Papers of Admiral Charles Philip Yorke, 4th Earl of Hardwicke (1799-1873)

Eight notebooks, orders and letter books relating to Yorke’s commands at sea. There are two notebooks from HMS ALACRITY (1818) in the Mediterranean, 1823-1826; and HMS ALLIGATOR (1821), in home waters and the Mediterranean, 1828-1831. There are four letter books from HMS VENGEANCE (1824) in the Mediterranean, 1848-1849. There are also two albums of original letters, some mounted and others loose. Includes letters from Captain Gawen W. Hamilton of HMS CAMBRIAN (1797) and Captain Charles Sotherby of HMS SERINGATATUM (1819), following actions with piratical Greek vessels. Relate to events of the Greek War of Independence 1821-1825 and later in his career, the revolutions among the Italian states against Austrian control, following the uprising against the French monarchy in 1848.

Related material; Yorke family papers (YOR); mainly consisting of private letters addressed to Yorke’s uncle Right Hon. Charles Philip Yorke (1764-1834), first Lord of the Admiralty 1810 -1812. Also, portrait of Yorke’s father Vice-Admiral Hon. Sir Josephy Sydney Yorke (1768-1831) (BHC3104).

Administrative / biographical background
Charles Philip Yorke entered the Royal Naval College in 1813 and then the Royal Navy in 1815 as a midshipman on HMS PRINCE, followed by service in the Mediterranean and was entrusted with the command of a gunboat at the bombardment of Algiers. Service on the North American Station, Halifax Station and Mediterranean Station followed, and at the latter he made captain in 1825. Yorke commanded the ALACRITY 1823-1826 and the ALLIGATOR 1830-1831. In 1836 he attained flag rank. 1844 -1845 he commanded the steam yacht HMS BLACK EAGLE and HMS ST VINCENT, in which he carried Czar Nicholas I to England. Yorke was in command of the VENGEANCE 1848-1849, including taking part in a bombardment of Genoa in support of the royal forces of the Kingdom of Sardinia, causing significant damage and civilian casualties. In 1858 he retired from active service, becoming an admiral in 1863, and retired from the Royal Navy in 1870. Also, an MP from 1831, Yorke became a Privy Councillor and Postmaster General in 1852.