Tony, many thanks for your continued input! According to a snippet I have just found your idea about Virago being a positive move may be pretty close to the mark. This passage from the O'byrne's entry for lieutenant Hamilton Davies supplies us with a glimpse of service on board Virago:
DAVIES. (LIEUT., 1812. r-p., 19; H-P„33.) HAMILTON DAVIES Feb. 1797, as Fst.-cl. Vol., the ROYAL SOVEREIGN 100, bearing the flag of Sir Alan Gardner; served next, for 14 months, on board the INCENDIARY fireship, Capt. Geo. Barker, principally on the Jersey and Guernsey station; and on 20 June, 1798, was appointed Midshipman of the VIRAGO gun-brig, Lieut.-Commander Wm. Beard, under whom we find him frequently in combat with the Algeciras flotilla, while in escort of convoys to Gibraltar.
This does not answer whether Parker's time spent in command (before being replaced by Beard) was spent on active duty or making the ship ready for sea. Frustratingly, no logs or musters at the NA cover Parker's time in command. Parker left Virago, 29 May 1798, the above caption does however show that the ship was active very soon after that date.
Your observation about Parker being made first lieutenant of Incendiary also applies in his case. If these appointments were positive moves, which now appears may well have been the case, the assumption that the 'calumny' dates from Princess Royal must also be cast into doubt.
Please keep floating ideas this way Tony, your thoughts are proving invaluable.
Richard.
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