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. Gropius to George Finlay. 17 October 1836. Proposes to visit George Finlay with Prince Pückler.
Psyllas to George Finlay. Athens, 3/15 November 1836. Sends lists of Greek studying abroad.
George Finlay to Museum of Natural History. Athens, 1/13 December 1836 (incomplete). Re fossil bones found near Pikermi and site of ancient Brauron and Persian arrowheads found in Attica. Offer made to Society's museum.
Maurer to George Finlay. 10 January 1837. Critical remarks re Rudhart and Armansperg. Palmerston's anger (in French). [Note added by George Finlay: 'This letter was sent by Mr. Maurer. Mr. Herzog, Professor of Roman Law at Athens brought it and received it from Mr. Weissenberg.']
James Robertson to George Finlay. Argos, 19 January 1837. Favourable comments on George Finlay's pamphlet on government of Greece exposing blunders of 'our successive rulers'. Had not expected such moderation. Comparison with Thiersch's book.
Thomas Gordon to George Finlay. Argos, 20 January 1837. Favourable comments on George Finlay's book. Asks for political news from Athens.
Sir Edmund Lyons to George Finlay. 29 January 1837. Requests George Finlay to read enclosed papers before they are sent to England.
The Revd. John Henry Hill to George Finlay. 25 February 1837. Favourable criticism of George Finlay's 'pamphlet'.
Joanna Baillie to Mrs. MacGregor (George Finlay's mother), Everton, Liverpool. Hampstead, 21 November 1837. Expresses gratitude for George Finlay's work on Greece.
Sir Edmund Lyons to George Finlay. 16 March 1838. Comments on King Otho's decision to keep Bavarian officers and civilians another year in Greece.
Rollin to George Finlay. Paris, 29 May 1838. Information re coins.
Thomas Gordon to George Finlay. Argos, 1 June 1838. Unwillingness to print George Finlay's Oropia together with his Thermopylae. Reflections on Ctesias' account of Cyrus. With letter added by James Robertson re crops on their property and Bank in Athens.
Lord Prudhoe to George Finlay, Athens. Malta, 7 July 1838. Thanks for cast of Gropius's 'little figure' offered by George Finlay. Requests information on excavations at Leuctra by Lord Haddo and other Englishmen.
George Anderson to George Finlay. Free Church House, Helensburgh, 27 September 1839. Letter introducing Mr. Agnew. Appreciation of George Finlay's work.
Charles-Félix-Marie Texier to George Finlay. Paris, 5 April 1843. Arrival of marbles from Magnesia prevents T from meeting George Finlay.
Marochetti to George Finlay. 21 April 1843. Desire to meet George Finlay and Mrs. F. Sends tickets for an exhibition of paintings and sculpture (in French).
Marochetti to George Finlay. Vaux, Seine-et-Oise, 22 April 1843. Pleasure of their visit (in French).
The Earl of Dundonald (Cochrane) to T. Bannister and the latter's reply (extract, copy only). 25 May 1843.
Lord D recounts his misfortunes. He cannot recollect from whom B received his appointment. (Extract.)
B replies that his commission as Major was signed by Lord D thus: 'Cochrane'.
T. Brown to George Finlay. London, 13 September 1843. Difficulty of obtaining dissertations.
A. Miaoulis to George Finlay. Piraeus, 19 July 1844. Sends good wishes to George Finlay in case he does not see him; is unexpectedly sailing this evening for Poros and thence to Toulon. Will execute any commissions for George Finlay if he writes at once to Poros. Regrets leaving Greece at this point and asks George Finlay to send him news (in German, Gothic script).
Edwin Chadwick to C. H. Bracebridge (forwarded to George Finlay with a note by B). 5 August 1844. Suggestions re water supply of Athens. With an old paper enclosure.
Julius Millingen to George Finlay. Pera, 7 September (?) 1844. Thanks George Finlay for his Greece under the Romans. Present state of Greece; Serbians more sensible.
Bernard Bauer to George Finlay. Athens, 20 February 1845. Asks George Finlay to lend him Leake's book on Athens for M. de Bruce (in French).
Jean-Alexandre Buchon to George Finlay. Paris, 16 April 1845. Re B's publication on Frankish principality of the Morea. Discovery in Brussels of important MS. relating to the Morea (in French).
