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The adventures of mariner Edward Rexworthy prove how little stands between life and death. He is the 3x great grandfather of David Joy, who has uncovered fascinating information about his ancestor\u2019s remarkable Royal Navy<\/a> career.<\/p> \u201cEdward was born in Bristol in 1779,\u201d David explains. \u201cI was researching him a few years ago, and an online contact told me that an Edward Rexworthy served on HMS Shannon<\/em> in 1813. He was also mentioned in an admiral\u2019s memoirs. I was intrigued, and began looking through the muster books of Royal Navy ships at The National Archives.\u201d\u00a0<\/p> These were a gold mine of information. Edward was an able-bodied seaman and joined HMS Amelia<\/em>, a 38-gun frigate, on 5 May 1803, only weeks before the Napoleonic Wars<\/a> began.\u00a0<\/p> If a young man was looking for action and adventure, he would find them on a frigate. These were powerhouses designed to outrun and outgun enemy warships. They were vital in battle, raids, convoys and reconnaissance work. Commanded by the Navy\u2019s most brilliant officers, the frigates attracted dedicated career sailors.\u00a0<\/p> Edward soon entered the theatre of war. \u201cIn December 1803, he was one of a group of men in a boat commanded by Lieutenant Charles Cole taken prisoners of war near the Dutch<\/a> coast.\u00a0<\/p> \u201cThe BBC One series Poldark<\/em> had just shown Dwight Enys in appalling conditions in a French prisoner of war camp. Watching it made me wonder \u2013 was Edward\u2019s incarceration like that? How would his treatment as a mere rating compare with that of an officer like Enys? Edward had married Sophia Stadden in Bristol in 1801. She must have been so worried about her husband.\u00a0<\/p>