William Huskisson
Autograph letter signed, to "Mr. D."
regarding the French invasion of Ireland, asking for urgent reinforcements for the British Forces, 5 pages, 4to, 1 September 1798, Parliament Street, London
"...the unpleasant news we have received this morning from Ireland...Lord Cornwallis was preparing to attack the French...he will have...not less than 6,000 Scotch & English Troops...The disposition to aid & join the French appears to prevail...among the People;...the dastardly conduct of the Militia must be traced to a worse motive than Panic. When the accounts came away, Lord Cornwallis was preparing to move from Athlone & the French were marching on Tuam...Upon the whole Emergency appears so critical that Lord Cornwallis has requested as large a reinforcement as possible of our Militia..."
Huskisson had witnessed the rise of the French Revolution in person when he lived in Paris, and this had a profound lifelong effect on his political outlook. He became closely associated with Henry Dundas and William Pitt the Younger, and was appointed Under-Secretary at War in 1795. His final act was to become the first person to die in a railway accident, when he failed to get out of the way of Stephenson's Rocket at the ceremonial opening of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway.
PROVENANCE:Cavendish Philatelic Auctions, 18 February 1999
William Huskisson
Autograph letter signed, to "Mr. D."
regarding the French invasion of Ireland, asking for urgent reinforcements for the British Forces, 5 pages, 4to, 1 September 1798, Parliament Street, London
"...the unpleasant news we have received this morning from Ireland...Lord Cornwallis was preparing to attack the French...he will have...not less than 6,000 Scotch & English Troops...The disposition to aid & join the French appears to prevail...among the People;...the dastardly conduct of the Militia must be traced to a worse motive than Panic. When the accounts came away, Lord Cornwallis was preparing to move from Athlone & the French were marching on Tuam...Upon the whole Emergency appears so critical that Lord Cornwallis has requested as large a reinforcement as possible of our Militia..."
Huskisson had witnessed the rise of the French Revolution in person when he lived in Paris, and this had a profound lifelong effect on his political outlook. He became closely associated with Henry Dundas and William Pitt the Younger, and was appointed Under-Secretary at War in 1795. His final act was to become the first person to die in a railway accident, when he failed to get out of the way of Stephenson's Rocket at the ceremonial opening of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway.
PROVENANCE:Cavendish Philatelic Auctions, 18 February 1999
Try LotSearch and its premium features for 7 days - without any costs!
Be notified automatically about new items in upcoming auctions.
Create an alert
.jpg "Source: Christie's")
.jpg "Source: Christie's")
