This sub-collection relates to Vice-Admiral William Samuel Greive (1831-1891) and forms part of the Wrey and Greive family papers. It consists of logs, 1845 to 1847, and 1851 to 1855; a letterbook, 1871 to 1874; commissions, 1851 to 1884, and a few single documents.

Administrative / biographical background
Greive was born William Samuel Brown. He changed his name to Greive late in life as the result of an inheritance. He entered the Navy in 1845 and served in HMS STYX on the West African Station from 1845 until 1847. From 1851 to 1852 he was mate in HMS SPITEFUL in the Mediterranean. He went out to Bermuda in HMS ESPIEGLE in 1853 and served for some months in HMS CUMBERLAND at Halifax He was promoted to lieutenant and appointed to HMS PENELOPE in 1854 and served in the Baltic during the Crimean War. In 1855 the PENELOPE went out to the Cape of Good Hope and Brown served on that station in several ships until promoted to commander in 1860. From 1861 to 1865 he served on the North American Station and, following his promotion to captain in 1866, returned there in HMS DANAE from 1871 to 1874. He was Naval Officer-in-Charge, Jamaica, from 1880 to 1882. He was promoted to rear-admiral in 1884, to vice-admiral in 1889 and retired in the same year. He died at Southsea in 1891.