Beschreibung:

Naval manuscript book. 1823-26, approximately 55 leaves, mostly listing Watch, Quarter and Station bills, completed in ink and pencil, including 1823 Peace Establishment Watch Bill, Station Bill, Quarters for the officers and crew of a frigate of 42 guns, and Watch Bill of H.M.S. Boudicea, 1826, a few ink and watercolour signal flags for a launch and pinnace, barge, gig, cutter, plus a watercolour signal flags in 3 columns at end, leaves detached, occasional light soiling, original sheep, some wear and lacking spine, slim 8vo, together with Ralfe (James). Historical Memoirs of Admiral Charles Stirling: Extracted from the Fourteenth Part of the Naval Biography of Great Britain... With notes and observations of Vice-Admiral Stirling, London: L. Harrison, 1826, 72 pp., bound with 6 other works and extracts by Vice-Admiral Charles Stirling, including Letters on Professional Topics: viz 1. The Dry Rot in the Navy. 2. The Necessity of Practice in the use of Signals and Naval Evolutions. 3. On Subjects connected with Ship-Building, 1825, 133 pp., Letters to the Members of the Select Vestry of the Parish of Chertsey, Chertsey, 1830, 24 pp., Observations on Reform, Chertsey, 1831, 16pp., (with a presentation inscription from Stirling to Sir W.J. Hamilton, probably geologist William John Hamilton 1805-1867), a few manuscript corrections, some light spotting, manuscript annotations to title verso (with show-through to title), contemporary half calf, upper cover detached, joints and edges rubbed, 8vo, with a loose 4 pp. autograph letter from Captain Charles Stirling, aboard HMS Arrogant, in the Baltic in 1855 to his uncle discussing naval and family matters, plus a volume of 3 Navy Lists for 1814, 1833 and 1845, with manuscript annotations relating to the Stirlings and list of officers at front (some ink stains) bound in contemporary half morocco (rubbed), 8vo (Qty: 3) Vice-Admiral Sir Charles Stirling (1760-1833) was involved in various battles with Revolutionary and Napoleonic France, including the Fourth Battle of Ushant (1794) and the Battle of Cape Finisterre (1805) and later the British campaigns in the Rio de la Plata in South America as well as the 1812 war with the United States. He faced a Court martial in 1813 for accepting payment for protecting foreign seamen and it was found although he acted on humanitarian grounds, he had broken regulations. On appeal he was restored to flag officer status but not returned to active service.