29 - ARCHIVE OF CORRESPONDENCE OF THOMAS LYNN, NAVAL OFFICER AND TEACHER OF NAVIGATION IN THE EAST INDIA COMPANY

ARCHIVE OF CORRESPONDENCE OF THOMAS LYNN, NAVAL OFFICER AND TEACHER OF NAVIGATION IN THE EAST INDIA COMPANY Approximately 63 autograph and copy letters to and from Lynn, c.1820-1843, correspondents including Admiral Sir Henry Hotham (1777-1833) congratulating Lynn on his navigational tables (1827); Sir Edward Owen (1771-1849, naval officer); Capt. Edward Parry (1790-1855, naval officer and Arctic explorer); Rear Admiral Thomas Masterman Hardy (1769-1839, naval officer, Nelson’s flag captain at Trafalgar) regarding a trial of the Horary Tables; Lt. Robertson; the East India Company (requesting copies of his Solar Tables in 1820, Azimuth tables in 1829 and New Star Tables in 1843); the Board of Admiralty (regretting they cannot contribute to the publication of tables in 1822); order from the Admiralty Office requesting 50 copies of Horary Tables (1828); William Manning; a Certificate of Entry of Horary Tables at Stationers’ Hall (March 1827); the Royal Mint (1827); Ordnance Map Office (April, 1827) and Captain John Ross (1777-1856, naval officer and Arctic explorer), "I spoke to Lord Melville on Tuesday and to Mr Pond this day & they both promised to support your claim on the board of Longitude”.; Together with Lynn’s copy letters sent to the Admiralty, East India Company, Admiralty Board etc, and a fair copy of a document signed by Thomas Lynn declaring “upon my honour that I will not divulge nor teach the method suggested to me by Mr Thos. Yarrow or touching the subject of a new method finding the Longitude at Sea by the altitudes of the sun & moon or moon and star observed at the same time” with calculations (4pp., July 11, [18]26) (A lot) Thomas Lynn (1774-1847) started his career at the age of 11 when he was taken on as captain's servant of the East India Company ship Valentine in 1785. Over the years, he rose through the ranks to become Captain, his last voyage being to China in command of the Barkworth, in 1816-17. ‘Lynn was then appointed examiner in nautical astronomy to the East India Company's officers. He published sets of star tables and pamphlets on telegraphic communication and practical navigation and contributed a detailed chapter on the various routes to and from Chinese ports to the three-volume work on China in the Edinburgh Cabinet Library series issued in 1836. By 1836, however, Lynn's income was inadequate and he was obliged to dispose of his publications and sell his copyrights.’ ( ODNB)