Correspondence and papers of the 2nd Earl of Minto as First Lord of the Admiralty, 1835-1841, with further correspondence and papers on Admiralty and general naval affairs, 1822-1856., 1822-1856.
Scope and Contents
The 2nd Earl of Minto succeeded his cousin, Lord Auckland, on 19 September 1835 and held the office (with renewals of his commission in July 1837 and March 1839) until the fall of the Melbourne ministry in September 1841. He appears in the papers as a diligent administrator, though the presence in the service of a brother, son, nephew and other connexions led to later accusations of nepotism in The Times and other politically hostile journals. The correspondence reflects the great pressure for promotion by junior officers, who were frustrated by peace-time contraction of the service and the disproportionate number of veteran senior officers on the Navy List, and the 2nd Earl's own interest in, and encouragement of, scientific and technological developments.
Dates
- Creation: 1822-1856.
Conditions Governing Access
Normal access conditions apply.
Conditions Governing Use
Normal reproduction conditions apply, subject to any copyright restrictions.
Extent
40 Volumes
Language of Materials
From the Fonds: Undetermined
Separated Materials
For the collection of Admiralty papers of the 2nd Earl of Minto acquired by the National Maritime Museum in 1941 see their MSS.ELL 200/275. MSS.12216-12217 belong more properly to this section of the papers.
Genre / Form
Repository Details
Part of the National Library of Scotland Archives and Manuscripts Division Repository
Archives and Manuscript Division
National Library of Scotland
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Edinburgh EH1 1EJ
0131 623 3700
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