About the George Finlay Papers
The George Finlay Papers contain materials created by and related to the British Historian and Philhellene George Finlay, his father John Finlay, Greek-American Philhellene George Jarvis, and British Philhellene Captain Frank Abney Hastings, dating from 1791 to 1949. Most of the collection consists of George Finlay’s meticulous records of his travels, personal and official correspondence, his personal expenditures, copious memoranda on strategy and on military and political organisation, journal entries, maps, facetiae, scrapbooks, personal notes on people—Greeks and others—and on revolutionary events, newspaper cuttings mainly on Greece and international affairs, as well as Finlay’s original manuscripts of the History of the Greek Revolution (1861) as well as corrected proofs of Finlay’s other published works.
Also included are the papers of Finlay’s father, John, two journals of Greek American philhellene, George Jarvis, and those of Finlay’s fellow British philhellene, Captain Frank Abney Hastings. The Hastings papers, which Finlay purchased in 1830, include personal and official correspondence, ship’s logs, notes that he took on board or ashore, as well as memoranda on strategy and on the naval organisation of the revolutionary forces. Collectively, these records reveal a great deal about the character, motivations, ideas, as well as the military and political judgements of these British individuals, as well as of many others, both British and Greek, with whom they interacted during the Greek War of Independence as well as many of Finlay's other interests, such as Classical and Byzantine history, natural history and politics.
G. C. Bolanachi to George Finlay. Geneva, 12 February 1869. Sends him a copy of the first part of his Précis de l'histoire de Crete . . ., Paris, 1869 (in French, bound into the volume).
G. C. Bolanachi to George Finlay. Geneva, 12 February 1869. Thanks George Finlay for brochure; sends second part of his book on Crete (in French, bound into the volume).
Sir John Lubbock to George Finlay. 15 Lombard St., London, 28 November 1871. Thanks for prehistoric specimens; sends his paper on 'Relationship'; asks George Finlay for communication for Anthropological Institute (previously stuck on front flyleaf of J. L., Prehistoric Times . . ., London, 1865).
Visiting card of Professor Donaldson (stuck on front pastedown of T. L. D., Architectura numismatica . . ., London, 1859).
Professor T. L. Donaldson to George Finlay. 21 Upper Bedford Place, Russell Square, London, March 1872. : To introduce the geologist Professor Ansted, who is visiting Athens (stuck on front flyleaf of T. L. D., Architectura numismatica . . ., London, 1859).
News clipping on Antiquities in Cyprus, The Times, 14 Dec 1872 (loose in Charles Thomas Newton, Travels and Discoveries in the Levant, vol. 1, London, 1865).
Stephanos A. Koumanoudes to George Finlay. Athens, 8 June 1872. Asks for George Finlay's comments on K's sepulchral inscriptions (in French, stuck on front flyleaf Ἀττικῆς Ἐπιγραφαὶ Επιτύμβιοι, Athens, 1871).
Samuel P. Oliver to George Finlay. Hotel d'Angleterre, 1 November 1872. On possibility of purchasing collection of bronze and stone implements from Mesolonghi. George Finlay's advice sought (stuck on front flyleaf of S. P. Oliver, Madagascar . . ., London, n.d.).
Samuel P. Oliver to George Finlay. Hotel d'Angleterre, 5 November 1872. On possibility of purchasing collection of bronze and stone implements from Mesolonghi. George Finlay's advice sought (stuck on front flyleaf of S. P. Oliver, Madagascar . . ., London, n.d.).
H. Carter to George Finlay. 28 September 1872. To introduce archaeologist Captain Oliver (stuck on front flyleaf of S. P. Oliver, Madagascar . . .).
George Bancroft to George Finlay. Athens, 23 November 1872. Returns a book lent by George Finlay (previously stuck on front flyleaf of G. B., History of the United States . . ., vol. 1, Boston, 1854). Envelope to George Finlay stuck on inside cover and George Bancroft's visiting card loose.
Achille Postolacca to George Finlay. Athens, 12/24 December 1872. Thanks for George Finlay's review of his work (in French, stuck on front flyleaf of A. P. Κατáλογος τῶν ἀρχαíων Νομισμάτων vol. 1, Athens, 1872, with note by George Finlay of various journals in which the review appeared).
George W. Cox to George Finlay. The Knoll, Farnborough, Hants, 4 December 1873. Friend of E. A. Freeman; sends George Finlay his Tales of Ancient Greece, London, 1872, and asks if any prospect of translating it into Greek. Would like to settle in Greece (stuck on front flyleaf of C's book) [cf. above, p. 89, B/6/179
Sir George Ferguson Bowen to George Finlay. n.d. Thanks George Finlay for his book; offers to be his cicerone in Corfu ; sends copy of his recently published pamphlet (stuck on front flyleaf of G. F. Bowen, Mount Athos, Thessaly, and Epirus . . ., London, 1852.
Christos Nikolaides Philadelpheus to George Finlay. n.d. [1843?]. Asks to borrow George Finlay's copy of Ἐλληνομνημων, 1843 (in French, attached to front flyleaf of this book).
Wilfred S. Blunt to George Finlay. n.d. Apologizes for mislaying book lent him by George Finlay (stuck on front flyleafof J. H. C. Schubert, Pausaniae Descriptio Graeciae, vol. i, 1853, with note by Blunt 'In payment of a bad debt').
n.d. Note by George Finlay on Carlos Troya, Della condizione de' Romani vinti da' Longobardi . . ., Naples, 1841 (loose in T's book).
News clipping on publication of catalogue for Exhibition of 1851 (previously loose in Official Catalogue of the Great Exhibition . . ., London, 1851).
Personal advertisements section, The Times, 1984 (previously loose in Official Catalogue of the Great Exhibition . . ., London, 1851,).
William Mure to George Finlay. n.d. Apologies for altering date of meeting with George Finlay (attached to front flyleaf of William Mure, Journal of a Tour in Greece . . ., vol. l , London, 1842). Visiting card of Col. Mure pasted on front pastedown.
Newspaper clipping on discovery of a catacomb on island of Milos (stuck on front flyleaf of L. R., Reisen auf den griechischen Inseln . . ., vol. l, Stuttgart, 1840).
Mrs. C. Lenormant to George Finlay. n.d. Visiting card with compliments of the deceased author's wife (stuck on front flyleaf of C. L., Commentaire sur le Cratyle de Platon, Athens, 1861).
Mrs. C. Lenormant to George Finlay. n.d. Note with compliments of the deceased author's wife(stuck on front flyleaf of C. L., Commentaire sur le Cratyle de Platon, Athens, 1861).
Miss F. Lenormant to George Finlay. n.d. Note with compliments of the deceased author's daughter (stuck on front flyleaf of C. L., Commentaire sur le Cratyle de Platon, Athens, 1861).
Carl Boetticher to George Finlay, Athens. Berlin, 1 July 1862. Thanks George Finlay for hospitality; his archaeological work; he is not persona grata to the Athenians. (in French; previously loose in front of C. Boetticher, Der Baumkultus der Hellenen, Berlin, 1856).