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.
Admiralty Commission of Hastings as Lieut. Commander of the surveying vessel Kangaroo. 23 January 1819.
Admiralty Commission ordering Hastings to proceed to Port Royal in the Kangaroo under orders of Rear-Admiral Sir Home Popham. 20 April 1819.
Rear-Admiral Sir Home Popham to Hastings. Admiral's Office, Pen, 20 June 1819. Requests H to present an account of his conduct towards Captain Parker of the Iphigeneia. 1 p.
[In the harbour of Port Royal, Jamaica, the Commander of the Flagship alleged that H (then in command of the Kangaroo) had overlaid his anchor, and shouted at him that he was 'a damned lubber'. H then challenged him to a duel, and was subsequently dismissed the service.]
J. A. Letheridge to Hastings. Admirals Pen, 21 June 1819.
Instructs H to present himself to Commodore Sir George Collier on board the Tartar.
Rear-Admiral Sir Home Popham to Hastings, Port Royal. H.M.S. Sybille, Port Royal, 21 June 1819.
Re Hastings's refusal to answer questions at the Court of Inquiry.
Hastings to Sir George Collier. n.d.
Asks for passage home on board the Tartar (incomplete draft).
Sir George Collier to Hastings. Kingston, 24 June 1819. Refuses passage.
Hastings to Sir Home Popham. n.d. Incomplete draft.
Hastings to Sir Home Popham. n.d. Incomplete draft.
Hastings to the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty. Port Royal, 24 June 1819. Gives full account of the incident and reasons for his conduct.
Sir Home Popham to H. 27 June 1819. Reproves H.
Copy of verbal message by Sir Thomas Cochrane for Captain Parker and taken down by Mr. Webb for Mr. Hastings. n.d.
Hastings to the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty. 16 Chapel Place, Cavendish Square, 7 September 1819.
Announces his arrival in England and gives full account of the incident at Port Royal.
Hastings to the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty. 16 Chapel Place, Cavendish Square, 7 September 1819.
Announces his arrival in England and gives full account of the incident at Port Royal.
J. W. Croker to Hastings. Admiralty Office, 9 September 1819.
Acknowledges H's statement; announces his removal from the List of Officers of H.M.'s Navy.
Hastings to the Rt. Hon. Viscount Melville. 16 Chapel Place, Cavendish Square, 10 September 1819.
Offers an explanation of the incident.
Hastings to his father General Sir Charles Hastings, Bt. 16 Chapel Place, Cavendish Square, n.d.
Offers an explanation of the incident. (unfinished).
Hastings to [? Lord Melville]. n.d. Offers an explanation of the incident. (unfinished).
Lord Melville to General Sir Charles Hastings, Bt. Melville Castle, Edinburgh, 19 August 1819.
Acknowledges letter of the 12 August; has had official report re the challenge sent to the Captain of the Flagship.
Lord Melville to General Sir Charles Hastings, Bt. Grieff, 26 September 1819.
Can give no kind of assurance re possibility of his son's restoration to the naval service.
Hastings to Lord Melville. n.d.
Draft of an explanatory letter.
Hastings to the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty. n.d. Draft of an explanatory letter. 8 pp.
Hastings to the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty. Part of draft letter. 3 pp.
Hastings to Rear-Admiral Sir Home Popham. Willesley Hall, Atherstone, 16 February 1820.
Gratitude for Popham's assistance. 1p.
Testimonial to Hasting's character from the Captain of the Malabar. 19 September 1819. 1 p.
Hastings to Lord Melville. Thompson's Hotel, Hobbes Street, Cavendish Square, 20 January 1821.
Gratitude for his assistance; encloses memorandum and certificate ( ? no. 27 above). p.
Hastings to the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty. n.d. Asks for reconsideration of his case.
B. Bloomfield to Sir Charles Hastings, Bt. The Pavilion. 6 April 1821.
Rejoices in 'the satisfactory decision upon the case of your son'.
Hastings' drafts of 4 letters (n.d.) from 13 Chapel Place, Cavendish Square, concerning his possible appointment as Commander of a steam vessel in the service of the Greeks; discussion of artillery equipment. Loose.
Drafts of letter (n.d.) from 13 Chapel Place, Cavendish Square, concerning his possible appointment as Commander of a steam vessel in the service of the Greeks; discussion of artillery equipment
Drafts of letter (n.d.) from 13 Chapel Place, Cavendish Square, concerning his possible appointment as Commander of a steam vessel in the service of the Greeks; discussion of artillery equipment
Drafts of letter (n.d.) from 13 Chapel Place, Cavendish Square, concerning his possible appointment as Commander of a steam vessel in the service of the Greeks; discussion of artillery equipment
Drafts of letter (n.d.) from 13 Chapel Place, Cavendish Square, concerning his possible appointment as Commander of a steam vessel in the service of the Greeks; discussion of artillery equipment
7 letters from Hastings to the Greek government.
Hastings to [? the Greek government], Athens. 18/31 March 1824.
Need for the formation of a Greek navy; urges the use of steam vessels (in French).
Hastings to the Greek government. April 1824.
Need for a good Greek military system; minimum requisites (in French).
Hastings to the Greek local government at Idra. Napoli de Romanie, 12 June N.S. 1824.
On the defence of Hydra (in French).
Hastings to [the Greek local government at Idra]. Napoli de Romanie, 25 June/7 July 1824.
Urges use of steam vessel (in French).
Hastings to [the Greek local government at Idra]. Acoudhena, 27 June/9 July [?1824]. Need for a corps of artillery (in French, unfinished).
Hastings to the Corps Exécutif. Napoli de Romanie, 26 July 1824.
Need for a quick reply concerning steam vessel, in view of his imminent departure for England (in French).
Hastings to [the Greek local government at ldra]. n.d.
Discussion on artillery; refers to an earlier letter on this (in French).
Five letters from Edward Ellice, M.P., Chairman of the Greek Committee in London to Captain Hastings, London. Includes an annotated paper enclosure from the 20th century that predates the Hussey catalogue.
1 March 1825. Letter from Edward Ellice, M.P., Chairman of the Greek Committee in London to Captain Hastings, London. Discusses the provision of the steam vessel and H is offered the command.
14 June (1825). Letter from E. Ellice, M.P., Chairman of the Greek Committee in London to Captain Hastings, London. Discusses the provision of the steam vessel and H is offered the command.
25 July 1825. Letter from E. Ellice, M.P., Chairman of the Greek Committee in London to Captain Hastings, London. Discusses the provision of the steam vessel and H is offered the command.
8 August 1825. Letter from E. Ellice, M.P., Chairman of the Greek Committee in London to Captain Hastings, London. Discusses the provision of the steam vessel and H is offered the command.
n.d. Letter from E. Ellice, M.P., Chairman of the Greek Committee in London to Captain Hastings, London. Discusses the provision of the steam vessel and H is offered the command.
Contract between Hastings and Hofaker re use of Hofaker's incendiary cannon balls for the Greek navy.
Correspondence with the Hydriot and Spetsiot Government
Hastings to the primates of Idra and Spetsai. Karteria, Napoli, 19 October 1826. Refutes complaints that the Karteria is still inactive. He will sail when ready; the primates do not understand the art of naval warfare (in French).