The papers relate to Christian's period as Commander-in-Chief of the Cape of Good Hope station. They include correspondence regarding the general running of the station with the Governer of the Cape of Good Hope, George, First Earl, Macartney, as well as letters with news on the war at home from Admiral Sir Richard Strachan, and the Comptroller of the Navy, Sir Andrew Snape Hammond. There is also an interesting section of letters relating to the mutiny on board the East Indiaman PRINCESS CHARLOTTE

Administrative / biographical background
Sir Hugh Cloberry Christian, father of Hood Hanway Christian (q.v), entered the navy in c.1761, being promoted to Lieutenant in 1771. Serving mostly in the Channel and Mediterranean, in 1778 he was appointed Captain of HMS SUFFOLK, which carried Commodore Rowley's broad pennant to North America, seeing action of Grenada in 1779 and Martinique in 1780. Moving on to the HMS FORTUNEE he participated in the actions off the Chesapeake, 1781, St Kitts and Dominica in 1782. He returned home during the peace, and didn't find employment again until 1790, as second captain on board the HMS QUEEN CHARLOTTE with Lord Howe. In 1795 he was advanced to Rear-Admiral of the Blue, and appointed Commander-in-Chief of the West Indies Station, with his flag in the HMS PRINCE GEORGE, but the fleet was scattered in a storm and limped back to Spithead. He didn't arrive in Barbados until April 1796, having been invested with the Order of the Bath, where he undertook the conquest of St. Lucia with Sir Ralph Abercromby. In 1797 he was sent to the Cape of Good Hope as second in command, being promoted to commander-in-chief in 1798, a few months before his death.