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The Right Hon.ble Richard Lord Howe. : Commander in Chief of his Majesty's Fleets in America.

  • ARTIST:

  • PUBLISHER: London, publish's as the Act directs, 10 May, 1778, by John Morris, Rathbone Place.

  • MEDIUM: Mezzotint,

    DATE: 1778.

  • EDITION SIZE: Image size 12 7/8 x 9 3/8" (32.7 x 23.8 cm).

  • DESCRIPTION: Corbutt delint et fecit. Se vend chez G & M Will a Augsbourg. <br><br> One of the most important figures in British naval history, Admiral Richard Howe was Commander-in-Chief of the British fleet in North America. Howe joined the navy at the age of thirteen, and served active duty in the war of Austrian Succession, the Jacobite Rebellion, the Seven Years War and the American Revolution. Upon assuming command of the British Fleet in North America, Howe desperately endeavored to negotiate a peaceful settlement with the colonists by delaying a naval blockade. Despite his sincere efforts to foster a feeling of goodwill with the colonists, the revolution gained ground and the prospect of war became inevitable. Chastised for his lenient methods, Howe was on the brink of resigning his post when France entered the fray. Following his service in North America he commanded the Channel Fleet in the siege of Gibraltar which secured it under British possession. Affectionately nicknamed “Black Dick”, Howe is credited with perfecting the Royal Navy’s signal system.

  • ADDITIONAL INFO:

  • CONDITION: Good condition, wide margins.

  • REFERENCE: "English Mezzotint Portraits and their States," by Charles E. Russell #88I.

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