Lot 3510

Description

Historic letter, handwritten in ink, sent from Andw. Lang Selkirk on 6 June 1814 to William Borthwick, East Lothian Bank, Dunbar offering support for a bank agency application by Mr Mungo Park, octagonal red handstamp 7/1814. One small torn piece, otherwise very fine for period.

The East Lothian Banking Company was founded in Dunbar, Scotland on 1 January 1810. In 1822 its cashier, William Borthwick (see outside of letter) absconded with most of the bank’s cash and bills resulting in the closure of the bank. He was later arrested in South America but there is some debate as to whether he ever stood trial. Alexander Park (line 2 of letter), born 1773, was the brother of the famous explorer, Mungo Park (see letter), the Scottish doctor and explorer who died in Africa while seeking the source of the Niger River. Alexander was a Writer of the Signet (solicitor) and agent for Alexander Selkirk (letter writer). This Selkirk was of the same family as Alexander Selkirk who, 130 years before, had been marooned on Juan Fernandez Island off South America and was the model for Daniel Defoe’s character, Robinson Crusoe. With research notes.