Print showing armed cutter the 'Active', which was communicating by signal to Admiral Duncan in Yarmouth Roads during the Battle of Camperdown on 11 October 1797. The 'Active' is shown in the foreground. John Hamilton (1765-1858) appears to have been a civilian master and possibly also owner of the 'Active' (built 1794), who served in the North Sea mainly under Duncan. In 1800, after 'Active' was captured (though retaken in 1801) Duncan recommended him to become a master in Post Office packets, into which he moved by 1803. He may have built and owned the 'Lord Duncan' which he commanded from1807 and from the 1820s he moved into steam packets based at Dover - which was where he was born and died and is noted as 'mariner' in the register of electors in 1822. This continued into his 70s, his last command yet noted being the newly built Admiralty packet 'Widgeon' (see SLR0087) from 1 July 1838. He was never a commissioned Naval offier and while a John Hamilton was appointed Master RN in 1808 it is unlikely this was same man.