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Lot 58
ROOKE (SIR GEORGE) Series of eight autograph letters signed ("G: Rooke"), plus enclosures and two fragments, to Richard Hill, envoy extraordinary to the Duke of Savoy Royal Sovereign at Spithead, Salisbury, Rotterdam, Peregrine at the Brielle, Hampton Court off Cape St Vincent, Royal Katherine, etc., June 1703 to February 1705, with an autograph letter signed by Sir John Norris, 19 April 1734
11 November 2015, 13:00 GMT
London, KnightsbridgeSold for £3,125 inc. premium
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ROOKE (SIR GEORGE)
Series of eight autograph letters signed ("G: Rooke"), plus enclosures and two fragments, to Richard Hill, envoy extraordinary to the Duke of Savoy and fellow member of the council advising Prince George of Denmark as High Admiral, written during the early years of the War of Spanish Succession, the first letter written from the first rate Royal Sovereign at Spithead after returning from his cruise in command of the main fleet against enemy shipping in the Channel and Bay of Biscay ("...They are bold people that will give upp the honoure of the Flagge soe scandalouslie... soe longe as I have the honoure [to] Weare the Flagge of England it shall never be subjected to any foreigne subordination..."); later letters dating from his mission to escort the Archduke Charles, whom the allies wished to place on the throne of Spain as Charles III, from The Hague to England ("...greate splendoure and magnificence, by ringing of Bells, firing of Cannon, bonfires, fireworkes, and Illuminations ashore & afloate, for three nights..."); subsequent letters written while cruising off the coast of Spain with the Archduke, until the aborted attack on Barcelona ("...the Prince of Hesse D'Armstat, who is aboarde me, opiniated that, that Cittie and Country wou'd deliver themselves up to him... Marines, and Bombarded the Towne, but after our men were two nights ashore the prince saw he cou'd not prevaile in his pretentions, and soe we left..."); the last letter written soon after his retirement from active service and pondering the fate of Gibraltar which he had taken for the allies; together with two damaged fragments, and enclosures dated 25 May comprising an intelligence report, an attested "List of the English & Dutch Ships now in the Fleet" and of the council of war, plus an attested copy of Ambassador Methuen's dispatch from Lisbon to Rooke of 23 May, some 26 pages, guards, some ink-corrosion and other normal wear but, apart from the two fragments (professionally conserved), overall in good and attractive condition, the enclosures folio, the letters 4to, Royal Sovereign at Spithead, Salisbury, Rotterdam, Peregrine at the Brielle, Hampton Court off Cape St Vincent, Royal Katherine, etc., June 1703 to February 1705
Footnotes
ʻTHE FLAGGE OF ENGLAND, IT SHALL NEVER BE SUBJECTED TO ANY FOREIGNE SUBORDINATION': Admiral Rooke and the capture of Gibraltar – a fine series of letters by the admiral described as ʻthe most eminent English seaman in the last years of William III's reign and the first years of Anne's' (John B. Hattendorf, ODNB). Campaign letters of this date, whether written on land or at sea, are uncommon. The recipient, Richard Hill, served as a Lord of the Admiralty from 1702 to 1708 and in 1703 had been sent by Queen Anne on a mission to bring the duke of Savoy into the War of the Spanish Succession against Louis XIV; stopping en route to Turin at The Hague in order to finesse this policy with the Dutch.
Included in the lot is an autograph letter by Rooke, to the Commissioners of the Navy at Crutched Friars, written as commander of the squadron entrusted with conveying William III to the Netherlands (30 April 1695); and an autograph letter signed by Sir John Norris, sending news of the grand fleet assembled in the Downs under his command, ("...I hope these Stherly winds have carried away our Ships for Guiney and Barbados and if you find it resonable I should be obliged you would give Cap.t Norris orders for going to New York..."), from the Namur "in the Downs", 19 April 1734; plus a duplicate letter by him.
The series by Rooke was published by A.M. Broadley, ʻThe Unpublished Correspondence of Admiral Sir George Rooke... 1703-1705', History, 1 series, 2 (1913): pp. 57-70.