The life of George, Lord Anson (...) - John Barrow (1839)

Barrow, John - The life of George, Lord Anson, admiral of the fleet; vice-admiral of Great Britain; and first lord commissioner of the admiralty, previous to, and during, the seven years' war, London, John Murray, 1839.

http://www.archive.org/details/lifeofgeorgelord00barr

Contém referências à passagem do Almirante George Anson pela Madeira.

George Anson, Admiral Lord Anson

George Anson, Admiral Lord Anson (1697-1762)
Early naval career:
George Anson was the second son of William Anson (d. 1720), a minor country gentleman and owner of Shugborough Hall, Staffordshire. Anson had a distinguished naval and political career, which was aided when he joined the navy in 1712, by the patronage of his uncle Thomas Parker (later first Earl of Macclesfield) who was lord chief justice and later Lord Chancellor. In May 1716, Anson was made a lieutenant and two years later fought in the battle of Cape Passaro in Sir George Byng’s fleet. He was appointed master and commander of the sloop Weasel in 1722, and captain of the Scarborough in 1724, which was used as a station ship in South Carolina. Anson lived on this station between 1724-1730, and 1732-1735, during which time he invested heavily in local property and business. Between 1737 and 1739 he was appointed captain of the Centurion, protecting British trade in west Africa and the West Indies.

Circumnavigation:
On 23 October 1739, England declared war on Spain and a month later Anson was selected to lead an expedition to attack Spanish holdings in the Pacific Ocean. In September 1740, his squadron sailed from England under orders to raid and plunder the Pacific coast of South America, to attack Panama and to capture the annual galleon, which carried treasure and goods between Mexico and the Philippines. His squadron consisted of the flagship Centurion; Argyll (replaced in March by Gloucester); Severn; Pearl; Wager; and Tryal. Although the fleet suffered the loss of lives and vessels, Anson succeeded in capturing the Manila treasure galleon on its voyage from Acapulco in June 1743. He arrived back at Spithead in June 1744, to receive wide acclaim and great personal wealth.

Admiralty career:
In 1744, Anson was made a junior Lord of the Admiralty and was promoted to first Lord of the Admiralty in 1751, a post he held, except for one short interval, until his death in 1762. In July 1746, the Admiralty accepted Anson’s proposal to unite several squadrons into one western squadron and he became commander-in-chief of the new force. On 15 July 1747, he was created Baron Anson of Soberton following his interception of two French convoys north of Cape Ortegal, bound for India and America. He then resumed his position in the Admiralty, leaving Sir Peter Warren to command the western squadron. However, Anson was partially blamed for the failure of Vice-Admiral George Byng to defend Minorca in 1756. He was removed from office and was succeeded by Lord Temple. In July 1757, Anson returned to the Admiralty upon the insistence of Lord Hardwicke. He focused on improving conditions on board ship for seamen and championing the work of British ship-builders.

Political career:
Anson was brought into parliament for Hedon by Lord Bath against Luke Robinson,1744-1747. Following his purchase of property and land in Lichfield using some of his prize money, Anson and Lord Gower joined their political interests. From 1747 until his death in 1762, Anson nominated his brother Thomas as one of the Lichfield members.

The Records
Records relating to Admiral Lord Anson’s career and his personal life can be found within the family and estate papers of the Earls of Lichfield, which are held at Staffordshire Record Office (main collection reference number D615). The records: include correspondence from Elizabeth Lady Anson to Admiral Lord Anson, discussing their private life and his naval career; letters to Admiral Lord Anson relating to the establishment of property and businesses in South Carolina and relating to his work in the Admiralty; and financial papers relating to Anson’s interests in South Carolina. The records that have been chosen for this exhibition focus on Anson’s naval career, both as a sea commander and an Admiralty officer. They reflect his experiences as captain of the Centurion during his circumnavigation and his attitudes to naval defence against France and Spain. They also emanate from his work in the Admiralty through which he received detailed reports of various naval expeditions from commanding officers.

The images relating to George Anson are reproduced by kind permission of The Earl of Lichfield.

In: http://www.staffspasttrack.org.uk/exhibit/atsea/default.htm

«A Voyage Round The World (...)» - George Anson

A Voyage Round the World in the Years MDCCXL, I, II, III, IV. ...
Compiled from Papers and other Materials of the Right Honourable George Lord Anson, and published under his Direction, By Richard Walter, M.A. Chaplain of his Majesty’s Ship the Centurion, in that Expedition. Illustrated with Forty-Two Copper-Plates.

Author: ANSON, George.
Title: A Voyage Round the World in the Years MDCCXL, I, II, III, IV. ...
Published: 1748
Publisher: London, for the Author, by John and Paul Knapton,
Stock Code: 42794
Price: £3,500.00

First Edition. Anson was in command of a squadron sent to plunder Spanish trading territories on the Pacific coast of South America during the War of Jenkins’ Ear. His expedition threatened to turn into a military fiasco. His small squadron was battered by storms and too few of his crew survived the journey round Cape Horn to man even the largest ship properly. Anson limped across the Pacific to Macao, where he was able to have the Centurion repaired and find more crew. Finally in June 1743 he achieved a single but substantial victory, capturing a Spanish treasure ship, the Manila galleon, off the Philippines, and returned to England in June 1744 a rich man. “Anson’s voyage is remembered as a classic tale of endurance and leadership in the face of fearful disasters, but to the British public of 1744 it was the treasure of the galleon, triumphantly paraded through the streets of London, which did something to restore national self-esteem battered by an unsuccessful war” (ODNB). The keenly-awaited book became a best-seller, running through numerous editions in its full or abridged form and being translated into several European languages. It is now agreed that the ostensible author, Richard Walter, took the initiative for publishing, gathering names of subscribers and profiting handsomely from it, but that Benjamin Robins completed the editorial task. “It is also clear that Anson himself took a very close interest in the work, which is as a result very complimentary of his actions but provides an interesting insight into his thinking. Walter’s and Robins’s contributions to the work can probably never be completely disentangled, but this should not obscure its continued popularity... It provided the inspiration and the basis for Patrick O’Brian’s popular novel The Golden Ocean (1956), his first sea novel” (op. cit.) Attractive contemporary armorial bookplate of Sir Peter Thompson, verso of the title page. Thompson features on the list of subscribers, and was a “successful and prosperous Hamburg merchant.” (ODNB) According to the Dorset antiquary John Hutchins, he “supplied the want of a liberal education by conversation with men and books” forming a “capital collection of books, manuscripts, fossils, and other literary curiosities.” (Nichols, Literary Anecdotes) He was elected a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries in 1743. On his death in 1770 his library was inherited by his godson, who left it in the house packed up in boxes until 1781, even then the library remained intact until sold by E.H. Evans in 1815. Modern bookplate of Colin Malcolm Paul, Anson’s 6th great nephew to the front free endaper.

In: http://www.peterharringtonbooks.com/stock_42794.asp

Nota do Blogue: Os mais abonados poderão adquirir esta obra. Aqueles como eu terão de se contentar com uma outra edição que não das primeiras, ou lêr um resumo no livro: «Silva, António Marques da – PASSARAM PELA MADEIRA, Colecção «Funchal 500 Anos» nº 7, Empresa Municipal «Funchal 500 Anos», (2008).

O retrato colocado no início desta notícia foi retirado de:

http://www.gradale.com/ansonfamily.htm