Lot Essay
Rear-Admiral Sir Thomas Troubridge (1758-1807) was born in the same year as Nelson, became one of Nelson's immortal 'Band of Brothers' and distinguished himself during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars before his premature death in 1807. Troubridge commanded the 74-gun Culloden in which he led the line at the battle of Cape St Vincent and was commended by Sir John Jervis for his courage and initiative. Fighting under Nelson at the abortive assault on Santa Cruz, where Nelson lost his arm, he would also have been engaged at the Nile had Culloden not missed the action by running aground on an uncharted shoal at the entrance to Aboukir Bay.