Correspondence of Margaret, Duchess of Portland, daughter of Edward Harley, Earl...

Correspondence of Margaret, Duchess of Portland, daughter of Edward Harley, Earl of Oxford, and Lady Henrietta Cavendish-Holles, and wife (1734) of William Bentinck, Duke of Portland; 1723-1785. Preceded (ff.1-63) by three letters addressed to her great-grandmother Frances (d.1695), wife of Henry Cavendish, Duke of Newcastle, and by correspondence and papers of her grandmother Margaret (d.1716), wife of John Holles, Duke of Newcastle; and followed (ff.266-376) by miscellaneous letters found among the Portland Papers, 1676-1781.

The letters to Duchess Frances are from (a) Thomas Tufton, Earl of Thanet, just before his marriage (14 Aug.) with her daughter; 8 Aug., [1684]. f.1;- (b) Catharine, Countess of Thanet, 9 Nov., 1684. f.3;- (c) Henry Cavendish, Duke of Newcastle, on Nottingham election, etc; 16 Mar., 1684-1685. f.5.

The correspondence of Duchess Margaret (of Newcastle), 1712-1715, is generally on business matters subsequent to the death of her husband (1711). The writers include (a) Paul Foley, on his election for Aldborough; 20 Oct., 1713. f.11;- (b) John Plumptre "about his standing for Nottingham town"; 3 Sept, 1714. f.21;- (c) The Duchess to A. Colclough, her agent, vilifying "the Harleys" and their allies, "they giveing me howerly reason to abhor them", and speaking of "the wicked marridg"; [Mar., 1715]. f.32.

The papers include:- (a) A sale by Christ. Tankred, of Whixley, co. York, to John, Duke of Newcastle, of twenty couple of hounds, a stoned-horse and a gelding for an annuity of £40; 28 Feb., 1701-1702. f.48; (b) Receipt by Dr. John Mandevile for the late Duke's Garter-mantle, 12 Dec., 1711. f.57 (c) Jointure of the Duchess as settled in Feb., 1689-1690. f.58.

The Duchess of Portland's correspondence is mostly with private friends and includes many letters on subjects of natural history, in which she was evidently interested. Among the writers are:- (a) Robert Harley, Earl of Oxford, her grandfather (a touching letter to her as a child, 21 Oct., 1723. f. 64;- (b) Catherine Collingwood (a lively girl-friend); 1734 and undated. ff. 66-84;- (c) Eliz. Elstob, the Anglo-Saxon Scholar, Bath, 27 Dec., 1738. f. 86;- (d) Dr. Patrick Delany; 8 June, 1743. f.88;- (e) Will Murray, Lord Mansfield; 1745-1761. ff.92, 97, 107, 245, 247;- (f) Rev. Thomas Shaw, the African traveller; Oxford, 17 Jan., 1750-1751. f.93;- (g) Draft of a letter from the Duke of Portland to Lady Oxford, as to her will; 16 May, 1654. f. 94;- (h) Peter Collinson, naturalist, as to bringing reindeer into England, etc., [Sept, 1758] 23 Jan., 1768. ff. 99, 112;- (i) Thomas Hay, Earl of Kinnoull, on an intermittent spring at Barmer in the Peak Forest; Buxton; 7 Apr., 1759. f.102 (k) Eric Pontoppiddan, Bishop of Bergen; Copenhagen, 8 Oct, 1760, 14 Oct, 1762. ff. 104, 110;- (l) George Keith, Earl Marischall; Columber, 17 May, 1761 f.108;- (m) Dr. James Beattie, the poet, etc.; 12 Jan, 7 Aug., 1773, 8 Aug., 1775. ff. 124, 128, 132;- (n) Will. Hen. Bentinck, Duke of Portland, her son, as to a portrait of Lady Arabella Stuart; Welbeck, 19 Jan., 1774. f.130;- (o) Richard Pulteney, naturalist; 24 Mar., 1779, no date. ff. 148, 251;- (p) Sir John Cullum, antiquary, on the 1st Marquis of Winchester (with portrait), the Chevalier d'Éon, Hatfield House, etc., 1779-1783. ff. 150, 155, 158, 161, 176, 180;- (q) Dr. John Lightfoot; Uxbridge, 31 Aug., 1779, 17 Mar., 1785. ff. 153, 187, 221;- (r) William Gilpin; Vicar's Hill, 23 Aug., 1782. f. 164;- (s) Jacob Bryant; Cypenham, 4 Oct., 1782, 19 Nov., 1784. ff. 168, 184;- (t) Thomas Thynne, Viscount Weymouth, her son in law; Longleat, 6 Sept., 1783. f.178;- (u) Hannah More, with verses on the "Castle of Otranto", and "Le Bas Bleu". ff. 224, 230;- (v) Sir W. Musgrave. f. 249.

The miscellaneous letters at the end (ff.266-376) include:- (a) James Butler, Duke of Ormonde, to his son Lord Gowran, when the latter was dying; 10 July, 1676. Copy. f.266;- (b) Unsigned letter in French, to "Madame du Palais a labaie [l'Abbaye] au Bois au faubourg St. Germain a Paris", London, 30 May, 1678. f.267; (c) Copies of five letters from Anne, Dowager Countess of Rochester, to Lady St John, on her son's penitence when sick; [1680?]. f. 269;- (d) J. Ouseley to -- Le Neve, on the family of Sir Rob. Southwell; Springfield, 11 Apr., 1699. f. 273;- (e) John Partridge, the Almanac maker, with his nativity, to John Gibbon; 3 Nov., 1713. f. 275;- (f) Dr. John Radcliffe, when dying, to the Earl of Denbigh; 15 Oct., 1714. Copy. f. 277;- (g) John Church to Dr Tudway, with an account of the falling of the ceiling in St. Jamess Chapel; 24 Aug., 1721. f. 279;- (h) Samuel Wesley to -- Oldys, on the Book of Job; Epworth, 9 May, 1729. f. 1729. f. 284;- (i) Thomas Lamplugh to Matthew Robinson, on Gent's "Antiquities of York" and another projected History of York; Bolton Perey, 31 Oct., 1730. f. 286;- (k) John Fitzmaurice to -- Jordan, on an extraordinary cure of cancer in Lord Kerry; Dublin, 18 Apr., 1738. f. 295;- (l) Sarah, Duchess of Marlborough to the Hon. -- Hume-Campbell, on election matters and against the Duke of Manchester; 6 Nov., 1739. Copy. f. 303;- (m) Adm. E. Vernon to his wife; Carthagena, 31 Mar., 1741. Copy. f.304;- (n) Fred. Frankland to his mother, on the battle of Fontenoy; Camp at Ath, 1 May, 1745. Copy. f. 306;- (o) George Townshend to Lord --, with a challenge to a duel; Cranmer, 24 Jan., 1759. Copy. f. 318;- (p) E. Tubb to her niece, on life in Norway; 1763. ff.321, 325;- (q) Lord Chesterfield to Sam. Derrick, M. C. at Bath; 1767. Copies. ff. 329, 330;- (r) James Bruce, the traveller, on his "adventure with the moor Jebbelansey"; 16 Apr., 1775. Copy. f.331;- (s) Dr. J. Beattie to Mrs Montagu, on the death of Garrick, [1799]. Copy. f. 336;- (t) Hester Chapone to Mrs Delany; 4 Dec., --. f.343;-- (u) "Coppy of Lord Lansdowne's letter of advice to his nephew Mr Bevill Granville upon his resolution of entring into Holy Orders". f. 352.

Folio; ff.376.