36
Imperfections Not Stated
375
Interesting 20th Century Foreign
Newspapers Reporting on Irish Stories
Newspapers,
a collection of 8 rare and unusual Newspapers in French
and Italian to include:
A. Le Petit Parisien - Les Dynamiteurs Irlandais 27.9.1896;
B. Le Petit Parisien - Naufraye du Volier Franccus (Irish Rescue of the
Shipwrecked Leon XII of the Coast of Co. Clare) 20.10.1907;
C. Le Petit Journal - Le Crime de Monte Carlo (The Veere Goold
Murders) 25.8.1907;
D. Le Petit Journal “Le Martyr Irlandais” (Terence Mc Swiney) 19.9.20;
E. La Domenica del Corriere - The Upton Tram Battle (Cork) 6.3.21;
F. Le Petit Journal Abbey Theatre Riots 28.2.26;
G. La Tribuna illustrata “Dublin Lion Escapeal” 22-30 December 1951, and
one other similar, as a collection, as newspapers, w.a.f. (8)
€350 - 450
376
Large Hand-Coloured Plates
Bowyer (R.)publ.
Illustrated Record of Important Events in The Annals of
Europe,
lg. atlas folio L. 1815. 7 fine large hd. cold. views (2 lg. fold.), &
other plts., disbound, part set in orig. portfolio. As a coll. of plts., w.a.f.
(1)
€300 - 400
377
A Soldier’s Letter to His Mother inWaterford, 1843
Manuscript: Field (Michael)
An A.L.s. from Michael Field, a soldier in
one of the military barracks at Chatham, to his mother in Waterford.
The soldiers are stationed there in order to escort convicts en route
to Van Diemen’s Lane, and he expects that his unit will receive
embarkation orders soon. He describes the wretched conditions -
overcrowding, severe duty, provisions expensive and of the worst
quality - “
I have never put my foot in such a den”
- and requests the
prayers of his family in helping him to endure his present hardship.
There is no mention of his father, presumably dead, and his mother
is living with her sister and her husband Sergeant James Mahony in
John’s Street, Waterford. He enquires after various members of the
family and sends greetings form“
Johanna and the children.”
An evocative item, of local interest. The writer lived in Reginald’s Tower
for a period of his youth. As a m/ss., w.a.f. An evocative item of local
Waterford interest. (1)
€300 - 400
378
Important Manuscript Volume FromThe NapoleonicWars
Manningham (Col. Coote)
A fine manuscript volume bound in reversed
calf, in excellent condition. Entitled
“Regulations for the Rifle Corps formed
at Blatchington Barracks under the command of Colonel Manningham, 25 th
August 1800
.” Handwritten throughout, in very clear writing.
Colonel Coote Manningham (c.1765-1809) was a professional soldier
who gained considerable experience as a commander of light infantry
during the early stages of the French Revolutionary Wars. In 1800 he
and Lt-Col. William Stewart proposed the formation of a separate corps
of light infantrymen, armed with the newly developed Baker Rifle, which
had a longer range and was more accurate than the traditional “Brown
Bess”musket, though it was much slower to load. Thus was born the Rifle
Corps, which became the 95 th Rifle Regiment and then the Rifle Brigade.
It played an important role in the battles fought against the armies of
Napoleon (who imprudently despised this newfangled weapon).
The 95th Rifles have become famous in popular fiction thanks to the
novels of Bernard Cornwell featuring Rifleman Richard Sharpe and the TV
series that followed. Their founder Colonel Manningham fell ill during the
retreat to Corunna, died upon his return to England, and was buried in
Westminster Abbey, As a m/ss, w.a.f. (1)
€450 - 650
379
Contemporary Copy of Documents Relating to Sir John Franklin’s
Arctic Expedition, (1847 - 48)
[Shingleton (Richard)]
A folio Sheet with contemporary copies of the
letter written by Captain Gore in June 1847, a request to the finder in
several languages, the letter written by Captain Crozier after the death of
Franklin, and a list of articles found.
The 19th Century British public were fascinated by the idea of polar
exploration, in particular the search for the elusive “North-West Passage”
connecting Europe and Asia. In 1845 a well-equipped expedition under
the command of Sir John Franklin, an experienced naval officer, set off in
two ships, the
Erebus
and the
Terror
. They were never seen again.
Following reports of the discovery of artefacts and of Inuit testimony,
Franklin’s widow bought and equipped the steam yacht
Fox
and organised
an expedition to search for remains of her husband and his crew. It was
commanded by Dundalk native Captain Francis Leopold McClintock and
had a crew of 25.
The
Fox
left Aberdeen on 1 July 1857 and after many adventures returned
to London on 21 September 1859, having discovered many artefacts and
the last written communications from the last survivors, including the date
of Franklin’s death. McClintock became a hero, published a best-selling
account of his experiences, and was knighted.
A modern account of the expedition is given in
The Arctic Fox: Francis
Leopold McClintock, discoverer of the fate of Franklin
by David Murphy (Cork,
Collins 2004).
The documents found by McClintock’s men have been published and are
well known; what makes this copy unique is that it is contemporary and
belonged to a member of the crew of the
Fox
, the officers’ steward Richard
Shingleton, and comes by direct provenance from the family.
As a m/ss, w.a.f. (1)
€700 - 900
379
378
377
