AUTOGRAPH LETTER REGARDING HIS PORTRAIT.

Descripción:

From a collection of recently acquired genuine autograph letters : 11-line note presenting his compliments to Mr Edward Webber, saying that it will be very inconvenient to have his portrait done for the National work as Mr Webber proposes. Paper is watermarked 181? which identifies this Captain Montague as George. His portrait, attributed to Thomas Beach, is in thew National Maritime Museum. Admiral Sir George Montagu (12 December 1750 24 December 1829) was a Royal Navy officer, the second son of Admiral John Montagu, and the brother of Captain James Montagu and Lieutenant-Colonel Edward Montagu. In 1763 Montagu entered the Royal Academy at Portsmouth, and was then appointed to HMS Preston with Captain Alan Gardner (afterwards Admiral Lord Gardner), going out to the Jamaica station with the flag of Rear Admiral William Parry. He served in Preston for three years, before following Captain Gardner to HMS Levant. He finally returned to England in 1770. He passed his lieutenant's examination on 2 October 1770, and on 14 January 1771 was appointed lieutenant of HMS Marlborough. In February he was moved into HMS Captain, going out to North America as the flagship of his father. On 9 April 1773 he was appointed commander in the 18 gun sloop HMS Kingfisher, and on 15 April 1774 (Pay-book of the Fowey) he was posted to HMS Fowey. In her he continued on the North American station during the early years of the war of independence, actively co-operating with the army in the embarkation at Boston in March, and in the reduction of New York City in October 1776. Shortly after he returned to England in bad health. From 1777 to 1779 he commanded HMS Romney, as flag captain to his father at Newfoundland. On his return he was appointed to the 32-gun frigate HMS Pearl, which when cruising near the Azores on 14 September 1779, captured the Spanish frigate Santa Monica of equal force. In December Pearl sailed with the fleet under Sir George Rodney, and assisted in the capture of the Caracas convoy; but having sprung her foremast, was ordered home with the prizes. She was afterwards sent out to North America, and on 30 September 1780, while on a cruise off the Bermudas, captured the Espérance, a frigate-built privateer of 32 guns. In the battle of Cape Henry, on 16 March 1781, she acted as repeating frigate. She was not with the fleet during the battle of the Chesapeake on 5 September, but joined it, still off Cape Henry, on the 14th, and was left to keep watch on the movements of the French till the 25th, when she sailed for New York. On 19 October she sailed again with the fleet, and on the 23rd was stationed ahead as a look-out (Pearl's Log). She returned to England in 1782. During the Spanish Armament of 1790 Montagu was appointed to HMS Hector (74) and went out to the Leeward Islands in 1793 with Rear Admiral Gardner, and thence to Jamaica, to convoy the homeward-bound trade. He was afterwards with the squadron in the Downs, under the orders of Rear Admiral MacBride, until 12 April 1794, when he was promoted to the rank of Rear Admiral, and, hoisting his flag in the Hector, joined the grand fleet under Lord Howe.On 4 May he was detached, with a squadron of six ships of the line, to convoy a large fleet of merchant ships as far as Cape Finisterre. His further orders were to cruise to the westward till 20 May, in the hope of meeting the French provision convoy daily expected from America. The convoy, however, did not arrive at that time, and Montagu, after making several important captures, returned to Plymouth on 30 May. He had extended his cruise for several days beyond the prescribed limit, but had not been able to communicate with Howe. On 2 June he received orders from the admiralty to put to sea again with every available ship, and to cruise off Brest in order to intercept the French provision fleet. On the 3rd the Audacious came in with news of the partial action of 28 May; but Montagu, having no other orders, put to sea on 4 J. N° de ref. del artículo 25166

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