Lot 143: Horatio Nelson

Autograph letter signed ("Nelson & Bronte"), to Lord Barham, the First Lord, written in favour of the widow of Dr John Snipe, late Physician of the Fleet ("...a better Man in Private life nor a More Able Man in His Profession I never met with, and I much fear that His Death was principally owing to his going to Messina for the purpose of buying Lemon Juice for the fleet at Home which is likely to be obtain'd at 1/6 Pr Gallon instead of 8 or 9 Shillings..."), one page, 4to, framed and glazed (unexamined out of frame), [Merton], 13 September 1805

Written on Nelson's last day at Merton : at half past ten that night, he was to drive "from dear dear Merton, where I left all which I hold dear in this world, to go to serve my King and Country" (Diary). It is perhaps characteristic that his last moments of domestic leisure should have been spent helping the dependents of others who had served their country. P.K. Crimmin in his analysis, 'Letters and Documents relating to the Service of Nelson's Ships, 1780-1805: A Critical Report', describes Dr Snipe as "one of naval medicine's unsung heroes". He had made his fatal expedition to Messina in order to buy lemons to counteract an outbreak of scurvy brought on by the closure of the supply on Spain's entry into the war in December 1804: "For approximately two months, while alternative sources of supply were sought, fresh provisions were unavailable and caused the increase in sickness reflected in these figures. To those familiar with the ravages of scurvy in earlier wars this outbreak will appear slight, but it is indicative of how quickly the disease could re-establish itself if adequate amounts of fresh food were not regularly supplied. It was a lesson not lost on Nelson or on his physician of the fleet, at first Dr. John Snipe, later Dr. Leonard Gillespie. The weekly returns were accompanied by the highly interesting and informative 'Observations' of these men, particularly those of Dr. Snipe, one of naval medicine's unsung heroes, who worked consistently to improve seamen's health, and whose suggestions and comments on diseases and complaints often provide a detailed picture of their pathology, with suggestions for preventing or alleviating them. He considered the provision of cocoa and sugar, to make hot, comforting, non-alcoholic drinks, more valuable dietary alternatives than oatmeal and cheese. Snipe was most enthusiastic about the virtues of lemon juice, 'that valuable scorbutic' as he described it, and personally contracted with Mr. Broadbent, an English merchant at Messina, to supply 10,000 gallons of freshly pressed Sicilian lemon juice to the Mediterranean fleet, with a further 20,000 gallons for the home fleet's consumption, at 1s 6d (8p) per English gallon in 1804-5...Dr. Snipe could truly describe the health of the fleet as being in 'triumphant state' in 1804, thanks to the detailed attention paid to diet and welfare" (Historical Research, vol.70, no.171, February 1997, pp.55-6). This letter is printed by White, New Letters, p.119, and discussed p.109.