Friends of Hastings Cemetery


[Rossbank Observatory] - Simpkinson De Wesselow, Francis Guillemard, 1819-1906

(Courtesy of the W. L. Crowther Library, Tasmanian Archive and Heritage Office)

In a neat twist, his brother, John Nassau Simpkinson, was curate at All Saints, Herstmonceaux from 1840 - 1845. This is now the Observatory Science Centre

F.G. Simpkinson: Journals and papers ReferenceGBR/0012/MS Add.7782  Cambridge University Library, Department of Manuscripts and University Archives

Simpkinson de Wesselow, Francis Guillemard (1819-1906) naval officer and artist

http://janus.lib.cam.ac.uk/db/node.xsp?id=EAD%2FGBR%2F0012%2FMS%20Add.7782

Manuscripts/MS Add.7782 contains:

1 Journal on H.M.S. 'Britannia'. A journal recording Private Simpkinson's experiences on board H.M.S. 'Britannia', operating off the Iberian Peninsula. In a note at the start of the volume Simpkinson admits that 'having neglected my Journal for some time, I shall not be able to give an account of every little incident that has happened since the time I entered the service, so must merely proceed to give a cursory sketch of the most remarkable occurrences, which I am able to recall to memory'. He also records his purpose in writing the account: 'this journal is merely intended for myself to refer to at a future period, and not for another to criticize. I write down whatever comes first into my head, however foolish or ridiculous it may appear'. The first dated journal entry is for 17 March 1832, and describes Simpkinson leaving London to join the 'Britannia' at Portsmouth. During the period covered by the journal he paid two trips to the Iberian Peninsula, during the second of which he spent time in Lisbon, his experiences of which are recorded in the journal. The final entry describes a cholera epidemic in Lisbon in the middle of

April 1833. Only 26 pages of the volume have been used. 
1 volume. Mar. 1832-Apr. 1833

2 Journal on H.M.S. 'Britannia'. A short journal recording Simpkinson's experiences on board H.M.S. 'Britannia', travelling through the Mediterranean. The journal begins at Lisbon on 15 May 1833 and concludes at Scala Nuova, Turkey, on 28 August 1833 with a description of the crew's visit that day to Ephesus. 
1 notebook. May 1833-Aug. 1833

3 Journal on H.M.S. 'Sulphur'. A short journal recording Simpkinson's experiences on H.M.S. 'Sulphur', operating mainly off the coast of South America. The journal begins with the commissioning of the vessel by Captain Beechey at Portsmouth on 28 September 1835. The last date entry is for 16 May 1836, when the ship was sailing off the bottom of the coast of South America on route to Valparaiso, Chile. However, the journal is dated on the back from December 1835 (when it left England) to June 1836. One of the sheets contains additional notes, separate to the journal entries. 
6 sheets. Sep. 1835-June 1836

4 Journal on H.M.S. 'Sulphur'. A journal recording Simpkinson's experiences on H.M.S. 'Sulphur', operating mainly off the coast of South America. The journal begins with an entry for 28 September 1835 recording that 'H.M. Ship Sulphur was commissioned at Portsmouth by Captn. Beechey to prosecute that scientific officers observations in the Pacific, and also to continue the survey already commenced by Captain Fitzroy on the Western Coast of South America'. The last dated entry is for 19 August 1836, but there are two further entries dated 'Monday' and 'Tuesday' at River Guayaquil. The entries record the ship's travel through the following places: Madeira, Funchal, Santa Cruz (at Tenerife), the Variables, Rio Janeiro, St Catherine's, Rio de la Plata, Monte Video, Statin Island, Cape Horn, Valparaiso, Callao, Lima and Payta. Only around a third of the volume has been used. 
1 volume. Sep. 1835-Aug. 1836
                                                                                 
NEXT

Francis Guillemard Simpkinson de Wesselow - p.4