A Fine & Very Important Trafalgar Naval Presentation Sword. 38” overall, 30” curved blade with broad fuller, copper hilt retaining some gilding with lion's head pommel, D-shaped knuckle guard & scrolling side guard enclosing a fouled anchor, wire bound ivory grip. Contained in its gilt brass mounted leather scabbard, the locket signed ‘Tatham to His Majesty, No.37 Charing Cross Near The Admiralty’, & engraved with inscription on the outer face: "The gift of Jno. Thompson Esq. to his friend Lieut Colin Campbell Decemr 1804".
Dated 1804.
Sword in good condition, plain steel blade, very fine hilt with some remaining gilt, small chip to ivory.
Ex Bembridge Collection.
Colin Campbell entered the Navy in 1799 as a First Class Volunteer on the Anson under Captain Philip Durham, latterly as a Midshipman. After serving on a number of ships he rejoined Durham on the Defiance as Master's Mate in 1805, participating in the Battle of Trafalgar. He obtained his commission in January 1806 and served in the West Indies at the Reduction of Martinique and Guadeloupe in 1809-10. He was officially posted in 1815 and advanced to Flag rank in 1846. The inscription refers to him as a Lieutenant in December 1804, although he did not receive his commission until 1806. He probably was given the sword on his appointment as Master's Mate, a rank which, at that time, was on a par with that of a Lieutenant.
"A Naval Biographical Dictionary" by W O Byrne: Colin Campbell, born in 1787 at Woodhall, co. Lanark, is fourth son of Walter Campbell, Esq., of Shawfield and Woodhall, both in the same shire, and of the island of May, co. Argyle.
This officer entered the Navy, 18 Aug. 1799, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Anson 44, Capt. Philip Chas. Durham, with whom he served, latterly as Midshipman, in the same ship, and in the Endymion 40, on the Channel and Mediterranean stations, and off St. Helena and Lisbon, until April, 1802, and contributed to the capture of several privateers and other armed vessels. He then joined in succession the Donegal 74, Capt. Rich. John Strachan, in the Channel, Glatton 54, Capt. Jas. Collnett, whom he accompanied to New South Wales, and Defiance 74, Capt. P. C. Durham, in which ship we find him, in 1805, participating, as Master’s Mate, in Sir Robt. Calder’s action and in the battle of Trafalgar. Having obtained his first commission 22 Jan. 1806, Mr. Campbell was next appointed, in the North Sea and West Indies, to the Phoebe 36, Capt. Jas. Oswald, and to the Helder, Achates, and Neptune, the latter the flag-ship of Sir Alex. Cochrane. He was confirmed, 22 Sept. 1809, in the command of the Port d’Espagne sloop; and he subsequently served in the Curieux and Drake sloops, and for upwards of 12 months, as Acting-Captain, on the Mediterranean station, of the Freija 36. He was officially posted 28 Feb. 1812, and advanced to Flag-rank 1 Oct. 1846.
The Rear-Admiral, as we are given to understand, served at the reduction of Martinique and Guadeloupe in 1809-10. He married, in 1827, Harriet, daughter of Jas. Royds, Esq., of Mount Falinge, Lancashire, by whom he has issue four children, of whom the eldest son, Jas. Carter Campbell, is a Midshipman, R.N.
