Rodney used Ludlow Castle to blockade the Scottish coast during the Jacobite rising of 1745. The ship carried both Rodney's younger brother James and the future Admiral Samuel Hood as midshipmen, showing family and professional patronage operating side by side. Rodney then moved to the 60-gun Eagle, took prizes, and joined the Western Squadron under Edward Hawke. The squadron guarded the Western Approaches, supported blockade operations, and stood ready to intercept French fleets. Its strategic importance gave it priority for ships and helped make it a proving ground for aggressive officers.
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Samuel Hood enters Rodney's patronage network
Service in Ludlow Castle linked Rodney to Samuel Hood before Rodney moved to Eagle and the Western Squadron, the Navy's premier Atlantic fighting force.