[' there are 5 french frigates at sea escaped from Toulon': Captain Sir Peter Parker and HMS Menelaus (Royal Navy in the Napoleonic Wars).] Autograph Letter Signed from midshipman Robert Kennedy Thomson, describing his exploits to his mother.

Real Hornblower stuff: a breathless letter full of interesting content. The Oxford DNB entry for Sir Peter Parker the younger (1745-1814) gives the background: ‘in January 1812 he joined Sir Edward Pellew at Port Mahon, where he remained for the greater part of the year, attached to the in-shore squadron before Toulon. There he had more than one opportunity of distinguishing himself in a brilliant skirmish with the enemy's advanced ships. On 28 May he endeavoured to cut off the 40-gun frigate Pauline, with a 16-gun brig in company, returning from the Adriatic, and relinquished the attempt only when the Menelaus's foretopmast was almost cut in two by a shot from the batteries and two ships of the line were standing out for the Pauline's protection. On 13 August, having chased a brig laden with government stores into the port of San Stefano in the Bay of Orbitello, he cut her out from under the batteries, an affair which was spoken of as dashing at a time when cutting-out expeditions were not uncommon. In December the Menelaus [a 38-ton frigate launched in 1810, which Parker had himself commissioned] was ordered to Malta and sent home in charge of convoy. She arrived at Portsmouth in May’. Thomson’s entry in O’Byrne’s ‘Naval Biographical Dictionary’ does not note his presence on the Menelaus in a description of service stretching from 1811 to about 1829. The entry ends by stating that at the time of publication (1849) ‘Lieut. Thomson is a Capt. in the Ayrshire Militia.’ (Robert Burns made a relation Thomson’s (his aunt?), Peggy Kennedy of Dalgarrock, the narrator of his celebrated poem ‘Ye banks an’ braes o’ bonnie Doon’.) 6pp, 4to, with the last three pages cross-written over the first three. On a bifolium, addressed on reverse of second leaf, to ‘Robert Kennedy Esqre. / of Da Garrock [i.e. Dalgarrock] / Air / Scotland’, and initalled at bottom-left ‘R K T’s’. With two postmarks, one black and the other red, the latter a ‘Ship Lre’ postmark from Portsmouth Dock’. In fair condition, lightly aged, with the usual damage to the second leaf from the breaking open of the wafer. The letter could be fully made out with sufficient time and effort, but the cross-writing makes it difficult to decipher, resulting in the following tentative description of the contents. Signed ‘Robert K Thomson’ and beginning ‘My Dear Mother / We arrived here from Palermo a few days ago and brought in with us a vessel we took of [sic] Cape Bond you must know that I am signal Mid[shipman]- and whenever a sail is is [sic] seen I am sent to the Mast head to see what she is accordingly at day one morning blowing pretty fresh a Sail was [?] from the Mast head and S of Course went up and made her out to be steering about two points free when we turned the hands up make sail in [?] she hauled upon a Wind and we went after her and unluckily a squal took us as I was coming down the rigging [?] so much that I was obliged to let go my Glass to save my self from going over board and my hat went over at the same time and it was impossible to save it the ship going through the water 18 notes [sic] an hour we came up with the chase very fast and fired 3 guns at her and [inside?] her by too she hoisted english Colours and we sent boats [?] she had no papers and no Certyficate we there sent a Mid- with 13 hands to bring her into Master where her hull was condemned but not her Cargo which was Grain. we sail on Sunday for Palermo again and then to the fleet [...]’. The letter continues with reference to HMS Hermes, Naples Bay, ‘Lieut. McAdam’ (who ‘desires to be remembered to Capt. Rankine’). He states that ‘Capt Parker told me to write to you that I would always find a friend in him and when I left this ship [please?] you will send me out another Glass’. There is also mention of a ‘Cassamere Waistcoat and that little white one which I cannot wear that I must dress every sunday and as for the other ones which are striped I dare not wear them therefore I am very badly off for waistcoats’. He sends his love to his father, and lengthy remembrances to Ayrshire acquaintances, before stating that ‘this is a beautifull ship and fine set of [men]’. He continues with the news that ‘We arrived at Gibraltar about a fortnight after we sailed from Falmouth, it is the most astonishing thing I ever saw to see Guns piled upon one another in rows the next peace I saw [?] Caliera in Sardinia we staid a few hours’. After more chat he writes that ‘The Captain is just come on board there are 5 french frigates at sea escaped from Toulon they Captured 5 Merchant yesterday about 15 Leagues from this we are g[oin]g in pursuit of them the hands are turn [...] up Anchor’.