Scottish Naval Log - H.M.S. Romney, 29 Nov. 1800 - 1st June 1803 - Capt. David Ewen Bartholomew of Linlithgowshire, 1767- 1821
Rare Books, Maps, Manuscripts & Photographs
Auction: 16 January 2013 at 10:00 GMT
Description
"H.M.S. Romney's log from England up the Red Sea & to Bengal in 1800 and 1801, D.E. Bartholomew", [and] from Sangar to the Prince of Wales Island, Dec. 1801, [and] from Prince of Wales Island to Madras in 1801 and 1802"; [and] from Cochin to Mocha in Jan. & Feb. 1802; [and] from Mocha to Inddah in July 1802" [and] from Inddah to Suez in Feb. & March 1802, [and] from Suez to Bombay 1802, [and] from Bombay to England via St. Helena, 27 Oct. - 11 April 1803; with a section on "Time-keepers", in all c. 500 pages, nineteenth century maroon half morocco, a few leaves dampstained, lightly rubbed
Footnote
Provenance: Admiral Sir John Ross. Inscribed on front endpaper "Hartwell Library, presented by Admiral Sir John Ross" and with a list, signed by Admiral Ross, "of articles in a ? for Doctor Lee", listing various naval logs including this journal. Hartwell House in Buckinghamshire, belonged in 1810 to the Lees, an old Buckinghamshire family. Armorial bookplate of John Lee of Hartwell (1783-1866), with motto 'Verum atque decens'. [Property of the Trustees of Lord Gretton]
Note: A naval log by an exceptional Scottish surveryor and cartographer.
Captain David Ewen Bartholomew, CB (c. 1767 - 1821) was an officer of the British Royal Navy and Merchant Navy, who rose from a poor background to become a post captain and prominent surveyor and cartographer, and was the first British man to map numerous sections of the South American, Arabian and African coastlines. He was born into a poor family in Linlithgowshire, was press-ganged twice, once at the instigation of the First Lord of the Admiralty, Lord St. Vincent, served in various naval engagments, and in 1802 was in charge of H.M.S. Romney's chronometers during a voyage to the Red Sea. Bartholomew's abilities as a surveyor and cartographer were highly regarded and, later in his career, he conducted important surveys of the Argentine, Persian and West African coasts. Bartholomew was also considered exceptional for his rise from an impressed sailor to post captain at a time when this was almost impossible to achieve.