Charles Miller Ltd
Lot 53
A VERY RARE AND FINELY PRESERVED UNION FLAG FLOWN FROM THE JACK STAFF OF H.M.S. SPARTIATE AT THE BATTLE OF TRAFALGAR, 21ST OCTOBER, 1805, comprising thirty-one hand-stitched bunting panels with canvas sleeve and lanyard - 88 x 140in. (223.5 x 355.5cm.), Provenance: James Clephan and thence by descent. Capt. James Clephan R.N. (1768-1851) was born in Fife and spent his early years as an apprentice weaver. As the industrial revolution took pace, this became an increasingly precarious occupation and several thousand Scottish domestic loom weavers were rapidly overwhelmed by new factories. The loss of the American market in 1776 only exacerbated the situation and Clephan started to dabble as a merchant seaman to make ends meet. It was in this capacity that he was impressed into the Royal Navy (who naturally preferred seasoned men where possible) on the 23rd July, 1794 at the age of 26. Beginning as an AB (able bodied) 2nd Class Mate aboard the Sibyl (26) he then made 2nd Class Gunners Mate on the Doris (36) and Masters Mate, 10th October 1796. He rose to Midshipman on 7th January 1801, being made a Lieutenant on 31st July 1801 for distinguishing himself in the successful cutting out of the Chevrette at Brest: Under a hail of grape and musket shot, the boats of Doris, Beaulieu and Uranie boarded her. Despite being wounded and knocked overboard, Clephan was still the first man to reach the enemy`s deck. On his promotion Admiral Cornwallis said ..you well deserve your promotion; few officers have earned it so hardly. Assigned to the 90-gun Namur he served as her 2nd Lientenant until the Peace of Amiens in April 1802. Taking the opportunity to marry during this brief interval, in March 1803 Clephan was reassigned the lieutenancy aboard the Spartiate under Captain Francis Laforey, where he remained until December 1809. At the battle of Trafalgar Clephan`s courage was recognised once again and he was promoted to First Lieutenant immediately after the battle. The crew, honouring one of "their own", paid him the highest compliment they could and presented him with this Union Flag, which quite possibly had been stitched by them on board. In 1811 he followed Laforey, who seems to have been his sponsor and perhaps mentor, to the Dragon (74) and in April was promoted to Commander to the sloop Charybdis in which he captured two American vessels, the brig William Rathbone and the privateer Blockade in 1813. In 1814-15 he participated in the expedition against New Orleans and, on its failure, conveyed the dispatches. In August 1815, with the Peace, he was paid off at Deptford and placed on half pay. Retiring in 1840 with the rank of Captain, he lived in Edinburgh where he died on 28th January 1851 at the age of 83. During the twenty-two years the Napoleonic Wars lasted, it is estimated that around 600,000 seaman served the Royal Navy, of which considerable numbers were impressed..
