Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- 1857-1940 (Creation)
Level of description
Extent and medium
2 boxes of 13 files
Context area
Name of creator
Biographical history
Born, 1827; educated, Barnstaple grammar school and Blackheath proprietary school; 46th native Bengal infantry, 1844; served in the First and Second Anglo-Sikh wars of 1845-1846 and 1848-1849; expedition under Richard Burton into east Africa, 1854; expedition to the great lakes of east Africa, 1856-1859; Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society (RGS), 1857-1864; RGS Founder's Medal, 1861; Nile expedition, 1860-1863; died, 1864.
Repository
Archival history
GB 0402 JHS 1857-1940 Collection level 2 boxes of 13 files Speke , John Hanning , 1827-1864 , explorer
Born, 1827; educated, Barnstaple grammar school and Blackheath proprietary school; 46th native Bengal infantry, 1844; served in the First and Second Anglo-Sikh wars of 1845-1846 and 1848-1849; expedition under Richard Burton into east Africa, 1854; expedition to the great lakes of east Africa, 1856-1859; Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society (RGS), 1857-1864; RGS Founder's Medal, 1861; Nile expedition, 1860-1863; died, 1864.
Unknown
Papers of John Hanning Speke including observation files, 'Explorations in Eastern Africa', 1859; copies of letters from the East African expedition to Philip Lutley Sclater and Sir William Hooker, Sep 1860, and to the Royal Geographical Society (RGS), 1 Oct 1860; observations and computations, Lake region and upper Nile, 1861-1863; 44 letters to the RGS, 1857-1864, from East Africa with some information on his second expedition with Richard Francis Burton, and from Wiltshire concerning his relations with Burton and the preparations for his proposed expedition with James Augustus Grant to the source of the Nile, and from East Africa reporting on the progress of that expedition; letter to Col Rigby from Khoko, 12 Dec 1860; letter to King Rumanika of Karagwé, Mar 1862; two letters from John Petherick, 24 Feb and 15 Apr 1863 concerning the aid he expected to receive from Petherick; coloured plates of birds noted in Africa by Wilhelm Ruppell and others with original watercolour sketches by Speke and Grant on blank verso pages, Speke's signature on the inside front cover is followed by a page of notes on the use of watercolours and a sketch of King M'tesa of Uganda; reprint from the Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal, Vol 24, 'Report on a zoological collection from the Somali country by Edward Blyth, with additions and corrections by the collector' [Speke], edited by P L Sclater, London, 1860; letter, unfinished, to Mr. Tinne, from Neston Park, 1864; sketch maps of Lake Tanganyika and of Speke's route in 1857, (11 sheets, sheet 8 has a letter from Speke to the RGS from Unyanyembe, 20 Nov 1857, written on the back); volume entitled 'Extracts', containing a collection of press cuttings relating to the discovery of the source of the Nile by Speke and Grant and to Speke's death, 1863-1864 and volume entitled 'Record', containing extracts prepared by the Royal College of Arms for the Speke family.
Original order.
Accessed via the Foyle Reading Room. Free of charge for Fellows, Members and those with valid academic identification. All other users pay a charge and must bring identification in order to register on arrival.
Photocopying at the discretion of the Archivist, and subject to completion of 'application for copies' form. No reproduction or publication without the permission of the IBG-RGS Archivist.
English
Detailed box list available in the Foyle Reading Room.
RGS Correspondence Blocks: War Office corr. May 1860; Speke Monument corr. 1881-1910; Works, Office of corr. 1881-1910 (re Speke Monument); Behm, Dr. E corr. 1871-80 letter of 26 June 1876; Speke, J H corr. 1911-20 letters about relics of J H Speke; Liddell, Sir W. corr. 1931-40 letter about portrait and bust of Speke; Speke Memorial at Chapel Plaister corr. 1921-30.
Prepared by an archives volunteer using existing finding aids. Revised by Sarah Drewery.
Sources: Oxford DNB.
ISAD(G) ed. 2, name authority NRA.
