Lot 47
George III. DS ("George R") as King, 2pp plus integral leaf, 12½" x 8", Court at St. James, 1808 Jan. 27. Fine; tape repairs to fold splits on inside pages do not affect text and are not visitble on the front, signature page; the paper seal is intact, with an embossed revenue stamp below. The King's signature is weak and erratic, probably reflecting one of his bouts of illness.
During the Napoleonic Wars, the American ship "William," commanded by Charles Rockwell, arrived at the port of Liverpool from Savannah, Georgia with a cargo of goods, and requested protection from the King on its return voyage to America "with a cargo of British manufactures & such Goods as are permitted to be exported." With this document George III orders that "all our Ships of War & Privateers are hereby required & directed not to molest or interrupt the said Vessel on her intended Voyage from Liverpool to the United States of America either on account of the existing War or of any other Hostilities which may in the mean Time take Place…." The American commander was surely worried about the impressment of his men by the British, an on-going problem and one of the leading causes of the War of 1812.
Estimated Value $1,000 - 1,500.
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| Realized $575 |
