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Nelson and the Royal Navy

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Lot 34

"the Sword of State...presented to Lord. N. by the Captains...who fought under his Command at the Battle of the Nile"
Horatio Nelson

18 October 2005, 14:00 BST

Oxford

Sold for £3,120 inc. premium

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"the Sword of State...presented to Lord. N. by the Captains...who fought under his Command at the Battle of the Nile"
Horatio Nelson

Order of Investiture of Sir Thomas Graves as Knight of the Bath after the Battle of Copenhagen, written in a scribal hand, and enclosed in a wrapper signed and sealed by Nelson ("Nelson & Bronte"), and bearing his autograph inscription "Not to be Opened 'till Clear of the Koll", addressed to George McKinley, Captain of HM Ship Ardent, headed "Preparative", beginning: "A Chair to be placd on the Gratings on the Sky Light on the Quarter Deck, with the Royal Standard suspended over it, shewing the Kings Arms, the Chair to be Crown'd with the Union Flag. -- Guard to be rang'd on each side the Quarter Deck, and the Captains of the Fleet to Attend in their full Dress Uniforms - The Royal Standard to be hoisted the Moment of the Procession beginning which is to proceed in the following Order - Lord Nelson to come up the Ladder in the Fore part of the Quarter Deck and make three Reverences to the Throne, He is to place himself on the right Hand side of it. Captn Parker bearing the Sword of State (being that which was presented to Lord. N. by the Captains of His Majesty's Fleet who fought under his Command at the Battle of the Nile) is to follow Lord. N. and to place himself on his Right Side a Little in Advance making three Reverences to the Throne and One to Lord. N. - The Secretary is then to follow bearing in his Hands a Satin Cushion the Ensigns of the Order making similar Reverences to the Throne and Lord. N. Rear Adml. Graves is then to be introduced between Captns Hardy & Retalick...", the Preparative on both sides of a single folio leaf, docketed as received on 15 June, slightly browned where exposed, the wrapper with slight time-staining where folded into a packet, [St George, Kioge Bay], 16 June 1801

Footnotes

Nelson knights his second-in-command after the Battle of the Copenhagen, fought on 2 April 1801. The recipient, Captain George McKinley, would have been among those attending the ceremony. During the battle his ship, the Ardent, 64 guns, had suffered considerable damage to her hull, masts and sails, along with 93 casualties. The knighting of Admiral Graves was to be Nelson's final act before his return home: "The captains of all the ships in his fleet were there in full dress. Graves flanked by Captains Hardy and Retalick, knelt before Nelson. In the name of the King he knighted him, using the sword his Band of Brothers had given him after the Nile. It was a charismatic public man who spoke from the heart of his own vision, 'I hope that these Honours conferred upon you will prove the Officers in the Service, that strict perseverance in the pursuit of glorious Actions, and the imitation of your brave and laudable conduct, will ensure them the favours and reward of our most gracious Sovereign, and the Thanks and gratitude of our Country" (Vincent Edgar, Nelson: Love and Fame, 2003, p.439). The text of this document provides the basis of the account printed by Nicolas, Dispatches and Letters, iv, pp.414-5n, taken from the Naval Chronicle. However the Nicolas text differs in some significant respects: it has been placed in the past tense, the name of Nelson's secretary is inserted, as is the text of Nelson's speech, where our version states merely that "Lord. N. is then to make a suitable speech on the Occasion".

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