Collection GB 0064 DAR - Legge, Admiral George (1648-1691)

Identity area

Reference code

GB 0064 DAR

Title

Legge, Admiral George (1648-1691)

Date(s)

  • [1660-1689] (Creation)

Level of description

Collection

Extent and medium

3ft; 91cm

Context area

Name of creator

Biographical history

Legge served with his cousin, Sir Edward Spragge (d 1673), in the Second Dutch War, 1665 to 1667. During the Third Dutch War, 1672 to 1674, he was Captain of the FAIRFAX, under Sir Robert Holmes (1622-1692) and took part in the battle of Solebay, 1672. In 1673, he commanded the ROYAL KATHERINE, under Prince Rupert (1619-1682). He held various posts in the household of the Duke of York and was Lieutenant-Governor, then Governor, of Portsmouth from 1670 to 1682, when he was appointed Master-General of the Ordnance; he was created Baron Dartmouth in the same year. In 1683 he was sent to Tangier to supervise the evacuation. After the accession of James II in 1685, he was appointed Admiral of the Fleet in 1688, in the hope that he would be able to use the fleet to prevent the invasion of the Prince of Orange. This he was unable to do and he took the oath of allegiance to William and Mary in 1689. In 1691 he was accused of plotting on behalf of the exiled James and died while imprisoned in the Tower of London.

Archival history

GB 0064 DAR [1660-1689] Collection 3ft; 91cm Legge , George , 1648-1691 , Admiral Of The Fleet , 1st Baron Dartmouth

Legge served with his cousin, Sir Edward Spragge (d 1673), in the Second Dutch War, 1665 to 1667. During the Third Dutch War, 1672 to 1674, he was Captain of the FAIRFAX, under Sir Robert Holmes (1622-1692) and took part in the battle of Solebay, 1672. In 1673, he commanded the ROYAL KATHERINE, under Prince Rupert (1619-1682). He held various posts in the household of the Duke of York and was Lieutenant-Governor, then Governor, of Portsmouth from 1670 to 1682, when he was appointed Master-General of the Ordnance; he was created Baron Dartmouth in the same year. In 1683 he was sent to Tangier to supervise the evacuation. After the accession of James II in 1685, he was appointed Admiral of the Fleet in 1688, in the hope that he would be able to use the fleet to prevent the invasion of the Prince of Orange. This he was unable to do and he took the oath of allegiance to William and Mary in 1689. In 1691 he was accused of plotting on behalf of the exiled James and died while imprisoned in the Tower of London.

The papers were deposited on loan by the Earl of Dartmouth in 1936. A further volume was presented by Mr J. Ehrman in 1951.

Papers of George Legge, consisting of twenty-seven volumes, partly of Dartmouth's own papers and partly of journals by his contemporaries. In the first category is the log of the ROYAL KATHERINE, 1673; the letter and order book of the Sub-Commissioners of Prizes at Portsmouth, 1672 to 1674; papers relating to Tangier, which include three letterbooks, two order books and a journal of the proceedings of Samuel Pepys and others, enquiring into the properties of the papers not directly relating to Dartmouth include a commonplace book, 1666; two logs, 1671 to 1672, 1672 to 1673, of Sir Edward Spragge; a log of the RESOLUTION, Captain Sir Thomas Allin (1612-1685), 1669 to 1670, Mediterranean; the log of the ASSISTANCE, Captain Sir Richard Munden (1640-1680), during the expedition to St Helena in 1673; a log of the SAUDADOES, Captain James Jenefer, 1672 to 1673, on a voyage to Lisbon; a log of the CENTURION, Captain Charles Wyld on a voyage conveying Sir John Finch (1626-1682), as ambassador to Constantinople, 1673 to 1674, and a log of Captain Grenvile Collins (fl 1679-1693), surveying in home waters, 1688 to 1689. There is a letterbook, 1666, of Prince Rupert and George Monck, Duke of Albemarle (1608-1670), joint Commanders-in-Chief. This was published as 'The Rupert and Monck Letterbook, 1666', ed. J R Powell and E K Timings (Navy Records Society, 1969). There are copies of the Duke of York's Sailing and Fighting Instructions, 1672 and 1673, accounts of the battle of Solebay, an account of the battle of Texel by Sir John Narbrough (1640-1688) and notes on seventeenth century naval affairs. A further volume, a 'Discourse on the state of the Navy', 1660 to 1661, by Sir Robert Slingsby (1611-1661), was presented by Mr J. Ehrman in 1951.

