Battle of Cape St Vincent--Thompson, Admiral Sir Charles

also four other ships of the line, HMS Lord Egmont, HMS Namur, HMS Culloden, and HMS Britannia, detailing the daily regime on board, and the provisions and stores available to quartermasters, gunners, boatswains, carpenters, surgeons, and pursers, the first ten pages being an incomplete report on a sixth ship, in a single hand, 58 pages, plus blanks, probably 1797 (paper watermarked 1794), stab-stitched in paper wrappers, upper wrapper spotted and torn; [with:] two documents signed by Samuel Marshall of HMS Pegase, both addressed to Charles Thompson as Commander of HMS Edgar, the first ordering him to put himself under Marshall's command, the second with 20 coloured illustrations of ships' pennants, 2 pages, folio, docketed, 1 February to 22 April 1787; [also with:] document listing "Defects of His Majesty's Ship Duke Jn Holloway Esq. Commander", signed by Holloway, 1 page, folio, 14 November 1797; note to Thompson giving directions for wearing "The Blue and White Ribband", originally accompanying the ribbon, 1 page, folio, n.d.; memorandum book recording pay received by Admiral Sir Charles Thompson, signed by John Scott, 2 pages only, the remainder of the volume blank, September 1797 to March 1799, 8vo; and one later document

Condition is described in the body of the catalogue, where appropriate.
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"...Victory [...] 48 in the sick list mostly ulcers very bad about 20 could not come to Quarters the rest of the ships Company healthy and no scurvy in the ship [...] no bedding or sheets for the sick nor lime juice or portable soup not in want of medicines in want of lint for the ulcers..."

A detailed record of the state of naval ships during the campaign that culminated at the Battle of Cape St Vincent on 14 February 1797. All of the ships listed in the notebook took part in the battle, at which Admiral Sir Charles Thompson (1740-1799) was the second in command of the British fleet and had his flag on HMS Britannia. Thompson was only sent to the Mediterranean late in 1796 and was recalled in the summer of 1797 so these notes must date from around the time of the battle. The other papers in this group (which include one document signed by Nelson's future secretary John Scott) date from other periods in Thompson's naval career, from earlier commands in the 1780s to his final retirement.