[Admiral Sir William Sidney Smith; Ordre de Temple; Slavery; French Freemason] Two Manuscripts, one Holograph, relating to Admiral William Sidney Smith's involvement with the (French) Ordre de Temple (see Notes)..

See John Barrow, The LIfe and Correpondence of Admiral Sir William Sidney Smith, Chapter XIII, pp.406-424 (Knights Templars etc.). ITEM 1: Holograph, one page, 18 x 23cms, aged but good condition double column, some additions and corrections, apparently a draft for a formal document giving details concerning the distinctions of Wiliiam Sidney Smith in both English and French as follows: The undersigned Sir William Sidney Smith Admiral of the Blue Squadron of His Britannic Majesty's Fleet, Knight Grand Prior of the Antient and most noble Order of the Temple, Commander Grand Cross of the Royal Military Orders of the Sword of Sweden, The Tower and Sword of Portugal, of Saint Ferdinand and Merit of Sicily and of the Antient Nobility of the Four Emperors of Germany, Commander of the Most Honorable Order of the Bath [Knight] of the Crescent of the Ottoman Porte, Knight of the Lion of Holstein, Doctor of Laws of the Univerities of Oxford and Cambridge, Fellow of the Royal Society of London and President of the Knights Liberators of the Slaves of Africa Declares that all persons are bound to respect these prents the same being lawfully issued under and by virtue of the said Order of the Temple. | Given at Paris the 8th Nisan 705 (20th March 1823) | [Masonic symbol] f. Gulielmus Anglicanus [sketch of a seal]. This runs parallel to a translation into French. ITEM 2: One page, 12mo, Nisan 1823, printed heading Ordre du Temple, brief note with subscription and name I can't fathom (SEE Image), text as follows: Laissez entrer Monsieur Le Grand Sieur d'Angleterre, Chevr. Sir Sydney Smith. From the archive of Richard Bentley & Son, material about Smith accumulated for John Barrow's biography. Notes: a. The Knights Liberators of the Slaves in Africa was a knightly order founded by British Admiral Sir Sidney Smith around 1815, though it was more of a philanthropic and political campaign than a formal military order. Its stated goal was to end the enslavement of Europeans captured by Barbary corsairs and to publicize the cause of ending slavery more broadly in Africa. Smith used the organization and related events, such as a banquet at the Congress of Vienna, to bring attention to the issue and propose international action. [AI]; b. Smith had managed to run up significant debts through his diplomatic expenses, which the British government proved to be very slow in reimbursing. He also lived the high life and his efforts to mobilise opinion against the slave trade had cost a good deal of money. In Britain, at that time debtors were often imprisoned until their debts were paid, so Smith moved his family to France, settling in Paris. Eventually the government did reimburse his expenditures and increased his pension, allowing him to live in some style. Despite frequent attempts to obtain a seagoing position, he was never to hold a command again. He died on 26 May 1840 of a stroke. He is buried with his wife in P?re Lachaise Cemetery.