Guide to the Papers of Admiral Sir George Seymour (as filmed by the AJCP)

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M1543 - M1547

National Library of Australia View Catalogue Record

Created: 2019

Collection Summary

Creator
Seymour, George, Sir, Admiral
Title
Papers of Admiral Sir George Seymour (as filmed by the AJCP)
Date Range
17 March 1834 - 17 March 1866
Collection Number
M1543 - M1547
Extent
65 items
Language of Materials
English
Repository
Australian Joint Copying Project
Sponsor
The Australian Joint Copying Project (AJCP) online portal was created with the assistance of the Australian Public Service Modernisation Fund, 2017-2020. The National Library of Australia gratefully acknowledges the contribution of the other foundation AJCP partners, the State Library of New South Wales and The National Archives of the UK, and all other organisations which supported the work of the AJCP, the world's most extensive collaborative copying project, operating from 1948 to 1997.

Introduction

Scope and Contents

Journals, diaries, order books, memoranda, letter-books and family correspondence mainly referring to naval and political events in the Pacific 1844-1848, in particular Anglo-French relations in Tahiti and the Sandwich Islands and the possible annexation of the Sandwich Islands by the United States. Correspondents include Sir George and Lady Seymour, Francis Seymour, Lord Haddington, General W. Miller and Queen Pomare.

There are also several letters 1859-1860 of Frederick Seymour describing life on the Australian Station, politics in Victoria, and the war against the Maoris.

Conditions Governing Access

Available for Access.

Conditions Governing Use

Many of the records digitised as part of the AJCP are still in copyright. Readers wishing to publish or reproduce documents should seek permission, in the first instance, from the owner of the original material.

Preferred Citation

Acknowledgement of use of this material should refer to the location of the original material and to the Australian Joint Copying Project.

Items from this collection should include references to the location of the original material and to the AJCP nla.obj number, which serves as the online identifier for the digital copy.

Example: M Series: Journal of Capt. James Cook, 18 February 1770, British Library Add. MS 27885 (AJCP ref: http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-1234)

Archival History

Material selectively filmed at the Warwick Record Office, Warwick, as part of the Australian Joint Copying Project, 1980 (AJCP Reels: M1543-M1547). Original microfilm digitised as part of the AJCP Online Delivery Project, 2017-2020.

Existence and Location of Originals

Warwickshire County Record Office, Priory Park, Cape Road, Warwick, England.

Collection Reference: CR 114A. For more information see the catalogue 'Warwickshire's Past Unlocked' [http://archivesunlocked.warwickshire.gov.uk/calmview/]

Existence and Location of Copies

The original AJCP microfilm of the records filmed from this collection is available at the National Library of Australia [https://nla.gov.au/nla.cat-vn2257823] as well as other institutions holding AJCP microfilm.

Finding-aid Notes

This finding aid is a revised online version of the original finding aid prepared by the Australian Joint Copying Project (AJCP), published by the National Library of Australia in 2019. The original AJCP finding aids were unpublished typescripts or photocopies available from libraries that held copies of the original microfilm.

Dates used in this finding aid refer to the date range of the records selected for filming rather than to the date range of the Series or Files.

Subjects

Australia; Baillie-Hamilton, Thomas, 9th Earl of Haddington; French in the Pacific; Great Britain; Hawaii: annexation; Miller, William, Gen.; Naval officers; New Zealand; New Zealand Wars; Pomare, Queen of Tahiti; Royal Navy: Australian Station; Royal Navy: Pacific Station; Seymour, Francis, 5th Marquess of Hertford; Seymour, Georgiana, Lady; Seymour, Sir Frederick Beauchamp, 1st Baron Alcester; Seymour, Sir George, Admiral; Tahiti; United States of America; Victoria: politics and government

Bibliography

Originally cited in Australian Joint Copying Project Handbook. Part 8: Miscellaneous (M) Series. Third Edition, published 1998. Entry 411, p160. [http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-397322928]

Biographical / Historical

Admiral Sir George Francis Seymour (1787-1870). Grandson of the 1st Marquis of Hertford. Entered Royal Navy 1797, Lieutenant 1804, Captain 1806. Commanded ships in the Mediterranean and West Indies 1806-1815. Wounded at the battle of St. Domingo 1806. Sergeant-at-arms at the House of Lords 1818-1841, Master of robes to William IV 1830-1837. Knighted 1831. Promoted to Rear-Admiral 1841, a Lord of the Admiralty 1841-1844. Commander-in-Chief of the Pacific Station 1844-1848. Promoted to Vice-Admiral 1850, Commander-in-Chief of the North American and West Indies Station 1851-1853, Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth, 1856-1859, Admiral 1857, Admiral of the Fleet 1866. Married Georgiana, daughter of Sir George Berkely.

