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Lot Essay
The 'Royal Family' was a famously successful privateer squadron initially comprising three ships, the Prince Frederick, 28-guns, 244 men, commanded by Commodore James Talbot, the Duke, 20-guns, 150 men, commanded by Captain Morecock, and the Prince George which sank on their first voyage five days out from Cowes on 7th June 1745. Undaunted, James Talbot cruised on between the Azores and Newfoundland and, on July 10th, attacked three French vessels returning to St. Malo from Lima laden with treasure. They captured two of them, the Marquis d'Antin and the Louis Erasme, which were almost literally lined with gold and contained 1,093 chests of silver. When all was fully accounted for, the owners' share of the plunder was over 700,000 while each sailor received 850, and James Talbot apparently retired with his fortune to join the merchant syndicate. Legend has it that it took 45 waggons to cart the treasure from Bristol to London and the syndicate then offered the money to the government as a loan to help in quelling the Jacobite rebellion.
The following May the squadron once more set sail, having been fitted-out in Bristol and with two more ships, the King George, 32-guns, 300 men, commanded by Commodroe George Walker, and the Princess Amelia, 24-guns, 150 men, commanded by Captain Robert Denham. On this occasion the Prince Frederick, under a new captain, ran aground in the Bristol Channel and put back, while the Princess Amelia put into Lisbon. Walker replaced her with a small French ship which he captured off the coast of Morocco and renamed Prince George, and it was the prize money for this voyage, lasting eight months, which amounted to 220,000 as inscribed on the frame. By 10th July 1747 however, when Walker put to sea again, the rince Frederick had rejoined the Squadron and they embarked on a voyage which brought them to Cape St. Vincent on 8th October. Here they intercepted the 74-gun Spanish ship Glorioso and, unaware that she had recently unloaded her bullion at Corunna, the King George gave chase. Using only 26 pounders against the Glorioso's 42's they fought a close action for three hours, but when the Prince Frederick came up to join them the Spaniard fled, to be captured later in the day by the Russell.
The various adventures of the 'Royal Family' were also recorded by Charles Brooking and his versions of the capture of the Glorioso and the taking of the Louis Erasme were engraved.
The following May the squadron once more set sail, having been fitted-out in Bristol and with two more ships, the King George, 32-guns, 300 men, commanded by Commodroe George Walker, and the Princess Amelia, 24-guns, 150 men, commanded by Captain Robert Denham. On this occasion the Prince Frederick, under a new captain, ran aground in the Bristol Channel and put back, while the Princess Amelia put into Lisbon. Walker replaced her with a small French ship which he captured off the coast of Morocco and renamed Prince George, and it was the prize money for this voyage, lasting eight months, which amounted to 220,000 as inscribed on the frame. By 10th July 1747 however, when Walker put to sea again, the rince Frederick had rejoined the Squadron and they embarked on a voyage which brought them to Cape St. Vincent on 8th October. Here they intercepted the 74-gun Spanish ship Glorioso and, unaware that she had recently unloaded her bullion at Corunna, the King George gave chase. Using only 26 pounders against the Glorioso's 42's they fought a close action for three hours, but when the Prince Frederick came up to join them the Spaniard fled, to be captured later in the day by the Russell.
The various adventures of the 'Royal Family' were also recorded by Charles Brooking and his versions of the capture of the Glorioso and the taking of the Louis Erasme were engraved.