Lieutenant Hawkes commanded HMS Maria and arrived at Douglas in August 1811. He assured the High-Bailiff, Norris Moore, that he did not intend to impress fishermen. On the night of 17 August, he broke his word, impressing fishermen and working men after what contemporary accounts describe as a hard fight, in which several men were dangerously wounded. The Admiralty initially refused to release the men, citing the "very improper conduct of the people of Douglas," before eventually ordering their return.