Waterloo, the James Mure Manuscript

PORTRAIT OF NAPOLEON BY TERRANCE LINDALL
A DETAILED MANUSCRIPT ACCOUNT OF
WATERLOO AT THE TIME
BY A MAJOR OXFORD SCHOLAR

Copyright 2022
Yuko Nii Foundation

The Elizabethan is the main magazine of Westminster Scholl begun by pupils in
1874.

Westminster School was founded by the Benedictines before
tehe Norman Conquest in 1066 AD. John Dryden was educated
there. Westminster is the lengendary site of Camelot according to
Sir Thomas Malory.

Obituary from The Elizabethan
It is with deep regret, that we have to record, in our present Number,
the loss of one of the oldest and kindest friends of the School, Mr.
James Mure, 20, Gloucester Place, Portman Square, whose death
took place with some suddenness on Thursday the20th Inst., a few
days before the completion of his eightieth year. B. 1796.
It is not too much to say, that every generation of the School for the
last twenty-five or thirty years has been more or less familiar with
the kind and genial Old Westminster Friend, who so constantly, as
long as health and strength permitted, and even afterwards when
days of weakness and infirmity had set ins loved to find himself
down in Dean's Yard in his old School
haunts, whenever the Play, or Election, or other School occasions
invited his presence.
Mr. Mure was a King's Scholar*, from 1809 to 1814 (five years), in
days that are usually considered among the "palmiest” of the School,
when Bishops and Judges, and distinguished Noblemen and
Scholars, were comparatively common among our old Alumni.
Being elected off head to Ch. Ch. Oxon. in tgt4, he took a First
Class in Lit. Human. in 1817. He was subsequently called to the
Bar, but retired from practice many years ago.
*The foundation scholars at Westminster School are called Queen's Scholars when there is
a reigning Queen and King's Scholars when there is a reigning King. As at Eton, they are
selected by competitive examination ("The Challenge"), board at the oldest house in the
school, known as College, and wear gowns during school Abbey services in Westminster
Abbey.

It is since that time, that he may be said to have in a great
measure devoted his Classical tastes and talents
for the benefit of his old School. Besides being the Author of six
Epilogues to the Plays, since the year 1850, he has been for more
than thirty years an unfailing and generous contributor to the
Epigrams and Memorial Odes spoken at Election dinner in
College Hall, and many are the actors in the Plays in past years,
who will be ready to acknowledge how much of the success
which they attained on the stage, was due to the kind hints, and
friendly criticisms, and encouragement of the kind Old friend
who used to help in the Rehearsals, and take his place without fail
in the front row on the Play nights.
We must not forget to mention also, that Mr. Mure was chief
Editor, conjointly with the present Head Master and the Rev.
Henry Bull (one of Mr. Mure's dearest friends and schoolfellows),
of the two volumes of Lusus alteri
Westmonasterienses." Mr. Mure leaves behind him three sons, all
of whom were educated at Westminster, two QSS., and the
youngest as a T. B.
It is sometimes pleasant to recall an old friend by reverting to
some words or sayings of his while he was yet with us, and
perhaps we cannot do better, than close this hastily-written
notice, by reproducing an English Epigram of Mr. Mure's on the
Telescope," written in 1865, and printed in the Lusus " {part ii.
under the Thesis Vined Ars?'—
Wond'rous handmaid of the eye,
Oft hast thou
From, earth to sea, from sea to sky,
The pages of an unknown world I
To Reason thus shall Faith aud Hope,
Combined in lens of purest ray,
Present a living telescope,
Disclosing realms of endless day."

