RENNELL, Major James (1742-1830)

Identity Statement

Reference code(s)	: GB 0402 JRE
Held at	: Royal Geographical Society   Click here to find out how to view this collection at http://www.rgs.org/OurWork/Collections/Collections.htm ›
Full title	: RENNELL, Major James (1742-1830)
Date(s)	: 1777-1832
Level of description	: Collection level
Extent	: 1 box, 5 files
Name of creator(s)	: Rennell | James | 1742-1830 | cartographer | Major

Context

Administrative/Biographical history:

Born, 1742; captain's servant under Captain Hyde Parker in the frigate BRILLIANT, 1756; action against the French at St Cast, 1758; followed Parker to the East India station, rejoining him as midshipman in the GRAFTON at Madras, 1760; action off Pondicherry, and visits to Trincomalee, Bombay, and Rodriguez Island; assistant Draughtsman or Surveyor to Alexander Dalrymple, East India Company, on an exploratory voyage to the Sulu islands and China , 1762; Madras, 1763; left the to take command of the UNION; command of the NEPTUNE, first superintending troop disembarkation for the siege of Madura, and then sailing in Feb 1764 under owner's orders to Calcutta; practitioner engineer in the construction of the new citadel at Fort William, Bengal army, 1764; Surveyor-General, 1767; returned to England, 1778; published A Bengal Atlas, 1780; Fellow of the Royal Society 1781; Gold Medal, Royal Society of Literature, 1825; died, 1830.

Content

Scope and content/abstract:

Papers of James Rennell including brief memorandum of the heights of St. Helena, [1777], copy of a letter from Rennell to Sir Joseph Banks, 19 Oct 1817, on Atlantic currents and manuscript index map to charts 'Investigation of currents of the Atlantic Ocean' published in 1832.

Access & Use

Language/scripts of material:
English

System of arrangement:

As outlined in the Scope and Content.

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

Finding aids:

Catalogue available on A2A.

Archival Information

Archival history:

Immediate source of acquisition:

Memorandum presented to the RGS by William Marsden; copy letter pressented to Lord Rennell of Rodd, who passed it to the RGS, 1970.

Allied Materials

Related material:

Publication note:

Description Notes

Archivist's note:
Prepared by Archives Volunteer using existing finding aids. Revised by Sarah Drewery.
Sources: Oxford DNB; Geog. Jnl. Portrait 1930 Vol. 75, pages 289-99.

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

Date(s) of descriptions:
3^rd May, 2001. Jul 2008