SMITH (Sir William Sidney, 1764-1840, Admiral )

Fine Document signed cerrtifying that John DOUGLAS (died 1814, Officer of the Royal Marines)"Esquire Colonel of Marines disembarked on the 27th day of November 1799 with a party of Marines under His Command by my Orders from his Majesty's Ship Tigre under my Command and served with the Turkish Army on Shore at Jaffa and also at the siege and capture of the fort of El Arish. Given under my hand on Board His Majesty's ship Tigre at anchor off Barrutta this eleventh day of January", signed as "Captain of H.M. Ship Tigre and Senior Officer Commanding His M. Ships in the Levant Seas", 1 side 4to., 11th January

Sir Sidney had a remarkable career, his exploits including firing the French ammunition stores at Toulon, (1793), escaping from Paris in 1798 after two years as prisoner of war in the Temple, by means of forged documents, and the great defence of St. John of Acre against Napoleon in 1799.
John Douglas and his wife Charlotte, Lady Douglas, were involved in a scandal regarding an allegedly illegitimate child born to the Princess of Wales, Caroline of Brunswick. He died at Maze Hill on 4 March 1814. According to The Gentleman's Magazine, "his death was occasioned by a complaint (from which he was never since been free) contracted whilst serving with the Turkish Army in the Deserts of El Arish arising from the quantity of sand in the water which the army was constrained to use, in consequence of the Enemy having possession of the wells". He was mentioned in Dispatches by Smith for his actions at Acre.

Item Date:  1800

Stock No:  39787