Auction: 13050 - Postal History and Historical documents
Lot: 2038
(x) Historical Documents
Queen Elizabeth I
1576 (25 Mar.) letter and wrapper bearing the full and flamboyant signature of "Elizabeth R", addressed "To our right trusty and well beloved L(ord) Cobham, Warden of our ffive (ports)" with large wax wafer seal on the reverse with impression of the royal coat of arms with the legend, "elizab dg ang fran et hib regina fid def". The letter is a commission to the warden to grant commissions to towns or cities to clear the coast of pirates and sea rovers and authorising the warded on the cinque ports to grab illegal vessels (a letter of marque). The letter and cover are badly worn on one side and have been repaired or reinforced, however, this does not affect the signature. A rare and desirable letter. From the Gerald E. Wellburn collection. Photo
William Brook was the 10th Earl of Chobham
Piracy, the act of seizing a ship or its cargo from its lawful owners or their agents, has been endemic to maritime nations ever since man first set sail upon the high seas. By the time Elizabeth Tudor had ascended the throne in 1558, English piracy had entered into a Golden Age, as freebooters roamed its coastal waters virtually unchallenged. With fat prizes, particularly Spanish treasure ships to be found further out to sea, the plundering spread into the waters of the Atlantic and finally to the Caribbean, the well-spring of Spain's ever increasing wealth. But as the violent, frequently profitable enterprise of piracy escalated into a state of near anarchy, English commerce began to suffer heavy losses in the waters closer to home.
provenance: Phillipps ms (22355)
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Sold for
£11,000
