Documents of the Garrett Family of Ramsgate

Nearly every document in this collection is concerned with the Garrett family of Ramsgate. John Garrett acquired a moiety of Ellington farm here in 1773, and according to Hasted the family acquired a moiety of the manor of Nether Court Ramsgate early in the eighteenth century.

Over half the documents relate to the military career of Sir Robert Garrett, who joined the army in 1811, and died a Major General in command of the Shorncliffe district in 1869. The Dictionary of National Biography includes an article on Sir Robert, and this article, of which there is a copy in R-U888/F6, forms a good introduction to most of the present collection. A brother of Sir Robert also entered additional anecdotes relating to his life in a volume of letters, R-U888/C14

Sir Robert wrote long letters to his fiancee Charlotte Bentinck during the Peninsular campaign, 1811-1813. These display most of the qualities of a model career officer of the period. He was unflinching in battle, he accepted his father's money for promotion, and he sought the patronage of men eminent in the army, and in English society, including his fiance'e's relatives. An even larger bundle of correspondence relates to American interests acquired by virtue of his second marriage, in 1820. There is a separate introduction to these papers at R-U888/C25.

A smaller but still considerable section of the collection relates to John Garrett, R.N., brother of Sir Robert. These documents are principally concerned with the compulsory acquisition by the London and South Eastern Railway Company of some eleven acres of Ellington farm, Ramsgate, 1844-1847. There is an introduction to these papers at R-U888/C1.

Purchased from Mrs. A.J. Garrett, Norwich, Oct. 1961

Acc. 2420

Purchased From Marrins, Folkestone, 27 February 1981

R-U888/T38 - T39

R-U888/Q1