ALS - LORD HIGH ADMIRAL SIR GEORGE CRANFIELD BERKELEY, GCB
FLEET CHIEF COMMANDER OF THE PENINSULAR WAR

ADMIRAL BERKELEY CUT HIS TEETH IN THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION AND SAW ACTION AT MANY OF THE CRITICAL NAVAL BATTLES OF HIS TIME. HE HERE WRITES A LETTER TO SIR CHARLES STUART ABOUT NAVAL ACTIONS, MASSENA'S SITUATION AND TURTLES FOR DINNER

A LOVELY HANDWRITTEN LETTER TO THE BRITISH ENVOY EXTRAORDINARY, MINISTER PLENIPOTENTIARY BY ONE OF THE KEY MILITARY FIGURES OF THE PENINSULAR WAR. A KEY COLLECTION HOLDING.

THIS DOCUMENT IS COVERED BY OUR WRITTEN, SIGNED AND SEALED
LIFETIME GUARANTEE OF AUTHENTICITY

Page 1

Transcription:

[Lisbon] May 10, 1811

Dear Sir,

     I enclose you some Intelligence which I have this moment received from Vice-Admiral Keates, which appears of consequence, and shall be obliged to you to send it me back, as it may be right to send it off to England. The Action of the Frigates appears a Gallant thing.
     Captain Mackennie of the Zenobia just come in has brought two Turtles, one of which I desired him to leave to you, as it will cut a Figure on Monday at your Dinner.
     Reports of an Action between our Army & Massena, have you heard any thing as Letters of the 3rd in Town say they expect it hourly.


I am sir yours,                                                  
G Berkeley
 

A lovely letter from the Fleet Admiral of the Peninsular War which touches on a number of subjects. Vice-Admiral Keates (Keats) is just returned with news of a naval engagement of frigates which we have yet to ascertain. Obviously the enclosed "Intelligence" was indeed returned to him for transmittal to England and likely appeared there in the Gazette. Admiral Berkeley goes on to report the arrival of Captain Mackennie of the Zenobia with Turtles for Dinner. He concludes with the baited anticipation in town awaiting the confirmation of a victory at Fuentes de Oñoro. A nice,war date, wide ranging letter in the Admiral's hand.

Notes

"Vice-Admiral Keates" Richard Goodwin Keats joined the Royal Navy in 1770, and in 1776 served on the "Romney", Governor John Montagu’s flagship at Newfoundland. He was promoted lieutenant in 1777 and given his first command in 1789. Keats was a conspicuous figure in the naval history of England for the next two decades. Nelson described him as “a treasure to the service.” In 1807 he was promoted rear-admiral, and in 1808, following a brilliant series of actions in Danish waters, he was made a knight of the Order of the Bath. He was promoted vice-admiral in 1811, but the following year, his health damaged, he resigned his command and returned to England. On 18 March 1813, he was appointed governor and commander-in-chief of the island of Newfoundland.

"Captain Mackennie of the Zenobia" The HMS "Zenobia" is well know for several reasons. Interestingly it was one of the ships involved in the Leopard-Chesapeake affair where Admiral Berkeley, then Chief Commanding of the Halifax Station, forced, under fire, the surrender of the American vessel "Chesapeake" in its search for seamen deserters and was a contributing cause to the War of 1812. The Zenobia is also known as accompanying Napoleon when he was exiled to St. Helena. "Sunday 15th October arrived H.M. ship Northumberland from England bearing the flag of Rear Admiral Sir George Cockburn and having on board General Napoleon Buonaparte. Also arrived H.M. brigs of war Peruvian, Zenobia, and Red Pole." The Redpole remained on station at St. Helena and the Zenobia and Peruvian were immediately despatched to claim Ascension Island for Britain in the name of King George III on the 22nd of October 1815. "At 5.10pm HMS Zenobia and HMS Peruvian, two Brigs of War, anchored in English Roads. The ships logs record that at 5.30pm, their captains came ashore, raised the Union Jack, and took possession of Ascension Island in the name of his Britannic Majesty. At 7pm the ships boats were again sent to the shore to look for turtle." Once again the Zenobia was hunting turtle.

 "two Turtles, one of which  ... will cut a Figure on Monday at your Dinner" Sir Charles Stuart, the British Emissary during the war from 1809 on in Portugal, was well known in Lisbon for his extravagant Dinners, Galas, Social Gatherings, and where Admiral Berkeley, as he was based in Lisbon, was a frequent and intimate attendee. Although the letter in not directly ascribed to Sir Charles, it matches other correspondence in our archives and the fact that it was turtle for dinner and Berkeley was sharing a naval intelligence report makes it virtually conclusive as to the recipient.

The "Action between our Army & Massena" was likely the Battle of Fuentes de Oñoro which was fought on the 3rd of May and letters would just then be reaching Lisbon. While considered a victory for the British, Wellington himself was little satisfied as he felt he had made some mistakes in over extending his right flank. Overall a very nice letter that ties in Naval action, Dinner at the Ambassador's and a critical Army victory at Fuentes de Oñoro. 

