Could an English-speaking foreign sailor be impressed as British?

Could an English-speaking foreign sailor be mistaken for British and impressed into service?

It was possible, but national papers and the nationality entered in a ship's books could establish that the sailor was foreign rather than British.

An English accent could create suspicion because an impressment officer was trying to identify skilled British seamen. A Dutch sailor with papers and a Dutch entry in the ship's books had evidence that could resolve the question. Problems multiplied when a sailor had earlier registered as British to obtain better pay and later claimed American nationality to avoid transfer. The abstract sailor-rights controversy was also a practical problem of records, incentives, and disputed identity.