Permanent URL: http://arks.princeton.edu/ark:/88435/f4752g748
John Elphinston Papers Relating to the Russo-Turkish War, 1769-1850 (bulk 1769-1771): Finding Aid
C0951
John Elphinston (unidentified portrait)
One Washington Road
Princeton, New Jersey 08544 USA
Phone: (609) 258-3184
Fax: (609) 258-2324
rbsc@princeton.edu
http://www.princeton.edu/~rbsc
Published in 2003
©2007 Princeton University Library
Summary Information
- Creator:
- Elphinston, John, 1722-1785.
- Title and dates:
- John Elphinston Papers Relating to the Russo-Turkish War, 1769-1850 (bulk 1769-1771)
- Abstract:
- The John Elphinston Papers Relating to the Russo-Turkish War consists of log books, letter books, letters, and documents.
- Size:
- 2.01 linear feet (1 archival box, 1 archival half-box, 2 12x16x2.5 flat boxes)
- Call number:
- C0951
- Location:
- Princeton University Library. Department of Rare Books and Special Collections.
Manuscripts Division.
Princeton, New Jersey 08544 USA - Language(s) of material:
- English, French, Russian.
- Storage note:
- This collection is stored onsite at Firestone Library.
Biography of John Elphinston
In 1769 John Elphinston (1722-1785), a captain in the British Royal Navy, accepted a commission as rear-admiral in the Russian Navy. In that capacity he sailed from Cronstadt for the Mediterranean, in command of a squadron of four ships of the line, with some frigates and smaller vessels. His ships suffered damage in the North Sea and were obliged to refit at Portsmouth. They remained at Portsmouth until the middle of April 1770. Towards the end of May the squadron was off the island of Cerigo where Elphinston decided to search for the Turkish fleet, which he had heard was heading to Nauplia. In July 1770 at Chesme Bay, with the assistance of Count Orloff, the Russian commander-in-chief, Elphinston secured a dramatic and conclusive victory over the Turkish fleet, which he destroyed with fireships. Upon his arrival in St. Petersburg, Elphinston was gratefully received by the Empress Catherine and made a noble of the Russian state. He settled down in Livonia with his wife, Amelia Warburton. They had seven sons and four daughters.
Description
The collection consists of log books, letter books, letters, and documents preserved by John Elphinston, rear-admiral in the service of Catherine the Great. Includes his certificate of service signed by the Empress Catherine; his unpublished manuscript memoirs (1773) in four volumes; a narrative of the Russian expedition by sea (1769-70), with an account of his reception at the Court of St. Petersburg and his meetings with Catherine the Great, who had asked the British government to loan her some senior naval officers to rehabilitate the Russian fleet; and Elphinston's own letter book and log book for the expedition. There are also manuscript narratives of the expedition edited by his grandson Captain Alexander Elphinstone; petitions to the Russian Emperors Alexander (1777-1825) and Nicolas (1868-1918) for the reward due to his grandfather; and autograph letters in English, French, and Russian.
Arrangement
Arranged by format.
Access and Use
Access
Collection is open for research use.
Restrictions on Use and Copyright Information
Single photocopies may be made for research purposes. No further photoduplication of copies of material in the collection can be made when Princeton University Library does not own the original. Permission to publish material from the collection must be requested from the Associate University Librarian for Rare Books and Special Collections. The library has no information on the status of literary rights in the collection and researchers are responsible for determining any questions of copyright.
Acquisition and Appraisal
Provenance and Acquisition
Purchased with support of the the Program in Near Eastern Studies, 2003, Acc. no. AM 2004-004.
Processing and Other Information
Processing Information
This collection was processed by Teresa T. Basler in 2003. Finding aid written by Teresa T. Basler in Teresa T. Basler.
Descriptive Rules Used
Finding aid content adheres to that prescribed by Describing Archives: A Content Standard.
Encoding
Machine-readable finding aid encoded in EAD 2002 by Techbooks, Cristela García-Spitz, and Diann Benti on March 30, 2007. Created from MARC record via MarcEdit and XSL stylesheets in 2007.
Finding aid written in English.
Preferred Citation
Identification of specific item; Date (if known); John Elphinston Papers Relating to the Russo-Turkish War, Box and Folder Number; Department of Rare Books and Special Collections, Princeton University Library.
Subject Headings
These materials have been indexed in the Princeton University Library online catalog using the following terms. Those seeking related materials should search under these terms.
- Alexander I, Emperor of Russia, 1777-1825.
- Elphinston, John, 1722-1785 -- Correspondence.
- Catherine II, Empress of Russia, 1729-1796 -- Correspondence.
- Nesselrode, Karl Robert, Graf von, 1780-1862 -- Correspondence.
- Nicholas I, Emperor of Russia, 1796-1855.
- Pozzo di Borgo, Carlo Andrea, conte, 1764-1842 -- Correspondence.
- Great Britain. Navy -- Officers -- Correspondence.
- Çeşme, Battle of, Çeşme, Turkey, 1770.
