 His wife Emma predeceased him, dying in March 1805.He briefly commanded the frigate between October and December 1787.In 1790 at the Spanish armament, Bertie gained command of the frigate before progressing to captain of a ship of the line, in 1792, in which he assisted at the capture of the French privateer "Le Général Dumourier", and her prize "St. Iago", having on board more than two million dollars, besides valuable cargo worth between two and three hundred thousand pounds.