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.
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. 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.
B. Bloomfield to Sir Charles Hastings, Bt. The Pavilion. 6 April 1821.
Rejoices in 'the satisfactory decision upon the case of your son'.
Loose papers mainly relating to the Kangaroo incident at Jamaica in consequence of which Hastings left the Navy. Former enclosure.
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.
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. n.d. Asks for reconsideration of his case.
Brown mottle, leather spine and corners, bound, handwritten, paginated pp. 1-258+2 sheets inserted and unpaginated.
George Finlay's entry on front flysheet:
'Catalogue of Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Medieval and English coins with some Byzantine Seals and a few Modern Medals, in the possession of George Finlay. Athens, 1864.'
Some loose sheets. A number of detailed notes including Byzantine series+some red ink notes [? sold or donated, e.g. to British Museum]+a few notes on Antiquities (pp. 225-58+4 sides inserted).
Loose sheets with notes on objects purchased by George Finlay.
List of antiquities in the British School at Athens museum
Athens, 31 July 1841. Failure of Cretan insurrection. Criticism of pro-Turk conduct of 'Ponsonby Pasha'. English and French ships assist Cretans to emigrate. Deterioration in Greek political situation; rapacity of Bavarian officials. Civil war or formation of national assembly imminent.
Athens, 27 August 1841. Reasons for failure of Cretan insurrection. Criticism of Mavrocordatos as minister; prevalent anarchy; court and constitutionalists. Story of Mavrocordatos's resignation. French influence in new ministry.
Athens, 19 March 1841. Recall of Mavrocordatos as Foreign Secretary. Unfortunate return of Tricoupi to London. Otho's machinations do not deceive Sir Edmund Lyons (unfinished).
Athens, 5 April 1841. Draws L's attention to Cretan cause; details of Cretan problem. Tricoupi's apparent volte-face; essential changes avoided. Need for Greek and not a European constitution with representative assembly. 'The Greeks may be rogues but they are not fools, the Germans in Greece have been both.'
Athens, 23 April 1837. Thanks for offering to read or publish George Finlay's communication through the Royal Society of Literature. Corrigenda to his notes on topography and inscriptions. Further itineraries in Attica. Tumulus on his property near Aphidna. Hopes to form society like that of Institute at Rome. Appends copies of inscriptions found in Messogeia. With note by Joan Hussey.
Athens, 31 July 1839. Criticism of Otho; constitutional party persecuted by faked attacks on their property; George Finlay has suffered. Ross sends copies of his publication. Forchhammer is here but has 'a fit of Bavarianism'. Scandalous episode when three of Otho's ministers were said to have signed a certificate in 1835 declaring King incapable of governing. This smoothed over but Otho will have to go. George Finlay's historical work moves slowly.
Athens, 30 September 1839. Criticism of difficult postal communications. Encloses French map of most of Attica (incomplete by reason of German 'shabbiness'). Suggests English architect Pennethorne may give Leake levelling and elevation of all buildings on Acropolis. King's fall imminent. Gropius's views on this. Scandalous attitude of Bavarians to building of University by subscription. Generosity of Greeks in Egypt. Otho refuses to subscribe, also his father. Count Saporta sends 14 drachmae which is returned with note saying that it would not cover expenses of inscribing his name and titles on the marble tablet of donors. Deliberate damage to George Finlay's acorn-crop (valonia).
Athens, 22 July 1841. Gratitude for L's efforts on behalf of Cretan cause. Support in Greece but avarice of Hydriot ship owners. Lord Ponsonby's absurd attitude (influenced by Urquhart). Mavrocordatos on the road to ruin. Includes clipping on news in Crete.
Clipping on 'The Recal (sic) of Sir Harry Smith' (previously loose inside Greek, Ionian and Turkish Papers 1862-1863, London)
George Finlay's note on coats of arms (loose in J. A. C. B., Chroniques étrangères . . ., vol. III Paris, 1840).
Visiting card of Mr Bulwer-Lytton (previously loose in E. L. B., Athens and its Rise and Fall . . ., London, 1837).
? to George Finlay. n.d. The Book Club and dispatch of reviews (previously at back of P. Le Bas, Précis d'histoire du Moyen Age . . ., Paris, 1839).
