| Description | (Press-copy of an original in William Cheshire’s hand; incomplete.)
Soho, near Birmingham, March 20th, 1809.
Sir,
I am sorry to perceive from your letter of the 17th instant that there should exist any misconstruction of my intentions in regard to the presentation of the Trafalgar medals.
Soon after the memorable battle of Trafalgar, considering that the powers of my mint machinery would give facilities to the striking of a large quantity of medals that no other individual in the kingdom could command, I felt myself called upon to devote them to the commemoration of that important event. I accordingly made an offer to furnish to each surviving seaman and marine present at the engagement a white metal medal, and, with the sanction of Lord Barham and his successor in office, the whole complement of medals, executed in conformity to a return furnished by the Navy Office, were forwarded for distribution, through the medium of that Board, to the several . . .[Only the first sheet is present.]
Thomas Brattle,
1st Lieutenant, R.M.,
Woolwich. |