Christian, Hood Hanway (1784-1849)

Identity Statement

Reference code(s)	: GB 0064 CHN/101-169
Held at	: National Maritime Museum   Click here to find out how to view this collection at http://collections.rmg.co.uk/ ›
Full title	: Christian, Hood Hanway (1784-1849)
Date(s)	: 1812-1828
Level of description	: Subfonds View parent record
Extent	: 6 boxes
Name of creator(s)	: Christian | Hood Hanway | 1784-1849 | Rear-Admiral Of The White

Context

Administrative/Biographical history:

Hood Hanway Christian was the eldest son of Sir Hugh Cloberry Christian (q.v). He joined the navy in 1792, as a volunteer, and served on the ships of his father until 1798, serving in both the West Indies and the Cape of Good Hope. He then moved on to HMS GARLAND, HMS BOADICEA (taking part in the attack on the Spanish batteries of the Isle d'Aix) in 1799, and on to HMS QUEEN CHARLOTTE, the flagship of Lord Keith in the Mediterranean. He was promoted to Lieutenant in 1800, serving onboard HMS PHEONIX, taking part in the reduction of Genoa. In 1806, after serving with distinction in Rear Admiral Rainier's flag ship HMS TRIDENT, he received a post dated commission, returning home to captain HMS HEROINE, which was part of the Walcheron expeditionary armament. From 1811 to 1814, he was the captain of HMS IRIS, which was based off northern Spain, and from which he actively helped Spanish patriots. This culminated in the capture of the fortress at Castro, of which he was appointed governer. From 1824 to 1828, he served as Commodore on the Cape of Good Hope Station.

Content

Scope and content/abstract:

Papers of Hood Hanway Christian. The papers refer in the main to Christian's period at the Cape of Good Hope, with the exception of an order book from Castro in 1812. There is a section of letters of congratulation on his appointment, correspondents including Admiral Keats, Viscount Exmouth and the second Earl of Malmesbury. Also, there is a lengthy section regarding a court case which arose over Christian's impounding of the Portugeuse merchant ship GRATIDAO in 1826 The majority of the collection relates to the day to day running of the station, with correspondence to and from the Navy Office, Admiralty Office and also local offices, such as the Victualling Office and the ship yard at Simon's Town. There is also correspondence with local officials, such as the Governer of Mauritius, General Sir Galbraith Lowry Cole, and the Lieutenant-Governer of Eastern Cape of Good Hope, Sir Richard Bourke, as well as his own captains - Charles Richard Dyke Ackland of HMS HELICON, and Sir David Dunn on HMS SAMARANG. Other items include the ill-fated British settlement on Mombassa, draft treaties with Radama I of Madagascar regarding the suppression fo the slave trade, as well as letters from Captain William Fitzwilliam Owen.

Access & 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 by the Museum in 1978.

Allied Materials

Related material:

Publication note:

Description Notes

Archivist's note:
Edited by Sarah Drewery, Jun 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