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE

LORD HIGH ADMIRAL SIR GEORGE CRANFIELD BERKELEY, GCB
(1753-1818)

     The second surviving son of Augustus, 4th Earl of Berkeley, 17th baron, was born 10 Aug. 1753, and in 1766 entered the navy on board the yacht "Mary", under the flag of his cousin, Rear-Admiral Keppel, then appointed to carry over to Denmark the unfortunate Caroline Matilda. Young Berkeley was for some time the queen's page, and was afterwards appointed to the "Guernsey", 50 guns, bearing the broad pennant of Commodore Pallisser, then going out as governor of Newfoundland. Here he had the peculiar advantage of instruction from Mr. Gilbert, then master of the "Guernsey", and afterwards of the "Resolution" with Captain Cook, assisting him in the survey of the coast of Newfoundland and the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
     After two years of this service he was, in 1769, appointed to the "Alarm" frigate with Captain Jervis, afterwards the Earl of St. Vincent, and served under him in the Mediterranean. He was afterwards removed into the flagship of Rear-Admiral Sir Peter Denis, who, in September 1772, promoted him to the rank of lieutenant. In 1774 he returned to England, and at once contested the city of Gloucester in the interest of the opposition. The cost of the election to the two parties was said to be not less than 100,000£. Berkeley was unsuccessful; partly for political reasons he was not appointed to a ship till, in 1778, he was nominated by Admiral Keppel as a lieutenant of the "Victory". He was thus present in the Battle of Ushant, and in September was promoted by the admiral to the Command of the "Firebrand" fireship, in which he was attached to the Channel fleet. During the Invasion of the Channel in the summer of 1779 by the combined fleets of France and Spain, he acted on the staff of Lord Shuldham, the Commander-in-Chief at Plymouth. Berkeley's energy induced Lord Shuldham to recommend him to the admiralty for promotion; but the request was again refused on account of the part taken by Captain Berkeley in politics. He was, however, appointed to the "Fairy" sloop, and sent out to Newfoundland, where, within two months, he captured nine of the enemy's privateers, and was posted by the admiral into the "Vestal" frigate 12 Sept. 1780. In the "Vestal" he was sent to England, and commanded her in the following spring at the relief of Gibraltar by Vice-Admiral Darby. In 1782 he commanded the "Recovery" frigate in the fleet under Vice-Admiral Barrington and Lord Howe, and was paid off at the peace in 1783.
     In 1786, after a few months in command of the "Magnificent", 74 guns, he was appointed Surveyor General of the Ordnance, an office which he held till the outbreak of the war with France, when he was appointed to the "Marlborough", 74 guns, and in her had an important share in the victory of 1 June 1794. The Glorious First of June (also known as the Third Battle of Ushant) is the British name for a naval battle fought in the Atlantic Ocean on 28 and 29 May and June 1, 1794 between the Royal Navy and the navy of Revolutionary France. It was the first major naval battle of the French Revolutionary Wars. In this battle the "Marlborough" suffered severely, was totally dismasted, and had 120 men killed and wounded. Berkeley himself was severely wounded in the head, and was unable to resume the command. In common with the other officers of the fleet he received the thanks of both Houses of Parliament, and was one of the comparatively few who received the gold medal. Notwithstanding this, politically inspired disparaging rumours of Berkeley's conduct were set afloat, and even ten years afterwards a weekly paper, called the “Royal Standard” published a letter, in which he was described as a 'shy cock' and as having skulked in the cockpit. Berkeley brought an action for libel against the paper, and obtained a verdict with 1,000£ damages. There appeared no grounds whatever for the libel, which, however, is even now sometimes remembered.
     For some months in 1795-6 Berkeley commanded the "Formidable" in the Channel, and in 1798 had command of the Sea Fencibles on the coast of Sussex (this was a coast based naval militia designed to use small colliers and gunboats to defend the coast from marauders). On 14 Feb. 1799 he was advanced to the rank of Rear-Admiral, and during that year and the next Commanded a Squadron in the Channel fleet under Lord Bridport and Lord St. Vincent. He became a Vice-Admiral 9 Nov. 1805, and about the same time was appointed to the Command of the Halifax station. It was during his command, and under his direct orders, that the conflict between the "Leopard" and "Chesapeake" took place, 22 June 1807, on account of some deserters from the English service, who had been received on board the American vessel. The case led to a long diplomatic correspondence, and was one of the first causes of the War of 1812 which broke out five years later; but Berkeley's conduct in the affair seems to have been strictly in accordance with rule and precedent, though at variance with the more modern traditions of international law. In December 1808 he was appointed to Commander-in-Chief of the Fleet of Portugal and the Tagus, which post he held till May 1812. On 31 July 1810 he was advanced to the rank of Admiral, and in acknowledgment of his services to Portugal he was nominated Lord High Admiral of Portugal. After his return to England in 1812, he retired altogether from active, and indeed from public life; for up to that time from 1781 he had represented the city of Gloucester in Parliament, and had been a warm and persistent supporter of Pitt, a Grenvillite and an uncompromising opponent of the Addington ministry. He was made a G.C.B. in 1814, and died 25 Feb. 1818. Admiral the Hon Sir George Cranfield Berkeley was once a resident of Hurst House and is buried in West Molesey church. In 1784 he had married Emily Charlotte, daughter of Lord George Lennox, and sister of the Duke of Richmond, by whom he left five children.
[Extracts from Dictionary of National Biography, Naval Chronicle; Gentleman's Magazine (1818)]

Document Specifications:  An extremely fine handwritten ALS letter signed by Lord High Admiral George Cranfield Berkeley as Fleet Commander in Chief in Lisbon and dated May 10th 1811. Single sheet letter measures 9⅞" tall x 7⅛" wide (250mm x 195mm). On one page) of gilt-edged, cream stock, batonne laid paper, watermarked with crown over heraldic shield, with some edge toning along right bottom edge and a small corner missing lower right, not affecting any writing, as shown. This is a handsome handwritten letter by the Lord High Admiral as he transmit some Naval Intelligence of a frigate action, sends turtles for dinner and comments upon the just arriving reports of the battle of Fuentes de Oñoro. Here is an excellent opportunity to acquire one of the key holdings for a collection of Peninsular War Letters. Berkeley's war date autograph letters are more scarce than Wellington's in the market place. From the Stuart Correspondence.

 Offered by Berryhill & Sturgeon, Ltd

End of Item - BSL - Berkeley May 10, 1811

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