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Auction: 26066 - Historical Documents, Autographs and Ephemera
Lot: 1080

Oliver Cromwell, Lord Protector - Battle of Santa Cruz de Tenerife
1657 (2 June) letter signed at top "Oliver P" from Whitehall "To the Commissioners of our Admiraltie and Navie" being an order to pay "On hundred pounds to bee given to Captaine Robert Story for his care and paines in bringing the intelligence from general Blake of the good successe it pleased God in his mercie to give our Fleete against the Spanyards at the Canary Islands".

Overall foxing and some fragility along folds which has been discreetly reinforced. A rare document.

Provenance:

Christie's 21 May, 2014, Lot 24

Notes: The Battle of Santa Cruz was fought on the 20th April 1657 in which the English fleet successfully defeated the Spanish fleet of sixteen without loss of a single vessel.

Cromwell had, at this point, contracted malaria and would die the following year, which perhaps explains the rather shaky penmanship of his signature.

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Estimate
£1,500 to £2,000

Starting price
£1200