"The Scottish Historical Review Vol.20" Jan 1923 pages 116-121:
A letter from Colin Campbell to his father, after Trafalgar:
"H.M. Ship Defiance, Spithead, Dec: 3rd 1805
My Dearest Father, I take the first opportunity of a boat going ashore to write and inform you of our safe arrival at Spithead, and that I am alive and hearty after the glorious action of Trafalgar. I was very sorry that I had not the opportunity of writing to you from Gibraltar, but I did not join the “Defiance” there till the Frigate that went to England was underweigh. I hope, my dearest Sir, that you and all my dear friends at Woodhall [the family home, near Airdrie] are and have been quite well. I received that kind and affectionate letter that you were so kind as to write to me, the day before we sailed from Spithead and which gave me most sincere pleasure. I wrote a long letter to Ellie [Colin’s sister], to thank her for it, but which I never had the opportunity of sending. I will however send it now to convince her that it was not my fault neglecting to answer such an affectionate letter, and I now return you my kindest thanks for your share of it. I felt much gratified in knowing you approved of my letter. I shall not attempt to give you a description of the Action, as the letters from Admiral Collingwood give a much better account of it than I could. I shall therefore only mention what particularly happened to ourselves. We joined Lord Nelson, on the 6th October off Cadiz, and nothing particular happened until the 19th when some of the Frigates inshore made the signal that the enemy’s fleet were getting underweigh. The signal was instantly made to “chase”. We were then a long way off Cadiz and made all sail for it. We did not however expect they were coming out, as they had often before got underweigh only for a few hours. On the 20th the signal was made that the whole of their fleet had put to sea, and that night we spoke the “Pheobe” [Phoebe, frigate] (about 11 o’clock) who told us that the enemy’s fleet were within three miles of us, consisting of 33 sail of the line. We were standing right for them and tacked directly. At daylight we saw them in a line to leeward of us and the signal was made for a general chase. We immediately bore up and set studding sails on both sides below and aloft, but it being light winds we did not get near enough to bring them to an Action till after noon. About 12 Lord Nelson made the expressive signal “England expects every man to do his duty”, Captain Durham then turned the hands up and made a short, but very expressive speech to the ship’s company, which was answered by three cheers. Everything then being ready -- Matches lit-- guns double shotted with grape and rounds and decks clear –we piped to dinner, and had a good glass of grog. The “Royal Sover[e]ign” commenced the Action by running right through their line and bringing one of their Three Deckers to close action. We continued running down till half past one when we began firing, but not before a great many shot had been fired at us and cut our running gear to pieces. In ten minutes we got close alongside of the Prince de Esturia’s [Principe de Asturias], Spanish Three Decker, and hammered away upon her within pistol shot for three quarters of an hour when not being able to stand the little “Defiance” she bore up before the wind and ran to leeward when we got her stern to us we raked her hotly with plenty of grape and canister. The slaughter on board of her must have been very great. She ran to leeward and never reentered the action again. She only killed one man on board of us, the whole of her shot went through our rigging, and over our mastheads. They fired so high that they shot away our Main top-gallant truck, every one of our shot told upon her and made the splinters fly. While engaging her we had a Frenchman [the Aigle] playing away on our bow, so we ran alongside of her, and at 3.10 lashed ourselves to her, where we had it pretty hot, till finding we had silenced her guns. We boarded her and took possession of her Poop and Forecastle. One of our men ran to her masthead – hauled down the French pendant and hoisted an English Ensign and pendant, but her men still keeping up a heavy fire of musketry from her tops and lower deck, and every now and then firing some guns and throwing some stink pots into the ports which killed a number of our men, we recalled the boarders, hauled off within pistol shot, and turned to on her again, every shot of ours going through and through her. About 4 they called for quarter which we instantly gave, and sent a Lieutenant and 20 men to take possession of her. The slaughter on board of her was horrid, the decks were covered with dead and wounded. They never heave their dead overboard in time of action as we do. We had 18 men killed, amongst whom was our 2nd Lieutenant, Boatswain and one Midshipman. Captain Durham was slightly wounded in the leg by a splinter. Four of our Midshipmen were also wounded and 50 men. By 5 the Action was finished and nothing to be seen, but wrecks of masts and yards floating about, and some hundreds of dead bodies. About this time the “Achille” (French 74) took fire and after burning about 2 hours blew up with a terrible explosion. Many hundreds were in her at the time, many