1792 (Nov 16) Entire letter written from Villafranca by the Captain of a British merchant ship, who arrived in the port after a six week voyage with a cargo of shot to find the place in French hands, and was forced to sell his cargo to the French. The letter includes "They stand greatly in awe of England or we would certainly have been made a prize ..... There is a French 74 laying in Villafranca Road ..... the Captain is of no more account than the meanest sailor. You see the sailors parading the Quarter Deck in their greasy coats shouldering & jundying the officers about like nothing. Thus much for liberty and equality, at Nice 2 miles distant from this place the soldiers the other day hanged five men without any sort of trial because they suspected them to be disaffected to the present government". Prepaid to Hanau in Germany with "NICE" handstamp, the reverse endorsed "Debourse de Haguenau".

1809 (Sep 15) Entire letter from John Spence headed "Lively at Sea" with a postscript written at Dungeness nine days later, posted from Deal to Scotland. Spence had written to the Transport Office regarding promotion and is expecting to receive prize money.

Admiral Earl St. Vincent. 1798 (Dec 20) Letter to Commodore Duckworth from the "Le Souverain" at Gibraltar, "I enclose for your information the copy of a letter from Captain Bazely of the Harpy Sloop, to Admiral Peyton Commander in Chief of His Majestys Ships in the Downs, containing intelligence of the sailing of a Swedish convoy (laden with naval stores) from Marstrand, bound to Leghorn", signed by St. Vincent. John Jervis, Earl St Vincent, had a distinguished career which included the capture of Martinique and Guadeloupe and the defeat of the Spanish fleet off Cape St. Vincent; he was Commander-in-Chief in the Mediterranean 1795-99.

Admiral Sir John Thomas Duckworth. 1799 (Aug 19) Handwritten order to Captain Henry Darby of H.M.S "Bellorophon" to put himself under the command of Duckworth, headed "In pursuance of orders from Rear Admiral Lord Nelson KB" and given on board the "Leviathan" at Port Mahon, signed J.T Duckworth. Duckworth commanded the "Leviathan" in the Mediterranean and later in the West Indies; in 1798 he had charge of the naval detachment which helped capture Minorca.

Admiral Duckworth - West Indies. 1801 (Jan.) Letters from the Admiralty to Rear Admiral Duckworth at Martinique all marked "Most Secret", announcing the outbreak of war against Sweden, Denmark and Russia, giving instructions to seize enemy ships and help the military in the capture of St. Thomas, St. Croix, St. John and St. Bartholomew; all private property is to be respected, but goods in warehouses or depots belonging to Spanish or Danish merchants are to be seized. The enemy force on Guadeloupe is to be watched, and a convoy of ten troop transports sailing from Spithead to Barbados is to be prevented from falling into the hands of the enemy. Duckworth carried out these orders, capturing all the Danish and Swedish islands in the West Indies in 1801. An interesting and important series of letters. (5).

Admiral Duckworth. 1801 (Mar 6) Letter from the Navy Office to Duckworth at Martinique refusing to pay his house rent, and a copy of his four page reply of July 21st written entirely in Duckworth's own hand and signed J.T Duckworth, protesting at the decision and detailing the dangers to health of keeping a stationery ship in dock flying the Admiral's flag; no ship ought to be in port for more than a fortnight, and when Vice Admiral Harvey kept the "Prince of Wales" stationery in port and lived on board over 700 men died on the ship. Also a copy of an 1801 (May 19) order given by Duckworth on the "Leviathan" at St. Eustatius, to the ship's purser ordering him to supply 560lb of bread to H.M Sloop "Hornet". (3).

Admiral Duckworth. 1801 Letters from the Victualling Office concerning money paid for purchases or to defray contingent expenses in Martinique and the Leeward islands (2), or from the Transport Office concerning the armed transport "Coromandel" being supplied with slop clothing from the naval stores at Martinique, all three sent to Duckworth on the "Leviathan" at Martinique. (3).

Admiral Lord Keith - Egypt Campaign. 1801 (Mar 29) Entire letter addressed to "His Highness Yousouf Pacha, Supreme Vizier", the address panel headed "On His Britannic Majestys Service" and signed "Keith" in the lower left corner. The enclosed letter written from "Foudroyant" in the Bay of Aboukir informs Yousouf Pacha of the death from wounds received on the 21st of the Commander of the British forces General Sir George Abercromby, who is succeeded in command by Major General Hutchinson, signed "Keith" with an intaglio arabic seal handstamp alongside the signature. An extraordinary letter sent between the leaders of the two allied forces during the campaign against the French in Egypt, a little splitting at folds, the outer wrapper with seal removed and reinforcing at the edges, otherwise fine and unique. Ex John Firebrace, illustrated on page 37 of his book "Nineteenth Century Wars in Egypt and Sudan", sold for £1,000 in the 2001 auction of his collection. Also six nineteenth century prints of Lord Keith (who was Nelson's Commander in Chief in the Mediterranean 1799-1800), Abercromby or the Battle of Alexandria. Photo on Page 116. (Image1)

Vice Admiral Lord Collingwood. 1806 (Feb 8) Two page signed letter written entirely in Collingwood's own hand from "Queen off Cadiz", addressed "To Capt Hallewell, Feb 8th 1806, Secret", ordering Hallewell to capture the Spanish ship "Glorioso" which has advanced into the Bay from the Mole of Malaga - Collingwood orders Hallewell to sail in the "Saturn" and join the "Thunder Bomb" and "Dextram" brig, and offers advice on how the "Glorioso" is to be captured and then converted into a fire vessel for use against the enemy fleet. Collingwood was second in command at Trafalgar and was appointed Commander in Chief in the Mediterranean after Nelson's death. A little splitting at the folds, otherwise fine and unique.

Vice Admiral Sir Thomas Fremantle. 1812 (Aug 12) Order to William Hoste, Captain of H.M.S "Bacchante", to proceed with an accompanying despatch to Captain Rowley of H.M.S "Eagle" off Venice, and then to put into execution Fremantle's former orders, given on board the "Milford" in St. Georges Harbour, Lissa, signed by Fremantle. Thomas Fremantle served under Nelson at Copenhagen and at Trafalgar where he was in command of H.M.S "Neptune", the third ship in Nelson's line, which afterwards towed H.M.S "Victory" to Gibraltar. In 1812-14 he commanded the Adriatic fleet, capturing Fiume and Trieste.

Vice Admiral Sir Thomas Masterman Hardy. 1818 (May 30) Letter written and signed by Hardy from Greenwich, to Sir Rupert George sympathising over his illness. Hardy fought at St Vincent and the Nile and was Flag Captain on H.M.S "Victory" at Trafalgar, famously holding Nelson as he lay dying on deck. A scarce autograph, ex Robson Lowe, sold for £280 in the 1998 auction of his collection.