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JOHN FULLERTON : 1815 - 1865 SUPER, ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT DIARY HANDWRITTEN BY ONE OF HIS AND HER MAJESTY NAVY LIEUTENANTS LIVING A LIFE RIGHT OUT OF MASTER AND COMMANDER WITH SENSATIONAL ROYAL NAVY EPHEMERA: THE LT.'S OWN COURT MARTIAL FOR MURDER

Folio - over 12" - 15" tall. On offer is simply superb manuscript of a Royal Navy officer's exploits in the age of "Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World". From the Napoleonic Wars through the rest of the 19th century, Britain ruled the world and her instrument was the Royal Navy. This outstanding manuscript details the service of one officer who sailed to 'the far side of the world' when the Royal Navy ruled the world's seas. The manuscript is 176 pages in length and is 100% complete. All pages are typed so legibility is total. Pages are 8 1/24 by 14 inches. The pages are in excellent condition. They are enclosed in a hard cardboard folder. There are several other papers with the manuscript including one of note that will be elaborated on below. John Fullerton joined the Royal Navy as a midshipman in May, 1815 at 12 years of age. He began his service on HMS Larne, a 20 gun corvette. Four days in, he saw his first punishment: "... four dozen lashes, the first punishment I had ever seen and I never yet met the person who could look upon the infliction without a shudder" [p1]. From that rather grim introduction, he went on to serve in a series of HM ships and travelled the world. He describes his rite of passage when he first crossed the equator on Oct 11th, 1819: "... All those who have not been across the Line now go below and the hatchways are guarded ... and one at a time blindfolded, brought up, taken to the chair, through a line of people who ... "[p. 6]. He had plenty of adventures. Once, after becoming acquainted with a woman in Rio de Janeiro, he met a man as he left her home. After exchanging greetings: "... he politely put a knife into my left side and left it there. I gave him an equal portion of my sword and retreated to the ship hospital ...." [p11]. With his friend Hack Hawthorn, a Wild Middy [p11], he often got into scrapes including one where he and some friends faced off with a Portuguese military street patrol: "... Our swords out, and in less than three minutes had possion of their muskets and bayonets, but obliged to decamp on board. ... Jack generally got those who went on shore with him into similar scrapes." [p.12]. In 1821, he was commissioned a Lieutenant. His manuscript is rich in observations of places he travelled to and people he met. He mentions a collision with HMS Revolutionaire which was under command of the son of the great Royal Navy Captain, Edward Pellew. [p24] His descriptions are rich in detail: "I accompanied some Chilinoes to a fair in the country, and races many tents with refreshments and dancing, people from all parts of the country flocked, and a very animated scene it was, fair damsels under charge of their sweethearts or lovers and sprightly dame with her shadow, not husband, he playing the tender to some other man's wife" [p77]. He also keeps a constant mention of other ships they meet or travel with which provides a first-rate way of cross-referencing other ship's records. On Sept 9th, 1827, Fullerton, along with some other officers, attended the theatre in Valparaiso, Chile. He goes into a dispute with a Chilean sergeant, which continued to escalate until he shot and killed the sergeant. After a bloody fight in the lounge area of the theatre, he escaped wounded to his ship. In reprisal, English officers ashore were rounded up and imprisoned. A week later, he surrendered to authorities and a jailed until a Spanish court-martial could be convened. At length, he was acquitted. What makes this account so historically interesting is that included with the manuscript, is the typed statement of the British Consul, John White, who acted in his defense. The 13 page document is typed on 8 1/2 inch by 14 inch paper and is in excellent condition. It begins: "John White Esq, Consul of His Britannic Majesty, counsel for Lieutenant John Fullarton, Royal Navy accused of having killed Sergeant Jose Maria Minos, present the following to the court in justification of the act committed by the said officer ..." [p1]. The defense makes for fascinating reading. It is accompanied by a 46 page packet containing 8 pages of handwritten notes which were part of the original draft. For a naval historian, this is an outstanding description of service in the Royal Navy, written by an officer with a keen eye for descriptive detail. Written at a time when the Royal Navy truly ruled the oceans of the world, it is a treasure trove for information. Whether ship locations, customs in foreign lands or life on board, it is an outstanding primary source document. The court-martial defense is an excellent example of litigation argument in the early 19th century. It touches on key aspects of self-defense argument that forms the basis for the common law that governs millions of people today. A legal scholar or historian would follow John White's arguments with interest and pleasure.. Illustr.: /. Manuscript. Book Condition: Very Good+

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