Nelson & His World

Discussion on the life and times of Admiral Lord Nelson
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 Post subject: Youngest Volunteer?
PostPosted: Thu Jun 11, 2009 8:11 am 
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This letter is quoted in E. Hallam Moorhouse's 'Letters of English Seamen' (Chapman and Hall, 1910):

SIR EDWARD HAWKE,

I hear you have beat the French fleet when they were coming to kill us, and that one of your captains twisted a French ship round till it sunk. I wish you would come home, for I intend to go to sea if you will take me with you.

I am Lord Granby's second son,

CHARLES MANNERS.


A pencilled note in the book says that Charles was all of four and a half when he wrote the letter (confirmed by Wiki - he was born 15 March 1754, and is presumably referring to the battle of Quiberon Bay, 1759.) The note continues: 'he may have gone to sea for a bit but did not become a lieutenant as his father and elder brother died and he became heir to his grandfather, the Duke of Rutland, whom he succeeded in 1779. His younger brother Robert became a captain R.N. in 1780, but was killed in action 12 April 1782.'

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lord_Rober ... s_(captain) (click on the third in the list in this link for his full biog.)

Can anyone say more about the action in which the French ship was 'twisted round until it sunk'?

_________________
Anna


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