Francis George Hugh Seymour (1812-1884), 5th Marquis of Hertford (succeeded his cousin 1870). Eldest son of Sir George Seymour. Equerry to the Prince Consort and Groom-in-Waiting to Queen Victoria, Lord Chamberlain 1874-1879.

Vice-Admiral Henry George Seymour (1818-1869). Second son of Sir George Seymour. M.P. for Co. Antrim.

Admiral Sir Frederick Beauchamp Paget Seymour (1821-1895), 1st Baron Alcester (created 1882). Nephew to Sir George Seymour. Entered the Royal Navy 1834, Lieutenant 1842, flag-lieutenant to Sir George Seymour in the Pacific 1844-1847, commander 1847. Commanded the Pelorus on the Australian Station 1857-1863 and the naval brigade in New Zealand 1860-1861. Promoted to Rear-Admiral 1870, a Lord of the Admiralty 1872-1874, 1883-1885, Commander-in-Chief of the Channel Fleet 1874-1877, Vice Admiral 1876, Commander-in-Chief of the Mediterranean Station 1880-1883, Admiral 1882.

Item Descriptions

Series. Seymour of Ragley Papers, 17 March 1834 - 13 March 1866

65 items

Filmed Selectively

Archival History

Originally filmed on AJCP Reels M1543-M1547.

Biographical / Historical

Admiral Sir George Francis Seymour (1787-1870), Commander-in-Chief, Pacific Station, 1844-1848

Subseries. Papers of Admiral Sir George Francis Seymour, 16 March 1840 - 23 November 1850

17 items

Archival History

Originally filmed on AJCP reels M1543-M1547.

Sir George Seymour's private diaries (5 volumes), 1844 - 1848 (File 374)
Source book for information about places in the Pacific and the Pacific coasts of North and South America, c. 1847 (File 411)
Journal as Commander-in-Chief of the Pacific Station, (2 volumes), 14 May 1844 - 23 March 1847 (File 412)
Signal log of H.M. ships on the Pacific Station, 21 July 1844 - 8 July 1848 (File 413)
Special order books, (2 volumes), 25 May 1844 - 29 January 1848 (File 414)
Squadron letterbooks, (2 volumes), 24 December 1844 - 9 July 1848 (File 415)
Official letterbooks, (2 volumes), 14 May 1844 - 9 July 1848 (File 416)
Miscellaneous letterbooks, (2 volumes), 26 July 1844 - 8 July 1848 (File 417)
Private letterbooks, (4 volumes), 19 September 1844 - 23 November 1850 (File 418)
Rough notebook, 1844 - 1846 (File 419)
Miscellaneous memoranda, c.1837-1847 (File 420)

Including cypher received 1847, abstract of papers received, notes on court martials, comments on Lord Aberdeen'a instructions to consuls, abstract of papers concerning the French at Papete, abstract of General Miller's replies to 27 Hawaiian resolutions submitted to him in 1847, abstract on Captain Blake and Mr Wyllie at Sandwich Islands

Accounts and notes of visits and plans in the Pacific Station and on the east coast of South America, 1845 - 1848 (File 421)
'Memorandum on difficulties which occurred relative to the appropriation of the ships under my command during the first six months after my arrival in the Pacific', c. 1846 (File 422A)
Chart: 'Track of Sir G.F. Seymour to and from N. America in 1840' (File 422B)
Letterbook, 16 March 1840 - 3 June 1846 (File 508/4)
Letterbook, 8 June 1846 - 12 July 1849 (File 508/5)
Letters of Francis Seymour, eldest son of Sir George Seymour, 17 January 1844 - 10 April 1844 (File 512/1)
4 items

Filmed selectively.

Francis Seymour to Sir George Seymour, 17 January 1844 (Item)

His reaction to news Sir George will be away for 3 years; prestige of Pacific Station; possibility of Henry being posted to South America

Francis Seymour to Sir George Seymour, 11 March 1844 (Item)

Difficul of decision to accept Pacific post; his mother's low spirits.

Francis Seymour to Sir George Seymour, 23 March 1844 (Item)

Sir George's engagement of officers; possibility of rendez-vous with Henry at Cape Verde.

Francis Seymour to Sir George Seymour, 10 April 1844 (Item)

Views on his mother and sister accompanying Sir George to Pacific.

