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National Maritime Museum

Milne, Sir Alexander, 1st Bt., Admiral Of The Fleet (1806-1896)


IDENTITY STATEMENT

Reference code(s): GB 0064 MLN/101-199

Held at: National Maritime Museum

Title: Milne, Sir Alexander, 1st Bt., Admiral Of The Fleet (1806-1896)

Date(s): [1817-1882]

Level of description: sub-fonds

Extent: 22ft; 671cm

Name of creator(s): Milne | Sir | Alexander | 1806-1896 | Admiral Of The Fleet

CONTEXT

Administrative/Biographical history:

Milne, son of Admiral Sir David Milne, was entered on the books of the Leander in 1817 but probably did not go to sea until 1820, when he joined the Conway on the South American Station. Again on this station between 1824 and 1830, he served in the ALBION, 1824 to 1825, the GANGES, 1825 to 1827, and the CADMUS, 1827 to 1830. He became a lieutenant in 1827. In 1837 he was promoted to commander into the SNAKE, North America and West Indies Station, where he operated against slavers, and in 1839 was appointed Captain of the CROCODILE on the same station. He transferred to the CLEOPATRA for a brief period in 1841 and then returned home. Milne was Flag-Captain to his father from 1842 to 1845 in the CALEDONIA, Devonport, and from 1845 to 1847 was in the St. Vincent at Portsmouth. He was on the Board of Admiralty until 1859, having become a rear-admiral in 1858. During the American Civil War Milne was Commander-in-Chief, North America and West Indies. On his return, he again joined the Board of Admiralty until 1869 when he commanded the Mediterranean Station for a year. In 1872 he was appointed Senior Naval Lord and after his retirement in 1876 he continued to be called upon for important tasks, including membership of the Carnarvon Commission on Colonial Defence, 1879 to 1882.

CONTENT

Scope and content/abstract:

Papers of Sir Alexander Milne, consisting of logs, 1817 to 1827 and 1837 to 1839, letterbooks, 1827 to 1839, and letters and papers, 1838 to 1847. There are also a number of ship's books relating to the SNAKE and the CROCODILE. For the North American command there are official out-letterbooks, letters received and memoranda to squadrons, 1860 to 1864, as well as private letters from the Duke of Somerset (1804-1885), First Lord of the Admiralty, and to and from Sir Frederick Grey (1805-1878), First Naval Lord, between 1861 and 1862. There are also notebooks and sailing orders for this period. For the Mediterranean Command there are letterbooks, general and squadron memoranda and sailing orders, 1869 to 1870. For his period at the Admiralty there are copies of private and semi-official letters, 1854 to 1855, 1869 and 1873 to 1876, and letters to his brother, David Milne Home, 1820 to 1847. There are a considerable number of official papers relating to the loss of the Megaera and the Captain and the first, second and third Reports of the Royal Commissioners appointed to enquire into the Defence of British Possessions and Commerce Abroad, 1882. Finally there are diaries for 1825, 1833 to 1835, 1837, 1840 to 1841, 1843 to 1845, 1849 and 1870.

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 presented by Captain A.J.F. Milne Home, R.N., in 1949 and 1965.

ALLIED MATERIALS

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: 2010-08-26


INDEX ENTRIES
Subjects
Naval affairs | Military affairs | Military science | Social sciences
Ships logs | Primary documents | Documents | Information sources

Personal names
Grey | Sir | Frederick William | 1805-1878 | Knight | Admiral
Home | David | Milne- | 1804-1890 | advocate and scientist
Milne | Sir | Alexander | 1806-1896 | Knight | Admiral Of The Fleet
Seymour | Edward Adolphus | 1804-1885 | 12th Duke of Somerset | statesman

Corporate names
Admiralty
HMS Crocodile
HMS Snake

Places
Mediterranean Sea | Seas
North America