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.
Greek and Turkish naval resources. Refutes criticisms of the steam vessel Karteria (Perseverance ).
Rules for ricochet firing.
Notes on Greece and naval warfare.
Notebook,
Notes and tables mainly on ranges of shells (in French and English).
Notebook.
Notes and tables on artillery firing (in French).
Notebook.
Details of the rocket system, 1824.
Copied by Hastings with diagrams (source not stated) with his own comments 'between double commas'.
Note by J. (?) MacGregor on old paper enclosure: 'papers in this box appear almost entirely papers by Capt Abney Hastings', 10 December 1892.
H's notes and 4 letters to him mainly on naval tactics and artillery (loose).
Mémoire sur les manœuvres d'une flotte (in French).
Mémoire sur les manœuvres d'une flotte, rough draft (in French).
Manœuvres d'une flotte. On reverse of one plan, 'A son Altesse le Prince Constantin Caranza' (in French, with plans).
Mémoire à servir d'explications des plans pour les manceuvres d'une flotte (in French).
Proposition pour une attaque sur la flotte Turque, redigée par M. Frank Hastings . . . maintenant à la service des Grecs, laquelle il a l'honneur de presenter à Monsieur L'Amiral en chef des armées de mer de Hydra. 1 Mai 1822 à bord la corvette le Θεμηστοκλες (sic) pres de l'ile de Scio.'
Plan and explanation (in French).
Thomas Perronet Thompson (Capt. 17th Lancers) to H. Thompson's Hotel, Cavendish Square, 22 November 1824.
Discusses Greek translators and books on naval tactics.
J. Critchley to H. Nightingale Vale, Woodwich, 24 May 1824. Ordnance recommendations for H's purpose.
Thomas Perronet Thompson to H. 25 Duke Street, Westminster, 10 August 1825. Naval artillery; recent views.
Thomas Perronet Thompson to H. 19 August 1825. Steam vessels and naval artillery.
Liste des Munitions qui se trouvent à bord le batiment National Grec Karteria.
Loutraki à bord la Karteria, 19 April/ 1 Mai 1826 (in French).
Number and nature of Ordnance for each of the ships in H.M.'s Navy.
T. P. Konstantinides, "Τὸ Ἀρχεῖον Ἄστιγγος παρὰ τῇ ἐν Ἀθήναις Ἀγγλικῇ Ἀρχαιολογικῇ Σχολῇ", Ναυτικὴ Ἐπιθεώρησις, pt. 216 (1949), offprint (in Greek).
Volume 1 of George Jarvis, Journal, 2 vols.
Description of MSS. and contents and considerable extracts are published in George Jarvis: His Journal and Related Documents, with introduction, prologues, sequel, and notes, ed. by G. G. Arnakis, with the collaboration of E. Demetracopoulou, Thessalonica, 1965.
Volume 2 of George Jarvis, Journal, 2 vols.
Description of MSS. and contents and considerable extracts are published in George Jarvis: His Journal and Related Documents, with introduction, prologues, sequel, and notes, ed. by G. G. Arnakis, with the collaboration of E. Demetracopoulou, Thessalonica, 1965.
vol. I, pp. 1-368, 1 January 1775-28 June 1782 (short preface on his family and early life, pp. 1-7).
Grey mottle board, leather spine and corners, handwritten, bound.
Volume from the Journal of John Finlay, which is paginated continuously pp. 1-1863. In addition to autobiographical matter the Journal contains many observations on the topography and flowers of England, the Channel Islands, and certain West Indian islands.
vol. II, pp. 369-710, 29 June 1782-22 March 1783, with 6 water-colour and 1 pencil sketches and maps of the Channel Islands + 1 water-colour of ixia bulbocodium and schoenus bound in.
Grey mottle board, leather spine and corners, handwritten, bound.
Volume from the Journal of John Finlay, which is paginated continuously pp. 1-1863. In addition to autobiographical matter the Journal contains many observations on the topography and flowers of England, the Channel Islands, and certain West Indian islands.
vol. III, pp. 711-1080, 24 March 1783-1 November 1786, with 33 loose sketches.
Grey mottle board, leather spine and corners, handwritten, bound.
Volume from the Journal of John Finlay, which is paginated continuously pp. 1-1863. In addition to autobiographical matter the Journal contains many observations on the topography and flowers of England, the Channel Islands, and certain West Indian islands.
vol. IV, pp. 1081-1444, 1 November 1786 (continued)- 15 August 1789, with 1 loose engraving.
Grey mottle board, leather spine and corners, handwritten, bound.
Volume from the Journal of John Finlay, which is paginated continuously pp. 1-1863. In addition to autobiographical matter the Journal contains many observations on the topography and flowers of England, the Channel Islands, and certain West Indian islands.
vol. V, pp. 1445-1788, 17 August 1789-21 April 1791, with 1 water-colour sketch bound in.
Grey mottle board, leather spine and corners, handwritten, bound.
