The papers in this sub-collection relating to Vice-Admiral Sir Thomas Harvey consist of a journal, 1805 to 1807, loose papers containing letters and orders, 1807 to 1809, and a few miscellaneous memoranda. Harvey was connected with the Rainier family through his daughter, Sarah Harvey, who married the Reverend George Rainier and was the mother of Admiral John Harvey Rainier (1847-1915).

Administrative / biographical background
Thomas Harvey was born in 1775, the fourth son of Admiral Sir Henry Harvey (1737-1810) and his wife Elizabeth Harvey née Boys. He entered the Navy aged twelve in 1787. He was present at the Glorious First of June in 1794 while serving under this father on HMS RAMILLIES and became a lieutenant four months later. In 1796 he was promoted to commander and in the next year to post rank. He was appointed to HMS STANDARD in 1805 under Vice-Admiral Cuthbert Collingwood in the Mediterranean and in 1807 took part in the action of Vice-Admiral Sir John Duckworth in the Dardanelles. Returning to England in 1808, he was appointed to HMS MAJESTIC in the Baltic until 1810 and then commanded HMS SCEPTRE in the North Sea. From 1815 onwards he had no appointments, other than command of HMS NORTHUMBERLAND, guardship at Sheerness, between 1819 and 1821. Harvey was made rear-admiral in 1821, vice-admiral in 1837 and in 1839 became commander-in-chief on the North America and West Indies station. He died on the island of Bermuda during this command in 1841.