Mylne, Robert

Scope and Content

Papers of Robert Mylne relating to the drainage of the Fens, 1791, comprising;
1. Report, dated 26 Oct 1791 at New River Head, London, to the 'Committee of Land Owners and Others, interested in the Improvement of the Outfall of the River Ouze [at King's Lynn]', annotated, corrected and signed by Mylne. This report differs slightly from that printed in 1792 (for a copy see Goldsmiths' Library G.L. Cat. 15332); it does not, however, contain the appendix which forms pp.39-52 of the printed report.
2. 'List of Writers on the Fens', dated Nov 1791, giving 83 entries, some in pencil, from 1100-1791, mentioning books, printed reports and Acts of parliament.

Administrative / Biographical History

Robert Mylne (1734-1811) was born in Edinburgh and studied as an architect and engineer in Paris and Rome. His work includes the building of Blackfriars Bridge and the Stationers' Hall in London, St Cecila's Hall in Edinburgh, and the village and castle of Inveray. He was the architect of the new River Company until 1810, when his son William Chadwell Mylne took over the post, and was involved in the construction of several canals in England. He is buried in St Paul's Cathedral, London.

Access Information

Access to this collection is unrestricted for the purpose of private study and personal research within the supervised environment and restrictions of the Library's Palaeography Room. Uncatalogued material may not be seen. Please contact the University Archivist for details.

Acquisition Information

Bought from Francis Edwards in 1972.

Other Finding Aids

Collection level description.

Physical Characteristics and/or Technical Requirements

12¼" x 7½"

Archivist's Note

Compiled by Sarah Aitchison as part of the RSLP AIM25 Project.

Conditions Governing Use

Copies may be made, subject to the condition of the original. Copying must be undertaken by the Palaeography Room staff, who will need a minimum of 24 hours to process requests.

Custodial History

The manuscripts are bound with T. Badeslade, The new cut canal intended for improving the navigation of Chester (Chester, 1735; G.L. Cat 7306), and an edition of the same work of 1736 (G.L. Cat. 7413); manuscript maps of Rye Harbour, 'Lyn river and harbour' [river Ouse and King's Lynn], 'Wisbech and Spalding rivers', and the river Dee, accompany these publications. The volume was inscribed by Robert Mylne and his son, William Chadwell Mylne (1781-1863), also an engineer and architect.

Related Material

A published copy of the report is available (see Goldsmith's Library Cat. 15332).

Bibliography

The report was published in 1792.