I tried to do a search for something that would answer my questions, but on my mobile it was difficult and I was unable to find an answer.

 

Basically, I'm curious if anyone that is knowledgeable of the time of the American Revolutionary War and the preceeding years before the Declaration, knows if there were any American-born colonists that served as Royal Navy officers? Or perhaps as officers in some sort of naval militia similar to the militias that the British Army had in the colonies... or if such a thing even existed for the Navy?

I know that there were many American-born men that later served in the American Revolution that had been members, and officers, in the British Army (or its militias) previously, but I don't know of any that were naval officers prior to the start of the war -- I can only seem to find some that had been merchantmen and then joined the Continental Navy to fight the British.

Would there have been any colonial naval militias made up of British-American colonists like the various British Army militias in the Colonies?

Were men born in the colonies even able to join the Royal Navy at all? I believe they were still considered British citizens prior to the Declaration of Independence, despite being born outsisde of the British Isles and lacking true representation in Parliament. But I've heard that the men that made up the officer corps of the RN at the time were largely (or completely?) of middle and upper-class aristocratsic and noble families with connections in the Admiralty and Government. Was this true and would it have prevented colonists from becoming officers in the Royal Navy?

I know there were cases of Americans/colonists being pressed into service with the Royal Navy, but my primary questions are whether or not there were colonial-born officers in the Royal Navy or if the colonies had their own naval militia under British command like the Army did before the war broke out and the Continental Navy was formed.

 

Apologies if this isn't exactly written clearly or if there is a thread that answers these questions that I was unable to find. Links to such a thread would be appreciated if they do exist and I would be happy to try to further clarify my questions if my post was rambling too much. Thanks in advance to anyone that might be able to help!