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Small collection of items relating to Henry Downes and HMS BLACK JOKE

HSR/Z/37

Object connections:

Collection	Archive
Gallery location	Not on display

Record details:

Biographical details	Previously a slave ship, HMS BLACK JOKE was captured by the Royal Navy in 1827 and detailed to patrol the coast of West Africa for other slave ships. Due to her speed, the ‘Black Joke’ proved highly successful and played a significant part in the supression of the slave trade during the late 1820s and early 1830s. The material relates to the famous action between the vessel, commanded by Lieutenant Henry Downes, and the Spanish slave ship El ALMIRANTE in the Bight of Benin on 1 February 1829.
Description	See item level records.
Date made	circa 19th century

Finding Reference	HSR/Z/37
Catalogue section	Manuscript documents acquired singly by the Museum
Creator	Downes, Henry
Credit	National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London
Hierarchy	Historical Records (HSR) Records And Descriptions relating to Historical Events (HSR/Z) Battle of Trafalgar: including a piece of wood from the deck of HMS VICTORY and a ticket of admission to Nelson's funeral. (HSR/Z/1) Request this item Benin Expedition: press cuttings and various letters. (HSR/Z/2) Request this item Raid on Zeebrugge, 22-23 Apr 1918: chart, watercolours and press cuttings of Capt Nevil Pritchard. (HSR/Z/3) Request this item British military authority banknote and five Japanese banknotes for use in occupied Indonesia, 1939-45. (HSR/Z/4) Mark Robinson: documents issued by and to, consisting of flag signals, lantern signal, secret rendezvous, orders of battle and sailing instructions and special signals. (HSR/Z/5) Request this item Account of the Battle of Camperdown by Joseph Brodie, 11 Oct 1797. (HSR/Z/6) Request this item Sir Edward Littleton: various correspondence. (HSR/Z/7) Request this item J.M. Matria, Consul-General at Tangier: various letters. (HSR/Z/8) Request this item Naval Volunteer Home Defence Association: minutes, leaflets and letters relating to the dissolution of the Association. (HSR/Z/9) Request this item Wreck of the ROYAL GEORGE and EDGAR: sketches of operation for raising by Col Sir C. Pasley, 1839-40. (HSR/Z/10) Request this item Various documents including a report on surveying of the Persian Gulf by George H. Bruck, surveyor to the H.E.I.C. (HSR/Z/11) Request this item Documents relating to the Battle of Trafalgar, 1805. (HSR/Z/12) Request this item Documents relating to the Rochefort Expedition, 1757. (HSR/Z/13) Request this item Mrs Maud Berridge: various papers and photographs. (HSR/Z/14) Request this item Capt Hugh Campbell: Capt of the Royal Naval College, of HMS UNDAUNTED, and of HMS BELLEROPHON: various papers. (HSR/Z/15) Request this item Horatio Nelson: documents of authenticity of Nelson relics presented to Greenwich Hospital, 1845-46; documents regarding probate of Nelson's last codicil, 1806. (HSR/Z/16) Request this item Documents relating to Horatio Nelson (HSR/Z/17) Request this item Horatio Nelson: correspondence regarding Nelson's dress sword and newspaper cuttings containing other references to Nelson relics, 1844-56. (HSR/Z/18) Request this item Sir Edward Inglefield, Rear-Adm: correspondence relating to the proposed memorial on the Isle of Wight to Adm Earl Jellicoe; correspondence of Cdr Aubrey F. Inglefield on the same subject. (HSR/Z/19) Request this item Capt John Pilford: various documents. (HSR/Z/20) Request this item Capt James Cranstoun: various documents. (HSR/Z/21) Request this item Capt William Lechmere: collection of orders, signals, instructions and letters, some signed 'Nelson and Bronte'. (HSR/Z/22) Request this item Harrison's chronometers: folder containing early 20th century working drawings of Harrison's No. 3 timekeeper; and diagrams of escape wheels of H2 and H3 by RT Gould, 1931-37. (HSR/Z/23) Request this item