This volume provides a comprehensive index to the British and Foreign ships, Naval Officers, Military Officers and Naval Actions listed in William James’ Naval History of Great Britain, 1793-1820. The five volumes of James’ work were first published in London between 1822-24 and there were numerous later editions. It remains by far the most detailed account of British naval operations of this period, but only the 4th edition, 1847, has an index, without which the work is almost unusable.
This is an index to the 7th edition, 1886, but it will work with all editions from the 3rd of 1837 and is an invaluable research aid.
Preface, PART I. BRITISH AND FOREIGN SHIPS, PART II. NAVAL OFFICERS, PART III. MILITARY OFFICERS (INCLUDING A FEW NAMES OF AMBASSADORS, PART IV. NAVAL ACTIONS
Biography
Thomas Brassey, later 2nd Earl Brassey, was born on 7 March 1863. He was educated at Eton and Balliol College Oxford. He was an honorary Lieutenant in the London Brigade of Royal Naval Artillery Volunteers 1888-92. He acted as Assistant Private Secretary to Earl Spencer when the latter was First Lord of the Admiralty, 1892-95. He fought in the 2nd Boer War as Captain of 69 Company of the Imperial Yeomanry, later joining the Queen’s Own West Kent Yeomanry, becoming Lieutenant-Colonel in command in 1910, retiring in May 1914. In August 1914 he raised a second battalion to this regiment for home service which he commanded until 1916. He was editor of The Naval Annual 1892-99, and then either alone or jointly with J Leyland, editor from 1902 to 1914, and finally in 1919. He succeeded to his father’s title in 1918. He died on 12 November 1919 after being hit by a taxi.
