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Auction: 16017 - Bonds and Share Certificates of the World
Lot: 328

An extremely important warrant signed by Lord Wellington commanding British forces in Spain and Portugal. The document, dated 5th July 1810 at Alverca, simply signed 'Wellington' is addressed to John Paramor Bays, Deputy Paymaster General instructing him to receive £78,000 from Robert Hugh Kennedy, Commissary General and to draw bills as and when necessary, manuscript, folio, 4 pages, some staining in the centre but very fine.

Wellington's headquarters were at Alverca in Portugal where he tried to consolidate his position against the advance of French forces. It was at this time that the Lines of Torres Vedras were built . In September of that year the French forces were defeated at Bussaco.
Sir Robert Hugh Kennedy was Commissary General for much of the Peninsular War and was responsible for food, forage, non military transport and non military stores and together with the Paymaster General acted as the Army's banker.
Sir Arthur Wellesley, was born into an Anglo-Irish aristocratic family and was destined at an early age for the army. In 1793 he purchased first a Majority and then a Colonelcy in the 33rd Foot. He made a name for himself in the Mahratha Wars in India between 1797 and 1805, but became a household name in the Peninsular War fighting Napoleon.

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Estimate
£3,500 to £3,800