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National Maritime Museum

Jervis, John, Admiral Of The Fleet (1735-1823)


IDENTITY STATEMENT

Reference code(s): GB 0064 JER

Held at: National Maritime Museum

Title: Jervis, John, Admiral Of The Fleet (1735-1823)

Date(s): [1794-1807]

Level of description: Collection

Extent: 5 vols

Name of creator(s): Jervis | John | 1735-1823 | Earl of St Vincent | Admiral of the Fleet

CONTEXT

Administrative/Biographical history:

Jervis, son of Swynfen Jervis, Counsel to the Admiralty between 1747 and 1757, entered the Navy against his father's wishes in 1749. He was promoted to lieutenant in 1755, served with distinction in the Seven Years War and reached captain's rank in 1760. He served in the Channel during the American War of Independence. After the war he became a Member of Parliament, representing Launceston, Yarmouth and Wycombe successively. In 1787 Jervis became a rear-admiral and in 1793 a vice-admiral. He was Commander-in-chief of the West Indies Expedition, 1793 to 1794, capturing Martinique and Guadeloupe. He returned home in 1795 and in the same year was promoted to admiral and appointed Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean. In February 1797 he defeated the Spanish fleet off Cape St. Vincent, for which victory he was created an earl. He gave up his command in 1799. After a brief period in command of the Channel Fleet he served as First Lord of the Admiralty, 1801 to 1804. His term of office aroused considerable controversy and he refused further service afloat until after the death of Pitt, but took the Channel command in 1806. He resigned after a further change of ministry in 1807. In 1821 he was made Admiral of the Fleet. Among a number of biographies is Jedediah Tucker, Memoirs of Admiral the Rt. Hon.The Earl of St. Vincent G.C.B.. (London, 1844), while some correspondence has been published by David Bonner-Smith, ed., 'Letters of Admiral of the Fleet the Earl of St. Vincent whilst First Lord of the Admiralty 1801 to 1804' (Navy Records Society, 1922, 1927, 2 vols).

CONTENT

Scope and content/abstract:

Papers of John Jervis, consisting of letters and copies of letters received from Lord Nelson, 1794 to 1804.

ACCESS AND USE

Language/scripts of material: English

System of arrangement:

Conditions governing access:

Please contact the Archive for further information.

Conditions governing reproduction:

Please contact the Archive for further information.

Finding aids:

Detailed catalogue online at the: National Maritime Museum website .

ARCHIVAL INFORMATION

Archival history:

Immediate source of acquisition:

The papers were purchased from a dealer in 1941.

ALLIED MATERIALS

Related material:

These papers were inherited through St. Vincent's nephew, Admiral of the Fleet Sir William Parker (q.v.), in whose collection there are further papers of St. Vincent. His lieutenant's promotion book, 1801, was loaned to the Museum by Mr H.R. Reade, in 1962. There is also his letterbook, 1806 to 1807, in the section of volumes acquired singly by the Museum.

DESCRIPTION NOTES

Archivist's note: Edited by Sarah Drewery, Sep 2011.

Rules or conventions: Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

Date(s) of descriptions: 2011-05-13


INDEX ENTRIES
Subjects
Napoleonic Wars (1800-1815) | Wars (events)
Naval affairs | Military affairs | Military science | Social sciences

Personal names
Jervis | John | 1735-1823 | Earl of St Vincent | Admiral of the Fleet
Nelson | Horatio | 1758-1805 | 1st Viscount Nelson of the Nile and Burnham Thorpe | Vice-Admiral
Parker | Sir | William | 1781-1866 | 1st Baronet | Admiral of the Fleet

Corporate names
Royal Navy

Places