Subseries 513/1. Letters of Henry Seymour, second son of Sir George Seymour, 17 March 1834 - 1 November 1843

2 items

Filmed selectively.

Archival History

Originally filmed on AJCP reel M1547.

Henry Seymour (Rio de Janeiro) to Sir George Seymour, 17 March 1834 (File)

Voyage of Conway to Pacific; expects to meet Beagle at Falkland Islands.

Henry Seymour (Malacca Straits) to Sir George Seymour, 1 November 1843 (File)

Journey to Siac (Sumatra) to recover convicts held by Rajah; condition of ship.

Subseries 525. Letters of Frederick Beauchamp Seymour, nephew of Sir George Seymour, 22 May 1860 - 22 January 1862

4 items

Filmed selectively.

Archival History

Originally filmed on AJCP reel M1547.

Frederick B. Seymour (Wellington) to Sir George Seymour, 22 May 1860 (File 525/1)

Maori War; his prospects in Pacific.

Frederick B. Seymour (Waitara, N.Z.) to Sir George Seymour, 28 June 1860 (File)

Loring has appealed against handing the station over to Seymour; Maori War.

Frederick B. Seymour (Waitara, N.Z.) to Sir George Seymour, 6 September 1860 (File)

Campaign against Maoris.

Frederick B. Seymour (Melbourne) to Sir George Seymour, 22 January 1862 (File 525/2)

Prospect of war with United States; defence of Port Jackson; arrival of Russian ship Svetlana.

Subseries 526. Miscellaneous family letters, 30 April 1845 - 2 April 1852

14 items

Filmed selectively.

Archival History

Originally filmed on AJCP reel M1547.

Henry Seymour to Sir George Seymour, 30 April 1845 (File 526/2)

Hopes to be allowed to join Sir George; experimental squadron to be commanded by Hyde Parker.

Francis Seymour to Sir George Seymour, 29 July 1845 (File)

Sir George's actions in Tahiti; his hands tied by home Government.

Francis Seymour to Sir George Seymour, 7 November 1845 (File)

Sir George's actions in Tahiti; Admiralty approves his conduct.

Francis Seymour to Sir George Seymour, 31 March 1846 (File)

Refers to Henry sailing for Sydney with Governor Sir Charles FitzRoy and family on board.

Francis Seymour to Sir George Seymour, 25 November 1845 (File 526/3)

News of another disaster in New Zealand; Sir George's loan of a ship to Governor Robert FitzRoy.

Francis Seymour to Sir George Seymour, 10 January 1846 - 20 January 1846 (File)

Henry pleased with his ship Carysfort; FitzRoys have asked him to take them to Sydney; refers to Sir George returning to Tahiti with powers to resist French.

Francis Seymour to Sir George Seymour, 16 May 1846 (File)

Views of Lord Aberdeen and Sir Robert Peel on Sir George's actions in Tahiti.

Sir George Seymour to Francis Seymour, 6 June 1846 (File)

Mexican War; future of Sandwich Islands; weakness of Britain in Pacific; United States and France exploiting Britain's inoffensive policy. (incomplete)

Francis Seymour to Sir George Seymour, 30 July 1846 (File)

Conduct of Captain. Gordon; frigate Constance.

Francis Seymour to Sir George Seymour, 16 January 1847 (File)

Sandwich Islands a hornet's next; Government hopes to get Guizot to sign a treaty on Tahiti; Lord Palmerston acknowledges Sir George has done all a man could do.

Henry Seymour to Sir George Seymour, 2 April 1848 (File 526/4)

Has been put on half pay list; Carysfort is home and paid off.

Frederick B. Seymour to Sir George Seymour, 16 December 1851 (File 526/5)

Refers to expedition being fitted out at San Francisco to seize Sandwich Islands.

Francis Seymour to Sir George Seymour, 2 April 1852 (File)

Sir John Pakington and his appointment to Colonial Office.

Queen Pomare of Tahiti to Sir George Seymour, 18 August 1845 (File 528B)

Invites Seymour to visit Tahiti (together with translation).

Subseries 533. Miscellaneous correspondence, 6 July 1844 - 13 March 1866

24 items

Filmed selectively.

Archival History

Originally filmed on AJCP reel M1547.

Lord Haddington to Seymour, 1 January 1846 (File 533/3)

British politics; his impending resignation as First Lord of the Admiralty has given Henry Seymour Carysfort.

Lord Spencer to Seymour, 25 April 1847 (File)

French ambitions in Pacific; problems arising from size of Pacific Station; British and European politics.

