Sir Home Popham Autograph Letter Signed Mentioning Sir David Baird, 1810
POPHAM, SIR HOME RIGGS (1762–1820). Autograph letter signed “Home Popham,” apparently addressed to a Mr. McDonald at Pall Mall Court. Sunning Hill, June 21, 1810. One page on a single thin sheet, measuring 7½ x 9¼ inches.
Popham acknowledges the recipient’s letter and regrets that he cannot meet Sir David Baird that week because he is unable to leave Sunning Hill. He expects to visit London the following week and promises to advise the recipient when his plans are settled. A contemporary notation at the upper edge reads “Rec’d 22nd,” recording receipt the day after it was written.
The letter provides a personal link between two prominent British commanders. Popham commanded the naval squadron and Baird the land forces during the British capture of the Cape of Good Hope in 1806. Popham was also an important innovator in naval communications; his vocabulary-based signal code was used to transmit Nelson’s celebrated signal at Trafalgar.
Condition: Original folds, light toning and handling soil, with minor creasing and edge wear. Slight darkening along the lower edge. The thin paper shows some ink through from the reverse, but the writing remains clear and legible.
