Duncan objected to leading and irrelevant questions during Keppel's trial and helped defend his former patron. His ties crossed the Whig-Tory divide, strengthening the impression that his interventions rested on fairness as well as loyalty to Keppel. The Admiralty then tried to send HMS Monarch away before Palliser's court martial, but her unpaid crew refused to sail without turning the dispute into a general mutiny. Once their advance arrived, Duncan added a bonus, reinforcing the connection between fair treatment and shipboard loyalty.
Chapter · 47:47-51:29
Duncan in the Keppel-Palliser court-martial crisis
Duncan's courtroom advocacy and his crew's unpaid advance placed him at the center of the political aftermath of Ushant.