Black cloth, gilt lettering on spine: 'Prehistoric Archaeology I', printed pamphlets bound in with cuttings PP. 1-68+loose quire.
1. Loose press cuttings, handwritten lists, and notes and letters from
T. von Heldreich to George Finlay dated 17 November 1871 on the collection and drawings of stone implements of J. Guido von Gonzenbach of Smyrna (in French, loose, inserted at p. 4). Each 1 p.
2. Nine printed pamphlets on archaeological subjects.
3. Cuttings, pasted up by George Finlay.
4. Letters (4.3)-(4.7) pasted up:
(4.3) F. Keller to George Finlay. Antiquarische Gesellschaft, Zürich, n.d. (inserted with 1869 material).
High level of Swiss lakes caused by rains prevents research on pile dwelling. Political and religious problems of Switzerland. Unfortunate condition of Greece (in German; pasted in at p. 20). 6 pp.
(4.4) F. Keller to George Finlay. Antiquarische Gesellschaft, Zürich, 19 June 1869.
Thanks for copies of George Finlay's pamphlet. Progress of own work (in German; pasted in at p. 20). 4 pp.
(4.5) F. Keller to George Finlay. Antiquarische Gesellschaft, Zürich, 13 August 1869.
Re sale of suspicious Greek coins and vases by a Greek dealer in Switzerland. Meeting with Clark. Recent publications (in German; pasted in at p. 20). 4 pp.
(4.6) F. Imhoof-Blumer to George Finlay. 18 September 1868.
Re dispatch of antique jewellery purchased by George Finlay (in French; pasted in at p. 22). 2 pp.
(4.7) C. Bursian to George Finlay. n.d.
To introduce the archaeologist Dr. H. Heydemann who plans to visit Athens (in German, pasted in at p. 22). 1 p.
(4.8) Misc loose items: press cuttings, calling cards, note by Hussey (found in p22)
5. Loose cuttings and notes. Arranged alphabetically and indexed by George Finlay as follows:
CONTENTS OF THIS VOLUME
Outlines of about 30 specimens of stone implements in the collection of Mr. J. Guido von Gonzenbach of Smyrna. In November 1871 the collection consisted of 118 pieces . . .
Earliest use of the word Ἀστροπελεκι by Anna Comnena . .
. On the worked flints of Pressigny le Grand, by John Evans Esq. On some discoveries of stone implements in Lough Neagh
Alt-helvetische Waffen und Geräthschaften beschrieben von Dr. F. Keller
Ausgrabungen auf dem Uetliberg von Ferdinand Keller
Mittheilungen der Antiquarischen Gesellschaft in Zürich (Mosaikbild von Orbe)
Mittheilungen La Bataille de Granson par Frédéric Du Bois
Παρατηρήσεις ἐπὶ τῆς ἐν Ἐλβετίᾳ καὶ Ἑλλάδι προϊστορικῆς Άρχαιολογίας ὑπò Γεωργíου Φíνλαϋ
Objects found in Greece in the collection of George Finlay
On the analogous forms of Implements among early and primitive races by Hodder M. Westropp Esq. F.A.S.L.
Bronze Etruscan Celts natural size from Mr. Westropp's collection
On the Myrrhine Vases of the Ancients by Hodder M. Westropp Esq.
Plate of relics from Swiss lake dwellings
Letters from Dr. F. Keller with drawings of circular marks on stones Extracts-Stone age in Egypt
Lubbock's Prehistoric Times
King, Precious stones and antique gems Hardness of stones
Review of Darwin On the descent of Man from The Times Extracts from Newspapers
Bronze sword with ivory handle in the collection of Robert Day Jun. Stone implements in Cuba
Border tumuli and Antiquities in Argyleshire The British Association August 7, 1872 Fergusson's Rude Stone Monuments
Athens, 16 December 1836. Itineraries in Attica with topographical and archaeological details: plain of Messogeia to Marathon-Liossia-Oropos, and from Kalamos to Liossia-Decelia-Athens. Possible site of temple of Artemis; Amphiareion; inscriptions; Byzantine and post-Byzantine churches; on the ancient demes (Halimus, Aghios Cosmas, etc.). Notes temple on the hill called Pani above Trachones.