15 March 2001; May 2008 Africa Animals Birds Burton , Sir , Richard Francis , 1821-1890 , Knight , explorer and diplomat East Africa Explorers Geographical exploration Geography Grant , James Augustus , 1827-1892 , Scottish explorer Graphic arts Hooker , Sir , William Jackson , 1785-1865 , Knight , botanist Illustration M'tesa , fl 1879 , King of Uganda Nile, river People by roles Petherick , John , 1813-1882 , explorer and Consul at Khartoum Royal Geographical Society Rüppell , Wilhelm Peter Eduard Simon , 1794-1884 , German naturalist and explorer Rumanika , fl 1861-1876 , King of Karagwé Sclater , Philip Lutley , 1829-1913 , English lawyer and zoologist Somalia Speke , John Hanning , 1827-1864 , explorer Tanganyika, Lake Tanzania Zoology People Vertebrates Organisms
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
Unknown
Content and structure area
Scope and content
Papers of John Hanning Speke including observation files, 'Explorations in Eastern Africa', 1859; copies of letters from the East African expedition to Philip Lutley Sclater and Sir William Hooker, Sep 1860, and to the Royal Geographical Society (RGS), 1 Oct 1860; observations and computations, Lake region and upper Nile, 1861-1863; 44 letters to the RGS, 1857-1864, from East Africa with some information on his second expedition with Richard Francis Burton, and from Wiltshire concerning his relations with Burton and the preparations for his proposed expedition with James Augustus Grant to the source of the Nile, and from East Africa reporting on the progress of that expedition; letter to Col Rigby from Khoko, 12 Dec 1860; letter to King Rumanika of Karagwé, Mar 1862; two letters from John Petherick, 24 Feb and 15 Apr 1863 concerning the aid he expected to receive from Petherick; coloured plates of birds noted in Africa by Wilhelm Ruppell and others with original watercolour sketches by Speke and Grant on blank verso pages, Speke's signature on the inside front cover is followed by a page of notes on the use of watercolours and a sketch of King M'tesa of Uganda; reprint from the Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal, Vol 24, 'Report on a zoological collection from the Somali country by Edward Blyth, with additions and corrections by the collector' [Speke], edited by P L Sclater, London, 1860; letter, unfinished, to Mr. Tinne, from Neston Park, 1864; sketch maps of Lake Tanganyika and of Speke's route in 1857, (11 sheets, sheet 8 has a letter from Speke to the RGS from Unyanyembe, 20 Nov 1857, written on the back); volume entitled 'Extracts', containing a collection of press cuttings relating to the discovery of the source of the Nile by Speke and Grant and to Speke's death, 1863-1864 and volume entitled 'Record', containing extracts prepared by the Royal College of Arms for the Speke family.
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling
Accruals
System of arrangement
Original order.
Conditions of access and use area
Conditions governing access
Accessed via the Foyle Reading Room. Free of charge for Fellows, Members and those with valid academic identification. All other users pay a charge and must bring identification in order to register on arrival.
Conditions governing reproduction
Photocopying at the discretion of the Archivist, and subject to completion of 'application for copies' form. No reproduction or publication without the permission of the IBG-RGS Archivist.
Language of material
- English
Script of material
- Latin
Language and script notes
English
Physical characteristics and technical requirements
RGS Correspondence Blocks: War Office corr. May 1860; Speke Monument corr. 1881-1910; Works, Office of corr. 1881-1910 (re Speke Monument); Behm, Dr. E corr. 1871-80 letter of 26 June 1876; Speke, J H corr. 1911-20 letters about relics of J H Speke; Liddell, Sir W. corr. 1931-40 letter about portrait and bust of Speke; Speke Memorial at Chapel Plaister corr. 1921-30.
Finding aids
Detailed box list available in the Foyle Reading Room.
Allied materials area
Existence and location of originals
Existence and location of copies
Related units of description
Notes area
Alternative identifier(s)
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Description control area
Description identifier
Institution identifier
Rules and/or conventions used
ISAD(G) ed. 2, name authority NRA.
Status
Level of detail
Dates of creation revision deletion
Language(s)
- English