The material relates to Royal Navy operations in both the First World War and Napoleonic Wars. The papers of William and Gustavus Yonge illustrate life in the Royal Navy in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and the role of reform ships in training and recruiting men for the Royal and Merchant navies. The Popham letters relate to the evolution of marine technology.

Administrative / biographical background
William Humphry Yonge (1885-1973) joined the navy in 1900 and served until 1927. He later joined the Air Ministry as a Stores Officer in 1936. His service record showed that he was recalled as Commander in April 1940, but CV suggests he served at the RAF Central Flying School at Upavon from 1940. Service included HMS ZEALANDIA 1913-1917, which was involved in the Dardanelles campaign between November 1915 and February 1916, and HMS TYNE on minesweeping duties off the Norwegian coast in 1919. Gustavus Humphry Yonge (1851-1902) joined the navy in 1864 and retired as a Commander in 1896. He then went on to become the Captain-Superintendent of the Clarence Reformatory School Ship for Boys (run by the Liverpool Catholic Reformatory Association) which was burnt down by three of its pupils in 1899. Rear-Admiral Sir Home Riggs Popham (1762-1820) served in the Navy during Napoleonic Wars, as well as acting as an emissary to the Russian Tsar, setting up units of sea fencibles, and completing surveying work. He was involved in an allied expedition to the Helder peninsula under Sir Ralph Abercromby in 1799. He also developed a signalling system which was used at Trafalgar, and the availability of the word ‘expects’ in Popham’s vocabulary influenced the phrasing of Nelson’s famous signal at the battle: Nelson had originally intended to use ‘Confides’ but that was not included in Popham’s vocabulary and necessitate the use of the alphabet signals.