Various documents including manuscript copy of Departmental Court of Enquiry held at Upnor Castle into the fire in the Shifting Room. (HSR/Z/24) Request this item Miscellaneous collection of papers. (HSR/Z/25) Request this item Collection of miscellaneous naval documents. (HSR/Z/26) Request this item Papers of G.R. Askwith relating to the controversy over the America's Cup Races of 1894-95 (DEFENDER against VALKYRIE) (HSR/Z/27) Collection of miscellaneous naval documents, 1613-1824 relating to various people. (HSR/Z/28) Request this item Correspondence relating to the role of the ERZHERZOG FRANZ FERDINAND (1899) in taking Russian refugees from Basra to Vladivostok in 1921. (HSR/Z/29) Request this item Papers of Mrs Marion Woolcott (nee Wright), 1885-1965, TITANIC survivor (HSR/Z/30) Papers relating to Richard Bell and the model of KOPENHAVN. (HSR/Z/31) Request this item Certificates and character references belonging to Albert Norris, Engineer (HSR/Z/32) Letters relating to the Nore Mutiny of 1797, including a letter from Richard Parker, leader of the Mutineers (HSR/Z/33) Request this item Account of a hurricane experienced by Captain Charles Dudley Parker, HMS THISBE. (HSR/Z/34) Request this item Records relating to Edmond Halley's visit to Saint Helena in 1677-1678 (HSR/Z/35) Request this item Small collection of personal papers of Vice Admiral Sir James M. Pipon KBE, CB (1882-1971) (HSR/Z/36) Request this item Small collection of items relating to Henry Downes and HMS BLACK JOKE (HSR/Z/37) Papers of Lieutenant Cyril Corbet relating to the transit of Venus expedition, 1874. (HSR/Z/38) Request this item The Jacob Birnbaum Titanic Collection (HSR/Z/39) Request this item Gulliver, Donald James (Nurse), 1938-1991. (HSR/Z/40) White, Walter (1841-1917), Petty Officer, HMS SCOUT, East Indies, China and Indian Mutiny (HSR/Z/41) Burning of Smyrna, September 1922. (HSR/Z/42) Request this item Battle of Sevastopol, 17 October 1859. (HSR/Z/43) Request this item Six mementos relating to Sir George Biddell Airy, Astronomer Royal, 1835-1881 (HSR/Z/44/1-6) Letter from Captain Henry Kellett to Sir John Barrow about his voyage on HMS RESOLUTE and volume of the Zoology of the Voyage of HMS HERALD. (HSR/Z/45) Request this item Press cuttings and typescript article on the loss of the BRITANNIA, and related photographs, 1941. (HSR/Z/46) Request this item McClure Arctic Expedition. (HSR/Z/47) Request this item SS FRESHFIELD Disaster - Letters from David Lawson on SS FRESHFIELD to his wife and sister, 1904/5; Photocopy of enquiry into the disaster; photographs. (HSR/Z/49) Request this item Document listing reasons not to have a governor in Newfoundland and the destruction of fishing trade. (HSR/Z/50) Request this item Index book of Masters including those employed by the East India Company and an index book of East India Company ships. (HSR/Z/51) Request this item Plan of occupation and administration for Naval Arsenal Kiel, 1945 and post-war. (HSR/Z/52) Request this item Papers written by Robert Falcon Scott, relating to the DISCOVERY, 1902-1904, and photocopies of related documents (HSR/Z/53) List of Danish ships captured, a letter from British Prisoner of War and a Masonic Certificate (HSR/Z/54) Official despatches (in a volume) and plans of the Battle of Jutland (HSR/Z/55) Nine photographs by Edward Leicester Atkinson of Scott Antarctic expedition, 1902 and a Zoology book signed by Edward Leicester Atkinson (HSR/Z/56) Papers relating to the case of Captain Stanley Lord (1878-1962) of the SS CALIFORNIAN and its involvement in the TITANIC disaster in 1912. (HSR/Z/57) Request this item Collision between HMS GLADIATOR and US Mail steamer ST PAUL off the Isle of Wight, 25 April 1908. (HSR/Z/58) Request this item William Thomas Kerley, Assistant Steward, RMS TITANIC letter and other personal items. (HSR/Z/59) Request this item
Extent	1 folder containing four items
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