Stopford, The Hon. Sir Robert, Admiral (1768-1847)

Identity Statement

Reference code(s)	: GB 0064 STO/1-14
Held at	: National Maritime Museum   Click here to find out how to view this collection at http://collections.rmg.co.uk/ ›
Full title	: Stopford, The Hon. Sir Robert, Admiral (1768-1847)
Date(s)	: [1791-1850]
Level of description	: Subfonds View parent record
Extent	: 8 vols
Name of creator(s)	: Stopford | Sir | Robert | 1768-1847 | Knight | Admiral

Context

Administrative/Biographical history:

Stopford entered the Navy in 1780, passed as lieutenant in 1784 and was promoted to captain in 1790. He served in the Channel and the West Indies until 1802 but on the resumption of hostilities was appointed to the SPENCER in the Channel Fleet until 1805. Between 1806 and 1807 he was Member of Parliament for Ipswich. After further service in the West Indies, he was promoted to rear-admiral in 1808 and went to the East Indies as Commander-in-Chief until 1813. He was promoted to vice-admiral in 1812 and admiral in 1825. In 1827 Stopford was appointed Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth, and after holding office for the usual term of three years, was on half-pay until 1837 when he was appointed Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean. His period of command included the Syrian campaign and the bombardment of Acre, 1840. In 1841 be was appointed Governor of Greenwich Hospital.

Content

Scope and content/abstract:

Papers of Adml Sir Robert Stopford, comprising an order book, 1803 to 1805, official service documents and private and semi-official letters from many important officers of the time. Among them is one from Horatio Nelson, 1805, from the Duke of Wellington, 1811, and a series of thirty-five from William, Duke of Clarence, 1827 to 1828, when Lord High Admiral. For the Mediterranean command there are letters from the 2nd Earl of Minto and Lord Ponsonby (1770-1855), ambassador at Constantinople. Finally, there is a volume of letters from well-known literary and social figures received by Stopford and Field-Marshal Thomas Grosvenor (1764-1851) between 1791 and 1850, including one from Sir Walter Scott (1771-1832) (Stopford and Grosvenor both lived at Richmond, Surrey). Also, the log of HMS SPENCER, kept while Capt Stopford was attached to the Channel Fleet in 1803-1804.

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:

Bequeathed by Commander Robert Neville Stopford (1888-1949); by descent from Vice-Admiral Robert Wilbraham Stopford; by descent from Admiral Robert Fanshawe Stopford; by descent from Admiral Hon. Sir Robert Stopford

Immediate source of acquisition:

The papers were bequeathed to the Museum in 1950 by Commander R.N. Stopford. The log of HMS SPENCER was presented to the Museum in 1996.

Allied Materials

Related material:

Publication note:

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:
2011-04-20