THE BELLEROPHON TABLE MADE OF PART OF GANGWAY OF H.M.S BELLEROPHON ON WHICH BONAPARTE STEPPED WHEN HE SURRENDERED OFF ROCHEFORT 1815 Constructed from the planking of the gangway of the Bellerophon on which Napoleon stood as he announced his surrender, with a three-quarter gallery deeply carved with anthemion and scrolls, around a pine top mitred within an ashwood (?) frame, centred by an inset Napoleon Bonaparte Silver 5 Franc coin (circa 1803-1815) and fronted by a silver rectangular plaque inscribed “MADE OF PART OF GANGWAY OF H.M.S BELLEROPHON ON WHICH BONAPARTE STEPPED WHEN HE SURRENDERED OFF ROCHEFORT 1815 5 FRC PIECE GIVEN BY BONAPARTE TO E SONES”, (indistinct makers mark - possibly W&W, and STG.SI) with three frontal frieze drawers with turned mushroom knobs, on front columnar legs with beaded capitals linked to the rear legs by a concave fronted board 107.5cm wide 67.5cm deep 95.5cm high This lot also includes a print of the table (circa 1909) from a photograph taken by William Keay Latimer (1878-1923), who by 1908 was based in Kirkcaldy, near the Maitland family. Titled: TABLE-TOP MADE OF THE PLANKING OF THE GANGWAY OF THE “BELLEROPHON On which Napoleon stood as he announced his surrender. Statuette carved from the figurehead of the ship for Captain Maitland. Skull of the ship’s goat which supplied Napoleon with milk. By special permission of Mr F Lewis-Maitland of Lindores, Fifeshire Photograph by W. Keay Latimer” 18cm x 20cm Provenance: Rear-Admiral Sir Frederick Lewis Maitland KCB (1777-1839) and thence by descent The “Bellerophon Table” takes the form of a typical late Regency/early Victorian period washstand suggesting the timber from the ship’s gangway was laid aside and used some years later for the construction of this piece. Ref: Wikipedia: Bellerophon Legacy - Some of Bellerophon's timber was bought at auction by George Bellamy, who had been Bellerophon's surgeon at the Nile. Bellamy incorporated them into a cottage he was building at Plymstock. Captain Maitland bought part of her figurehead and some of her stern ornaments, later depositing them in the collections of what eventually became the Royal Naval Museum. The National Maritime Museum holds several relics relating to Bellerophon and the people connected with her, including Captain John Cooke's Dirk, sword and pistol, and a trophy presented to Admiral Pasley by Lloyds of London. Their collections also contain artefacts relating to her connection with Napoleon, including the sofa from Maitland's cabin (see Hansons lot 8), and the skull of a goat which supplied milk for Napoleon and his suite (see Hansons lot 3) The Napoleonic Wars – the culmination of some twenty years of fighting – came to an end on this simple plank. Following negotiations, the arrival of Napoleon on the Bellerophon was somewhat hurried. The brig carrying him to the Bellerophon had the wind in her teeth and made slow progress. Captain Maitland sent First Lieutenant Mott off in the ship’s barge to bring the late Emperor in. It was from this that Napoleon came aboard. Captain was not sure how Napoleon should be greeted. He was no longer head of state, but ought he out of courtesy to be treated as one? The early hour of his arrival – it was between six and seven in the morning – solved this dilemma, as it wasn’t the custom in the Navy to make much display before colours are hoisted at eight in the morning. A guard was drawn-up on the break of the poop, but did not present arms Footnote: STG as a mark on silver is the abbreviation of Sterling and was used in Australia, New Zealand or South Africa. The SI abbreviation is for Silver.
Realised Price: £
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