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1785 Engraved Portrait British Admiral Lord Rodney

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles Start Price:180.00 USD Estimated At:260.00 - 300.00 USD
1785 Engraved Portrait British Admiral Lord Rodney
American Revolution
1785 Engraved Portrait of British Admiral Lord Rodney
December 8, 1785-Dated, Engraved Portrait of British Admiral Lord Rodney, Historic Revolutionary War Era Military Figure, Published by John Fielding, London,1785, Choice Crisp Mint.
This original print measures 7.5” x 4.5” being a Plate or Frontispiece from a period British magazine. George Brydges Rodney (1718 - 1792), he is best known for his commands in the American War of Independence, particularly his victory over the French at the Battle of the Saintes in 1782. It is often claimed that he was the commander to have pioneered the tactic of "breaking the line". A beautiful, exceptional quality, engraved portrait of Lord Rodney.
George Brydges Rodney, 1st Baron Rodney, (1718 – 1792) was a British Naval Officer. He is best known for his commands in the American Revolutionary War of Independence, particularly his victory over the French at the Battle of the Saintes in 1782. It is often claimed that he was the commander to have pioneered the tactic of "breaking the line".

Rodney came from a distinguished but poor background, and went to sea at the age of fourteen. His first major action was the Second Battle of Cape Finisterre in 1747. He made a large amount of prize money during the 1740s, allowing him to purchase a large country estate and a seat in the House of Commons of Great Britain. During the Seven Years' War Rodney was involved in a number of amphibious operations such as the raids on Rochefort and Le Harvre and the Siege of Louisbourg. He became well-known for his role in the capture of Martinique in 1762. Following the Peace of Paris, Rodney's financial situation stagnated. He spent large sums of money pursuing his political ambitions. By 1774 he had run up large debts and was forced to flee Britain to avoid his creditors. He ended up imprisoned in a French Jail, where he was when war was declared in 1778. Thanks to a benefactor, Rodney was able to secure his release and returned to Britain where he was appointed to a new command. (From Wikipedia)

Rodney successfully relieved Gibraltar, then under siege, defeating a Spanish fleet during the Moonlight Battle. He then proceeded to the West Indies where he became involved in a controversial Capture of Sint Eustatius in 1781. Later that year he briefly returned home suffering from ill health and during his absence the British lost the crucial Battle of the Chesapeake leading to the surrender at Yorktown.

To some Rodney was a controversial figure, accused of an obsession with prize money and nepotism. This was brought to a head in the wake of his taking of Sint Eustasisas for which he was heavily criticised in Britain. Orders for his recall had been sent when Rodney won a decisive victory at the Battle of the Saintes in April 1782, ending the French threat to Jamaica. On his return to Britain, Rodney was made a peer and was awarded an annual pension of £2,000. He lived in retirement until his death in 1792