[Royal Military College, Sandhurst, 1840.] Certificate of Morton Grove Mansel, signed by Sir George Scovell, Gov.; Thomas William Taylor, Lt Gov.; Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge; Sir Thomas Bradford; Sir William Henry Clinton; Sir John Gardiner.

A large, attractive printed certificate, somewhat in the style of an early Victorian public notice, with heavily leaded font. Printed in black on one side of a 32 x 41 cm piece of cream vellum paper. Discoloured and ruckled from having been rolled up, but in good overall condition, and highly suitable (once flattened out) for framing. At bottom left, signatures of six ‘Commissioners, and Members of the Board’, one above the other: ‘Adolphus Fieldmarshal / W. H. Clinton / Thomas Bradford A Gnl / J Gardiner DAG / G Scovell Govr. M. Genl. / T W Taylor Col: Lt Governor’. These are Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge (1774-1850); Sir George Scovell (1774-1861), Governor; Maj.-Gen. Thomas William Taylor (1782-1854), Lt Governor; Sir Thomas Bradford (1777-1853); Sir William Henry Clinton (1769-1846); Lt-Gen. Sir John Gardiner (1777-1851). All but Taylor and Gardiner have entries in the Oxford DNB. These two have obituaries in the Gentleman’s Magazine, in March 1854 and October 1851 respectively. The recipient, Morton Grove Mansel (1823-1859), Lieut. 10th Foot, features in Burke’s peerage as a member of the family ‘Mansel-Pleydell of Whatcombe’. Reads (with manuscript additions in square brackets): ‘ROYAL MILITARY COLLEGE. / At a Collegiate Board, held for the Half Yearly Public Examinations, on the [4th & 5th] of [Novr.] 18[40.] / GENTLEMAN CADET [Morton G. Mansel] being qualified, according to the prescribed Rules of the Royal Military College, to hold a Commission in Her Majesty’s Service, and having accordingly, on passing Six Public Examinations, been recommended for the same, and having, over and above the required Qualifications, made such further Progress in his Studies as, by the Rules of the Establishment, entitles him to a Certificate recording the SPECIAL APPROBATION of the Commissioner; We, the Commissioners, and Members of the Board, are of opinion that Gentleman Cadet [Morton G. Mansel] is worthy of this honorable Distinction, and do grant him our Certificate accordingly.’