J. de Cigalla to George Finlay. Thera, 28 May 1845. Requests letter of recommendation to George Finlay's relatives at Constantinople, to use when visiting Constantinople and Vlachia (in Greek). With an old paper enclosure.
Adolphe Nast to George Finlay. Athens, 4/16 July 1845. Offer to sell Bibliotheca Historica in 22 vols. at reasonable price (in French).
J. de Cigalla to George Finlay. Santorini, 8/20 July 1845. Thanks for George Finlay's letter of recommendation (in French).
Jean-Alexandre Buchon to George Finlay. 17 July 1845. Re B's work on Greece from the thirteenth to fifteenth centuries. Refers to George Finlay's work on Turkish conquest of Morea (in French). Also drawing, newspaper cutting and loose note. With an old paper enclosure.
George Finlay to Sir Edmund Lyons. Athens, 26 July 1845. Note of expenses of different camps in Greek army (regulars and irregulars); list with details enclosed, letter in duplicate.
The Revd. Jonas H. King to George Finlay. 18 August 1845. Information on American Missionary Schools in Greece 1828-37. With an older paper enclosure.
Sir Edmund Lyons to George Finlay. Athens, 19 August 1845. Queries re accounts.
A. J. Kriezis to George Finlay. Athens, 6/18 May 1846. Invitation to meet Queen (in French).
? to George Finlay. 29 July 1847. Recommending servant to George Finlay (in French).
Demetrios Kalliphronas to George Finlay. 27 September 1847. Re postponement of meeting of city council (in Greek).
A. J. Kriezis to George Finlay. 19 July 1848. Re payment of rent for George Finlay's house (in Greek).
A. Schwab to George Finlay. Syra, 28 May 1849. Gratitude for George Finlay's hospitality in Athens (in French).
James Finlay to George Finlay. Glasgow, 16 October 1849. To introduce the Revd. John Anderson and Mr. James Stewart.
Col. William Mure to George Finlay. 20 November 1849. Introducing Mr. Allan Gilmour who is visiting Athens.
G. Muir to George Finlay. Malta, 24 November 1849. Acknowledges George Finlay's pamphlet on steam navigation in Mediterranean.
George Finlay to Editor of The Times. Athens, 28 March 1850. Statement in support of George Finlay's claim to indemnity from the Greek government for land taken possession of in 1836.
Allan Gilmour to George Finlay. Malta, 29 March 1850. Returns sketch map of Attica (21 x 32 cm).
Louisa Hay Kerr to George Finlay. In quarantine off Syra, 30 October 1850. Plans history on Greece since 1825. Anxious for publication of George Finlay's work on Trebizond. Regrets unable to visit Athens this winter.
Louisa Hay Kerr to Mrs. F. Hopes she will persuade George Finlay to publish work on Trebizond. Enclosed with FIN/B/6/53.
Jacob P. Fallmerayer to George Finlay. Munich, 13 March 1851. Apologies for delay in reply to George Finlay's letter of 12 August 1850, due to travel, illness, and other hindrances. His pleasant experiences in Athens, Trebizond, and Colchis now blotted out by unfortunate political condition of Germany .and merged into the melancholy remembrances of a lost paradise. Discusses scenes decorating 'the monastic church' and their dissimilarity with the court style of the Comneni at Trebizond. His sketch of the portrait of the imperial founder of the St. Dionysios monastery on the Holy Mountain (Athos). Refers to his other work on Trebizond and regrets lack of interest in this in Germany (in German, Gothic script).
The Revd. W. Palmer to George Finlay. Mr. Bruno's Lodgings, 4 May 1851. Returns books. Includes Palmer's visiting card.
Edward Masson to George Finlay. Holywood by Belfast, 4 July 1851. Invitation to stay before returning to Greece. Local news. Is preparing for press his Horae Hellenicae or Elements of Greek Dialectology, Ancient and Modern.
James Thrupp to George Finlay. 2 Park Place, Bath, 28 July 1851. Introduces T's nephew Frank Thrupp.
N. Hill to George Finlay. 4 St. Martin's Place, London, 2 September 1851. Will forward recent Transactions and Proceedings of the [Royal] Society [of Literature]. Regrets George Finlay's absence from recent meetings.
N. Hill to George Finlay. London, 3 September 1851. Has received news of George Finlay's box of books.
N. Hill to George Finlay. London, 8 September 1851. re Annual Reports of the Society requested by George Finlay.