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John Elphinston Papers Relating to the Russo-Turkish War
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Held at: Princeton University Library: Manuscripts Division [Contact Us]
This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held at the Princeton University Library: Manuscripts Division. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in their reading room, and not digitally available through the web.
Overview and metadata sections
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.
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 Includes his certificate of service signed by the Empress Catherine; his unpublished manuscript memoirs (1773) in four volumes; a narrative of the Russian expedition by sea (1769-70), with an account of his reception at the Court of St.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; and a 1780 mezzotint of the admiral.
Arranged by format.
Purchased from Julian Browning and Martyn Downer Works of Art with support of the the Program in Near Eastern Studies, 2003-2010. AM 2004-004, 2011-15.
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This collection was processed by Teresa T. Basler in 2003. Finding aid written by Teresa T. Basler in Teresa T. Basler.
No appraisal information is available.
People
- Alexander I, Emperor of Russia, 1777-1825
- Catherine II, Empress of Russia, 1729-1796
- Elphinston, John, 1722-1785
- Elphinstone, Alexander.
- Nesselrode, Karl Robert, graf von, 1780-1862
- Nicholas I, Emperor of Russia, 1796-1855
- Pozzo di Borgo, Carlo Andrea, conte, 1764-1842
Organization
Subject
- 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
Place
- Publisher
- Manuscripts Division
- Finding Aid Author
- Teresa T. Basler
- Finding Aid Date
- 2003
- Access Restrictions
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Collection is open for research use.
- Use Restrictions
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Collection Inventory
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Includes details of his earlier service in the Seven Years War, and some later material.
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Admiral John Elphinston's personal logbook, observing the Russian squadron's victory over the Turkish fleet. [AM 2011-15]
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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.
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