The Papers of Viscount ESHER (Reginald Brett)

ESHR 1 Journals - Originals

ESHR 2 Journals - Copies

ESHR 3 Journals - Lady Esher

ESHR 4 Letters and Memoranda

ESHR 5 Correspondence - General

ESHR 6 Correspondence - Royal

ESHR 7 Correspondence - Family

ESHR 8 Correspondence - Friends

ESHR 9 Correspondence - W. Johnson Cory

ESHR 10 Correspondence - Political

ESHR 11 Correspondence - Literary

ESHR 12 Correspondence - Miscellaneous

ESHR 13 Papers - Asia and Africa

ESHR 14 Papers - Office of Works

ESHR 15 Papers - South African War Commission

ESHR 16 Papers - Army Reform

ESHR 17 Papers - Navy and Lord Fisher

ESHR 18 Papers - Royal Occasions

ESHR 19 Papers - Miscellaneous

ESHR 20 Papers - Death of Lord Esher

ESHR 21 Literary - Printed

ESHR 22 Literary - Manuscripts

ESHR 23 Newspaper Cuttings

ESHR 24 Miscellanea

Because the papers had already been bound their arrangement had to follow closely the intentions of the second and third Lord Eshers. It was possible to reconstruct these from the pencilled instructions to the binder and other notes. The collection is now arranged in seven main groups:

Journals (1-3)

Letters and Memoranda (4)

Correspondence (5-12)

Papers (13-20)

Literary (21 & 22)

Newspaper Cuttings (23)

Miscellanea (24)

It should, however, be noted that the sections are not self-contained. For example Lord Esher's correspondence with individuals may be found in sections 2, 4, 5, 10 and 13-19. Cross-references have been provided where appropriate.

<p>Collection of correspondence between Esher and W.T. Stead can be found in the Stead collection at Churchill Archives Centre</p>

The collection is open for consultation by researchers using Churchill Archives Centre, Churchill College, Cambridge. Individual closures of files are indicated in the catalogue. Churchill Archives Centre is open from Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm. A prior appointment and two forms of identification are required.

The archives of the second Lord Esher were deposited by his grandson at Churchill College in November 1968. Some papers and diaries relating to the period 1914-17 are, however, at the British Museum and will not be available until 1981. All the papers were already bound when received. Lord Esher himself set the precedent for this and many items (e.g. ESHR 15/1-8 and ESHR 21/1-24) were bound in his lifetime. The rest were bound about 1936 by his son, the third Lord Esher, at the time that volumes III and IV of Journals and Letters were being compiled. At this time original files (e.g. ESHR 5/1-20) were sent for binding. Other manuscripts were copied in typescript (e.g. ESHR 2/1-12) and then bound. Finally quantities of papers were sent for binding as they were discovered, so that some of the volumes marked "Miscellaneous Papers" (e.g. ESHR 19/5-7) contain documents which should have been included in various classified volumes.

The papers have been handsomely bound by a number of binders. These range from the magnificent leather binding of ESHR 6/2 to the official half calf of ESHR 15/5 and the plain cloth of ESHR 10/54. Very few of the bookbinders' names have survived. The second Lord Esher apparently employed Spottiswood and Company for some work (ESHR 11/1 and ESHR 23/1). The third Lord Esher's work went to F. Vaughan. His name can be found on the War Journals (ESHR 2/13-20), War Memoranda (ESHR 16/13) and the later volumes of general correspondence (section 5), but the last few volumes of general correspondence were bound in the same style by Roger de Coverley and Sons. Unfortunately the physical condition of the collection gives some cause for concern. A few bindings had been attacked by silver fish in the past and one or two (e.g. ESHR 15/4) had formerly been damp and still bore traces of mildew. The binder had folded many letters and documents to fit his boards and even the limited use of the collections had led to the disappearance of the last few lines on each sheet. Finally at some date in the past certain items had been cut or torn from some volumes (e.g. ESHR 7/23-25, ESHR 9/7). For these reasons probably about half the volumes will eventually require rebinding.

1852 Born in London: son of William Baliol Brett, afterwards first Viscount Esher, Master of the Rolls.

Educated at Eton and Trinity College, Cambridge.

1873 Lieutenant in the Militia.

1878 Private secretary to the Marquess of Hartington (till 1885).

(Secretary of State for India, 1880-1882 and for War, 1882-1885).

1879 Married Eleanor van de Weyer, daughter of the Belgian Minister in London.

1880 Liberal M.P. for Penryn and Falmouth, Cornwall (till 1885).

1885 Defeated in general election at Plymouth.

1885 His father became Baron Esher.

1895 Secretary of the Office of Works (till 1902).

1897 Tilney Street house bombed.

1897 His father became Viscount Esher.

1899 Second Viscount Esher.

1901 K.C.V.O.

1901 Deputy constable and lieutenant governor of Windsor Castle.

1902 Chairman of War Office Committee on Construction of Barracks.

1902 K.C.B.

1902 Member of the Honours Committee.

1902 Member of Royal Commission to enquire into South African War.

1903 Chairman of Prime Minister's committee on the War Office.

1905 Permanent member of Committee of Imperial Defence.

1905 Legion of Honour

1905 G.C.V.O.

1906 Trustee of British Museum.

1906 Chairman of Territorial Army Committee.

1907 Published Selections of the Correspondence of Queen Victoria with A.C. Benson.

1907 Chairman of London Territorial Forces Association.

1908 G.C.B.

1908 Keeper of Royal Archives.

1909 Deputy Lieutenant of county of London.

1912 Published The Girlhood of Queen Victoria.

1914 Honorary degree, Cambridge University.

1914 Mission to France.

1922 P.C.

1923 Published Ionicus.

1928 Constable and governor of Windsor Castle.

1930 Died in London.