Earls of Onslow of Clandon Park, Family Papers

This collection of Onslow family papers, the majority of which was deposited in 1972 after the death of William Arthur Bampfylde, 6th Earl (1913-1971) are to a considerable extent an artificial collection made by Richard, 5th Earl (1876-1945) in the course of preparing a family history. For example, he purchased some papers of Arthur Onslow, the Great Speaker (d.1768), in 1908 (G173/-/3/8 & 12). From 1912 onwards, Richard, 5th Earl, gathered together letters, diaries and other personal papers of his ancestors, especially of his father, and had most single items and small groups bound in a series of 24 volumes (see G173/-/3-26).

For the last chapter of his unpublished nine volume 'History of the Onslow Family' (see G173/-/1/1-9), and for part of his autobiography Sixty Three Years (1944), the 5th Earl seems to have used files of his own and of his wife's correspondence from 1911, when he succeeded his father, until 1924, the approximate date at which the 'Family History' was completed (see G173/-/57, 60-74). With the exception of 1936 Coronation Committee minutes (G173/-/89), little material has been deposited relating to the period from 1925 until the 5th Earl's death in 1945. Similarly, there are no letters of the 6th Earl other than a small bundle of correspondence about West Clandon village hall in 1968 (G173/-/221).

The 5th Earl and his son arranged for press cuttings about the family to be collected and bound. There are seventeen volumes of cuttings dating from the mid-18th century to 1952 (G173/-/225/1-17).

The archive of the Earls of Onslow contains little material relating to cadet branches of the family. There are no papers of those Onslows who were Members of Parliament for Guildford from 1660 to 1830 and 1858 to 1880. Although there are a few miscellaneous papers of Arthur Onslow, the Great Speaker, in the 5th Earl's collection, five manuscript volumes, including the Speaker's 'Anecdotes' and his Calendar of the Journals of the House of Commons, 1660 to 1710, have been deposited in the House of Lords Record Office.

This collection, of mainly family papers, is arranged roughly in chronological order commencing with the 5th Earl's 'History of the Onslow Family', c.1174 to c.1924 (G173/-/1/1-9). Drafts of Reginald Lucas' unpublished biography of William Hillier, 4th Earl, were incorporated into this history. Lucas' draft manuscript and typescript were also retained (see G173/-/222-224).

The papers of the 1st, 4th and 5th Earls of Onslow are arranged in chronological order. However the bound letters of George, 1st Earl Onslow comprises only the letters from the Revd John Butler, later bishop of Oxford, 1766 to 1802 (G173/-/2/1-2).

The bound correspondence and papers acquired and compiled by the 5th Earl, 1635-1913, (G173/-/3-26) are to a large extent the papers of William Hillier, 4th Earl of Onslow. Much of it relates to his political career and includes significant material on House of Lords reform. There are also papers from the 5th Earl's diplomatic career, including documents on the situation in the Balkans in 1913. Further papers of the 4th Earl include letters from political colleagues (see G173/-/28), diaries (see G173/-/29-40), travel journals (see G173/-/41-47), his printed pamphlets (see G173/-/48-50), and material relating to Clandon and the town house: visitors' book, 1892-1911; furniture sales catalogues, 1893; inventory of furniture, 1912 (see G173/-/51-53).

The correspondence of Richard, 5th Earl (1876-1945) is arranged chronologically by topic (see G173/-/56-205), including local gypsies and the Central Land Association, although only the political correspondence is listed in detail. The papers include: general correspondence, 1912-1924 (see G173/-/57/1-348); family and personal correspondence, 1880-1923 (see G173/-/58-71); political and parliamentary, 1912-1936 (see G173/-/77-79); parochial and diocesan matters, 1911-1936 (see G173/-/80-87); official duties: national & local, 1911-1936 (see G173/-/88-104); business affairs, 1913-1921, (see G173/-/105-106), and clubs & societies (mainly local), 1912-1925, (see G173/-/107-204).

The correspondence of the 5th Earl's wife, Violet, 1913-1931 is also included in this collection (see G173/-/206-214).

The limited quantity of household records follow including receipts, 1912-1924; home farm supplies, 1919-1921; domestic servant's wages, 1918-1922 and supplies to the Onslows' holiday home on the Scilly Isles, 1920-1923 (see G173/-/215-220)

General material including bound volumes of family press cuttings, 1724-1952 (see G173/-/225/1-17), scrapbooks, 19th century to 1911 (see G173/-/229/1-6) and miscellaneous documents (published and manuscript and not all relating to the Onslow family, G173/-/226-228) complete the collection.

