Stephenson, Sir Henry Frederick, Admiral, 1842-1919.

There are letterbooks for 1868 and 1880 to 1883, and a printed account of the court martial following the loss of HMS RATTLER. Most of the collection relates to the British Arctic Bxpedition, 1875 to 1876. It includes Stephenson's journal in three volumes, a letterbook, a book of general proceedings of HMS DISCOVERY, a rough survey book and a scrapbook, with letters and orders from Captain Nares and some other loose papers. There are also printed volumes of the official reports of the expedition and of earlier Arctic expeditions.

Administrative / biographical background
Stephenson entered the Navy in 1855. He served in the Crimea, India and Canada, being promoted to lieutenant in 1861 and to commander in 1868. He was in command of the wooden screw sloop HMS RATTLER (1862) when she was wrecked in the La Perouse Strait in 1868. He became a captain in 1875. From 1875 to 1876 Stephenson commanded HMS DISCOVERY (purchased 1874) in the British Arctic Expedition led by Captain George S. Nares. He commanded the screw corvette HMS CARYSFORT (1878) in the Mediterranean, 1880 to 1883, and took part in operations during the Anglo-Egyptian War in 1882. During the 1890s he was commander-in-chief both in the Pacific and the Channel, being appointed rear-admiral in 1890, vice-admiral in 1896 and admiral in 1901.