[3] On 8 January 1782 he was nominated, by Hood, Acting-Lieutenant of the Alfred, 74 guns, Captains William Bain, Robert Barber, and Thomas Dumaresq; to which ship the Admiralty confirmed him on 12 February 1783.

[3] On that occasion, Captain Grindall having been wounded, the charge of the ship devolved upon Poulden; whose promotion to the rank of Commander was in consequence effected by a commission dated 29 June 1795.

[3] In October 1796 he was sent as Principal Agent for Transports to the river Elbe, for the purpose of embarking the foreign corps, with which he afterwards accompanied Sir Hugh Cloberry Christian to the West Indies.

[3] Being next, in November 1797, appointed to the Calcutta, 24 guns, Captain Poulden was present in that ship, again in the capacity of Principal Transport Agent, at the reduction of the island of Minorca, where he remained, in charge of the dockyard at Port Mahon, until the arrival of Commissioner Isaac Coffin.

[3] Quitting the Calcutta in August 1799, he assumed command, on 12 March 1801, of the Alkmaar, 50 guns; in which ship he remained, until September 1802, employed on the Home, Baltic, and West India stations.