Ships Logs & Naval Journals

Ships Journals and Logs

The following ships journals and logs in are held in Special Collections – see also detailed entries below this summary table: 

MSS 369 - Papers of Thomas Barrington Moody

Description

Bound manuscript journal written by Thomas Barrington Moody aboard HMS Egeria, 1878-1881 [c370pp]

Summary

This collection comprises the diary (journal, logbook) of Navigating-Lieutenant Thomas Barrington Moody 1878-1881 on board the H.M.S Egeria, and its journey to Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan, the China coast including Shanghai, Borneo, Siam and Malaya.

Date Range of Content

1878-1881

Biographical Note

Thomas Barrington Moody was born on 29 March 1848. He was the son of Shute Barrington Moody and Sarah Blackburn. He was baptised on 5 May 1848 at St. Botolph, Bishopsgate, London, England. He was appointed to the Royal Navy on 9 June 1863 as Staff Commander.  He was the Navigating-Lieutenant aboard the 4-gun Fantome-class screw composite sloop, H.M.S. Egeria which was launched in 1873, 5 years before he began writing the journal in this collection. The journal documents his travels on H.M.S Egeria from 1878-1881. He was an acute observer and a very capable artist.

Remarks on Content

A single bound journal approximately 370 pages written by Thomas Barrington Moody Navigating-Lieutenant Royal Navy, aboard H.M.S Egeria 1878-1881 journey to Singapore, Hong Kong, Korea, Japan and the China coast including Shanghai, Borneo, Siam and Malaya and then the passage home. Marbled endpapers, written in a ledger with un-used alphabetised thumb index at rear. Legible handwriting despite some water stains, small pen and ink drawings in text, some looseleaf inserts. Measures 32 x 20.5cm. 

The journal begins during a visit to the Japanese Concession on Deer Island in Korea in which Moody describes the contempt in which a local Japanese shop owner held for a group of Korean coolies. The Korean experience is followed by a period of 6 months in Nagasaki. His eye-witness accounts of a festival and processions, affrays between drunken sailors, the guilds, camphor and dwarfed trees. He mentions the need for passports when travelling outside the treaty limits in Japan. Under the heading "How can we kill time?' he describes the problems which beset many who are away from home for any period of time….. "As we remained here for some six months, we were rather put to it to find amusement during so long a time. Curio hunting soon failed to amuse, Nagasaki being the worst town to buy anything except tortoiseshell ware and Hizen china - which is inferior to Kago, Kioto, and Satsuma coarse. The walks became tedious... At last one of the officers conceived to collect ferns and at once an object was found to enliven our walks and to engross a considerable portion of our spare time. Most of us being of a somewhat solitary turn of mind, separate on landing, and taking two or three different valleys each afternoon, we eventually covered the whole of them. As many of the residents had pursued this pastime for some time, we received a good deal of information to the different species to be found, their habitats..."

From Nagasaki the Egeria sailed to Shanghai. His entries for Shanghai discuss: Shanghai ponies and roads; Shanghai buildings, clubs etc; Rowing club, Race courses, Rifle range, The Drama; (loosely inserted at this point are two newspaper clippings showing Moody's scores in the internal Rifle Competition which took place during the Egeria's stay). He remarks on "the most intelligent copying powers of these Orientals"; a visit to the gun factory; the slighting of Former US Present General Grant and the ceremonies that followed during his six day visit is recorded. A torch light procession which included a lighting of the ships was included "...quite a sight, as the ships were all illuminated, and occasionally letting off rockets. The Egeria's illumination was the worst, but fortunately our rockets were very much better than anyone else’s and it was quite a sight to see the upturned faces of the thousands of Chinamen, and hear the "hei-ya" of admiration as they went up sky-high".

Following these Shanghai experiences the Egeria sailed up the Yangtze where the author describes Chi-Fu society. Sailing along the China coast brought them to Hong Kong where they appear to have remained for just over a month before continuing to Hainan. Returning to Hong Kong he talks about piracy around Hong Kong and how very common it still was. After discussing the fate that befalls pirates on capture "always executed, and sometimes previously tortured, or what is perhaps as bad, imprisoned for some time in one of the filthy Chinese goals". He tells a story of an audacious robbery of a jewellers on Hong Kong Island at Christmas in 1878 when the pirates came ashore "attacked and partially looted a Chinese jeweller’s shop and got away in a steam launch which they worked themselves, leaving only one or two of their number behind. It is not to be inferred from this, that there are no police in Hong Kong for the Sikh police are a very fine body of men and there are also a number of Chinese police, but of course a regularly organised attack will always be partially successful, it is so easy to descend on the town and get away again".

