BICKERTON RICHARD: (1759-1832) British Admiral, served as Second-in Command to Lord Nelson ...

BICKERTON RICHARD: (1759-1832) British Admiral, served as Second-in Command to Lord Nelson, 1804. An interesting L.S., R Bickerton, one page, folio, on board HMS Swiftsure, Bay of Aboukir, 21st March 1801, to the Masters of HMS Europa, Diadem and Regulus. Bickerton states that it has been brought to his attention by Captain Thomas Hand of the bomb vessel HMS Tartarus that 'there is a quantity of Bread on board the said Vessel in a mouldy state, and unfit for men to eat, and requesting a survey thereon', further instructing his correspondents to board the Tartarus and 'strictly and carefully survey the Bread complained of, but on no account condemn any part thereof unless totally unfit for use, as the difficulty in procuring supplies and the high price of every species of victualling renders it necessary to practise the utmost economy in the expenditure, such part of the said Bread however as appears in the state represented and a nuisance in the ship you are to see thrown over board into the sea'. To the verso appears the manuscript report individually signed by the three Masters of the vessels, given on board HMS Tartarus, 22nd March 1801, and stating, in part, 'Bread - Four hundred and thirty five Pounds, mouldy, maggoty, rotten, and unfit for men to eat, occasioned, in our opinions, from its having been wet with salt water, and it appearing to be a nuisance in the ship, we have seen the same thrown over board into the sea…..And we do further declare that we have made and taken this survey with such care, and equity, that if required we are ready to make oath to the impartiality of our proceedings'. Some light age wear and minor staining and a few small, neat splits at the edges, otherwise about VG

The present letter was written and signed shortly after the British victory in the Battle of Abukir on 8th March 1801. The landing of the British expeditionary force was made with the intention of defeating and driving out the estimated 21,000 troops remaining from Napoleon's ill-fated invasion of Egypt. Each of the five ships HMS Swiftsure, Europa, Diadem, Regulus and Tartarus were involved in the British navy's Egyptian campaign from March to September 1801, resulting in their officers and crew being eligible for the clasp ''Egypt'' to the Navy General Service Medal which the Admiralty issued in 1847 to all surviving claimants.