ARCHIVES AND BOOKS
Books
Recollections of the Life of the Rev. A.J. Scott. D.D. Lord Nelson's Chaplain. 1842 GATTY.
British Library Reference Shelf 1372 d 18. This is the biography, written by his daughter, two years after his death. Arrangements were in hand in 1999 for a re-print to be isssued by Marine Books, Nilcoptra, 3, Marine Road, Hoylake, Wirral, Cheshire. L47.2AS.
The Sea Chaplains 1978 Gordon Taylor. A history of the Chaplains of the Royal Navy. Well researched book with a considerable amount about the 'Scott' era.
The Navy and its Chaplains in the Days of Sail. W.E.L. Smith. This is a book publihed by Ryerson Press, Toronto. The only knowledge I have of it is a copy of Page 96 which referes to Nelson in 1797.
Nelson. Oman. This is something of a standard work on Lord Nelson. Alexander John Scott is mentioned in numerous places. The book is well-indexed.
Port Royal Jamaica 1975 Pawson and Buisseret. With chapters on the Administrative Organisation 1763-1815 and Operations 1763-1815 of the Naval Station at Port Royal. A comprehensive account with considerable cross-references to other published sources.
Other Archives
British Library(British Museum) The following are in the Manuscript Section and indexed under Dr Alexander John Scott;
Letters to Nelson. n.d.1804. f.51. 34949 ff 249-259. 1805 34992 ff 39,45,47,58,63.
Letters to Windham. 1806-1809. 37890 f282.,37910 f73., 37916 f.26.
Correspondence with the Earl of Liverpool. 1823. 38475 ff109., 113.
Correspondence with Lord Gladstone 1810. 46069 ff17., 36-37.
National Maritime Museum, Greenwich.
Indexed under Alexander John Scott are the following;
SCO/1 Drafts of letters from Nelson 1804-5
SCO/2 Letters received and sent by Scott 1803-8
SCO/3 Intercepted papers and intelligence 1803-4#
SCO/4 Misc. eg. sermon notes etc
This archive can only be described as 'sparse' and does not really justify the description. The documents are marked 'On loan from Birmingham Reference Library'
By virtue of the Will(and codicil)of Reginald Arhur Allix Gatty dated 16.7.1935 he bequeathed ..'my collection of letters chiefly Spanish being intercepted enemy mails captured in the Napoleonic Wars 1804 etc. and previously the property of my great-grandfather the Reverend Alexander John Scott etc etc to St Johns College, Cambridge...' and....'I bequeath the residue of my property being my books manuscripts and other papers to the Birmingam Reference Library directing them to to preserve or destroy all such books and manuscripts and other papers as they think fit.......'
This may well account for the fact that from time to time papers from Alexander John Scott 'turn-up' at London Auction Rooms. Birmingham City Council(Department of Leisure and Community Services) now(letter 1.11.1995) have no knowledge of this bequest but acknowledge that they do have some manuscripts of R.A.A Gatty, composer and collector of folk songs, late 19th early 20th Century.
This museum also has the copy of the bust of Alexander John Scott featured on the Main Page.
St John's College, Cambridge.
The library has a copy of the bust of Scott mentioned above and also the 458 leetters that are mentioned.(See Lord Nelson's Prize Captures(Intercepted Letters) From Chamber's Journal.6th ser. Vol V11(1904) pp 276-9 and 344-9.) The typescript Ms of the un-published work, Dr Scott, the friend of Nelson, is also here having been lodged here by Clare College, Cambridge.
They also have three A.L.L.,s. to Captain Sotheron H.M.S. Excellent at Naples dated 20 July 1805., 21 July 1805., and 2 October, 1805. These were purchased from Sothebys, London, at their Sale on 5 June 1973.
Royal Navy Museum, Portsmouth
Here, also, is a copy of the un-published typescript, Dr Scott, the friend of Nelson, but only Part I.
At Phillips, Auctioneers, London, on 16.3.1995, a small collection of papers of Rev. Alexander John Scott were sold by auction and purchased my this museum. (A letter to the annoymous vendor, sent 'care-of' Messrs Phillips, did not receive a reply.)
They have been catalogued as follows;
1/- Draft translations into Italian/French by Scott of letters to Nelson
2/1-27 Letters from Francis William Manon addresssed to Nelson, Scott, J.D. Boes.
3/1-18 Letters from Pietro Francesco Magnon addressed to Scott or Nelson
4 Petition of crew of privateer 'Neptune' to Nelson.
5 Single letter from Sardinian Secretary of State to Nelson.
6 Single letter from Commandant pf La Maddelena to Nelson
7 1/-7 Verse tributes to Nelson.
8/1-6 Letters to Scott whilst serving with Nelson at Maddelena.
9/1-11 Miscellaneous papers.
10/1-5 Intelligence reports.
11 Unnumbered c.150 items of intercepted foreign mail.
12/1-11 Papers kept from Scott's service as Secretary to Hyde Parker.
13 Scott's transcript of Nelson's diary 13.9.1805.
14 Autographed letter by Horatia Nelson Ward.
The collection,as regards Magnon and Maddelena, are of the same 'type' as those at the National Maritime Museum.
The London Metropolitan Archive, Clerkenwell(the 'London Record Office')
The entire Charterhouse archive has been deposited here. Some extent of the material can be judged by the fact that it occupies some 500 feet of shelf space. It is very well indexed but 'Alexander John Scott 'does not feature in that index. There are numerous references to him however in various documents.
The Essex Record Office, Chelmsford.
There is really nothing here but the 'Parish Registers' of Marriages, baptisms etc. give a very accurate indication of how much(or little)time Scott spent in the parish of Southminster.
Miscellaneous
Heralds of England contains some minor but interesting references to the 'Gatty' family.
The Public Record Office, Kew..
Although the catalogue is now 'on-line' and 'searchable' there is nothing under Alexander John Scott. There are 'hard-copies' of Nelson's letters but these are of course on-line.
The Internet
The University of Pennsylvania Digital Library Programs and Projects(Penn's Digital Library) at www.digital.library.upenn.edu. has an excellent index to'A Celebration of Women Writers' with a considerable amount of material about Margaret Gatty and Mrs Ewing(her daughter) and contains some interesting refernces to Rev. Alexander John Scott.