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.
(Attic above) Philippe Le Bas to George Finlay. 26 October 1842. Is sending his book Monuments d'Antiquité figurée . . . de Morée, Paris, 1837 to George Finlay and to Col. Leake (in French; letter attached to front flyleaf).
Aubrey de Vere to George Finlay [24 August 1843]. Sends George Finlay copy of his book The Waldenses . . ., Oxford, 1842 (letter attached to front flyleaf of his book).
The Revd. Henry D. Leeves to George Finlay. Sends new Greek translation of the New Testament by N. Bambas, assisted by C. Nicolaides and L (stuck on front of Ἡ Καινὴ Διαθήκη . . ., Athens, 1844).
Sir Charles Fellows to George Finlay. London, July 1844. To introduce the Revd. G. S. Cantley who is visiting Greece (letter attached to front flyleaf of C. F., Travels and Researches in Asia Minor . . ., London, 1852).
Ludwig Ross to George Finlay. 17 December 1844. Asks to borrow vol. 1 of Spon's book on Athens (stuck on front flyleafof J. Spon and G. Wheler, Voyage d'ltalie, de Dalmatie, de Grèce . . ., vol. 1, Amsterdam, 1679).
Population, Statistics, Taxation in G. Britain and Ireland
T. Hayes to George Finlay. Liverpool Courier Office, 3 April 1845. Acknowledges justice of George Finlay's accusation of plagiarism against H. W. Dewhurst but begs him to let matter drop (letter stuck on front flyleaf of Young, Criticism on the Elegy . . . of Gray, 2nd edn., Edinburgh, 1810. Newspaper cuttings of Dewhurst's lecture at end of book).
Newspaper clipping on Analytical Lecture on Gray's Elegy, 29 Jan, 1845 (letter stuck on front flyleaf of Young, Criticism on the Elegy . . . of Gray, 2nd edn., Edinburgh, 1810. Newspaper cuttings of Dewhurst's lecture at end of book).
John Robert Steuart to George Finlay. Naples, 9 March 1846. Presents George Finlay with his book on ancient monuments and recommends the bearer Tomaso Paxos to him (stuck on front flyleaf of J. R. S., Description of Some Ancient Monuments . . . in Lydia and Phrygia, London, 1842).
P. Griffith to George Finlay. Athens, 6 November 1846. Request for loan of book on sport (previously loose in The Sportsman's Directory, London, 1838).
David Finlay to George Finlay. H.M. Ship Rodney, Piraeus, 12 April 1847. Hopes to meet George Finlay (stuck on front flyleaf of Alexander Finlay, Letters on a Journey to Bombay . . . in 1834-5, printed privately, 1837).
Newspaper clipping concerning a bank robbery (previously loose in Alexander Finlay, Letters on a Journey to Bombay . . . in 1834-5, printed privately, 1837).
John Stuart Blackie to George Finlay. University, Edinburgh, 17 January 1848. Discusses Greek and British policy. Personal news; his work on Homer ; the university of Edinburgh (stuck on front flyleaf of J. S. B., Homer and the Iliad, vol. 1, Edinburgh, 1866).
Louis Lacroix to George Finlay. 21 April 1848. Discusses loan of 'mémoires' (bound at front of L. Lacroix, Recherches sur la religion des Romains . . ., Paris, 1846).
Jean-Alexandre Buchon to George Finlay. Paris, 17 August 1849. On Greek political situation and B's desire for a constitutional and independent Greece (in French, stuck on front flyleaf of J. A. C. B., Chroniques étrangères . . ., Paris, 1840).
George Finlay's note on coats of arms (loose in J. A. C. B., Chroniques étrangères . . ., vol. III Paris, 1840).
George Finlay to the Revd. Josiah Forshall, British Museum. Athens, 16 December 1850. Suggests purchase of rare Athenian coin by B.M.; sends a cast (stuck on front flyleaf of William M. Leake, Numismatica Hellenica . . ., London, 1856).
Edward Hawkins to George Finlay. British Museum, London, 15 January 1851. B.M. would like the Athenian decadrachm but thinks price excessive (previously on front fly leaf of William M. Leake, Numismatica Hellenica . . ., London, 1856).
N. Hill to George Finlay. Royal Society of Literature, London, 1 March 1852. Has sent specified numbers of Society's Proceedings, with 2 maps and papers in Transactions (stuck on front flyleafof H. F. Clinton, Fasti Hellenici . . ., vol. 2, Oxford, 1834).