Please contact the Archive for further information.

Please contact the Archive for further information.

English

Detailed catalogue online at the: National Maritime Museum website .

The papers are described in the Historical manuscripts Commission's Eleventh Report (appendix, part v, 1887) and Fifteenth Report (appendix, part i, 1896).

Edited by Sarah Drewery, Sep 2011.

Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

2010-08-26 Western Europe UK England Hampshire Portsmouth Seas Mediterranean Sea Middle East Turkey Marmara Istanbul Southern Africa Narbrough , Sir , John , 1640-1688 , Knight , Admiral HMS Saudadoes HMS Centurion HMS Assistance HMS Royal Katherine HMS Resolution Saint Helena Slingsby , Sir , Robert , 1611-1661 , Knight , Comptroller of the Navy Monck , George , 1608-1670 , 1st Duke of Albemarle , General , Admiral Finch , Sir , John , 1626-1682 , Knight , physician and diplomat Rupert , 1619-1682 , Prince of the Rhine Allin , Sir , Thomas , 1612-1685 , Knight , Admiral Munden , Sir , Richard , 1640-1680 , Knight , Captain Pepys , Samuel , 1633-1703 , naval official and diarist Spragge , Sir , Edward , c 1620-1673 , Admiral x Spragg x Sprague Legge , George , 1648-1691 , Admiral Of The Fleet , 1st Baron Dartmouth Surveying Battles Naval battles Military science Social sciences Military affairs Naval affairs International conflicts War (concept) War seizures Naval prizes Europe Tangier Morocco North Africa

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

The papers were deposited on loan by the Earl of Dartmouth in 1936. A further volume was presented by Mr J. Ehrman in 1951.

Content and structure area

Scope and content

Papers of George Legge, consisting of twenty-seven volumes, partly of Dartmouth's own papers and partly of journals by his contemporaries. In the first category is the log of the ROYAL KATHERINE, 1673; the letter and order book of the Sub-Commissioners of Prizes at Portsmouth, 1672 to 1674; papers relating to Tangier, which include three letterbooks, two order books and a journal of the proceedings of Samuel Pepys and others, enquiring into the properties of the papers not directly relating to Dartmouth include a commonplace book, 1666; two logs, 1671 to 1672, 1672 to 1673, of Sir Edward Spragge; a log of the RESOLUTION, Captain Sir Thomas Allin (1612-1685), 1669 to 1670, Mediterranean; the log of the ASSISTANCE, Captain Sir Richard Munden (1640-1680), during the expedition to St Helena in 1673; a log of the SAUDADOES, Captain James Jenefer, 1672 to 1673, on a voyage to Lisbon; a log of the CENTURION, Captain Charles Wyld on a voyage conveying Sir John Finch (1626-1682), as ambassador to Constantinople, 1673 to 1674, and a log of Captain Grenvile Collins (fl 1679-1693), surveying in home waters, 1688 to 1689. There is a letterbook, 1666, of Prince Rupert and George Monck, Duke of Albemarle (1608-1670), joint Commanders-in-Chief. This was published as 'The Rupert and Monck Letterbook, 1666', ed. J R Powell and E K Timings (Navy Records Society, 1969). There are copies of the Duke of York's Sailing and Fighting Instructions, 1672 and 1673, accounts of the battle of Solebay, an account of the battle of Texel by Sir John Narbrough (1640-1688) and notes on seventeenth century naval affairs. A further volume, a 'Discourse on the state of the Navy', 1660 to 1661, by Sir Robert Slingsby (1611-1661), was presented by Mr J. Ehrman in 1951.

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

Accruals

System of arrangement

Conditions of access and use area

Conditions governing access

Please contact the Archive for further information.

Conditions governing reproduction

Please contact the Archive for further information.

Language of material

  • English

Script of material

  • Latin

Language and script notes

English

Physical characteristics and technical requirements

Finding aids

Detailed catalogue online at the: National Maritime Museum website .

The papers are described in the Historical manuscripts Commission's Eleventh Report (appendix, part v, 1887) and Fifteenth Report (appendix, part i, 1896).

Allied materials area

Existence and location of originals

Existence and location of copies

Related units of description

Related descriptions

Notes area

Alternative identifier(s)

Access points

Place access points

Name access points

Genre access points

Description control area

Description identifier

Institution identifier

National Maritime Museum

Rules and/or conventions used

Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

Status

Level of detail

Dates of creation revision deletion

Language(s)

  • English

Script(s)

    Sources

    Accession area