Papers of Burt Eddy Taylor, 1928-1969, American book collector

• Louis-Pierre Anquetil, L'Histoire de France vol 1 1805
• Signal code book from St Helena September 1815
• 24 prints, water-colours and engravings, including Napoleon and Saint Helena 1756-1839
• Estate valuation 1784
• Correspondence, including concerning the Bonaparte family 1804-1855
• Napoleon II's exercise book 1825
• Papers of Carlo Bonaparte undated
• Miscellaneous French documents, including marriage and import licences, commissions and Award of the Legion d'Honneur 1796-1813
• Obituary 1863
• Map, newspaper report and manuscript concerning Battle of Waterloo 1815

Burt Eddy Taylor was an American who collected books and documents on Sir Walter Scott (1771-1832 ) and Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821 ).

Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821 ), statesman, was born on Corsica and he was sent to a French military academy at Brienne and the Ecole Militaire, Paris. In 1785 he was commissioned a second lieutenant of artillery. He was given command of the French Army of Italy and in 1798  he invaded Egypt. In 1799  he returned to France and overthrew the government, becoming First Consul of France. He drew up the Code Napoleon (1804 ) which remains the basis of civil law in France and other countries. In 1802  he became Consul for Life and in 1804  he crowned himself Emperor. He freed himself from his childless marriage with Josephine Beauharnais in 1809 and in 1810 he married Marie-Louise, one of the daughters of Francis I, Emperor of Austria. From 1812  he was in control of most of Europe but was fiercely resisted by Great Britain. Following a failed invasion of Russia in 1812, he was gradually pushed back to Paris and in 1814  he was forced to abdicate and was exiled to Elba. The new French king, Louis XVIII, proved to be unpopular and in 1815  Napoleon again advanced on Paris but was defeated at Waterloo by an allied army led by the Duke of Wellington. The British exiled Napoleon to St Helena, until his death in 1821 .

The arrangement of this material reflects the original order in which it was received.

Open

Gift: Burt Eddy Taylor: 1969

Further details about the collection are held on Stirling University Library web-based catalogue.

No known copies

Applications for permission to quote should be sent to the Manager, Library Liaison and Training.

Reproduction subject to usual conditions: educational use and condition of documents.

This material has been appraised in line with standard GB 559 procedures

Held by Burt Eddy Taylor's family from 1928 or 1929 and obtained from Gabriel Welles, rare book dealer, New York.

Addcitions possible

No related material

This material is original

No known publications using this material

Scotland is the location of all place names in the administrative/biographical history element, unless otherwise stated.

Fonds level description compiled by H M Kemp and Alan Borthwick, Scottish Archive Network project, 10 May 2002.