[Admiral of the Fleet James Gambier, distinguished Royal Navy officer.] Navy Office document, signed by Gambier, John Henslow and Charles Hope, querying an account submitted by ‘Captain Stanhope / late of L’Achille’.

See Gambier’s entry in the Oxford DNB. He served during capture of Charleston during American Revolutionary War, at the Glorious First of June, and commanded at Battle of Copenhagen and Battle of the Basque Roads. He was First Naval Lord, three times: 1795-1801, 1804-6 and 1807-8. Henslow was Surveyor to the Navy, 1784-1806, and Hope was Deputy Comptroller of the Navy, 1795-1801. According to one source, HMS Achille was ‘commissioned under Captain Sir Henry Stanhope [later Admiral Sir Henry Edwyn Stanhope (1754-1814)] in June 1798 while fitting out was ongoing [...] In April 1799, Captain Stanhope was replaced in command by Captain George Murray’. 1p, folio. On brittle and lightly-browned laid paper. The document is in fair condition, apart from at the head, which is worn and heavily chipped, with closed tears, repaired with archival tape. Addressed at head from ‘Navy Office 20th March 1799.’ Folded five times into package. Written in a secretary’s hand and signed at bottom right ‘C Hope. / J Hemslow / J: Gambier’, and addressed at bottom left to ‘Captain Stanhope / late of L’Achille’. The document (rather a stern letter for ‘affectionate friends’ to write) reads: ‘The Officers of Portsmouth Yard having transmitted us an Account of the Articles in the Boatswain’s Expence Book of His Majesty’s Ship [added here: ‘Achille late’] under your command, which were thought to be an extraordinary demand in so short a time after having said to have been recently completed. We herewith transmit you a reply of the same, and acquaint you it will be an objection to the passing your Accounts, unless you can give us satisfactory reasons for so extraordinary an expenditure. / We are, / Sir, / Your affectionate friends / C Hope. / J Henslow / J: Gambier’.