DAVISON

DAVISON, ALEXANDER AND HORATIO, LORD NELSON AN IMPORTANT GROUP OF DAVISON'S PAPERS RELATING TO PRIZE MONEY IN CONNECTION WITH NELSON'S SPANISH FRIGATES DISPUTE WITH LORD ST VINCENT comprising correspondence relating to the Spanish Prizes "Tetis" and "Santa Brigida", including Davison's retained copy of his letter of claim to the prize agents, on behalf of Lord Nelson, Commander in Chief on the Mediterranean Station, of "Two Thirds of one Eight(h)" of the prize money; with letters to Davison debating the matter by Thomas Maude, Cooke & Halford, Benjamin Tucker (Agent for the Prize Officers of the Mediterranean, several letters:... "I should have been glad of the opportunity of personally giving to you every possible satisfaction relative to the actual situation and consequent right, of the Earl of St Vincent to the share of Commander in Chief of these Prizes..."), Marsh Page & Creed and Frederick Booth ("...if before the 26 Aut and Lord St Vincent was really then Commander in Chief, I fear Lord Nelson cannot support his Claim. - But if the Capture were after the 26 Aut.., tho the ships sailed on .. yet I think they would be prizes to Lord Nelson..") together with Dr Arnold's opinion of the case; a draft letter and copy letter by Davison to Tucker; a letter to Tucker by Winter & Kaye advising of Lord St Vincent's claim and legal action against him; and a copy of Booth & Haslewood's letter to St Vincent endeavouring to reach a settlement before a public tribunal (".. when it is mentioned to be disagreeable to you, that the action for settling the affair should stand in the names of Lord Nelson & your Lordship, we cannot but regret, that this appears to us inevitable..."); also an autograph letter signed by Admiral Lord Hodd, to Sir Andrew Hammond ("... I never made any claim although I was under orders to resume the command at the time my Flag was ordered to be struck...", 16 items, 30 pages in all, chiefly folio and 4to, integral address leaves or blanks, 10 February 1800 to 23 January 1801, occasional light seal tears or stains, Davidson's Letterbook relating to the Spanish Prizes, being copies neatly entered in a secretarial hand of eight letters to and from Davison, Benjamin Tucker, Winter & Kaye, Booth & Haslewood, and, finally from Davison to Lord Nelson (about his discover that St Vincent had received £14,000 of the prize money and their legal suit against him: "..The more I investigate this business, the more am I convinced of Our ultimate success..."), 10 pages, small 4to , blanks, marbled paper covers, 5-15 January 1801, Related Memoranda, comprising: a note by Davison giving comparisons with Lord St Vincent and others in relation to the battles off Cape St Vincent, the Nile and Copenhagen "To shew how little Prize Money" Lord Nelson "received in proportion to Other Admirals", a list of the special jury in the Court of Common Pleas for Lord Nelson v Tucker (May 1801); and a note of expenses submitted to Davison "Respecting power of attorney from Lord Nelson to the act for his lordship generally whilst absent from Great Britain" (July 1801), 3 item, 4 pages, folio and 4to, integral blanks, 1801, occasion slight wear, tear and soilingProvenance: Alexander Davison (1750-1829) thence by direct descent until offered Sotheby's Nelson: The Alexander Davison Collection, 21 October 2002, lot 28, sold to the present vendor after the Sale (£8,603); Sotheby's, Trafalgar Nelson and the Napoleonic Wars 5 October 2015, lot 159 (estimate £8,000-12,000; brought in).