- Naval battles -- Aegean Sea -- 18th century.
- Russo-Turkish War, 1768-1774 -- History -- Sources.
- Russo-Turkish War, 1768-1774 -- Naval operations.
- Russia -- History -- Catherine II, 1762-1796 -- Sources.
- Russia -- History, Naval -- 18th century.
- Turkey -- History, Naval -- 18th century.
- Correspondence
- Documents
- Letters
- Letterbooks
- Logbooks
- CatherineII,Empress of Russia, 1729-1796.
- Elphinstone, Alexander.
- Nesselrode, Karl Robert, Graf von, 1780-1862.
Browse other finding aids related to the following terms:
Contents List
Miscellaneous letters in French, English, and Russian. ALsS, 1769-88
(10 leaves)
Box 1, Folder 1 Certificate of Service, signed by Catherine the Great. ADS, 1771
(1 leaf)
Box 1, Folder 2 Miscellaneous documents in French and English. ADsS, undated
(3 leaves)
Box 1, Folder 3 “A Copy of the Remarks taken upon the Quarter Deck of Her Imperial Majesty's Ship Svatoslav, from first seeing the Ottoman Fleet in the Gulf of Napolis de romaine, to the loosing sight of them near the Island of Zea, with other transactions relative thereto,” May-June 1770. French & English in parallel columns. AMs, 1770
(16 leaves)
Box 1, Folder 4 Memorial to the Empress Catherine, in French, with a note at the end ‘pour Lord Cathcart July 1771’. AMs, 1771
(15 leaves)
Box 1, Folder 5 The Case of Captain Alexander Francis Elphinstone of the Royal Navy, Grand Son & Heir to the late Admiral John Elphinstone of the Russian Service, AMs, undated
(16 leaves)
Box 1, Folder 6 Extracts from journals, in the hand of Alexander Elphinston, AMs, circa 1850
(15 leaves)
Box 1, Folder 7 To the King. The Memorial of John Elphinston Captain in your Majesty's Royal Navy, and late Rear Admiral and Commander in Chief or a Squadron of Her Imperial Majesty's Ships of War. AMsS, 1769
(8 leaves)
Box 1, Folder 8 Biographical sketch of John Elphinston. AMs, undated
(22 leaves)
Box 1, Folder 9 Printed Muster Table with manuscript notes. undated
(1 leaf)
Box 1, Folder 10 Photographs of a portrait of a naval officer, not yet identified, presumed to be John Elphinston. undated
(2 leaves)
Box 1, Folder 11 Biography of John Elphinston. AMsS, circa 1850
(1 bound volume, 377 pages)
Includes details of his earlier service in the Seven Years War, and some later material.
Box 2, Folder 1 Original Letter Book, in the hand of John Elphinston, recording letters written by him Aug. 4, 1769 (Cronstadt) to June 26, 1771 (St. Petersburg). ALsS, 1769-71
(1 bound volume, circa 100 pages)
Box 2, Folder 2 Original Letter Book, recording letters (in English) received by John Elphinston from Russian ministers in England and Russia, relating to the preparation of the Russian fleet, Aug. 1769 to Jan. 1770. ALsS, 1769-71
(1 bound volume, circa 40 pages)
Box 2, Folder 3 Original Log Book, kept by John Elphinston, containing ships orders issued, memorandum, sightings, etc. Aug. 1769 to Sept. 1770. AMsS, 1769-71
(1 bound volume, circa 60 pages)
Box 2, Folder 4 Letters and documents compiled by Alexander Elphinston relating to his attempt to secure compensation for his grandfather's service to Russia
Contains: Memorial to the Emperor Alexander (1835); Memorial to His Imperial Majesty Nicholas I; 2 ALsS by Count Nesselrode, and other letters by Russian officials, secretaries to the Emperor, etc.; 5 ALsS by Lord Aberdeen; 2 ANsS in the 3rd person by Count Pozzo di Borgo; copies of Alexander Elphinstone's letters; John Elphinston's accounts with Thomson Peters & Co. at St. Petersburg 1769; ALS by John Elphinston (1782); 2 ALsS by Lord Durham, St. Petersburg (1836); miscellaneous papers.
Box 2, Folder 5 “Narrative of the Russian Expedition by Sea in the Years 1769 & 1770 by Rear Admiral John Elphinston, late Commander in Chief of a Squadron of Her Imperial Majesty's Ships, Capt in His Maj R. Navy, Compiled from Original Letters, Papers, & Journals, with an Acct. of the Treatment of the Author from the Court of St. Petersbourg with Every Thing that Has Happened to Him Since he Left that Court in Order to Obtain Justice from the Empress of His Acknowledged Service...” AMs, 1773
(4 volumes, circa 300 pages)
Box 3 Two edited manuscript versions of the Elphinston's narrative, with additional material, apparently compiled by his grandson Alexander Elphinstone for possible publication. AMs, 1770s-1800s
(circa 400 pages)
Box 4
Permanent URL: http://arks.princeton.edu/ark:/88435/f4752g748