Collection search - Robert Prescott fonds [textual record]

Record information – Brief
1
Robert Prescott fonds [textual record]

Hierarchical level:

Fonds

Date:

1779-1801.

Reference:

R6918-0-9-E, MG23-GII17

Type of material:

Textual material

Found in:

Archives / Collections and Fonds

Item ID number:

102534

Context of this record:

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Robert Prescott fonds
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Record information – Details
Fonds includes:

4 lower level description(s)
View lower level description(s)

Date(s):

1779-1801.

Place of creation:

England

Extent:

84.9 cm of textual records some photocopies and transcripts.

Language of material:

English

Scope and content:

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Fonds consists of the accumulated copies of official correspondence received and sent by Robert Prescott during his administration of several colonies. The surviving entrybooks and registers (forming series 1) record his despatches to and from the Secretary of State and other imperial officials; correspondence with the British Minister at Washington, fellow governors and commanders in British North America, and senior officials within Lower Canada; plus letters sent on his behalf by his Civil Secretary and Military Secretary. The transcript of a further entrybook of the Military Secretary forms series 2. Several original documents and copies from other sources, relating to Prescott's career, form series 3 and 4.

Provenance:

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Prescott, Robert, 1725-1816
Additional name(s):

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Prescott, Robert, ca. 1726-1815

Liston, Robert
Biography/Administrative history:

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Prescott, Robert, 1725-1816 : Robert Prescott (ca. 1726-1816), military officer, colonial governor, began his military career as an ensign in 1745 and attained the rank of captain by 1755. After serving on the Louisbourg campaign, he became aide-de-camp to Lord Amherst in 1759. Following service on the expedition to Martinique and Cuba in 1762, he was promoted lieutenant colonel. Returning to active service when the American Revolutionary War broke out, he was promoted brevet colonel in 1777. He served on the campaign against St. Lucia, taking command of British forces in the Leeward Islands from August 1779 to early 1780, and was promoted major general in 1781. After a period of retirement, he was promoted lieutenant general and sent to Barbadoes in 1793, from where he led the capture of Martinique and of Guadeloupe. In 1795 he took leave from his post as civil governor of Martinique.

Initially appointed Lieutenant Governor of Lower Canada, he arrived in June 1796 and within the year was given a new commission as Governor-in-Chief in succession to Lord Dorchester. Among his concerns were the relations with Native Peoples following the surrender of the Western Posts pursuant to Jay's Treaty, the trial of David McLane for high treason, and reorganization of the land granting system in the province. Recalled to England in 1799, he retained the title of Governor until 1807.

Finding aid:

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(No finding aid) Textual records: There is no finding aid for this fonds. Three registers (volumes 3-5) provide a degree to access to the principal entrybooks. Many of the entrybooks contain a nominal index. A detailed listing of the volumes, identifying the availability of an index or register for each entrybook, prefaces the microfilm.

(Electronic) All or some of the documents described have been digitized and are available at the following address: (90: Open)
http://heritage.canadiana.ca/view/oocihm.lac_mikan_102534

(Electronic) Les documents décrits ont été complètement ou en partie numérisés et sont disponibles à l'adresse suivante : (90: Open)
http://heritage.canadiana.ca/view/oocihm.lac_mikan_102534?usrlang=fr

Additional information:

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General note:

The entrybooks forming series 1 were acquired in 1949. Series 2, an entrybook of the Military Secretary, was transcribed in 1912 from the original held by the Montreal Historical Society. Series 3 contains a letter presented in 1949 by Henry Shuffelt and a petition acquired in 1978. Series 4 contains photocopies formerly in MG 23, G I 9.
Citations to the Prescott papers should specify series, volume and page numbers, as each volume was paginated in a separate sequence. The recommended short form is MG 23, G II 17, series 1, volume 9, pages 27-29, or MG 23, G II 17, ser. 1, vol. 10, pp 26-27. When questions of copyright arise, it should be noted that the entrybooks contain official correspondence and records, not private papers. The rules applying to equivalent records in RGs 4, 7, 8 and 10 should be applied here.

Availability of other formats note:

The complete fonds is available on microfilm reels H-2532 to H-2535.

Reproduction note:

The complete fonds was microfilmed in 1995.
Subject heading:

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Governors - Martinique, 1793-1794 Great Britain. Secretary-at-war, 1796-1799

Lieutenant-governors - Lower Canada, 1796-1797 Lower Canada. Military Secretary, 1796-1799

Great Britain. Colonial Office - Records and correspondence, 1799 Robert Prescott, 1779-1801

Great Britain. Secretary of State - Correspondence, 1793-1799 Duke of Kent, 1796-1799

Great Britain. Treasury - Correspondence, [1795-1799] P.A. De Bonne, 1800

Land policy - Lower Canada, [1796-1799] Duke of Portland, [1796-1799]

Colonial administrators - Canada, [1796-1801] Gen. Brownrigg, 1796-1799

Colonial administrators - West Indies, [1779 to 1795] Quebec Gazette, 1799

McLane conspiracy, 1794-1796 Herman Witsius Ryland, 1791-1799

Lower Canada - Foreign relations - France, [1796-1799] Alured Clarke, 1791-1794

Conspiracy - Lower Canada, [1796-1799] Lord Dorchester, 1786-1795

Lower Canada - Politics and government, 1796-1799 H.R.H. Edward, Duke of Kent, 1796-1799

Quebec (Quebec) - Ordnance storekeeper, 1796-1799 Peter Russell, 1796-1799

David McLane - Trials, litigation, etc., 1794-1796 [Samuel] Gale, 1799

Jay's Treaty, 1794-1796 James Green, 1796-1799

Trials (Treason), 1794-1796 George Hatchemberg, 1798

Indians of North America - Upper Canada, 1796-1799 Robert Shore Milnes, 1799

Indians of North America - Lower Canada, 1796-1799 Upper Canada. Indian Department, 1796-1799

Lower Canada. Indian Department, 1796-1799

Leeward Island, 1779-1780

Martinique, 1793-1794

Great Britain. Army, 1796-1797
Source:

Private

Former archival reference no.:

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MG23-GII17
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