18
WHYTES
SINCE 1783
,
69
Hay, Edward: History of the Insurrection of the County of Wexford,
A.D. 1798...
....including an Account of the Transactions preceding that event, with
an Appendix.. Dublin, John Stockdale for the Author, 1803., Embellished
with an Elegant Map of the County of Wexford. Pages, xliv, 304, xxxvi
(Appendix), 4 folding pp. Half green mo. with marbled boards. Corners
and spine ends bumped and rubbed and scuffed. Marbled paper lightly
frayed at edges. Internally very good. Good + overall.
€
150-
€
200 (£130-£170 approx)
70
1799 (24 January) Ardee, Louth gunpowder license
A license issued “In pursuance of an Act passed in the Thirty-fifth Year
of His present Majesty...” to “Buxton Esq. to remove to and keep in his
possession at Ardee for private use one cask of gunpowder.” Signed and
dated. Manuscript and letterpress printed by George Grierson, Dublin.
12½ x 8in. (30 x 20cm)
€
100-
€
150 (£80-£130 approx)
71
Napoleonic Wars: collection of handpainted porcelain figurines of
soldiers
Good variety of colourful uniforms, in Capodimonte style, including two
by Cortese and one by Fontanini, mainly 6 to 8 inches high, a few larger.
Attractive lot. (9)
€
100-
€
150 (£80-£130 approx)
72
Napoleonic Imperial Guard and other military prints
Others include Royal Irish Fusiliers as well as a portrait of Napoleon. All
framed, mostly 20th century editions., mainly 14 by 10 inches, 4 are
postcard size, 3 are larger, 14-16 by 18-20 inches. (11)
€
100-
€
150 (£80-£130 approx)
73
Napoleon Bonaparte: collection including 19th century parian bust.
Parian bust, 10 inches high, a coloured ceramic, 7 inches, and a cast grey
metal statue by Austin Productions, 1968, 21 inches. (3)
€
100-
€
150 (£80-£130 approx)
74
1801 (March 7): Irish General’s letter home prior to the Battle of
Aboukir
An extremely scarce handwritten 3pp letter dated 7 March 1801 and
sent to Lady Charlotte Browne of Browne’s Hill, Carlow by her husband
Lieutenant Colonel (later General) Robert Browne . Sent from Aboukir
Bay and written on the eve of the second battle of Aboukir and begins
“Tomorrow morning at day light it is fully expected the weather will
serve for our landing... It is sadly provoking that we should be here so
long at anchor and in sight of every thing and not able to pursue our
objective. I am arranged fully to have my horses in high order but my
men added with those of the 26th Dragoons (600) which I am to
command must move on foot as we could not procure horses for above
300. We expect very sharp work....” Content continues with more news
of his force and mentions “Old Sir Ralph” Sir Ralph Abercromby who
would be killed in the following days. A postscript note written during
the battle completes the letter and states “Sunday morning at 2 o’clock
the troops began to disembark. Major General Moore’s division about
6,000 reached the shore... and though strongly opposed drove the enemy
before them in every direction. The second division are now getting into
the boats and we land with the third division immediately after.”
€
200-
€
300 (£170-£250 approx)
75
1804 (June) letter concerning the escape of two French Prisoners
from their guards at Cork.
Written by Brigade Major Robert Crawford to Captain Hutchinson,
“Commanding Yeomanry, Roscrea”, containing a detailed description of
the escapees who had been captured from a ship (the) “Brave Privateer”.
Since neither prisoner could speak English and one was “remarkably
stout” it seems unlikely they remained at liberty for long.
€
100-
€
150 (£80-£130 approx)
76
1805 (2 March) Irish Legion fighting for France - a letter from
Captain Thomas Markey
A revealing letter from Captain Thomas Markey, to Marshal Berthier,
Minister of War, requesting that sailors who had seen too much were
not exchanged stating “Some days back there arrived at the Legion a Mr.
Russell Master of an Irish Brig taken by a privateer off St. Malo and the
mate or Second Captain has been sent to Brest. These Irishmen are not
content to remain in the situation alloted them and have I understand
determined to go back to prison with the hope of being exchanged in
the first cartel that may take place.” Continuing that his worry is that
these men have seen too much and that they might communicate to
their countrymen information that might be injurious to an Irish
expedition as the Irish Legion was “feeble and inaffective” for any such
action at this point.
€
400-
€
600 (£330-£500 approx)
77
circa 1820: Major General William Ponsonby 5th Dragoons engraving
A portrait engraving of Major General William Ponsonby an Irish British
Army officer and a hero of the Peninsula War who was killed at the
Battle of Waterloo. Drawn and engraved by G. Maile Frederick Street,
Hampstead Road. Contained in a contemporary frame. 18½ x 13½in.
(46 x 33cm)
€
80-
€
120 (£70-£100 approx)
78
20th Century: Large collection of transcribed letters from William
Carr Beresford
A collection of 52 transcribed letters from the Irish General William Carr
Beresford, copied in a clear hand in the early 20th century. Extremely
interesting content dating from 1809-1852 but mostly covering the
period of the Peninsular War with a number of the letters written during
the campaign. Possibly the only surviving copy of these letters and a
primary source for researchers.
€
200-
€
400 (£170-£330 approx)
79
Manuscript Cape of Good Hope Military General Orders 1816-1818.
Original manuscript book of General Garrison Orders Issued to the 60th,
72nd & 83rd Regiments at the Cape of Good Hope. 375pp, original
boards. 17 by 22cm., 6.5 by 8.5in.
It records the daily orders and working parties (including “Black
Pioneers”, i.e. slaves) courts martial, medical duties, promotions and
appointments, and all manner of minor instructions, such as the issue of
a pint of wine to each soldier on the second anniversary of the Battle of
Waterloo. Together with a 7pp. manuscript Return of the Men of the
83rd Regiment sent home from the Cape (with remarks on their
character), signed by Lieutenant Colonel Jacob Brunt. A wealth of
military detail is contained in this volume, building a full picture of the
organisation of the Garrison. News from England, such as the death of
Princess Charlotte in childbirth, is announced to troops. In July 1817 a
soldier of the 60th Regiment is sentenced to twelve months solitary
confinement on bread and water, convicted of more than “one horrid
and unnatural crime” on the persons of fellow soldiers on the voyage to
the Cape. Another private soldier of the 60th is arraigned “for
unsoldierlike infamous, unmanly and bestial conduct in having
attempted to commit an unnatural crime on the body of a goat”. He is
sentenced to “one thousand lashes with a cat o’nine tails on the bare
back and breech in such a manner as His Excellency the Commander of
the forces may think proper to direct”. Among the places mentioned are
Robins Island, Grahams Town, St. Helena, Simonstown, Tristan da Cunha.
Many Irish names included: Private Connachton charged with murder;
Pte. J. McCormick sentenced to 200 lashes; Pte. Toal sentenced to 12
months solitary confinement on bread and water; Pte. Massey..18
months. A fascinating original official account of life in the Army during
the earlier 19th century.
€
800-
€
1,000 (£670-£830 approx)
