Beschreibung:

The Baird Jewels and Archive including Tipu Sultan's Sword The nationally important “Baird Archive”, comprising “A Selection from the Original Letters of General Sir David Baird’s Correspondence” Four volumes, containing a total of 178 manuscripts (see below), covering respectively: India and Seringapatam 1799-1801; Egypt 1801-02; The Cape 1805-07 and from Corunna until his death in 1829 £40,000-50,000 Footnote This remarkable archive constitutes one of the most significant manuscript collections relating to the establishment of the British Empire - and arguably the English-speaking world - to have remained in private hands. As the note by Baird’s descendant (quoted below) makes clear, it represents part of his papers only, others being held in the collection of the National War Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh; but fortunately very little that has been preserved here can be described as insignificant: it is a collection of highlights, as dramatic as the story of the career they chronicle. It covers, often in great detail and with great vividness, the four major episodes - early imprisonment apart - of Baird’s career: the storming of Seringapatam, the taking of the Cape of Good Hope (and the disastrous South American adventure that followed it), the Egyptian campaign and the remarkable desert march, and - in the greatest detail of all - the Corunna campaign. The appearance of these four components would in itself be a major event. There are present, for example, the actual order that set in motion the storming of Seringapatam (see 11); the letter signed by the Commander of Cape Castle seeking a truce (see 97), surely a landmark in South African history; and no less than 26 autographed letters by Sir John Moore Attention should also be drawn to the remarkable group of letters by Baird’s great rival, the young Colonel Wellesley, later Duke of Wellington, not least the generous tribute paid in letter no. 41. Despite the statement to the contrary by Baird’s descendant (quoted below), the papers in this archive are by and large in excellent condition. Any defects are noted. Much, but by no means all, was published, in edited form as was conventional at the time, by Theodore Hook in his classic Life, published in 1833, references to which are provided below. In listing the letters, we have followed the numbering of the volumes themselves. THE CONTENTS Volume I Preliminary material: Typed title-page: “A Selection from the Original Letters of General Sir David Baird’s Correspondence in four volumes: . 1799-1801 Volume I [India and Seringapatam] . 1801-1802 Volume II [Egypt] . 1805-1807 Volume III [the Cape] . 1807-1828 Volume IV [Corunna] Arranged and Bound by Douglas & Foulis in October, 1919”; inscribed: “These letters were found in the Cellar at Newbyth in 1919, where they had evidently been lying for many years, & consequently had suffered considerably from damp. These were selected from amongst others as being of the most interest, & were found in 1919. D. Baird”; followed by typed list of contents, items 1-178 (which we have followed in our listing of the MSS), very few letters preserved here have been affected by damp: those that have been are noted below 1. Baird (Sir David) Autograph memorandum of his service, from his entry into the army at fifteen years of age in December 1772, up until his resignation from the Irish command in 1822, covering all the major events of his career, from his imprisonment by Hyder Ali onwards (“…In 1780 – in action with Hyder Ali he was severely wounded & taken Prisoner & was confined for nearly four year’s at Seringapatam…”), 7 pages, 4to, undated [but c.1822] 2. Commission as Ensign, signed by George III, vellum, cockled, 14 December 1772 3. Commission as Captain Lieutenant, signed by George III, vellum, cockled, 26 December 1777 4. Commission as Captain, signed by George III, vellum, cockled, 24 September 1778 5. Commission as Major, signed by George III, vellum, cockled, 25 June 1787 6. Commiss