Napoleonic Wars (1803-15)
Views of naval engagements and maps of battles
Folkestone, 1811
THE CUMBERLAND / Merchant Ship, / Engaging 4 French Lugger Privateers / off Folkestone, on the 13,,th Jan,,y 1811
published 6 May 1811Aquatint with etching and engraving; printed on paper; hand coloured; edged with paper | 42.1 x 47.1 cm (image) | RCIN 735157
An account of this incident, under the heading 'Gallant Action', appeared in the Naval Chronicle for 1811 (republished 2010), pp.27-8. The crew were awarded protection from the impress for a period of three years as a reward for their bravery. The note ends: 'This is supposed to be the most gallant defence made by any merchant ship during the war; as her crew consisted of only twenty-six men, and those of the privateers, according to the prisoners' statement, to 270 men.'
Additional text: [bottom left, left of title, a note of the English Force; bottom right, right of title, a note of the French Force.]
Condition: no fold lines. Verso: slight surface dirt.
George [Lewis] Ballisat (c. 1763-c. 1821) (artist and publisher) [bottom left, below edge of view:] G. Ballisat del.; [bottom centre, below title:] Published May 6.th 1811, by G. Ballisat, Frederick Place, Newington Butts, Surry.
Henri Merke (c. 1760-after 1820) (engraver) [bottom right, below edge of view:] Merke sculp.
Watermark: None visible
Condition: no fold lines. Verso: slight surface dirt
36.5 x 47.1 cm (neatline)
42.1 x 47.1 cm (image)
45.7 x 50.5 cm (platemark)
47.5 x 52.8 cm (sheet)
Printed title:
THE CUMBERLAND / Merchant Ship, / Engaging 4 French Lugger Privateers / off Folkestone, on the 13,,th Jan,,y 1811. [bottom centre, below view]
Additional text:
[bottom left, left of title, a note of the English Force; bottom right, right of title, a note of the French Force.]
Annotations:
(Recto) [bottom left, black pencil:] XV-157. (Verso) [bottom left, black pencil:] 209*; [bottom right, black pencil:] S & B [or T or J or I and R?] £1-1-6; [centre, black pencil:] 1811-1.
George III catalogue entry:
Naval Engagement The Cumberland Merchant Ship engaging four French Lugger Privateers off Folkestone, on the 13.th of Jan.y 1811: by G. Ballisat, engraved by Merke, 1811.
Subject(s)
Folkestone, Kent, England, UK (51°05'00"N 01°11'00"E)
Page revisions
14 March 2024
Current version