Ross to L. Athens, 20 December 1836. Ross criticizes L's siting of Pythium temple near Oenoe between Eleusis and Marathon; Finlay's views on inscription at Kharvati and possibility of a temple of Athena in neighbourhood (written as an appendix to no. 11).
Sir Edmund Lyons to George Finlay. Athens, 1849.
Sir Edmund Lyons to George Finlay. Undated. Incomplete.
Sir Edmund Lyons to George Finlay. Undated.
[? Green] to George Finlay. Reference to George Finlay's articles in Blackwoods. Sir Edmund Lyons and the Bank.
Thomas Graes to George Finlay. Malta, 11 November (1852). Encloses printed report from Malta Times re George Finlay's paper on 'The last pages of the history of the Last Greek Republic' read to Literary and Scientific Institute of Malta.
Alexander Cochrane, House of Commons, to George Finlay. 23 May 1843. Has given notice of motion on question of Greece in House of Commons; would welcome any further information from George Finlay.
Demetrios Calliphronas to George Finlay: Athens, 15 March 1843. re financial and political weakness of Greece (in Greek).
To George Finlay. n.d. Copy of Greek constitution sent to George Finlay (in Greek).
Greek translation of Earl of Aberdeen's dispatch to Sir Edmund Lyons dated 25 November 1843, printed with two omissions in Parliamentary Papers; correspondence relating to recent events in Greece 1843-4, p. 14, no. 8. (Also extract in English.)
Extract from Lord Aberdeen's instructions to Sir Edmund Lyons, 25 November 1843.
Extract from Lord Aberdeen's private letter to Sir Edmund Lyons dated 6 December 1843.
Note on misleading nature of Sir Edmund Lyons's eulogy of Armansperg's administration in Additional Papers relating to the third instalment of the Greek loan presented to Parliament, August 1836, p. 37.
Miscellaneous newspaper cuttings including biography of Sir Edmund Lyons.
Athens, 20 April 1835. Ross's archaeological activity. Inscriptions found in and near George Finlay's house. Government building in Athens. Col. Gordon is to draw plan of Athens. The Cephissos and the system of irrigation round Athens. George Finlay's views on battle of Marathon and on temple of Egina. Legend of cavern near Kiapha in Morea.
Athens, 26 September 1836. Will attempt to visit Diacria and send itinerary to Oropos and description of plain of Messogeia. Site of Amphiareion and inscription found by George Finlay at Karala. George Finlay seldom visits property at Liossia; unfair taxation on oak-trees and oppression of purchasers of Turkish estates. Folly of failing to use what is in Greece. George Finlay a conservative in Greece. Antiquities suffer same fate as politics. Ross's resignation because he was refused permission to communicate inscriptions before they were published in Athens. No information available on Pittakis's inscriptions; his integrity questioned. George Finlay intends to write history of modern Greece.
Clipping on 'The Caffre War' (previously loose inside Greek, Ionian and Turkish Papers 1862-1863, London)
28 November 1835. Memorandum (sent by courtesy of Sir Edmund Lyons) on George Finlay's itinerary: Loidoriki to Navpactos and Vrachori to Karpenisi. Reference to monastery of Broussa, to list of mountains, and to inscriptions in mosque at Patradjic and Aghios Nikolaos (with copy of inscriptions).
Athens, 28 November 1835. Has sent geographical notes on Aetolia by courtesy of Sir Edmund Lyons. Conjectures whether Vardousi or Ghiona could be identified as Korax. Visit planned to Artotina, Thermos, etc. Gordon winters in Morea and has been succeeded by Pisa. George Finlay cannot visit Acarnania as volunteer as philhellenes are in disrepute and regarded as raving republicans. Armansperg and Frey know nothing of Greek people. Land not cultivated. Essential to establish local government (with sketch map of mountains). With a later note asking if this isn't FIN/GF/B/7/7 displaced in the 'repairing.'
Athens, 18 July 1836. Sends a plan of Hieron of Juno [Temple of Hera] near Mycenae made by Robertson, General Gordon's secretary. Armansperg's plans for reorganizing army. His use of frontier klefts as captains; they now shake hands with A, an honour George Finlay never had, though a major, 'which is not my fault as I have twice sent my resignation which the king will not accept'. Increased taxes and discontented peasantry.
Death notice for Johann Georg Ritter von Hahn (previously loose in H's Alhanesische Studien, Vienna, 1853).