Hugh Campbell to Seymour, 13 March 1866 (File)

Doubts about accepting Prince Alfred's request to be his commander when he commissions a ship in 1867.

Seymour to Frederick [unknown], 7 March 1846 (File 533/4)

Government's opinion of his actions up to time he left Sandwich Islands.

Duke of Bedford to Seymour, 6 July 1844 (File 533/7)

Best wishes on Seymour's departure for Pacific.

Lord Haddington to Seymour, 27 July 1844 (File)

Recommends Leslie B. Hamilton; refers to Consul Pritchard being brought home from Tahiti.

London Missionary Society. Printed circular on the troubles in Tahiti and the arrest of Pritchard, 1 August 1844 (File 533/3)
Sir Charles Pasley to Seymour, 30 January 1861 (File)

News from his son Captain Charles Pasley on republican aims of Ballarat miners in 1355; Maori Wars; criticism of British officers and policy towards Maoris.

Reverend C. Barff (Huahine, Tahiti) to Seymour, 19 May 1861 (File)

Naval matters; progress in rebuilding villages in Huahine after burning by French.

Captain H.B. Martin to Seymour, n.d. (File 533/10)

Visit to chiefs' school at Honolulu.

General W. Miller (Honolulu) to Seymour, 5 June 1849 (File)

Commission of enquiry into charges against Dr. Judd.

C.B. Phipps to Seymour, 27 April 1850 (File)

King of Sandwich Islands' request for portrait of Queen Victoria should be referred to Foreign Office.

G.P. Judd to Seymour, 29 April 1850 (File)

Portrait for King of Sandwich Islands.

G.P. Judd to Seymour, 3 May 1850 (File)

Departure from England; Lord Palmerston offered to assist settlement of disput between France and Sandwich Islands.

General W. Miller (Honolulu) to Seymour, 29 March 1854 (File 533/13)

Changes in Honolulu since Seymour was there; possibility of annexation by United States. (Copy)

General W. Miller (Honolulu) to Seymour, 12 June 1856 (File)

Efforts to prevent American annexation; news of people on island. (Copy)

A.S. Hammond to Seymour, 28 November 1856 (File)

Refers to letter from General Miller concerning American annexation of Hawaii

Frederick B. Seymour (Waitara, N.Z.) to Seymour, 30 October 1860 (File)

Fighting in New Zealand; asks Sir George to persuade Dundas to recall Loring or himself.

Frederick B. Seymour (Waitara, N.Z.) to Seymour, 2 December 1860 (File)

Loring's decision to leave, later reversed; skirmishes in New Zealand.

General W. Miller (Honolulu) to Seymour, 12 June 1856 (File 533/15B)

Efforts to prevent American annexation of Hawaii; news of people on island.

A.S. Hammond to Seymour, 1 December 1856 (File)

Refers to letter from General Miller; wishes Seymour had been in Pacific in last few years.

A.S. Hammond to Seymour, 24 March 1857 (File 533/15C)

Character of General Miller; Seymour's interest in Pacific affairs; improvement in King of Sandwich Islands since his marriage.

Frederick B. Seymour (Melbourne) to Seymour, 5 December 1859 (File 533/18)

Life on Pelorus and news of other ships in area including French vessels; politics and economic conditions in Victoria.

Frederick B. Seymour (Melbourne) to Seymour, 14 February 1860 (File 533/20)

Fatal accident when firing rocket in Derwent River, Tasmania; corporal punishment in Navy; Sir Henry Barkly; payment of parliamentarians; Port Phillip defences.

Subseries 695. Letters received by Francis Seymour, eldest son of Sir George Seymour, 1844 - 1848

4 items

Filmed selectively.

Archival History

Originally filmed on AJCP reel M1547.

Letters from Sir George Seymour, Lady Seymour, Horace Seymour, Georgiana Seymour and Charles Cockran (File 695/2)

Concerning Sir George's decision to accept the Pacific command, preparations for the voyage, and his departure from England in 1844 (approx. 22 letters).

Letters from Sir George and Lady Seymour, 1844 - 1845 (File 695/3)

Written from Valparaiso, Honolulu, Tahiti, Callao, Lima, Rio de Janeiro. (approx 23 letters).

Letters from Sir George and Lady Seymour, 1846 (File 695/4)

Written from Valparaiso, Upper California, Payta, St. Blas. (approx. 12 letters).

Letters from Sir George and Lady Seymour, 1847 - 1848 (File 695/5)

Written from Valparaiso, Panama, Callao, Payta. (approx 24 letters).


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