G173/1-9 'HISTORY OF THE ONSLOW FAMILY' by 5th Earl of Onslow c.1924, 9 vols., typescript

CORRESPONDENCE DIARIES AND OTHER PAPERS

G173/1-2 Letters to Geo. 1st Earl of Onslow from Revd. Jn. Butler, later Bishop of Oxford, 1766-80 and 1781-1802 probably bound in 2 vols. in the 19th cent.

G173/3-26 (Correspondence is mentioned in A Guide to the Papers of British Ministers, 1900-1950 (Nuffield College).) CORRESPONDENCE etc. assembled by 5th Earl of Onslow and bound for him in 24 vols:

'PRIVATE PAPERS O[NSLOW]'

G173/3 1630-1863 [1660/1-1882]

G173/4 1863-86

G173/5 1886-7

G173/6 1887-92

G173/7 1892-1901

G173/8 1902

G173/9-10 1903, 2 vols.

G173/11-14 1904, 4 vols.

G173/15 1905

G173/16 1906-7

G173/17 1908

G173/18 1909

G173/19 1910-11

G173/20 1912

G173/21-2 1913, 2 vols.

'PRIVATE PAPERS C[RANLEY]'

G173/23 1899-1911

G173/24 [1900-10]

G173/25 [1906-11]

G173/26 'LOFTUS LETTERS & MISC.' [1635-1905]

G173/27 Speaker Onslow's Memoirs, Historical MSS. Commission report, 1896

WM. HILLIER 4TH EARL OF ONSLOW b.1853 d.1911

G173/28 Letters to 4th Earl from political colleagues, 1905-11, 1 vol.

G173/29-40 Diaries, 1869-74, 1878-9, 1884-5, 1889 & 1892, 12 vols.

Travel Journals, 7 vols. :-

G173/41 'France & Italy', 1861

G173/42 'Tour in the North and in France', 1867-8

G173/43-4 'America', 1883-4, 2 vols.

G173/45 'Dolomites & Switzerland', 1885

G173/46 Europe, Asia, Australia & New Zealand, 1888-97 [Written by the 5th Earl ?]

G173/47 'India', 1894-5

G173/48-50 Printed pamphlets by 4th Earl

G173/51 Visitors' Book, 1892-1911

G173/52 Sale catalogues, 1893

G173/53 Inventory of heirlooms bequeathed by 4th Earl, 1912-4

G173/54-5 [There are no documents with these numbers]

G173/56 Misc. correspondence, 1900-10

RICHARD 5TH EARL OF ONSLOW b.1876 d.1945

Correspondence arranged in groups which are substantially the same as the original box files and folders in which the letters were kept:-

G173/57 General, 1912-24

G173/58-9 To and from Viscount Cranley, later 5th Earl, 1880-83 & 1905-8

G173/60-71 Family & personal, 1911-23

G173/72 War service, 1915

G173/73 Education of Viscount Cranley, later 6th Earl, 1920-4

G173/74 Domestic and estate servants, 1912-23

G173/75 Lease of disused lighthouse, Scilly Isles, 1920-3

G173/76 'Family History', 1914-22

G173/77-9 Political and parliamentary, 1912-36

G173/80-87 Parochial and diocesan, 1911-24

G173/88-90 Official duties: national, 1915-36

G173/91-104 Official duties: local, 1912-23

G173/105-6 Business, 1913-21

G173/107-204 Clubs and societies, 1912-24

G173/205 Misc., 1925-42

VIOLET COUNTESS OF ONSLOW d.1954

G173/206 General, 1915-23

G173/207 Financial, 1913-17

G173/208 Family, 1916-21

G173/209 Domestic, 1915-23

G173/210 Prep. school education of Viscount Cranley, later 6th Earl, 1921-23

G173/211 YWCA, 1919

G173/212 Women's Farm & Garden Union & Women's National Land Service Corps, 1915-18

G173/213 St. Jn. Ambulance Brigade, Hersham Div., 1920

G173/214 Personal, 1924 & 1931

RECEIPTS

G173/215 General, 1912-24

G173/216 Supplies from Home Farm, 1919-22

G173/217 Agency fees for staff advertisements, 1918-23

G173/218 Domestic servants' wages, 1918-22

G173/219 Supplies to holiday home, Scilly Isles, 1920-3

G173/220 Office expenses, St. Jn. Ambulance Brigade, Kingston on Thames, 1919-21

ARTHUR 6TH EARL OF ONSLOW

G173/221 Clandon village hall, 1968 ACCESS RESTRICTED FAMILY HISTORY DRAFTS

G173/222 Part of biography of 4th Earl of Onslow

G173/223 'Family History' by 5th Earl

G173/224 Misc. drafts

FAMILY PRESS CUTTINGS 17 vols.

