Marryat, Frederick, Captain, 1792-1848.

The papers consist of sketches, a diary, 1808 to 1821, his signal book and an album of official letters and press cuttings, 1808 to 1841. There is also his prayer book and other personal relics.

Administrative / biographical background
Marryat entered the Navy in 1806 and served under Lord Cochrane (1775-1860), whose career was the model for many of Marryat's heroes in his novels. In 1810 he served in the CONTOUR under Sir Samuel Hood (q.v.) in the West Indies and North America, was made a lieutenant in 1812 and went again to the West Indies in the ESPIEGLE; he was forced to return in 1815 because of ill-health. He was appointed commander into the BEAVER in 1820, at St. Helena, and remained there until the death of Napoleon. He then went in the LARNE to the East Indies, 1823, where he played a distinguished part in the First Burmese War, 1824. In 1825 he was promoted to Captain of the TEES and returned to England in 1826. He resigned from the service in 1830. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1819 for his work on Sir Home Popham's system of signalling. Biographies of Marryat include Florence Marryat, 'The life and letters of Captain Marryat' (London, 1872), C.C. Lloyd, 'Captain Marryat and the old navy' (London, 1939), and Maurice-Paul Gautier, 'Captain Frederick Marryat l'homme et l'oeuvre (Paris, 1972).