BELCHER SIR EDWARD 1799-1877 REARADMIRAL

Scope and Content

  • Letters of Sir Edward Belcher to an unknown correspondent, probably Sir JohnPhilippant, on naval and literary matters.
  • Essay on jobbery in the Alderney fortifications, 1860-1863.
  • Letter to Sir John Philippant from Dr. Richard King, offering an article onthe North Pole, 1859.

Administrative / Biographical History

Sir Edward Belcher

Belcher entered the navy in 1812. He was made a lieutenant, 1818; commander,1829. Belcher was employed successively on survey of the coasts of Northernand Western Africa, Ireland, Western America, China, Borneo, PhilippineIslands, and Formosa, 1830-1847. He was knighted in 1843. Belcher commandedthe expedition to the Arctic in search of Sir John Franklin (1786-1847),1852, who died trying to find the North-West passage. He became avice-admiral in 1866, and an admiral in 1872.

His publications include:

The last of the Arctic voyages: being a narrative of the expedition inH.M.S. Assistance, under the command of Captain Sir Edward Belcher, C.B., insearch of Sir John Franklin, during the years 1852-53-54 (1855)

Narrative of a voyage round the world, performed in Her Majesty's ShipSulphur, during the years 1836-1842, including details of the navaloperations in China, from Dec. 1840, to Nov. 1841 (1843)

Narrative of the voyage of H. M. S. Samarang: during the years 1843-46 :employed surveying the islands of the Eastern archipelago : accompanied by abrief vocabulary of the principal languages (1848)

The sailor's word-book: an alphabetical digest of nautical terms, includingsome more specially military and scientific, but useful to seaman; as well asarchaisms of early voyagers, etc (1867)

A treatise on nautical surveying : containing an outline of the duties ofthe naval surveyor : with cases applied to naval evolutions and miscellaneousrules and tables useful to the seaman or traveller (1835)

Arrangement

36 items in one folder

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Acquisition Information

Laski, H.J.

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