Correspondence of General Robert Monckton (1726-1782), soldier, in the Galway Collection

The original correspondence of Robert Monckton is contained in one volume and, while it covers the period 1751-83, the greatest number of letters concern events in North America and Canada, 1755-1763. Many are from the most influential men engaged in the war with France at that time, including General James Abercromby, William Pitt and Major General James Wolfe. There is also a section containing photocopies of personal letters from Robert Monckton to his brother Jack, dated 1762-1763. The originals of these are in the National Archives of Canada.

There is little material concerning Monckton's life after his return to Berwick.

Robert Monckton (1726-1782), second son of the 1st Viscount Galway, was one of the most prominent British officers to participate in the wars against France in North America and Canada. He went to Nova Scotia in 1752 as Lieutenant Colonel of the 47th Regiment and was commander at Fort Lawrence from August 1752 to June 1753, capturing Fort Beausjour in June 1755. In December 1757 he was appointed Colonel of the 2nd Battalion of the Royal American Regiment, and in 1758 became Acting Governor of Nova Scotia (in the absence of Charles Lawrence) having been Lieutenant Governor since 1755.

During the Quebec campaign in 1759, Monckton was second in command to General Wolfe. However, he was forced to withdraw from the field following a wound to the lungs. On his recovery, Monckton became Commander of the Southern District and in 1761 was appointed Governor of New York. He was promoted to Major-General and was later Commander-in-Chief of the successful expedition against Martinique in 1762.

Monckton returned to England in 1763. He was made Governor of Berwick-on-Tweed, 1765, and Governor of Portsmouth in 1778. He was MP for Portsmouth from 1779 until his death in 1782.

The correspondence is held in two chronological sequences. The first consists of original correspondence, the second of photocopied material.

ACCESS: Accessible to all registered readers.

LANGUAGE: English

NOTE: Copyright on all Finding Aids belongs to the University of Nottingham.

• In the Reading Room, University of Nottingham Library: Typescript Catalogue to item level, 23 pp
• At the National Register of Archives, London: Typescript Catalogue to item level, 32 pp
• On the national A2A (Access to Archives) website. Online access to the typescript finding aid.

• Letters to Jack Monckton from Robert Monckton, 1762-3, in National Archives of Canada, Volume LXXVIII of the Monckton Papers

REPROGRAPHIC: Photocopies and photographic copies can be supplied for educational use and private study purposes only, depending on the condition of the documents.

COPYRIGHT: Identification of copyright holders of unpublished material is often difficult. Permission to make any published use of any material from the collection must be sought in advance in writing from the Keeper of Manuscripts and Special Collections (email mss-library@nottingham.ac.uk).

The correspondence of General Robert Monckton was acquired by Nottingham University Library in 1984.

• Further papers of the Monckton-Arundell family, Viscounts Galway Ga 9201-13257 and Ga C and Ga 2