[A Scottish Royal Navy Midshipman in the Napoleonic Wars.] Autograph Letter Signed to his mother from Robert Kennedy Thomson of Daljarrock, giving news from HMS Imperieuse, and commenting on news from Scotland.

See Thomson’s entry in O’Byrne’s ‘Naval Biographical Dictionary’ (1849). He had entered the navy in 1811, ‘on board the Impérieuse 38, Capt. Hon. Henry Duncan’, and would retire with the rank of Lieutenant, after a reasonably eventful career, in 1829. In 1849 he was said by O’Byrne to be ‘a Captain in the Ayrshire Militia’. On 30 September 1864 the London Gazette listed him among the ‘Lieutenants on Reserved List, to be Retired Commanders’. The Imperieuse (1805), which had gained a high reputation for her exploits under Admiral Cochrane, had been transferred to the command of Sir Henry Duncan (1786-1835) in 1810. An interesting letter, with a good balance of content between news of the Scottish gentry and of life in the Royal Navy. 3pp, 4to. On bifolium. Addressed to ‘My Dear Mother’ and signed ‘your ever affectionate and loving / Son Rob K Thomson’. In good condition, lightly aged, with slight wear to second leaf, which has the customary slight damage from the breaking of the seal. Folded four times into packet. The first 52 of the 54 lines of closely and neatly written text cover both sides of the first leaf of the bifolium, with the last two lines at the head of the recto of the second leaf, the verso of which carries, with four postmarks (one from Portsmouth) and the remains of the red wax seal, the address to ‘Robert Thomson Esqre / of Daljarrock / Air / Scotland’. He begins by informing her that the box she ‘sent out by Capt Clarke, has never arrived. I have made every enquiry after it, and cannot so much as learn as if such a Ship had ever been here. I am very sorry for it as I was compleatly in rags, and was obliged to get a good many blue things here’. He gives the prices of coat, ‘Trowzers’ and waistcoat, ‘by way of letting you know the price of things here’. He proceeds to respond to information in her letter. He is happy his father ‘has been so successful in the Moors, last Season’, and is ‘in hopes of being along with him next Season, as I believe we go home for certain next summer. I suppose my Father will turn compleat farmer now, well I will do in the peace to drive the plough. We all expected we were going this winter. but I believe we carry the Commander in chief home, next summer. He is displeased that his mother ‘mentioned about my not being rated [related?] to Lady Hamilton, as in [sic] I cannot be rated for the first 2 years, and even allowing I could be, could Capt Duncan with any justice disrate Mid Shipmen, some of whom have been twice and thrice my time at Sea, to rate me, no certainly not nor would I wish it. I wish you would inform Sir Hew and Lady Hamilton of this.’ There follows advice on how to send mail, and response to her news on ‘Mrs. Torrence’, ‘Mrs. Quinten’, ‘Dr. Davidson’, ‘Peter Shaw’. He has written to ‘Sir A. Cathcart’, ‘on account of our D[?] expedition, and as we are now going on another expedition to Leghorn, I think it would be a good opportunity to write him again. I wish you would find out if he has received it, or if Lady Hamilton or Lady Blair have.’ He is happy ‘poor old Don is still in the [Sandy Cakes?]’. They have ‘no news up here every thing goes on in the old Stile’. As for his mother’s news that she will be remaining in Daljarrock ‘all winter if my Father does, I think he will be sorry, especially in bad weather, without Society indeed I dont think you would like it much.’ He declares that he is ‘still as fond of my profession as every, indeed I dont think I will like to be on shore again in the peace’. He now understands ‘navigation very well’, but has ‘forgot all my Latin. I am convinced there is not one officer in the Ship, who understands it, and indeed if there was, I would not have time’. Regarding the forthcoming expedition, he writes, that it is ‘fitting out at Salermo, against Leghorn’, and is ‘composed of 6000 men, under General Ferguson (so report says) the naval part under Sir Jos Rowley Bart. [Vice-Admiral Sir Joshua Ricketts Rowley, d.1857] of the America, and I believe we belong to it at least I hope so [...] we sail to-morrow with the Unite’. He ends with remembrance to ‘Mr. & Mrs. Campbell and Misses of Fairfield, and Craigie, to Mr. & Mrs Hamilton, Mr. & Mrs. Crawfurd, Mrs. Crawfurd, and Miss Margaret, Mrs. Gordon Miss Robinson and Misses, and to all enquiring friends’. At the start of a five-line postscript he writes: ‘tell my Father I am in hopes of beating him at Billiards well as he plays’.