What is this old document about?

Question

It is written by my g.grandfather [x4] but I have no idea what he is talking abt?

http://homepage.mac.com/rjdinger/MARTINWeb/Ramsgate.html

Answer 1

If I were you I would contact the National Archives in London I anm pretty certain they will be able to identify the document.

Hope  this helps.

Answer 2

Too cool.  People already have said what it is concerning.

A lady asked a few days ago, about how to know what is true about ancestors, and what is just exaggerations in the family.  This is a wonderful example of how "in depth" things about your family can be found.  

Answer 3

He apparently holds some type of public office, and someone has publicly accused him of lying about his past naval service (something that must have been important in getting him appointed or elected to his current position).  He says that if these accusations had only affected him personally, he would have addressed this with the individual.  But since the accusations might affect the whole town's confidence in his integrity and his ability to serve the community, he is responding to the accusations publicly.  Then he goes on to list his past service record, and gets some of his former commanders to vouch for his service.

Hmmm... politics haven't changed much, have they?  :)

Answer 4

He has had printed what appears to be a broadside ( a poster for placement throughout an area) to refute false remarks he feels have been made and which he thinks hurt the reputation of the town by the spread of the falsehoods.

He cites his own accomplishments and accommodations, for his good character, heroism, and promotions, as refutation of remarks which apparently he feels have called his good character into question. He is definitely of the upper class, or at least, the upper middle class.

Answer 5

He was a ship Captain at first,  with unrestricted license (a Master Mariner) in Ramsgate, East Kent, England . Later was the commander of some mail /postal ships (packer, packet, sailing packet) . Here he seems too be responsible or commander of Ramsgate Royal's Harbour  (the port Master). A Kennett Beecham Martin  Born 3 Aug 1788  in Dover, Kent results a Ramgate port master  from 1836 until his death in 1859.

In the document he makes reference to the fact that someone has heavily criticized him (through an article on a newspaper and badmouthing) probably saying something bad about his past, or decision skills or braveness, saying that this was the reason he was not defending enough the interests of Ramsgate and its royal harbour.

Your ancestor had also scienntific correspondence with Sir John F. W Herschel, a famous astronomer, and one of his letters is now in Harvard (see here and search for his name: http://oasis.lib.harvard.edu/oasis/deliv... ).

Was not part of the Gentry, but for sure an high level public officer