G173/225/1 1724-1853

G173/225/2 1889-97

G173/225/3 1897-1908

G173/225/4 1908-11

G173/225/5 1911-21

G173/225/6 1921-3

G173/225/7 1923-6

G173/225/8 1928-9

G173/225/9 1929-30

G173/225/10 1930-1

G173/225/11 1931-3

G173/225/12 1933-4

G173/225/13 1934-6

G173/225/14 1936-7

G173/225/15 1937-9

G173/225/16 1939-52

G173/225/17 Obituaries of 4th Earl, 1911

MISC. PAPERS

G173/226 Copy notes of Speaker Arthur Onslow, c.1690-1722

G173/227 Militia return by Richd. Lord Onslow, 1759

G173/228/1-8 17 cent. papers, chiefly political [no apparent Onslow connexion]

SCRAPBOOKS

G173/229/1 Surrey topography etc., 19th cent.

G173/229/2-3 Illustrated London News, Boer War scenes

G173/229/4 Illustrated London News, Funeral of Queen Victoria, 1901

G173/229/5 Illustrated London News, Coronation of Edward VII, 1902

G173/229/6 Guildford celebrations of coronation of Geo. V, 1911

<p>For records of the Onslow manors and title deeds of their estate, 1424-1939, see G97/-; for Onslow estate records, including title deeds and manorial papers of the Stoke Park estate, Guildford, 1232-1946, see 1320/-; for two Onslow family settlements, 1761 &amp; 1776, see 1186/-; for additional estate, and family and political papers relating to the 4th and 5th Earls, c.1709-c.1945, see 5337/-.</p>

No document may be consulted for legal purposes without the permission of Lord Onslow.

Deposited by Messrs Smallpeice & Merriman, solicitors, on behalf of Arthur, 6th Earl Onslow and his widow Jo, Countess of Onslow between 1947 and 1972.

For an introduction to the origins and estates of the Onslow family see G97/-.

The Onslows were a political family and provided the House of Commons with three speakers. Their close connection with Guildford began after the Restoration in 1660, when Richard Onslow was returned as a Member of Parliament for the town. For the next 220 years, except from 1830 to 1858, one, if not both, of the representatives of Guildford in the House of Commons was an Onslow. It also became a tradition, maintained to the present day, for the Earl of Onslow to be elected High Steward of Guildford as the proximity of the family seat, Clandon Park, encouraged an association with the borough from the early 18th century onwards.

The careers of the 4th and 5th Earls exemplify the political interests characteristic of the family. William Hillier, 4th Earl of Onslow, was appointed Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies in 1887, Parliamentary Secretary of State for the Colonies in 1887, and Parliamentary Secretary at the Board of Trade in 1888. From 1888 to 1891, he was Governor of New Zealand, returning to England to become Under-Secretary of State for India in 1895 and, once more, Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies in 1900. After the Boer War, he was involved in plans for the re-settlement of South Africa. In 1903, he entered the Cabinet as President of the Board of Agriculture.

From 1905 until shortly before his death in 1911, the 4th Earl served as Chairman of Committees in the House of Lords. He formed the Association of Opposition Peers and was elected first chairman of the Executive Committee of the Central Land Association.

The 4th Earl's interests included the government of London. He was elected to the Westminster Vestry in 1894 and became an alderman, and later leader of the Moderate Party on London County Council from 1896 to 1898. In 1899, he promoted a Bill which led to the abolition of the London vestries and he became an alderman on Westminster City Council in 1900, having refused an invitation to be the first mayor.

Richard, 5th Earl of Onslow held various post in the Diplomatic Service between 1901 and 1909, when he joined the Foreign Office as assistant private secretary to Sir Edward Grey. He had a distinguished record of service in the First World War and was demobilized with the rank of Colonel after serving as Assistant Director of Staff Duties in the BEF, France. He was appointed a Lord in Waiting to George V in 1919, and Civil Lord of the Admiralty in the following year.

In 1922 he became Parliamentary Secretary at the Board of Agriculture and later in the same year, accepted a similar post in the Ministry of Health. From 1923 to 1924, he was Parliamentary Secretary at the Board of Education and he then served for four years as Under-Secretary for War. In 1928 he took the post of Paymaster General in order to be free to supervise the passing of the Local Government Act, having been Chairman of the Royal Commission on Local Government from 1923 to 1928. In 1931, the 5th Earl followed in his father's footsteps by becoming Chairman of Committees in the House of Lords, a post he held until 1944, shortly before his death.