Portland Papers

PO

Portland Papers

1516 - 18th century

Correspondence and papers, political and private, of the family of Harley, chiefly of Robert Harley, 1st Earl of Oxford (cr. 1711, d.1724), of Edward Harley, 2nd Earl of Oxford (d.1741), and of Margaret, daughter and heir of the latter and wife (1734) of William Bentinck, 2nd Duke of Portland, together with a few letters, etc., of members of the families of Cavendish and Holles, which were united with that of Harley by the marriage of Lady Henrietta Cavendish-Holles, daughter of John Holles, Duke of Newcastle, to the 2nd Earl of Oxford in 1713; preceded by two volumes of Miscellaneous historical and other Autographs, 1516-1772.

Among Robert Harley's correspondence are important series of letters from Queen Anne (vol.iii.), the Duke of Marlborough (vol.IV.), the Duke of Shrewsbury (vol.VI.) Henry St John (ibid), and the Earl of Godolphin (vol.VII.); and letters (chiefly to Edward Harley), with other autographs, of Pope (vol.XII.), Swift, Arbuthnot and Gay (vol.XIII.) are also included. Besides a large volume (vol.XIV.) of letters from various writers, the Duchess of Portland's correspondence comprises separate volumes of letters from the Rev. Edward Young, author of "Night Thoughts" (vol.XV.), and from Mrs Elizabeth Montagu (vol.XVI).

<p>The Prior Papers, comprising the correspondence and papers of Matthew Prior; the poet and diplomatist, properly form part of it, having belonged to the 2nd Earl of Oxford, but the volumes have been numbered and catalogued separately.</p>

English

In Twenty four Volumes and Three Boxes.

Microfilm editions of these papers are readily available in public collections, including the Institute of Historical Research, the British Library and Cambridge University Library amongst other repositories. For further details of the microfilm editions please apply to Michelle Mortimer, Publishing Manager, Microform Academic Publishers at the following address: Main Street, East Ardsley, Wakefield, West Yorkshire WF3 2AT. E mail address map@microform.co.uk

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At the death of the Duchess of Portland in 1785 the collection passed to her daughter Elizabeth, wife (1759) of Thomas Thynne, 3rd Viscount Weymouth, 1st Marquis of Bath, and has since remained at Longleat. Another and the larger portion of the Harley Correspondence was, however, kept at Welbeck, and has been calendared by the Historical MSS. Commission, XIIIth Report, App.pt.ii, 1893, XIVth Report, App.pt.ii, 1894, XVth Report, App.pt.IV.1897. The present collection has been briefly noticed in the Appendix to the 3rd Report, 1872, p. 194, and is now (1899) about to be more fully calendared.