Bridport objected that Warren and Pellew remained in frigate commands despite their seniority. First Lord Spencer answered that the service they performed required their particular experience and ability. Warren eventually accepted the 74-gun Canada, but Pellew declined an offered ship of the line and chose to continue with his frigate squadron. His highly flattering refusal also exposes the careful language needed when rejecting a commander-in-chief's preferred career path. Specialist experience could justify keeping a senior captain in a frigate instead of assigning him a ship of the line.
Notable Point · 2:40:23-2:41:50
Why experienced captains stayed in frigate commands
The Admiralty kept senior captains such as John Borlase Warren and Edward Pellew in specialist frigate work because their experience outweighed a conventional move to ships of the line.