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.
Enrolment of George Finlay into the Civil Academy of Göttingen (4 May 1822).
Notice of award by King Otho of the Silver Cross for services in the war (24 May 1842).
Notice of award by King Otho of the Gold Cross of Knight of the Order of the Redeemer of Greece (10 June 1837).
Diploma of the Society of Natural History (in Greek) (1 April 1836).
Election to Corresponding Membership of the lnstituto di Correspondenza Archeologica di Roma (9 December 1839).
Enclosed-letter of the Editor of the Society (3 March 1838) and letter of the same (22 February 1840).
Diploma as member of the Archaeological Society at Athens (1 September 1838).
Diploma as member of the American Antiquarian Society (23 October 1838).
George Finlay elected as member of the Provincial Council of Attica by the Demarch of Athens (7 December 1841).
Election as Corresponding Member of the Greek Archaeological Society (6 July 1848).
Honorary Membership of the Royal Society of Literature (London). (Enclosed-letter from the Secretary of 6 July 1856.)
Diploma of recognition from the University of Athens (25 June 1856).
Diploma of Hon. Membership of St. Petersburg Imperial Academy (29 December 1856).
(Enclosed-letter from the Secretary of Hon. Membership of St. Petersburg Imperial Academy (10 January 1866) ; letter of George Finlay to the Secretary (10 February 1866).
Letter of George Finlay to the Secretary of Hon. Membership of St. Petersburg Imperial Academy (23 June 1866) reply of the Secretary (24 August 1866).)
(in envelope) Diploma to George Finlay at Athens as Ehrenmitglieder der Gesellschaft für vaterländische Alterthümer in Zürich.
Letter from the Greek Secretary of State regarding George Finlay's resignation from the Greek Army (2 June 1837).
Letter from the President of the Greek Archaeological Soc. (Mr. Nomikos) to George Finlay (15 July 1851).
Letter from the Ephor of the National Library to George Finlay (16 October 1871).
Letter from the Ephor of the National Library to George Finlay (2 October 1872).
Letter from the Prytanis of the National University to George Finlay (5 October 1872).
Letter from A. C. lonides to George Finlay (undated).
Letter from Ph. Roques to George Finlay re the award of the Croix d'Or (undated).
Letter from H. D. Leeves to George Finlay (undated).
Invitation from M. and Mme. Photiades to Mr. and Mrs. George Finlay (13 September 1862).
Invitation from the Minister of War to George Finlay (15 December 1862).
Invitation to a lecture at the Archaeological Society, 28 May 1869
Miscellaneous Photographs (in envelope)
Ὲσπέρα Πέμπτης. Ο Αστιγξ προς τον τομπαζην
Long black circular tin case. Black tin case containing diploma conferring LL.D. Edinburgh on George Finlay 6 May 1854.
Loose sheets kept rolled up 62 cm long. Miscellaneous large prints from the Finlay Papers
View of the Great Exhibition Building-coloured lithograph (London, 1851).
The Palace of Westminster (Lithograph).
Portrait of Demetrios Mavromichalis (Lithograph). With an illegible handwritten note in French.
Portrait of ? Queen Amalia (Lithograph).
Ground plan of the actual state of the Temple of Minerva at Athens-by George Knowles 1846. With handwritten note: 'To George Finlay Esqr with GK's compts.'
[Antiquities of] Ionia, Part 3, Chapter 1, Plate II-the ancient city of Cnidus (from a sketch by Sir William Gell, etching by W. J. Cooke).
[Antiquities of] Ionia, Part 3, Chapter 1, Plate III-view taken from the upper theatre at Cnidus (etched by W. J. Cooke).
Document-'zur Erinnerung an die Wiedergeburt HELLAS und die Thronbesteigung Königs OTTO I'.
'HULDIGUNG an Seine Majestat Otto den Ersten ...von M. G. Saphir' (with portrait of Otho).
Notices of awards, visiting cards, letter
12 Visiting cards + 14 loose press cuttings.
Diploma of Membership of lnstituto di Corrispondenza Archeologica Roma (4 March 1838) (in Italian).
Notice of award of Croix d'Or for services rendered to Greece 'en votre qualité de Philhellène' by the King (Athens 3/15 June 1837) (in French).
Notice of award of Silver Cross for military service during the War of Revolution (Athens 14/26 February 1836) (in Greek).
Letter from the Ephor of the National Library and the Numismatic Museum of Greece thanking George Finlay for copy of B. Brue's journal on the campaign of Ali Pacha (Athens 21 March 1870) (in Greek).
Loose cuttings. Miscellaneous newspaper cuttings (mostly from The Times, 1852, 1854, 1856).
Green mottle boards, faded navy cloth spine, paginated, pp.1- 186, bound.
Newspaper cuttings pasted in+some loose more or less arranged under subjects but not indexed by George Finlay.
England, mostly reviews of historical works from The Times in the 60s.
Ireland, Canada, India.
Biographical works and obituary notices, e.g. Joseph Hume 1855, Sir James Brooke 1868.
Parliamentary reforms 1852, 1859, 1967 (Globe, The Times).
Alabama question (The Times).
Abyssinia, 1867, 1868.
See also FIN/GF/A/12/5 [R. 8.35] Modern Scraps.
Loose cuttings. Press cuttings (loose) relative to the Abyssinian campaign of 1867, affairs in Europe and Napoleon III. Also a written list.
Loose cuttings. Miscellaneous collection of press cuttings, dating from 1845 to 1873, covering a wide range, e.g. Scottish affairs, the Nile, the Navy, etc. Also 3 handwritten notes and 1 bill.
Black, worn black calf spine, printed book.
G. Finlay, The Communications between Europe and India through Egypt, considered in relation to the political and commercial interests of Great Britain and the policy of France (London, Smith Elder and Co., 65 Cornhill, 1846), pp. 1-73.
And some loose newspaper cuttings and handwritten jottings.
Vellum covers, broken spine, paginated, pp. 1-63+ 1-67, bound.
Commonplace Book
Poetical quotations at one end, some handwritten; some cuttings pasted in; some loose sheets with George Finlay's jottings+ loose press cuttings.
Extracts at the other end, including newspaper cuttings, anecdotes, etc., and material relating to Bentham.
First entry date January 1829 and the last 1874.