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.
? to George Finlay. 29 July 1847. Recommending servant to George Finlay (in French).
Demetrios Kalliphronas to George Finlay. 27 September 1847. Re postponement of meeting of city council (in Greek).
A. J. Kriezis to George Finlay. 19 July 1848. Re payment of rent for George Finlay's house (in Greek).
A. Schwab to George Finlay. Syra, 28 May 1849. Gratitude for George Finlay's hospitality in Athens (in French).
James Finlay to George Finlay. Glasgow, 16 October 1849. To introduce the Revd. John Anderson and Mr. James Stewart.
Col. William Mure to George Finlay. 20 November 1849. Introducing Mr. Allan Gilmour who is visiting Athens.
G. Muir to George Finlay. Malta, 24 November 1849. Acknowledges George Finlay's pamphlet on steam navigation in Mediterranean.
George Finlay to Editor of The Times. Athens, 28 March 1850. Statement in support of George Finlay's claim to indemnity from the Greek government for land taken possession of in 1836.
Allan Gilmour to George Finlay. Malta, 29 March 1850. Returns sketch map of Attica (21 x 32 cm).
Louisa Hay Kerr to George Finlay. In quarantine off Syra, 30 October 1850. Plans history on Greece since 1825. Anxious for publication of George Finlay's work on Trebizond. Regrets unable to visit Athens this winter.
Louisa Hay Kerr to Mrs. F. Hopes she will persuade George Finlay to publish work on Trebizond. Enclosed with FIN/B/6/53.
Jacob P. Fallmerayer to George Finlay. Munich, 13 March 1851. Apologies for delay in reply to George Finlay's letter of 12 August 1850, due to travel, illness, and other hindrances. His pleasant experiences in Athens, Trebizond, and Colchis now blotted out by unfortunate political condition of Germany .and merged into the melancholy remembrances of a lost paradise. Discusses scenes decorating 'the monastic church' and their dissimilarity with the court style of the Comneni at Trebizond. His sketch of the portrait of the imperial founder of the St. Dionysios monastery on the Holy Mountain (Athos). Refers to his other work on Trebizond and regrets lack of interest in this in Germany (in German, Gothic script).
The Revd. W. Palmer to George Finlay. Mr. Bruno's Lodgings, 4 May 1851. Returns books. Includes Palmer's visiting card.
Edward Masson to George Finlay. Holywood by Belfast, 4 July 1851. Invitation to stay before returning to Greece. Local news. Is preparing for press his Horae Hellenicae or Elements of Greek Dialectology, Ancient and Modern.
James Thrupp to George Finlay. 2 Park Place, Bath, 28 July 1851. Introduces T's nephew Frank Thrupp.
N. Hill to George Finlay. 4 St. Martin's Place, London, 2 September 1851. Will forward recent Transactions and Proceedings of the [Royal] Society [of Literature]. Regrets George Finlay's absence from recent meetings.
N. Hill to George Finlay. London, 3 September 1851. Has received news of George Finlay's box of books.
N. Hill to George Finlay. London, 8 September 1851. re Annual Reports of the Society requested by George Finlay.
Sir Stratford Canning to George Finlay, Athens. Constantinople, 20 January 1852. Expresses gratitude for gift of George Finlay's History of Greece.
Sir Henry Ellis, Principal Librarian, to George Finlay, Athens. British Museum, 19 February 1852. Acknowledges George Finlay's gift to British Museum of 24 amphora-handles found in Athens.
George Finlay to Charles Thomas Newton. Athens, 4 October 1842. Details on excavations by Beulé of the Ecole Française at the entrance of the Propylea. Thiersch's excavations at temple of Athena Polias. Thiersch's views on Greek need for oxen from Asia Minor and for agricultural development rather than salaries and uniforms for officials and generals.
Col. William Mure to George Finlay. Burlington Hotel, London, 19 April 1853. Introducing Professor Blackie of University of Edinburgh.
George Finlay to Sir Thomas Wyse, H.M. Minister Plenipotentiary in Greece. Athens, 16 December 1853. Sends copy of letter from Noel of Achmetaga in Euboea re Greek government complaint against N for violation of quarantine and custom-house regulations.
James Clyde to George Finlay. Ancona, 10 February 1854. C's experiences in Italy where he was suspect to papal and Austrian authorities by reason of rusty black garments and fiery beard and was taken for either a missonary or a Mazzinist. Returns to Scotland shortly.
R. Wilkinson to Charles L. Merlin. Syra, 28 April 1854. Extract from letter referring to Consular Agent for the United States, Evangelidis, and his debts.
Extract from Mr. Hill's letter to J. Sculudi. 10/22 August 1854. Dissatisfaction with present Greek admininistration; unfortunate attitude of Turkey.
