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SP 78/296-301

Catalogue reference: Sub-series within SP 78

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Sub-series within SP 78

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Reference
Sub-series within SP 78
Title
SP 78/296-301
Note
Covering the period from May 1775 to March 1777, these volumes consist mainly of correspondence between the Secretary of State, Southern Department, and the embassy in Paris. The Secretary of State, to begin with, is the earl of Rochford. In the autumn of 1775 he is succeeded by viscount Weymouth. In Paris the ambassador is viscount Stormont. In his absence, colonel Horace St. Paul, secretary to the legation, acts for him. Matters of particular concern are the danger of Great Britain and France becoming involved, if Portugal and Spain go to war over boundaries in South America, and the increasing number of instances of French subjects giving help to the American rebels, with the suspected connivance of the French authorities. The activities of the American agents in France are reported. Stormont sends regular reports of varying reliability about France's naval arming and her plans to send military and naval reinforcements to the West Indies. There are many references to French ships preparing to take supplies to the rebels and British ships being taken as prizes by American privateers in European waters and the West Indies. These are usually indexed under the names of the ships involved. Stormont gives his views about the real intentions of the French government and comments on the character and position of Maurepas, the influence of the queen, the hopes of the Choiseul party and the efforts at reform of Turgot, Necker and St. Germain. Other items of interest are the coronation of Louis XVI, the bread riots in France, clashes between French and British in West Africa and the failure of the Spanish attack on Algiers. In an attempt to avoid too much duplication in the Index, all important references to the Portuguese Spanish dispute are consolidated under Portugal, even if some are also entered elsewhere. Similarly all references to the American War of Independence are consolidated under America. Lists of Printed documents and Ships are to be found at the end of the Index.
Record URL
https://beta.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/id/C78248/

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SP 78

Secretaries of State: State Papers Foreign, France

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Secretaries of State: State Papers Foreign, France

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SP 78/296-301

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