As the Egeria's tour continued Moody's journal proceeds with many fascinating entries on many aspects of Borneo, Singapore, Siam, Malacca and Johore. The ship returns several times to Hong Kong and Singapore and entries on these places appear in several passages through the journal.

The copious entries in this journal on all manner of topics give compelling accounts of the people, places and situations Moody encountered. This insightful man had a lively interest in the people and cultures he encountered. Although he displays a certain amount of cultural arrogance, typical of a foreigner of the time, it is mild in comparison with many, and his interest in recording the world as he saw it gives invaluable snapshots into eastern Asia in the late 19th century in an engaging manner. This journal, almost certainly Moody's fair copy from notes he made while on the voyage, includes notes, diagrams and drawings (loosely inserted at the rear of the journal) which appear to have been made while at sea for later inclusion in his journal. This record of "ordinary" life is an important historical record which has an authenticity, life and feel of immediacy that make compulsive reading.

The bulk of the journal comprises descriptive text although the introductory first leaves are in a table format with ruled columns listing the Name of Place visited; Date Arrived; Date Left; Number of Miles at Sea and Number of Days at Sea. Under these headings the details of his extensive travels throughout eastern Asia are carefully entered. These listings do not exactly fit with the descriptive essays within the journal further supporting the belief that at least one other volume of his writings must have existed.

MSS 144 - Papers of John L. Allen

Summary

Private journal kept by John L. Allen on a voyage to China and Japan in HMS Ocean, 1869-1871, together with his notes on China.

Date Range

1869-1871

Description

Bound manuscript journal kept by John L. Allen on a voyage to China and Japan in HMS Ocean, 1869-1871, also included in the journal is an obituary, an index and a list of places visited,
handwritten notes on China, November 1871

Biographical Note

From the journal, Allen appears to have been Naval personnel, rank unknown.  Ocean was a Royal Navy Ship launched 1863 as an ironclad, paid off in 1872.

Remarks on Content

The journal contains a wealth of information on customs, dress, appearance of the local populations as well as descriptions of dwellings and sights.

Transcript of the Index to the Journal

INDEX
Arrival in England                               p 1
Epson Races                                      p 2
Volunteer Review Wimbledon            p 11
An Aristocratic Party                           p 17
A Pleasing Event                                p 21
A Visitor of Distinction                        p 29
Start for Foreign Service                    p 31
St Vincent                                           p 32
Cape of Good Hope                            p 34
(Table of the Colonies,..Gambia, Lagos, Gold Coast, Natal, West African Settlement, Cape colony)
The Straits Settlement                        p 46
Arrival at China                                   p 49
Hong Kong ,                                        p 50
(Climate, Victoria, Happy Valley, Chair Coolies, Chinese Women, Chinese Workmen, Floating Population, Family Boats, Feminine Pursuits of Ladies)
A Gale                                                 p 197
Japan, Land of the Rising Sun,          p 67
(Yokohama, Slight Sketch of Japanese Morals, Mill of Adams, First English Ship and Factory, The Matchless Pearl, Lieu-Lieu Massacre)   
Nagasaki, Japan                                 p 77
(Papenburg, Persecution of Christians, European Settlement, Climate, the Decima, Dutch and Portugese, Early Christians, Japanese Houses, Religion, Dress, Appearance, Feast of the Dead, Before the Public)
Amoy, China                                                   p 108
Hong Kong, Race Meet, Bad Habits              p 112
Chi-fu, China                                                   p 119
(Climate, Native Town, A days outing, Chinese Nobility)
American attack on Corea [Korea] The Coreans  p 120       
Jaku Forts, the Paiho, Pleasant News           p 131
Parting notes of Japan                                   p 141
(new coins, produce and wares , population, satsuma, trampling on the cross, my visitor, last of Japan and China)
Singapore                                                       p 158
(dog bite, Mahomet’s tomb, arrival HMS Iron Duke)
Ceylon, Galle, coconut trees, precious stones, the cinnamon gardens        p 167
Zanzibar, trade and people                             p 175
Cape, Cape Town, Naval Review                  p 205
St Helena                                                        p 215
Asuncion, Sierra Leone                                  p 217
List of places visited:
Portsmouth, Madeira, St Vincent, Simons Bay, Singapore, Hong Kong, Yokohama, Nagasaki, Saddle Island, Amoy, Chi-foo (Chi-fu), Oduc Bay, Penang, Trincomalee, Point de Galle, Zanzibar, Simons Bay, St Helena, Ascension, Sierra Leone, Vigo

MSS 222 - Papers of G.K. Dickson

Description

Journal kept by G.K. Dickson while serving on HMS Euryalus, 1905.

