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Lot 51

NELSON (HORATIO)
Letter signed ("Nelson & Bronte") to Richard Ford, Agent Victualler of the Mediterranean Fleet, expressing the highest opinion of his conduct "Victory at Sea 27th Octr 1804": 'PERFECTLY SATISFIED THAT EVERY PURCHASE YOU HAVE MADE HAS BEEN AT THE LOWEST PRICE AND UPON THE MOST ADVANTAGEOUS TERMS FOR THE GOVERNMENT'

27 October 2021, 14:00 BST

London, New Bond Street

£2,000 - £3,000

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NELSON (HORATIO)

Letter signed ("Nelson & Bronte") to Richard Ford, Agent Victualler of the Mediterranean Fleet, expressing the highest opinion of his conduct ("...I have very great pleasure in acknowledging my full and entire approbation of the whole and every part of Your Conduct, in the due and punctual execution of Your duty as Agent Victualler to the Fleet under my Command, and am perfectly satisfied that every purchase You have made has been at the lowest price and upon the most advantageous terms for Government; And I further acquaint You that I shall communicate to The Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty the high opinion I entertain of Your Integrity and upright conduct in providing the Fleet with the Refreshments before mentioned..."), 2 pages, folio (312 x 195mm.), minor dust-staining, framed and glazed (unexamined out of frame), "Victory at Sea 27th Octr 1804"

Footnotes

Provenance:
Bonhams, Nelson & The Royal Navy 1750-1815, 5 July 2005, lot 137
Private collection UK

'PERFECTLY SATISFIED THAT EVERY PURCHASE YOU HAVE MADE HAS BEEN AT THE LOWEST PRICE AND UPON THE MOST ADVANTAGEOUS TERMS FOR THE GOVERNMENT': Nelson praises his trusted Mediterranean Victualler.

Richard Ford, previously Agent Victualler in Lisbon, joined Nelson on the Victory in the post of Agent Victualler Afloat in 1803 with his clerk John Geoghegan, their task to organise provisions and take charge of cash for the fleet, accounting for every penny spent on the Navy's behalf. Through a network of local merchants and suppliers, he acquired vast quantities of cattle, sheep, fruit, vegetables, wine and other provisions and arranged for cattle to be assembled near the anchorage at the Madalena Islands, north of Sardinia, for collection. Whilst Nelson speaks of his "integrity and upright conduct", he often had to resort to underhand tactics such as bribery to circumvent any obstructions to the supply. After Trafalgar he became Agent Victualler to the Mediterranean, based on shore in Sicily.

This generous letter of approbation is not printed by either Nicolas, Dispatches and Letters or White, New Letters.

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ARCHITECTURE - ST PAUL'S CATHEDRAL
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for 'The Suffragette' newspaper, [c.1913-1914]

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BANK NOTES - MANUFACTURING
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