Lot Essay
Many of the decades of the eighteenth century witnessed major Anglo-French conflicts and the 1740's was no exception. The so-called War of the Austrian Succession broke out in 1741 and although primarily land-based - much of the fighting being on Continental Europe - the early years were also illuminated by the exploits of Captain George Anson, Royal Navy. When a separate but subsequently integrated war with Spain begain in 1739, Anson was given command of a small squadron and sent to the Pacific under orders to harry Spanish possessions there and, if possible, capture one of the valuable treasure ships which travelled annually between Mexico and Manila. By 1743 various misfortunes had recuded Anson's squardon to a single ship - his own, the 60-gun 3rd rate H.M.S. Centurion - but she was by then heavily armed and manned by a highly experienced veteran crew. On 20 June that year, she sighted, chased and brought to action a hugh Spanish treasure galleon in a celebrated engagement after which Anson decided to return home by circumnavigating the globe, still a very unusual and immensely risky voyage in the mid-eighteenth century. Arriving home in June 1744 with bullion valued at over half-a-million pounds, Anson's reputation was made and his future career assured; immediately promoted, it was only a matter of time before he would be given command of the fleet to take it to sea against the French.
This opportunity arose in the spring of 1747 when intelligence reached the Admiralty that two important enemy convoys, one bound for India and the other for North America, were being prepared in French ports. Lacking precise information, Anson and a sezeable squadron sailed from Spithead on 26 March to cruise the Bay of Biscay, where, by late April and swelled by several reinforcements, he had fourteen sail-of-the-line plus a sloop and a fireship under his command. The French meanwhile, knowing that Anson's fleet was at sea, decided to combine the two convoys together as far as Madeira and assigned to them a strong escorting force under the joint command of Admiral Jonquiere and St. Georges. When this flotilla finally sailed from Aix on 29 April, it numbered six warships, three well-armed East Indiamen and numerous merchantmen of varying size, mostly carrying at least some armament. Initially managing to avoid contact, the two fleets sighted each other off Cape Finisterre soon after daybreak on 3 May although it took all morning for the respective commanders to marshal their fighting ships into line-of-battle. Jonquiere had already ordered the convoy to scatter but, as the two battle fleets drew together in the early afternoon, two of his armed East Indiamen panicked, broke formation and threw the French line into confusion. Realising he could not now hope to hold Anson, Jonquiere signalled his ships to retreat and they made for the south-west with all speed. Anson gave chase and Captain Denis, in the old Centurion, fired the first shots of the action at about 4 o'clock. By 7 o'clock, the battle was won, overwhelmed by superior gunnery, both French commanders flagships Le Serieux, 66, and L'Invincible, 74 had been taken in addition to all four of the other enemy warships, several East Indiamen, three frigates and five merchantmen. Even though a number of merchantmen had escaped into the darkness, it was still a notable victory and one which earned Anson not only his peerage but also admittance to the inner circle of government whereby, in 1751, he became First Lord of the Admiralty.
Captain Denis reached Portsmouth with news of the victory on 4 May and Anson followed him in several days later accompanied by those French ships taken as prizes. Schetky's painting of 1841 depicts the triumphant scene at Spithead after Anson's arrival and identifies several ships including Prince George, in the foreground, Le Serieux, Defiance, Devonshire and Mars.
This opportunity arose in the spring of 1747 when intelligence reached the Admiralty that two important enemy convoys, one bound for India and the other for North America, were being prepared in French ports. Lacking precise information, Anson and a sezeable squadron sailed from Spithead on 26 March to cruise the Bay of Biscay, where, by late April and swelled by several reinforcements, he had fourteen sail-of-the-line plus a sloop and a fireship under his command. The French meanwhile, knowing that Anson's fleet was at sea, decided to combine the two convoys together as far as Madeira and assigned to them a strong escorting force under the joint command of Admiral Jonquiere and St. Georges. When this flotilla finally sailed from Aix on 29 April, it numbered six warships, three well-armed East Indiamen and numerous merchantmen of varying size, mostly carrying at least some armament. Initially managing to avoid contact, the two fleets sighted each other off Cape Finisterre soon after daybreak on 3 May although it took all morning for the respective commanders to marshal their fighting ships into line-of-battle. Jonquiere had already ordered the convoy to scatter but, as the two battle fleets drew together in the early afternoon, two of his armed East Indiamen panicked, broke formation and threw the French line into confusion. Realising he could not now hope to hold Anson, Jonquiere signalled his ships to retreat and they made for the south-west with all speed. Anson gave chase and Captain Denis, in the old Centurion, fired the first shots of the action at about 4 o'clock. By 7 o'clock, the battle was won, overwhelmed by superior gunnery, both French commanders flagships Le Serieux, 66, and L'Invincible, 74 had been taken in addition to all four of the other enemy warships, several East Indiamen, three frigates and five merchantmen. Even though a number of merchantmen had escaped into the darkness, it was still a notable victory and one which earned Anson not only his peerage but also admittance to the inner circle of government whereby, in 1751, he became First Lord of the Admiralty.
Captain Denis reached Portsmouth with news of the victory on 4 May and Anson followed him in several days later accompanied by those French ships taken as prizes. Schetky's painting of 1841 depicts the triumphant scene at Spithead after Anson's arrival and identifies several ships including Prince George, in the foreground, Le Serieux, Defiance, Devonshire and Mars.