Date Range

1905

Remarks on Content

Journal kept by G.K. Dickson while serving on HMS Euryalus from 1 June to 31 December 1905. Seventy-one pages with seventeen coloured maps and diagrams showing equipment and the routes taken by HMS Euryalus through Australian waters in the summer of 1905, and her journey to Gibraltar that autumn.
Spine title: S 520, Journal for use of junior officers afloat.

MSS 264 - Papers of Clement Richardson

Description

Softbound journal kept by Clement Richardson while serving on HMS Andromeda, 1799-1800
Printed copy of 'Instructions for Lieutenant Clement Richardson of His Majesty's Ship Conquistador appointed to procure men for the service of His Majesty's Fleet', 1 January 1782

Date Range

1799-1800

Remarks on Content

Journal kept by Clement Richardson while serving on HMS Andromeda, 9 July 1799 to 12 May 1800, under Commander Henry Inman. The journal provides a record of several voyages and convoy actions during the Anglo-French War in Norwegian and Danish waters, including the capture, boarding and checking of vessels under suspicion.

There is also a printed copy of 'Instructions for Lieutenant Clement Richardson of His Majesty's Ship Conquistador appointed to procure men for the service of His Majesty's Fleet', by the commissioners for executing the Office of Lord High Admiral of Great Britain and Ireland, &c., signed by Lord Sandwich and others, 1 January 1782.

MSS 267 - Log of HMS Pegasus

Description

Logbook of HMS Pegasus, 1786-1788.

Date Range

1786-1788

Remarks on Content

Logbook of HMS Pegasus while on service in Canada and the West Indies from 21 March 1786 to 12 March 1788. This is the official logbook of happening on board ship, rations, punishments, number of sick, shore landings. There is a detailed entry for each day.  The ship was captained by the ‘sailor king’, Prince William Henry (later William IV) and contains a description of a sighting of the young Captain Horatio Nelson.

MSS 271 - Papers of H.D. (Henry Douglas) Wilkin

Description

Journals kept by H.D. Wilkin whilst serving as a midshipman on Her Majesty's Ships, 1878-1883

Date Range

1878-1883

Remarks on Content

Journals kept by H.D. Wilkin whilst serving as a midshipman on Her Majesty's Ships' Duke of Wellington, Tourmaline, Pegasus, Charybdis, Himalaya, Crocodile, Cruiser, Superb and Penelope from 28 January 1878 to 14 February 1883. They chronicle voyages undertaken by Wilkin and include pencil and ink drawings of ships, weather charts, harbour plans and maps (some fold-out) by the author.

Biographical Note

There is an online biography of Henry Douglas Wilkin http://www.dreadnoughtproject.org/tfs/index.php/Henry_Douglas_Wilkin
Vice-Admiral (retired) Henry Douglas Wilkin, C.B.E., D.S.O., R.N. (27 March 1862 – 8 January 1931) was an officer in the Royal Navy.
Wilkin was born in Umbala, India.
Wilkin was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 30 June 1886.
Wilkin was promoted to the rank of Commander on 31 December 1900.
Wilkin was promoted to the rank of Captain on 30 June 1907.
He was appointed in command of the first class protected cruiser Edgar on 27 June 1908.
On 28 October 1909, he was appointed in command of the armoured cruiser Antrim. He would be superseded on 11 December 1912 and placed on the Retired List at his own request on 9 August 1913.
Though retired, Wilkin was made Senior Naval Officer, Belfast on 24 February 1915 and initially placed in command of Auxiliary Patrol vessels. Promoted to Rear-Admiral and reappointed in October 1918, he remained in Belfast until reverting to the retired list on 1 June 1919.
Wilkin was further promoted to Vice-Admiral on 19 July 1924.

MSS 266 - Papers of HCS Northumberland

Description

Logbook of HCS Northumberland on a return voyage to England via St Helena under Captain J.R. Franklin from Thursday 19 March 1812 to Tuesday 21 July 1812.

Date Range

19 March 1812-21 July 1812

Remarks on Content

Logbook for part of the third voyage of HCS Northumberland on her return trip to England from Madras and Bengal under Captain J.R. Franklin from Thursday 19 March to Tuesday 21 July 1812.

HCS Northumberland was chartered by the East India Company from the managing owner William Masson, sailing from Portsmouth on 14 March 1810 and anchoring at Downs, England on 21 July 1812. She was armed and sailed in convoy under a commodore.

The entries in the log are brief, generally no more than reports on weather and position. There is also a typescript extract from the logbook and a letter from the National Maritime Museum, London, giving particulars of her six voyages.

A William Burchell (1781-1863) watercolour of the HCS Northumberland, painted on an earlier voyage to St Helena in December 1805, forms part of the collections of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.





Collated by Special Collections: August 2020
Last Updated: February 2024