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Lot 8

A pair of Midshipman's personal logbooks, George Frederick Cottam RN
13x9ins. (33x23cm) 2

15 April 2014, 14:00 BST
London, Knightsbridge

Sold for £2,000 inc. premium

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A pair of Midshipman's personal logbooks, George Frederick Cottam RN

Covering his career from Naval Cadet on HMS Victory in 1850 to service as Midshipman on various vessels in the Crimean War, terminating on July 12th 1856. Leather binding, with daily manuscript entries and tipped-in ink and watercolour sketches. 13x9ins. (33x23cm) (2)

Footnotes

An interesting personal log of life in the Victorian Royal Navy at the time of the Crimean War.

The narrative commences with Cottam as Naval Cadet, serving on board HMS Victory at Portsmouth, until he is placed on board HMS Fox a 42gun Frigate which undertakes a 3 1/2 year cruise to the Indian Ocean via the Cape, visiting ports in Sri Lanka, India, Borneo and Malaysia, before returning to the UK. Anchored in the Downs, he is transferred in May 1854 to HMS Penelope 16gun Paddle frigate, as supernumary en route to the Baltic, where they join the British Baltic Squadron and Cottam is finally shipped on board HMS Prince Regent engaged in the Allied Baltic blockade of the Crimean Campaign.

Returning to the UK, he ships as Midshipman aboard HMS Royal Albert 120guns, which makes its way via Gibraltar to the Black Sea and Sevastopol as part of the Allied fleet besieging the Crimea. He continues on board HMS Agamemnon 91guns, engaged in blockade and bombardment, until hostilities cease and the fleet returns to England, paying off in July 1856.

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