Right you are both Rae and Line. Appreciate the additional insights too. Oh well, it was fun tryng to figure out the relationship between Wentworth and Croft.

With the Crafts marrying in 1799, CW would have been around 14. How the Admiral and Sohpie knew each other by character and reputation before meeting and marrying, remains a mystery then.

How old did a man have to be to join the navy? Anyone venture a guess how long CW had been in the navy before meeting Anne at age 23? I think we all agree that he was very young to be made a Captain, so must have done something brilliant and brave as a First Lieutenant during the battle of San Domingo. If he had served under Croft early in his career, CW would have been on the same ship as his sister Sophie who sailed with her husband. Puts his comments about never taking a lady on board one of his ships into yet a different context! Hm, I am now less convinced that Croft's and Wentworth's careers crossed.