A PRESENTATION MARINE TELESCOPE FROM LORD NELSON, CIRCA 1804...

Estimate

£2,000 - £3,000

A PRESENTATION MARINE TELESCOPE FROM LORD NELSON, CIRCA 1804

with 1½ in. achromatic objective lens, tapering wooden tube with leather covering, single draw signed Berge London, Late Ramsden, eyepiece with dust slide, engraved with coat of arms with motto sub libertate quietem (peace under liberty) and inscribed on cuff This Telescope was / given to Mr. John / Carter, Flag Mate / on board H.M. Ship / Victory by LORD NELSON / 1804 contained in modern blue Morocco leather case, the telescope -- 32 in. (81.5 cm.) long (closed); together with a letter dated from 1911 discussing Carter's career and service aboard Victory in 1804 before transfer with promotion to the Leviathan.

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Spink, London: Orders, Decorations, Campaign Medals and Militaria, 30th November 1999, lot 103.

Flag Mate [later Admiral] John Carter (1785-1863) was born the second son of Thomas Carter of Castle Martin, Co. Kildare. Entered the Royal Navy in 1798 and was in the 28-gun frigate Brilliant when she escaped the clutches of two large 44-gun French frigates off Santa Cruz in 1798. On the Penelope, he assisted in the night actions with and subsequent capture of the French 80-gun two-decker Guillaume Tell in 1800 and then took part in the expedition to Egypt in 1801. Subsequently transferred into H.M.S. Victory, where he acted as Flag Mate, he so impressed Lord Nelson that the latter promoted him to Acting Lieutenant and placed him into the Leviathan in addition to giving him a sword and the telescope offered in this lot as a parting gift. Leviathan took part in the abortive pursuit of the combined enemy fleet to the West Indies and back, and then played a leading role at Trafalgar where, in the weather column, she engaged the French flagship Bucentaure, the huge Spanish four-decker Santissima Trinidad and then the Spanish ’74 San Augustin which she boarded and captured. Just prior to Trafalgar, Carter was appointed Lieutenant and was then made Commander in 1809, capturing the French privateer L’Emile off St. Valery in 1814. Made Captain in 1815, successive flag ranks followed his tenure as Superintendent of Haslar Hospital and then the Clarence Victualling Yard, 1841-46, until he was finally made Admiral in 1862, dying the following year on 2^nd April.

Matthew Berge (d.1819) was foreman to Jesse Ramsden (1735-1800) and inherited the Picadilly workshops. Ramsden, probably the finest maker of the last quarter of the 18th Century, was John Dollond's son-in-law and thus had access to his revolutionary achromatic lenses that improved refracting telescopes dramatically and are commonly used today.

Optically in good condition. A little internal dust. Lacking lens cap. Leather stained and scuffed commensurate with age. Some denting to the brass cuff by inscription. Draw tube engraved very faint.