It is noted that Mr. Mure was a King's Scholar*, from 1809
to 1814. The Battle of Waterloo that determined the course
of Western and even world history occurred in 1815. Later
he was at Christ’s Church Oxford. in tgt4, he took a First
Class in Lit. Human. in 1817.The Yuko Nii Foundation
owns the original manuscript possibly by Mr. Mure
detailing the entire battle of Waterloo, including maps.
Included with the manuscript are what we think are loose
field notes:

Field note 4 x 6 inches laid paper
Waterloo
battlefield notes: It
makes sense that scholars would be dispatched to the field to keep notes on
Dear Yuko Nii Foundation,
There were two James Mure’s at Christ Church, father and son. James Mure senior
came up to Christ Church in July 1775, aged 15. He took his BA in 1779 and then
became a barrister at Lincoln’s Inn and then Gray’s Inn. His son was the man who
came up in 1814 from Westminster School, taking his BA in 1817 and his MA in
1820. Like his father, he became a barrister but this time at the Inner Temple. He
would have been terribly young to have written an account of Waterloo, surely? And
there is no evidence that he left Oxford for the battlefield, so the field notes cannot be
his. If you can give me some more details, I will check again.
Yours sincerely,
Judith Curthoys, MSt PGCertArchHist DAA FRHistSArchivist and Data Protection
Compliance Manager
Christ Church,Oxford, OX1 1DP (01865 276171)

The opinion of Judith Curthoys raises the question of whether a young man would
have been at Waterloo or have written an account. Yet young men have always been at
battlefield. In the American Revolution they were drummer boys. In the middle ages
they were pages and squires. And young men 15-17 have even fought.
Yet the first page indicates “James Mure, 20 Gloucester Place, Portman Square” in a
hand that seems to match the writing.
More research is needed. However, the manuscript is complete and highly detailed in
the descriptions of what transpired. It is thus an important account of this great
occurance in history.

About the Napoleonic Collection of the Yuko Nii Foundation
The Yuko Nii Foundation has many items related to Napoleon. Above is a
dispatch initialed by him.

A letter written by Marie Louise, Napoleon’s wife
who bore him a child.

Above: Napoleon’s mother Latizia Bonaparte. She used to have
portraits done of her to give to friends.
Collection of the Yuko Nii Foundation.

In the Empire room of the Yuko Nii
Foundation is a beautiful portrait of a
French Empire princess by Edouard
Pingret. It is on Wikipedia. Notice the
officers epee’ below the portrait. It can
be seen on Wikipedia.

Letter from Joseph Bonaparte, King of Naples
Belt Buckle of Dr. Arnoitt, Napoleaon’s doctor at St. Helena.

Sevre vase painted & signed by Deprez depicting Napoleon

Pierre Antoine Bellange’, a furniture maker in Paris, holds an eminent position among
the representatives of the industrial arts at the beginning of the 19 th century. It was as a
woodworker that he gained his master craftsman title on October 24, 1788 – established
on the rue Neuve Saint Denis, where he would work during nearly his entire career.
At the end of 1811, he became the Imperial Furniture Warehouse, which had already
passed to him sizable orders for chairs or seating pieces, beds and console tables for the
use of ministers and high civil officials.
In 1817 President James Monroe purchased a suite of furniture for the White House,
which was made famous in Jacqueline Kennedy’s TV tour of the White House. The
furniture is in the Blue Room. He also produced furniture for Napoleon for at Saint-
Cloud, for the Tuilleries and also for his brother Joseph Bonaparte. The set of furniture
in the Treasure Room of the Williamsburg Art & Historical Center is of the period when
Napoleon was emperor, around 1810, and has the swan motif favored by Josephine, his
mistress. It is entirely possible that this set was made for one of Napoleon’s or
Josephine’s rooms.
Furniture by Bellange in the Yuko Nii Foundation
Empire room. As seen on Wikipeia

Autograph letter signed by the Duke of Wellington

The following are pages from the Waterloo
manuscript of James Mure,
6.25 x 7.75 inches. A few of the scanned pages
need to be added.
“…By the blunders of Wellington and Blucher this
dipsarity has rendered Napoleon interposed between
the two armies and from that moment, he had
victories in his hands…”

25

27

28

29

31

37

35

38

40

48

46

48

Potrait of Josephine by Terrance Lindall