Following our post last month about a new deposit relating to Admiral William Parker, we’re pleased to say that this collection is now catalogued and searchable online here.

The archive documents the personal and professional life of Parker, who served in the Imperial Brazilian Navy from 1823 until his retirement in 1867.

Naval records in the archive include notes appointing Parker to various commands, some signed by Thomas Cochrane, the controversial officer who served as the inspiration behind author Patrick O’Brian’s character Captain Jack Aubrey (played by Russell Crowe in Master and Commander).

There is also a substantial amount of material, including correspondence, photographs, and financial and business records, relating to Parker’s children, Flora, Guillermo, Maria, and Augusto, and other family members.

Most of the papers are in Spanish or  Portuguese, though invaluable summaries, transcriptions and translations have been provided by the depositor (William Parker’s great-great-grand-daughter).