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Lot 127

"directed to repair on Board His Majesty's Ship Victory"
Horatio Nelson

5 July 2005, 11:00 BST
London, New Bond Street

Sold for £6,000 inc. premium

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"directed to repair on Board His Majesty's Ship Victory"
Horatio Nelson

Document signed ("Nelson & Bronte"), countersigned by his official secretary ("John Scott"), appointing Edward Williams to serve as Lieutenant on the Victory ("...You are therefore hereby required and directed to repair on Board His Majesty's Ship Victory without loss of time and take upon you the Charge of Lieutenant..."), in place of Robert Pettet, transferred to command HM Sloop Termagant in room of the Hon George Elliot, appointed to command HMS Maidstone; the document listing Nelson's titles at the head ("By The Right Honorable Lord Viscount Nelson K.B. Duke of Bronte in Sicily, Knight of the Great Cross of St Ferdinand and of Merit, Knight of the Order of the Crescent and of the Illustrious Order of St Joachim, Vice Admiral of the Blue and Commander in Chief of His Majesty's Ships and Vessels, Employed and to be Employed on the Mediterranean Station"), 2 pages, folio, minor dust-staining and wear at folds, "Given on Board the Victory off Toulon 10th August 1803"

Footnotes

Nelson appoints a Lieutenant to the 'Victory', who was serve with him Trafalgar: Edward Williams had entered the navy aged fifteen in 1790, being promoted lieutenant in 1796. In the words of his obituary published in 1843: "In August 1803, he was transferred to the Victory under the immortal Nelson, with whom he continued to serve, as Second Lieutenant, until the never-to-be forgotten fall of his noble Admiral, in whom he lost his chief patron and friend. After the battle Lieut Williams was one of the first promoted, but from the rank he had so well merited [that of commander] he was doomed never to rise; and his continual applications for employment during five administrations were unattended with success" (The Naval and Military Gazette, 23 December 1843, p.806). He was among the officers who attended Nelson's funeral (Nicolas, Dispatches and Letters, vii, p.414). Williams had won Nelson's esteem by his gallantry in leading one of the divisions of boats in the unsuccessful attack on Boulogne in 1801, and two years later was taken on as one of the eight lieutenants who, with a flag lieutenant, were allotted to the Victory. Admiral Sir John Gore was one of those who pressed Williams's claims after Trafalgar, writing to William Marsden at the Admiralty: "Few Officers had the honour to hold so high a place in Lord Nelson's friendship and confidence as myself; and if the object of promotion was to compliment the memory of Lord Nelson by advancing those Officers who were high in his Lordship's esteem, I can with confidence declare that Captain Williams held the first claim to the rank of Post Captain" (op.cit.).

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