- fine liner on mountboard / 420 x 594 mm
Captain Ashmead was my Great, Great, Great, Great, Great, Great, Great, Great Uncle. The name ‘Ashmead’ has been in my family for many generations and it is my middle name. This illustration depicts a battle known as 'The Flight of the Ranger' which is when Asmead’s fleet ‘The Bombay Marine’ was unexpectedly attacked by the Indian Marhatta at sunrise on Tuesday 8th April 1783. These blood thirsty mercenaries ruthlessly tried to loot and plunder Captain Ashmead’s ship. He was stabbed in shoulder by a sword, his hand sliced by a bayonet and shot in the lung & spleen by musket fire. However, Ashmead and the ‘Rangers’ crew held the enemy off and he made a miraculous full recovery. It is uncertain when he died but what is certain from diaries and documents written about him is that he was a brave and noble man. The gold sword which features in the illustration was presented to him after this battle for his gallant defence of the Ranger.
