Jump to Content

> Home > Huntington Library > Manuscript Collections
Collection Guide
∞ https://oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/c8tq66qc/
Collection Title:
Collection Number:
Get Items:
Wellington-Elrington Papers: Finding Aid
mssHM 76858-77127  
No online items No online items       Request items ↗
Collection location Contact Huntington Library::Manuscript Collections
View entire collection guide What's This?
Search this collection
Entire Collection Guide
Online Items
Collection Details
 
Table of contents What's This?
  • Overview of the Collection
  • Access
  • Administrative Information
  • Related Materials in the Huntington Library
  • Biographical Note
  • Scope and Content
  • Arrangement
  • Indexing: Subjects
  • Indexing: Added Entries
  • Indexing Terms

    • Overview of the Collection

    Title: Wellington-Elrington Papers
    Dates (inclusive): 1817-1963
    Bulk dates: 1827-1848
    Collection Number: mssHM 76858-77127
    Creator: Wellington, Arthur Wellesley, Duke of, 1769-1852.
    Extent: 270 pieces in 5 boxes
    Repository: The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens. Manuscripts Department
    1151 Oxford Road
    San Marino, California 91108
    Phone: (626) 405-2129
    Email: reference@huntington.org
    URL: http://www.huntington.org
    Abstract: This collection contains papers of British soldier and statesman Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington (1769-1852), chiefly related to Wellingon's work as Constable of the Tower of London, including letters and documents pertaining to the day to day running of the Tower and Wellington's efforts to reform the long-standing traditions of the staff and personnel who lived and worked in the Tower.
    Language: English.

    Access

    Open to qualified researchers by prior application through the Reader Services Department. For more information, contact Reader Services.

    Administrative Information

    Publication Rights

    The Huntington Library does not require that researchers request permission to quote from or publish images of this material, nor does it charge fees for such activities. The responsibility for identifying the copyright holder, if there is one, and obtaining necessary permissions rests with the researcher.

    Preferred Citation

    [Identification of item]. Wellington-Elrington Papers, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.

    Provenance

    Acquired from Maggs Bros., London, Sale 954, Lot 146, Aug. 27, 1973.

    Related Materials in the Huntington Library

    Please also consult the Manuscripts Card Catalogue and the Huntington Library Online Catalog for additional Wellington material.

    Biographical Note

    Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington (1769-1852), British soldier and statesman. Wellington was born in Ireland on May 1, 1769, and after an unpromising childhood and scholastic career entered the army. After service in the Netherlands and India, in May of 1808, he left England and served in the Peninsular Campaign of the Napoleonic Wars, finally defeating Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815. He was twice prime minister (1828-1830 and 1834, Nov.-Dec.) and remained Commander-in-Chief of the British Army until his death on September 14, 1852.

    Bibliography

    Hibbert, Christopher. Wellington: A Personal History (Reading, Mass.: Addison-Wesley, 1997).
    Longford, Elizabeth. Wellington: The Years of the Sword (New York: Harper & Row Publishers, 1969).
    Longford, Elizabeth. Wellington: Pillar of State (New York: Harper & Row Publishers, 1972).
    Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 58, eds. H.C.G. Matthew and B. Harrison (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2004), pp. 1-27.
    Rowse, A.L. The Tower of London in the History of England (New York: G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 1972).
    Thompson, Neville. Wellington After Waterloo (London: Routledge & Keegan Paul, 1986). Wilson, Derek. The Tower of London (Dorset: Constable and Co Limited, 1989).

    Scope and Content

    The papers consist of the following series:
    1. Correspondence, Manuscripts & Documents (Boxes 1-5) are arranged alphabetically by author and title. Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington, was appointed Constable of the Tower of London by George IV in 1827. A sinecure of high honor, the post of Constable was also very lucrative. The constable was not required to reside in the Tower, and the actual administration of it was traditionally carried out by a staff officer, the Tower Major. Wellington, however, took his responsibilities seriously and closely supervised Tower Major John Henry Elrington. The papers include letters and documents pertaining to the day to day running of the Tower and the efforts of Wellington to reform the long-standing traditions of the staff and personnel who lived and worked in the Tower.
    The majority of the letters are written by Wellington to Elrington, with a small number written to Colonel Sir Francis Hastings Doyle. The remainder of the letters include five letters written by Elrington to Wellington, 34 letters from Wellington’s secretary Algernon Frederick Greville to various addressees, and a small number of letters from, among others, Sir George Cathcart, Fox Maule-Ramsay (Earl of Dalhouise), George Sackville-West (Earl De La Warr), John Gurwood, William Loftus, Sir John Pirie, Arthur Marcus Cecil Sandys (Baron Sandys), and one letter from Gerald Wellesley (Duke of Wellington). There are two 20th century manuscripts, based upon the material in the collection, written by Frank Benjamin Maggs and Ralph Partridge. There is also one folder of Ephemera.

    Arrangement

    Organized in the following manner: 1. Correspondence, Manuscripts, Documents & Ephemera (Boxes 1-5). Arranged alphabetically.

