What became of Sir John Narbrough’s diary?

by Kathryn Hadley

Sir John Narbrough was the first British sailor to navigate round the Straits of Magellan. He kept a journal documenting his two-year journey to Patagonia and the Caribbean from 1669 to 1670. His diary was, however, lost for the past 300 years and Narbrough’s achievements were largely forgotten.

When his journal was discovered earlier this year, it became the subject of a fierce battle between a foreign collector who purchased it for £310,000 and the British Library to secure it for the nation. A temporary export bar was imposed by culture minister Barbara Follett to give the British Library time to secure the necessary funds to purchase the diary. The temporary export bar was, however, due to expire on November 7th. What happened to the diary?

At the beginning of the week, I contacted Pamela Stephenson, the Head of Individuals and Major Donors at the British Library, to find out…

The news was positive. The British Library has successfully completed the fundraising campaign and secured the necessary funds to purchase the diary. The acquisition process is now due to begin.