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Royal Geographical Society

MARKHAM, Sir Clements Robert (1830-1916)


IDENTITY STATEMENT

Reference code(s): GB 0402 CRM

Held at: Royal Geographical Society

Title: MARKHAM, Sir Clements Robert (1830-1916)

Date(s): 1851-1916

Level of description: Collection level

Extent: 15 boxes with 90 files

Name of creator(s): Markham | Sir | Clements Robert | 1830-1916 | Knight | geographer

CONTEXT

Administrative/Biographical history:

Born, 1830; educated: private school at Cheam, Surrey, 1839-1842 and Westminster School, 1842-1844; joined the Royal Navy as a cadet; first sailed on HMS COLLINGWOOD to South America; transferred to the Arctic squadron and sailed on the ASSISTANCE in search of Franklin, 1850-1851; left the Royal Navy; expedition to Peru, 1852-1853; returned to England and took up a position at what was to become the India Office, 1854; commissioned to carry from Peru to India seeds of the cinchona tree; built up the geographical department of the India Office in London; took unauthorized leave to sail to Greenland with the north polar expedition, 1867-1868, and was obliged to resign in 1877 as a consequence; Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society (RGS), 1853-1916; one of the Society's Honorary Secretaries, 1863-1888; President of the RGS, 1893-1905; died, 1916.

Publications: Franklin's Footsteps (1853)
Cuzco … and Lima (1856)
Travels in Peru and India (1862)
Peruvian Bark (1880)
Memoir on the Indian Surveys (1871)
History of the Abyssinian Expedition (1869),
Richard III (1906)

CONTENT

Scope and content/abstract:

Collection of private journals, notebooks, letters articles and addresses of Sir Clement Markham relating to his life in the Royal Navy and to the period when he was closely involved with the work of the Royal Geographical Society as Honorary Secretary and later as President. The private journals cover various dates from 1844-1880 and from then form a continuous series to 1908. There are also private diaries of his father and of his wife. The notebooks include 8 volumes referring to the history of his, and his wife's, family; notes on biblical studies, South America, Portugal, Madeira, Spain, India and Ceylon. The manuscripts of articles and addresses given by Markham cover a wide range of subjects. The collection totals approximately 100 items.

ACCESS AND USE

Language/scripts of material: English

System of arrangement:

Arranged into sections: see the detailed catalogue.

Conditions governing access:

Accessible via The Foyle Reading Room. Free of charge for Fellows, Members and those with valid academic identification. All other users pay a charge and must bring identification in order to register on arrival.

Conditions governing reproduction:

Photocopying at the discretion of the Archivist, and subject to completion of 'application for copies' form. No reproduction or publication without the permission of the IBG-RGS Archivist.

Finding aids:

Detailed catalogue available in the reading room.

ARCHIVAL INFORMATION

Accruals:

Archival history:

Immediate source of acquisition:

Recieved in several accessions: given by Sir Markham during his lifetime; bequeathed by Sir Clements Markham, 1916; donated by Francis Edwards, 1920; purchased by the RGS, 1925; purchased from Peter Reid, 1984; purchased from Sotheby's by the RGS, 1984.

ALLIED MATERIALS

Related material:

Many further manuscripts and a large group of letters are filed with Journal MSS, Correspondence files and the special collection of the National Antarctic Expedition. The latter collection consists principally of papers preserved by Sir Clements R Markham which came into the Society's possession 1919. There are approximately some 1500 items. There is on Observation file Astronomical and Meteorological observations, Abyssinia, 1868.

DESCRIPTION NOTES

Archivist's note: Prepared by Archives Volunteer using existing finding aids. Revised by Sarah Drewery.
Sources: Oxford DNB and The Geographical Journal, Vol. 47, No. 3 (Mar., 1916), pp. 161-176.

Rules or conventions: ISAD(G) ed. 2, name authority NRA.

Date(s) of descriptions: 24th May, 2001. Oct 2008.


INDEX ENTRIES
Subjects
Bible | Sacred texts | Religious texts | Religious doctrines | Theology
Travel abroad | Travel
Geography

Personal names
Markham | Sir | Clements Robert | 1830-1916 | Knight | geographer

Corporate names
RN | Royal Navy x Royal Navy
Royal Geographical Society

Places
India | South Asia
Madeira | Portugal | Western Europe | Europe
Spain | Western Europe | Europe
Sri Lanka | South Asia
South America