jumped overboard and were drowned. Four French ships’ (those which Sir Richard Stra[c]han has since taken) made all sail away at this time, none of our ships being in a condition to follow them. Our fore and main mast, bowsprit and all our topmasts were shot through in many places, and all our standing and running rigging cut to pieces. We were all night employed splicing the same. In the morning it came on to blow a gale of wind. The “Aigle” had drifted close into Cadiz; we stood in to take her in tow, and found she had lost all her masts during the night, we found it impossible to take her in tow it blew so hard, and we were obliged to leave her with Lieutenant Purchase [James Purches], a Masters Mate and 12 Seamen on board lying close on the shoals of Trafalgar, and we made all sail to windward. On the 23rd 12 of the enemy’s fleet got underweigh and stood out, we expected they were going to give battle again, and formed the line, but they only came out a little way and retook the “St Anna”, she being close in we could not afford her any assistance. On the 25th we attempted to take the “Argonaut” (Spanish Prize) in tow, but there being a very heavy sea, we could not. I was then sent with Lieutenant [Henry] Hargrave, and two other Midshipmen and 20 men to bring her to an anchor, which we did after a good deal of difficulty, there being 600 Spaniards on board, and a good many of them drunk, also her decks full of wounded. It came on to blow a very heavy gale of wind that night and continued to blow harder and harder, till the night of the 26th, when it blew harder than I ever saw it. We did not expect she would ride the night out with us. The Spaniards were terribly frightened, and all turned to, to pray, she gained on us at the pumps fast and the sea broke clean over us. We hove all the Main deck guns overboard and let go the sheet anchor under foot in case the best bow anchor should part[;] about 12 at night the iron tiller broke in two and the rudder knocked about so much, we thought it would knock her stern post in, but about 3 in the morning it broke adrift altogether for which we were very glad. At daybreak we found that our best bow anchor had parted in the night, but the sheet anchor still held on. We found that all the other hulks had gone ashore in the night. We hoisted a signal of distress and fired several guns, but could not see the “Defiance” anywhere. The two boats we came on board in had both sunk astern on the 25th, on the 26th, the gale abated a little, and the “Donegal” and the “Leviathan” both sent their boats to our assistance. I and 12 men went on board the former, and the Lieutenant and the rest to the latter. I was pretty well off there as I fell in with an old shipmate. The Spaniards were all taken out and the ship soon after sank. I remained in the “Donegal” till the 2nd. She was of great use in getting the men out of the wrecks, and burning those they were likely to get off. While I was on board of her [,] Two French Frigates and a Brig came out to exchange prisoners, and brought out our Lieutenant and seamen who were taken in the “Aigle”. They had drifted ashore close to Cadiz when they lay two days on the rocks, the sea running so high they could not leave her. When the weather grew better the Spaniards sent boats to bring them on shore and plenty of mutton for the English Officers. Many of the Frenchmen were drowned who attempted to get on shore before the boats came. Our people were treated with the greatest kindness by the Spaniards, had rooms given them and the key to go out and in when they chose [;] they were quite sorry to come out in the Frigate as they had got Jack-Asses [i.e. donkeys] ready to go round Gibraltar on, and expected to have a famous cruise. I went in the “Pheobe” [sic] to join the “Defiance” who had gone round to Gibraltar with the “Temeraire” in tow. I was not a little glad when I again got on board, and shipped a clean shirt, a luxury I had not enjoyed for some time. We were at Gibraltar for a few days and then sailed for England. Captain Durham gave me an order to act as Lieutenant, and I did the duty most of the way home. I suppose we shall go into dock directly as our masts and bowsprits are badly wounded, Captain Durham left us yesterday in three weeks leave for London. We arrived too late for me to pass [i.e. for lieutenant] this month so I must wait till next. We have to-day landed 300 prisoners, and now my dearest Sir I think I have told you most of our adventures, which I am afraid you will find much difficulty in reading, but I hope you will excuse all blunders, as I can hardly stir for French Buffers in the Berth. I hope it will not be very long before I have the pleasure of seeing you; I long much to see the old land of “Cakes” again, and all my dearest friends there, I hope you will have the kindness just to write me a few lines, that I may know you are well, I am sure you must be tired reading, I will therefore conclude with my most affectionate love to all at Woodhall, and remain my dearest papa, your ever dutiful son
Colin Campbell
P.S. John McLellan is quite well and desires his best respects to you."
This item is registered for the ‘less than 10% by volume’ exemption to the Ivory Act 2018 (ref 7MTNS9SN) UK sale only - NOT FOR EXPORT.