The collection consists of private journals kept by Alexander during his appointments at sea and travels abroad in the period 1842-1864. Two volumes were kept by his wife Jane Letitia Trowbridge Alexander (née Bruce) in the period 1851-1862. There are also service documents, including commissions, certificates and letters of recommendation.

Administrative / biographical background
John Richard Alexander was born at Fareham in Hampshire in 1829, the only son of Admiral Thomas Alexander. He entered the Navy in 1842 on board HMS ST VINCENT (1815) at Portsmouth. As a junior officer in 1843-1849 he served on HMS ILLUSTRIOUS (1803) on the North America and West Indies station, then HMS HIBERNIA (1804) in the Mediterranean. After being promoted to lieutenant he was appointed to HMS PENELOPE (1843) on the west coast of Africa station. The PENELOPE was active in suppressing the slave trade and was part of the squadron that captured Lagos in 1851. Alexander was selected to be flag lieutenant to Commodore Henry W. Bruce, Commander-in-Chief of the station, in 1852. He married his only daughter, Jane Letitia Trowbridge Bruce, at Sierra Leone in 1853. After returning home in the following year Alexander served on HMS IMPREGNABLE (1810) as flag lieutenant to Admiral Sir William Packer, Commander-in-Chief at Devonport. He was flag lieutenant to his father-in-law Rear-Admiral Bruce on HMS PRESIDENT (1829) and then HMS MONARCH (1832) in 1854-1858. Alexander was in command of HMS ARIEL (1854) and then HMS LYRA (1857) on the Cape of Good Hope station in 1860-1862. He died at Dublin in 1869. His service record can be found under the reference ADM 196/16/298 at The National Archives.