[Admiralty Office] 23d December 1774
Sir,
Commodore [Molyneux] Shuldham having acquainted my Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, that from the advices he had received of the Disturbances at Boston, he judged it expedient to order the Rose, one of the Ships of his Squadron, to carry some Land Forces thither, and had directed her Commander to follow your Orders for his further proceedings; I have it in command from their Lordships to signify their direction to you to send the said Ship forthwith to Spithead, with directions to Captain [James] Wallace to wait there for their Lordships further Orders.
And it being the resolution of the Board, to relieve such Officers as have served three years successively in His Majesty's Ships; I have it further in command from their Lordships to signify their directions to you, to order Captain [Edward] Meadows of the Tartar, Captain [William] Maltby of the Glasgow, and Captain [James] Ayscough of the Swan Sloop, who are in that predicament to proceed to Spithead as soon as they can be spared from their respective Stations, without manifest detriment to the Service on which they are employed, it being their Lordships intention to send out other Ships from hence to supply their places; and as you will see that the principal Object of their Lordships is, to relieve the Captains, you will not permit them to exchange into other Ships, as in case they do, other Officers will be sent out to superceed them. I am &ca
(By the Falcon Sloop)