Lieutenant Roger Trounce. The ship had arrived from Britain and was preparing to transport Loyalists.)

Page from Admiral Digby's Naval Order 

 

Further Reading:

 Admiral Digby's Vultures, by Brian McConnell,  UE,  published in 2025 by UELAC 

How the Loyalists Named Digby by Brian McConnell,  UE,  published by Town of Digby

The Loyalists of Digby  by Brian McConnell, UE, published in 2021






Historian; Genealogist; Author; Member of United Empire Loyalists ' Association of Canada, Genealogical Association of Nova Scotia, Ontario Genealogical Society, Ulster Historical & Genealogical Guild (Life)

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