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Lot 68

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

Sold for £540 inc. premium

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The funeral hatchment of Admiral Sir Edward Hamilton, K.C.B.,

captor of the frigate “Hermione” in the most celebrated ‘cutting out’ operation of the entire French Wars.

Footnotes

Admiral Sir Edward Hamilton (1772-1851) was one of the most colourful naval personalities of the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. Entering the Navy as a Midshipman in his father’s ship “Hector” in 1779, he was in action during the American War of Independence and thereafter remained at sea until the renewal of hostilities with France in 1793. Successively promoted Lieutenant in 1793, Commander in 1796 and Captain in 1797, his already distinguished career reached its zenith thanks to a remarkable exploit in the autumn of 1799.

In September 1797, as a result of the brutality of her captain (Hugh Pigot), the crew of the large British frigate “Hermione” mutinied, killed Pigot along with most of his officers, and surrendered the ship to the Spaniards at La Guayre, Venezuela. On 24th October, 1799, Hamilton, in his much smaller 28-gun frigate “Surprise”, was cruising off the same coast when he sighted the “Hermione” lying at anchor in the heavily-defended harbour at Puerto Cabello. Waiting until nightfall, he led about 50 men on what came to be regarded as the most daring ‘cutting-out’ operation of the entire French Wars. Boarding the “Hermione” proved easy but her crew of 320 men put up a tremendous fight and it took a full hour to overcome the resistance. Having cut his prize’s cables fore and aft, Hamilton then had to get “Hermione” out under the port garrison’s guns which proved a second heroic achievement. “Surprise” emerged unscathed with 10 wounded, including Hamilton, against a Spanish loss of over 200 killed or wounded. The entire action was a triumph and Hamilton came home to a knighthood and a unique gold medal to mark the incident. Subsequently created a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath in 1815, he was made Rear-Admiral in 1821 and received his final promotion as Admiral of the White in 1847.

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