Footnotes

• The so-called War of Jenkin's Ear 1739-48, was named after Captain Robert Jenkins, a merchant commander, who at Parliament's request displayed before them in 1738 his ear, which had been severed by a Spanish Coast Guard during a boarding in 1731. This, and a series of other outrages prompted King George to declare War on Spain in October 1739. Admiral Nicholas Haddock (1686-1746) commanded the Mediterranean fleet, based at Gibraltar, and undertook the blockade of Spanish ports, including Cadiz. In the first month of the war, Haddock captured two rich treasure ships inbound from Venezuela, one of which was the San Joseph. On board were 2 million pieces of eight, plus bullion, jewels and plate. San Joseph was sailed to England, where she arrived at Spithead in early November and the Customs removed from her 800 tonnes of specie worth £150,000 and 22 chests of jewels and plate, all of which were conveyed to the Bank of England under armed guard. This memorable event was recorded by Peter Monamy in a painting, The capture of the San Joseph, a Spanish ship 1739 specially commissioned for Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens.

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Category: Decorative Arts / European Sculpture and Works of Art

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