John Jervis (later Admiral Earl of St. Vincent) Signed Naval Certificate and Autograph Letter from Midshipman William Allway
A rare, early Royal Navy document featuring the signature of John Jervis—later Admiral Earl of St. Vincent—alongside a manuscript letter from a young officer, all preserved on a single original sheet of correspondence. One folded sheet, measuring approx. 9" x 15", handwritten on three panels.
On the front panel is a formal certificate, presumably in Jervis' hand, dated 14 April 1761, stating that Mr. William Allway served as a Midshipman aboard His Majesty’s Ship Gosport from November 22, 1760, until the date of issue. Jervis attests that Allway "behaved himself with Sobriety, Care, and Diligence... and in my Opinion is a person fitly qualified for performing his Duty as an Officer in His Majesty’s Navy." Signed boldly: Jervis (then Captain of HMS Gosport, later First Lord of the Admiralty and a towering figure in British naval history).
On the reverse side, dated May 22, 1761, is a handwritten letter from William Allway to his father, reporting that he has successfully passed his officer examination and sent along the certificate. He notes his ship's arrival at Sheerness and asks for any further updates to be sent there.
The sheet is addressed to Mr. Allway in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, with a clear circular postal stamp dated “23 MA.” Wax seal removed, old folds and minor wear/stains consistent with age and use, thin strip of old mounting adhesive along fold.
A remarkable survival connecting one of the Royal Navy’s most celebrated figures with a junior officer candidate, all on one integral document. Early signed items from Jervis’s pre-Admiralty years are exceptionally uncommon. Protected in an archival sleeve.
