Centuries-old privateer letter up for auction

It is to be sold by Roseberys Auctioneers whose works of art specialist Jack Wallis expected it to attract a lot of interest.

‘We rarely see letters of marque such as this come to market,’ he said.

‘Due to the interest in privateers generated by stories of Captain William Kidd, Sir Francis Drake, and modern interest in pirates from famous books and movies, this document and its contents will attract considerably more interest than other Georgian documents.’

The letter was issued by King George III and is dated 17 August 1778, a time when England was at war with France – the Bourbon War, which ended in 1783.

It granted permission for Thomas Fallaise, commander of a ship called the Surprise ‘of about 150 tons... mounted with fourteen guns having shot of four pounds weight and sixteen swivel guns and navigated with 70 crew and belonging to the Island of Guernsey’ to ‘set forth in a warlike manner’ and ‘apprehend seize and take the Ships Vefsels [sic] and Goods belonging to the ffrourh (sic) King or his Vafsals and Subjects or others inhabiting within his Countries, Territories or Dominions’.

Also named in the letter were Henry Le Mesurier and Andrew Bonamy, the merchants who owned the Surprise.

Mr Wallis said letters of marque allowed governments to fight wars using private captains and sailors, akin to mercenary soldiers, instead of using their navies, which saved the government money.

The family of the letter’s owner came from Guernsey but they were unsure exactly how it came to be in their possession. Their father inherited it from his mother, who was the great-granddaughter of Sir Peter Stafford Carey, who was Bailiff from 1845-1883.

The document is made of vellum and is about 55cm x 64.5cm. It is expected to sell for £300-£500 at Roseberys Auction House in London on 27 September.