Sir George Arthur was born in Plymouth on 21 June 1784 and entered the army in August 1804. He served in Sicily, Italy, and in Egypt in 1807, distinguishing himself in the fighting at Rosetta. In 1809 he participated in the Walcheren expedition on Sir Eyre Coote's staff and played a prominent role in the attack on Flushing. After serving as military secretary to the Governor of Jersey, in 1812 Arthur joined the 7th West India regiment and was appointed Assistant Quartermaster-General at Jamaica. In 1814 he took up the post of Superintendent and Commandant of British Honduras, and married Elizabeth Smith, the daughter of Colonel Sir John Smith, who commanded Jamaica's artillery. Arthur proved himself to be a zealous, progressive Superintendent of Honduras. He encouraged the settlement's economic prosperity by securing more advantageous terms for its timber trade and protected commerce from piracy. Arthur sought to maintain amicable relations with neighbouring Spanish colonies and to preserve neutrality in the movement for their independence from Spain. He reformed the administration of justice and undertook a public works programme to improve the capital Belize. Authoritative by nature, at times Arthur clashed with the elected magistrates and the 'public meeting' (legislative council) over the extent of their relative powers. Some of his other initiatives, such as attempts to restrict illegal land occupation, aroused local opposition. As an evangelical Anglican, Arthur supported church building and missionary work. He was a committed abolitionist, and sought both to improve the treatment of the settlement's slaves and stamp out the illegal importation of slaves. During the final years of his tenure, Arthur clashed with slave owners over the enslavement of the descendants of natives of the Mosquito Shore, which sparked a wider controversy about the exercise of his powers. His command of the settlement garrison was challenged by Lieutenant-Colonel Thomas Bradley, whom he had arrested, leading to a lengthy dispute in which Arthur received the backing of the army and home government. Arthur took leave in Britain due to ill health in 1822, and although he had enjoyed the consistent support of Lord Bathurst, Secretary of State for War and the Colonies, he did not return to Honduras. He went on to enjoy a distinguished career in colonial administration, serving as Lieutenant-Governor of Van Diemen's Land (1823-36), Lieutenant-Governor of Upper Canada (1837-41), and Governor of Bombay (1842-45). Arthur was an efficient administrator and kept copies of virtually every official letter he wrote during his tenure as Superintendent and Commandant. These include dispatches to Bathurst on colonial affairs and to the Commander-in-Chief, Jamaica, regarding military administration. Letters to neighbouring Spanish colonies reflect his diplomatic responsibilities. Part of the collection relates to Bradley's dispute with Arthur, which went before Parliament in 1837. A series of Inland Letter Books records Arthur's work in civil administration, judicial affairs, commerce, land occupancy, education, and to ameliorate the condition of slaves. In addition to this official material, the collection preserves private letters which shed light upon Arthur's career ambitions, religious convictions and family life.

AMDigital Reference: RCMS 270.

Reproduction of: Commandant's Letter Book No. 10 8 Apr 1818-7 May 1821.

Royal Commonwealth Society Collections at Cambridge University Library