Volume from the Journal of John Finlay, which is paginated continuously pp. 1-1863. In addition to autobiographical matter the Journal contains many observations on the topography and flowers of England, the Channel Islands, and certain West Indian islands.
vol. VI, pp. 1789-1863 (+unpaginated blank), 22 April 1791-5 May 1791, with 1 loose water-colour of plants and 1 loose press cutting.
Grey mottle board, leather spine and corners, handwritten, bound.
Volume from the Journal of John Finlay, which is paginated continuously pp. 1-1863. In addition to autobiographical matter the Journal contains many observations on the topography and flowers of England, the Channel Islands, and certain West Indian islands.
No. 3. 1 April-7 May 1791. From a series of 3 calf-bound notebooks, handwritten, unpaginated, bound, date on front cover, numbers 3-5 (the rest missing).
No. 4. 8 May-1 June 1791. From a series of 3 calf-bound notebooks, handwritten, unpaginated, bound, date on front cover, numbers 3-5 (the rest missing).
No. 5. 1 June 1791-8 January 1792. From a series of 3 calf-bound notebooks, handwritten, unpaginated, bound, date on front cover, numbers 3-5 (the rest missing).
Black board, handwritten, unpaginated, bound. Jottings on expenditure and receipts during 1790 and 1791.
Diary of journey from London via Newcastle and Morpeth to Belford, Scotland, 6 December- 12 December 1796.
Brown suede, 'Letter Book 1798' on spine, handwritten, paginated, pp. 1- 84+blanks, bound. Letter Book, containing drafts of 99 letters from 20 January 1798 to March 1799, mainly official letters concerning his work for the Board of Ordnance as 'Inspector of the Royal Manufacturers of Gunpowder' at Faversham and Waltham Abbey where he was directing 'the Engineer Department'.
17 letters, contract and memorandum, loose.
Memorandum (copy, loose), 29 March 1796, re money owed JF by the Duke of Richmond.
Contract (loose), 4 December 1799, with the Board of Ordnance for dealing with escaping acid of wood at the Royal Gunpowder Works at Faversham. Seventeen letters to his wife Helen 27 June 1799-21 April 1802.
Grey mottle board, handwritten, unpaginated, with 5 loose sheets.
Books FIN/J/12 to FIN/J/15 cover 10 April 1799-20 January 1801 and contain a disjointed mixture of diary, personal accounts, clothes and rations on board, gunnery problems, chemical experiments, and meteorological statistics.
Grey mottle board, handwritten, unpaginated, with some loose sheets.
Books FIN/J/12 to FIN/J/15 cover 10 April 1799-20 January 1801 and contain a disjointed mixture of diary, personal accounts, clothes and rations on board, gunnery problems, chemical experiments, and meteorological statistics.
Grey mottle board, handwritten, unpaginated, with 3 loose sheets.
Books FIN/J/12 to FIN/J/15 cover 10 April 1799-20 January 1801 and contain a disjointed mixture of diary, personal accounts, clothes and rations on board, gunnery problems, chemical experiments, and meteorological statistics.
Grey mottle board, handwritten, unpaginated, with some loose sheets.
Books FIN/J/12 to FIN/J/15 cover 10 April 1799-20 January 1801 and contain a disjointed mixture of diary, personal accounts, clothes and rations on board, gunnery problems, chemical experiments, and meteorological statistics.
Brown calf notebook with clasp, handwritten, unpaginated, bound, much of this is blank.
Random jottings (1799-1801), with 7 sides of diary on journeys to and from Haslemere and London, notes on his work and list of flowers seen en route 17 Apri1-20 April 1801.
Green calf, handwritten, paginated pp. 1-129, the rest blank, bound, with 6 loose sheets.
Inventory and price of furniture and soft furnishings purchased 16 January 1798-22 February 1799. pp. 5-15
Recipes (with 3 cuttings loose at p. 17). pp. 17-18 Experiments (chemical) October 1790-January 1800 (with 2 drawings loose). pp. 31-129
Printed election list of the Royal Society 1799, including Major John Finlay (cutting loose at front).
Red mottle boards, brown calf spine, folder tied sides, top and bottom, containing loose quires and foolscap sheets, handwritten.
Equipment and conduct of certain expeditions to the West Indies.
Copies of reports on various West Indian islands, Buenos Aires, Baldivia, Chilae Islands, Valparaiso, Conception; copies of letters from commanders in the West Indies to ministers in England (ranging from 1771 to 1791).
Folder labelled 'No. 27. Chemistry' containing quires with notes on chemistry paginated pp. 1-62 and pp. 1-27.
Printed list of the members of the Royal Society for 1800 (containing Major John Finlay).
Green mottle boards, brown calf spine, 'Views in the Leeward Islands' on front cover, John Finlay's book plate (coat of arms, 'I'll be wary') inside, bound.
'Views of the Leeward Islands taken in 1790.'
Eight water-colour sketches with description opposite (St. Christophers, Antigua, Dominica, St. Lucia, Grenada).
Sketch book, sewn, 14 sheets.
Water-colour, black and white sketches of West Indies and Channel Islands.
7 loose sheets.
Water-colour, black and white sketches of West Indies and Channel Islands +2 coloured drawings of flowers.