[British coastal defence in the Napoleonic Wars.] Manuscript document giving itemised daily and yearly expenditure at twelve coastal military establishments (forts and castles).

An interesting document, neatly laid out in black with red underlining on both sides of 29 x 42 cm leaf. Painted in black lengthwise near one edge is ‘Winchelsea / 1805’, and 1805 would be a good year for the document’s composition, with Britain fighting the Napoleonic Wars and in the midst of invasion fears around the time of the Battle of Trafalgar. 2pp, large folio. On thick laid paper watermarked either ‘VI’ or ‘IV’ (depending on which side you look from). In fair condition, on aged and worn paper, with closed tears and one nick (not affecting text) along central horizontal fold. On one side are entries for six of the twelve establishments: ‘Jersey’; ‘Landguard Fort’; ‘St. Maws’; ‘Pendennis Castle’; ‘Plymouth and St: Nicholas Island’; ‘Portland Castle’. On the other side are the other six: ‘Gravesend and Tilbury’; ‘Guernsey’; ‘Hull and the Blockhouse’ (the North Blockhouse was demolished in 1801, but had been disused for some time); ‘Hurst Castle’; ‘Holy Island’; ‘Inverness’. The entry for ‘Plymouth and St: Nicholas Island’ is typical, giving daily and yearly expenditure for ‘Governor’ (£1289 2s 6d per year), ‘Lieutenant Governor’ (£182 10s 0d per year), ‘Fort Major’, ‘Chaplain’ (£121 13s 4d), ‘Two Master Gunners - each 2s’ and ‘Eighteen other Gunners - each 1s’. The yearly expenditure is £2067 15s 10d. Interesting features are £40 per annum ‘For Repairs of the King’s House’ at Pendennis Castle, a ‘Porter’ and ‘Under Porter’ at Portland Castle, a ‘Town Major’ and ‘Surgeon’ at Hull and the Blockhouse, and at Inverness a ‘Governor who is also Governor of Fort Augustus’, ‘Surgeon to the Garrison & Barracks of Bernera &c’ and ‘Highland Gally’. See photograph of Page 1.