George Grote to George Finlay. 12 Saville Row, London, 23 August 1854. Acknowledges receipt of letter with article to be submitted to Editor of Edinburgh Review (with stamped envelope addressed to George Finlay, South Lawn, Southport, Lancs., containing Grote's visiting card).
George Grote to George Finlay. East Burnham, Maidenhead, 13 September 1854. Is about to submit George Finlay's MS. to Editor of Edinburgh Review.
George Grote to George Finlay. East Burnham, Maidenhead, 17 September 1854. Reports that Editor of Edinburgh Review does not think George Finlay's article is written in attractive style but materials are authentic. He will accept it if George Finlay does not insist on immediate publication.
George Grote to George Finlay. 12 Saville Row, London, 23 November 1854. To introduce his friend John Stuart Mill who is to visit Athens.
Professor John Stuart Blackie to George Finlay. 43 Castle St., Edinburgh, 6 March 1855. Re copies of Clyde's book, with cuttings of letter on 'too bookish character' of modern education by Blackie to The Times, 5 April 1858.
Charles Thomas Newton to George Finlay. Mytilene, 3 April 1855. Acknowledges receipt of new volume of George Finlay's Byzantine History and comments on this. N's excavations at Calymnos; discovery of a bronze group; invites Finlays to visit him. With an old paper enclosure.
William George Clark to George Finlay. Trinity College, Cambridge, 3 May 1855. Wishes to know whether a MS. of the Gospels of 480 has been found in Athens. Hopes to visit Greece again. Is publishing book on the Peloponnese. British politics.
List of coins sent to Felton on 3 September 1855.
Hepworth Dixon to George Finlay. Athenaeum Office, London, 26 September 1855. Announces impending visit to Athens.
George Finlay to Professor Cornelius Conway Felton, Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S.A. Athens, 20 November 1855. Criticism of Lord Carlyle's diary. King Otho's extravagant household expenditure. Progress of George Finlay's History of Greece. Weakness of Otho's character and government; Greek loss of ground in east Mediterranean.
Hepworth Dixon, Athenaeum Office, London, to George Finlay
John Stuart Blackie to George Finlay. Edinburgh, 17 May 1856. Discusses recent work on philosophy; criticizes effect of Locke on English thought. Comments on George Finlay's Greek history.
William George Clark to George Finlay. London, 22 December 1856. Introduces H. O. Coxe, Sub-Librarian of Bodleian, who is making tour in East.
George Finlay to Sir Thomas Wyse. Athens, 25 February 1857. Requests similar postal arrangements for printed papers sent from England to Greece as between England and Turkey.
Francis C. Penrose to George Finlay. Office: Cathedral Surveyor's Office, St. Pauls House, 23 Albany Street, N.W. London, 11 May 1857. To introduce Mr. W. Burges, architect of Memorial Church at Constantinople, who is visiting Athens. Travels of R. Church and P in the Morea.
Professor John Stuart Blackie to George Finlay. 29 May 1857. Criticism of Grote's History of Greece. Comments on ancient Greek history and philosophy. Criticism of previous narrow-minded outlook at Oxford though now slightly less so. Plans to visit Heidelberg. Comment on Bunsen.
Baron A. von Prokesch-Osten to George Finlay. 29 May 1857. Appreciation of George Finlay's History of Greece. Comments on modern developments (in French).
George Finlay to J. P. Schilizzi, Liverpool. Athens, 23 July 1857. Has sent parcel of his old clothes for Liverpool firm to copy and asks S to arrange this.
Baron A. von Prokesch-Osten to George Finlay. 17 August 1857. Agrees with George Finlay's views on authenticity of the Holy Sepulchre. Praises George Finlay's publications on Roman coins and on Greece under the Ottomans and Venetians (in French; with visiting card).
George Finlay to Alexander S. Finlay, M.P., Castle Toward, Argyllshire. Athens, 19 November 1857. 'Carbon' copy of a letter to his cousin A.S.F. entitled 'On the principle of the permanent domination of Great Britain in the Indian empire'.
Jessie Finlay Cobbe to George Finlay. Newbridge House, Malahide, Co. Dublin, 24 November 1857. Introduces her cousin Miss [F: P.] Cobbe who intends to visit Athens.
George Finlay to Alexander Finlay. Athens, 21 January 1858. George Finlay's further opinions on the rule of the law in India. A 'carbon' copy (unfinished) replying to George Finlay's of 6 January giving George Finlay's further views on administration of justice in India. Powers not based on law will result in civil rebellion, as in the case of the American colonies.
Bayard Taylor to George Finlay. Athens, 21 January 1858. Returns George Finlay's papers with thanks for loan. With an old paper enclosure.