Cromwell letter to aid man captured by pirates – found in Norfolk – set for auction
Cromwell letter to aid man captured by pirates – found in Norfolk – set for auction
A document signed by Oliver Cromwell centuries ago to help a British merchant seaman captured by pirates could achieve thousands at auction. (Sept 7)
The handwritten letter of petition sought support for a man imprisoned in Algiers, Algeria, by Barbary Corsairs. He had been serving on a ship to the American colonies when taken captive. The case was brought to the attention of Cromwell, then Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland. He signed the document and added a note, dated July 7, 1654, referring the case to the Admiralty.
Charles Hanson, director of Norfolk’s The Rostrum saleroom where the item was taken for valuation, said: “This is such an exciting find. Cromwell is one of Britain’s most important historical figures and the document is a significant piece of seafaring history. In the 17th century, Barbary Corsairs, mainly Muslim pirates and privateers operating from North Africa’s Barbary Coast, were considered a threat to British shipping and coastal communities.
“In the 1600s They wrought havoc throughout the Mediterranean, along West Africa’s Atlantic seaboard and into the North Atlantic as far north as Iceland. In addition to seizing merchant ships, they raided European coastal towns and villages, mainly in Italy, France, Spain and Portugal, but also in the British Isles, the Netherlands and Iceland.
“Between 1580 and 1680 Corsairs were said to have captured about 850,000 people as slaves. The English navy considered the pirates a priority and General-at-Sea Robert Blake was sent to bombard their bases in the Mediterranean in 1655.
“The document was brought in for valuation at The Rostum saleroom in Roughton, Norfolk. The name on the letter of petition has been confirmed as being consistent with Cromwell’s Protectoral signature. In addition, the notation referring the matter to the Admiralty Board appears consistent with Cromwell’s hand.
“The item had been passed down through our client’s family. An ancestral connection to naval history appears likely as heirlooms also include a fascinating journal (lot 382, estimate £2,000-£3,000) kept in 1840 by Admiral Sir Henry Byam Martin (1803-1865) documenting ‘Operations on the Coast of Syria’. As well as being a senior navy officer serving on HMS Carysfort, which launched in 1836, Sir Henry was a watercolour artist.”
The Rostrum expects major global interest in the Cromwell discovery, which may appeal to a museum. The letter of petition will be offered on Saturday, September 7 guided at £2,000-£4,000.
Oliver Cromwell (1599-1658), an English statesman, politician and soldier, is regarded as one of the most important figures in the history of the British Isles. He came to prominence during the 1639 to 1653 Wars of the Three Kingdoms, initially as a senior commander in the Parliamentarian army and latterly as a politician. A leading advocate of the execution of Charles I in January 1649, which led to the establishment of The Protectorate, he ruled as Lord Protector from December 1653 until his death in September 1658.
Auction: The Cromwell document, Lot 380, estimate £2,000-£4,000, will be offered in the September 7 Norfolk Jewellery, Watches, Silver and Fine Art Auction at The Rostrum, Jewellery and Fine Art Auctioneers, The Old Bakery, Thorpe Market Road, Roughton, Norfolk, part of the Hansons Auctioneers group.
Bidding/catalogue: www.hansonslive.co.uk | www.the-saleroom.com
Enquiries: charles@hansonsauctioneers.co.uk