an estate at Sharpham in the parish of Ashprington in Devon, where he built a large mansion house, surviving today, designed by Robert Taylor, with gardens designed by Capability Brown. It was about this time that he commissioned a portrait from Sir Joshua Reynolds. Continued service Despite his immense wealth Pownoll returned to naval service in late 1774, shortly after the outbreak of the American War of Independence. For this he was praised by John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich in the House of Lords. Pownoll was given command of the 32-gun in December, and prepared her for a voyage to North America. While mustering his crew, a young midshipman was recommended to him by Hugh Boscawen, 2nd Viscount Falmouth, the brother of Pownoll's old patron, Admiral Edward Boscawen. Possibly out of consideration to his debt to the admiral, Pownoll agreed to take him on. The young midshipman was Edward Pellew, who had been turned out of his previous ship, , after a quarrel with her captain, John Stott, but went on to become one of the great naval commanders of his age. Pownoll and his officers oversaw the fitting out of their ship, which almost ended in disaster when a storm in February 1775 swept Blonde from her moorings at Chatham and nearly wrecked her, the ship being saved by Pownoll's prompt action. Blonde sailed for North America in April that year, in company with the frigate , and via St Helen's, where they collected a convoy of twenty transports carrying troops under General John Burgoyne. During the voyage Burgoyne was alarmed to see a midshipman on a yardarm balancing on his head. Pownoll reassured him that it was just one of Pellew's antics, and that 'should [he] fall, he would only go under the ship's hull and come up on the other side.' Later in the voyage Pellew jumped overboard to save a man's life, and was reprimanded for his actions by Pownoll, though he later shed tears when talking about it with his fellow officers and called Pellew 'a noble fellow.' Pellew and Pownoll served at the relief of Quebec. Pownoll returned to North America in April 1776, and was active against American shipping, capturing the privateer Freedom on 16 September 1777, and the privateer True Blue on 27 January 1778. In January 1777 Pownoll was appointed to command the 32-gun HMS Apollo, and brought Pellew with