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Auction: 25003 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 298

A rare Battle of Trafalgar Lloyd’s Patriotic Fund Honorary Wounds Certificate for Ten Pounds to Private J. Farrelly, Royal Marines, who served aboard H.M.S. Africa on 21 October 1805

Lloyd’s Patriotic Fund Honorary Wounds Certificate for Ten Pounds in the name of 'Mr James Farrelly Marine H.M.S. Africa', dated 3 December 1805, glazed and framed, good very fine

Africa was present at the Battle of Trafalgar under Captain Digby on that famous day. That morning, she found herself detached from the two British Columns, initially being signalled to turn away from the enemy fleet which was closing. Instead, her Captain deliberately misinterpreted it as an instruction to close with the British fleet to the south, engaging each in turn with port broadsides before reaching the melee surrounding the enormous Spanish flagship, the 140 gun Santissima Trinidad. In the famous moments that followed, he sent his crew to board and capture the flagship as it was thought she had surrendered, only when they got to the quarterdeck was it realised that she was very much still in the fight. The noble Spanish enemy permitted them to withdraw rather than being captured.

Then sailing south from the battle, Africa encountered the Intrépide and fought her continuously until Orion arrived and the French ship surrendered. Africa had taken 62 men killed or wounded, Farrelly being in that number. He does not appear to have lived to claim the Naval General Service 1793-1840 to which he would have been entitled.

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Estimate
£2,000 to £3,000

Starting price
£1800