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Lot 281
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H. Nelson Unusual Trilingual DS Just After British Evacuated Corsica, Co-Signed by Frederic North
H. Nelson Unusual Trilingual DS Just After British Evacuated Corsica, Co-Signed by Frederic North
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Description:

H. Nelson Unusual Trilingual DS Just After British Evacuated Corsica, Co-Signed by Frederic North

A partial document signed by celebrated British naval commander Horatio Nelson (1758-1805), as "[Ho]ratio Nelson." The document has a 3/4" strip attached at the left, to offset an area of loss, and "Ho" has been added to "Horatio." A partial place name "--rrajo" can be seen at the top, as well as the date October 22, 1796. Co-signed by Frederic[k] North, 5th Earl of Guilford (1766-1827), the son of British Prime Minister Frederick North, 2nd Earl of Guilford, as "Frederic North" on the reverse, where inscriptions in French and German mention Vienna and are dated March 2 and March 4, 1797 respectively. Expected wear including toning as well as isolated foxing and stains, else very good. The expert edge repair makes this Nelson signed item quite affordable. 3.625" x 6.875."

In this partial document, Nelson directed foreign agents to provide Frederic North with money. It reads in part:

"--rrajo 22d October 1796

--ys sight be pleased
[?] not paid / to the
North the sum
[v]alue recd. and place

--r most obedt.
humble servant

[signed] [Ho]ratio Nelson."

The reverse is signed by Frederic North, confirming that he had received sums from Messieurs Fried & Co. and Battier, Zornlin & Company in Vienna in early March 1797.

What was the connection between Horatio Nelson and Frederic North? The two men were both involved in the collapse of the Anglo-Corsican Kingdom in 1796 and the precipitous withdrawal of British forces and citizenry from the island in mid-October 1796. North was a high-ranking British administrator on Corsica when Nelson was ordered by his superiors to supervise the evacuation of the island. We can safely assume, then, that North interacted with Nelson sometime during the flight from Corsica.

At this point of Nelson's naval career, he was a Commodore in the British Royal Navy assigned to the Mediterranean theatre. This was just one of multiple fronts of the French Revolutionary Wars then being waged between the British and the French. The British and their Italian allies, as well as the French and their Italian and Spanish allies, jockeyed for territorial power in the region. The British, for example, had moved onto Corsica, previously controlled by the French, in 1794, establishing the short-lived Anglo-Corsican kingdom there which would be abandoned two years later. The Mediterranean had become so destabilized by late 1796 that the British had resorted to island-hopping just ahead of advancing French forces. The British received orders to evacuate Corsica on September 29, 1796.

Commodore Nelson had been tasked with overseeing the evacuation of British Corsica to nearby Elba, and then onward to Gibraltar. Nelson first secured Capraja [also known as Capraia], an island in the Tuscan archipelago, on September 18, 1796. He arrived in Corsica on October 14, 1796 and had swiftly and efficiently organized the withdrawal of the British from the city of Bastia five days later, on October 19, 1796. The British had cleared out of St. Fiorenzo and Calvi, Corsica by October 23rd, just a day after Nelson signed this promissory note for Frederic North.

Frederic North was the fifth child and third son of Frederick North, 2nd Earl of Guilford (1732-1792), more commonly styled Lord North, who had served as Prime Minister of Great Britain during the American Revolution. The younger Frederic had a diplomatic bent and had served under Viceroy Sir Gilbert Elliot as the Secretary of State in the Anglo-Corsican Kingdom from 1794-1796. From 1798 to 1805, the younger Frederic would serve as the first British Governor to Ceylon [modern day Sri Lanka.]

In Nelson's immediate future was his promotion to Rear Admiral of the Blue, as well as the loss of his right arm during the Battle of Santa Cruz de la Tenerife, in July 1797. He was still years away from achieving his noble titles (that of 1st Viscount Nelson and 1st Duke of Bronté), as well as securing his eventual promotion to Admiral.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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