Autographs
Sandwich ... Anyone? John Montagu 4th Earl of Sandwich American Revolution British First Lord of the Admiralty
JOHN MONTAGU 4th Earl of Sandwich (1718-1792). British First Lord of the Admiralty during the American Revolution (1776-81) and the man for whom the "Sandwich" was named.
March 23, 1743-Dated, Four Large Ornate Decorative Manuscript Indenture Documents for a sale of property on Vellum Sheets, handwritten in ink each measuring about 22" x 30" attached together at bottom, Twice Signed, "Sandwich" (at bottom of the cover, first outer sheet with his Seal and on the back. Also, Signed with Seals by Robert Long and Bayntun Rolf, together with a few additional signatures. Also, this lot includes an additional separate Clipped Signature of Montague, "Sandwich", December 6th, 1777, being Revolutionary War Dated laid onto a slightly larger sheet for prior display. Typical folded large vellum documents for storage, yet being attractive and impressive for display. Here, you receive a Trio of signatures. A nice impressive group of famously signed items. Sandwich... Anyone? (2 items with 3 signatures and 5 sheets).
John Montagu, Earl of Sandwich, took his seat in the House of Lords in 1739. He served as postmaster general (1768"70) and secretary of state for the northern department (1763"65, 1770"71).
In the latter capacity he took a leading part in the prosecution (1763) of John Wilkes, the British politician and agitator, whose friend he once had been, thereby earning the sobriquet of "Jemmy Twitcher," after a treacherous character in John Gay's Beggar's Opera. He also was first lord of the Admiralty (1748"51, 1771"82). During the latter period his critics accused him of using the office to obtain bribes and to distribute political jobs.
His interest in naval affairs and his promotion of exploration led the English explorer Capt. James Cook to name the Sandwich Islands (Hawaii) after him in 1778. His Voyage Round the Mediterranean was published in 1799.
In his private life, Sandwich was a profligate gambler and a rake. The "Sandwich" was named after him; however, the story that ties the origin of the name to a specific incident in 1762 in which Sandwich (according to an account in a French travel book) spent 24 hours at a gaming table without other food is widely thought to be apocryphal.