    Indexing: Subjects

    Adelaide, Queen, consort of William IV, King of Great Britain, 1792-1849. In Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington, 1769-1852, letter to Sir Francis Hastings Doyle, 1783-1839, (1834, Aug. 16). HM 76937.
    Alexander II, Emperor of Russia, 1818-1881. In Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington, 1769- 1852, letter to John Henry Elrington, 1771-1857, (1839, May 6). HM 77078.
    Ana de Jesus Maria, Infanta of Portugal, 1806-1857. In Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington, 1769-1852, letters to John Henry Elrington, 1771-1857, (1828). HM 76944-76946.
    Cholera -- Great Britain -- Prevention -- History -- 19th century. In Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington, 1769-1852, letters to Sir Francis Hastings Doyle, 1783-1839, (1832). HM 76924, 76927.
    Cholera -- Great Britain -- Prevention -- History -- 19th century. In Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington, 1769-1852, letters to John Henry Elrington, 1771-1857, (1832). HM 76962-76963, 76967.
    Cloncurry, Valentine, Baron, 1773-1853. In Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington, 1769-1852, letter to Sir Francis Hastings Doyle, 1783-1839, (1831, Sep. 19). HM 76923.
    Edward VII, King of Great Britain, 1841-1910. In [Mr.] G---- Butler, letter to John Henry Elrington, 1771-1857, (1841, Nov. 9). HM 76859.
    Edward VII, King of Great Britain, 1841-1910. In John Henry Elrington, 1771-1857, letter to [Captain] ----- Macbean, (1841, Nov. 9). HM 76866.
    Elrington, John Henry, 1771-1857. In William Loftus, 1752-1831, “The Substance of what passed between…,” (1817, Feb. 17 & Mar. 29). HM 76909.
    Frederick William IV, King of Prussia, 1795-1861. In Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington, 1769-1852, letters to John Henry Elrington, 1771-1857, (1842). HM 77116-77117.
    George III, King of Great Britain, 1738-1820. In Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington, 1769- 1852, letter to Sir Francis Hastings Doyle, 1783-1839, (1831, Sep. 19). HM 76923.
    George IV, King of Great Britain, 1762-1830. In John Henry Elrington, 1771-1857, “Memorandum 1818,” (1818, [May]). HM 76865.
    George IV, King of Great Britain, 1762-1830. In William Loftus, 1752-1831, “The Substance of what passed between…,” (1817, Feb. 17 & Mar. 29). HM 76909.
    Loftus, William, 1752-1831. In John Henry Elrington, 1771-1857, “Memorandum 1818,” (1818, [May]). HM 76865.
    Loftus, William, 1752-1831. In William Loftus, 1752-1831, “The Substance of what passed between…,” (1817, Feb. 17 & Mar. 29). HM 76909.
    Loulé, Nuno José Severo de Mendonça Rolim de Moura Barreto, Duque de, 1804-1875. In Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington, 1769-1852, letters to John Henry Elrington, 1771- 1857, (1828). HM 76944-76946.
    McMahon, John, ca. 1754-1817. In William Loftus, 1752-1831, “The Substance of what passed between…,” (1817, Feb. 17 & Mar. 29). HM 76909.
    Menageries -- England -- London -- History. In Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington, 1769- 1852, letters to John Henry Elrington, 1771-1857, (1835). HM 77002-77004.
    Palmerston, Henry John Temple, Viscount, 1784-1865. In William Loftus, 1752-1831, “The Substance of what passed between…,” (1817, Feb. 17 & Mar. 29). HM 76909.
    Peel, Robert, 1788-1850. In Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington, 1769-1852, letter to John Henry Elrington, 1771-1857, (1828, Sep. 25). HM 76951.
    Salisbury, James Brownlow William Gascoyne-Cecil, Marquess of, 1791-1868. In Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington, 1769-1852, letter to John Henry Elrington, 1771-1857, (1827, July 6). HM 76939.
    Sidmouth, Henry Addington, Viscount, 1757-1844. In William Loftus, 1752-1831, “The Substance of what passed between…,” (1817, Feb. 17 & Mar. 29). HM 76909.
    Torrens, Henry, Sir, 1779-1828. In William Loftus, 1752-1831, “The Substance of what passed between…,” (1817, Feb. 17 & Mar. 29). HM 76909.
    Tower of London (London, England). In Sir George Cathcart, 1794-1854, letter to Major ----- Aldrich, (1851, Aug. 7). HM 76860.
    Tower of London (London, England). In John Henry Elrington, 1771-1857, “Memorandum 1818,” (1818, [May]). HM 76865.
    Tower of London (London, England). In John Henry Elrington, 1771-1857, letter to Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington, 1769-1852, (1845, Nov. 17). HM 76871.
    Tower of London (London, England). In Frank Benjamin Maggs, 1897-1965, “The Duke, The Tower, And The Beefeaters…,” (1962-1963). HM 76911.
    Tower of London (London, England). In Ralph Partridge, “The Duke and the Beefeaters,” ([1950]). HM 76914.
    Tower of London (London, England) -- Fire. In Francis Lovell, letter to John Henry Elrington, 1771-1857, (1841, Nov. 10). HM 76910.
    Tower of London (London, England) -- Fire. In John S. Wood, letter to John Henry Elrington, 1771-1857, (1841, Nov. 2). HM 77126.
    Victoria, Queen of Great Britain, 1819-1901. In [Mr.] G---- Butler, letters to John Henry Elrington, 1771-1857, (1841, Nov. 9). HM 76858-76859.
    Victoria, Queen of Great Britain, 1819-1901. In Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington, 1769- 1852, letters to John Henry Elrington, 1771-1857, (1837-1838). HM 77029-77030, 77053-77056.
    Wellington, Arthur Wellesley, Duke of, 1796-1852. In John Henry Elrington, 1771-1857, “All Letters, And Documents…,” (1842, Sep. 6). HM 76864.
    Wellington, Arthur Wellesley, Duke of, 1796-1852. In Algernon Frederick Greville, 1798-1864, letters to John Henry Elrington, 1771-1857, (1829). HM 76874-76875.
    Wellington, Arthur Wellesley, Duke of, 1796-1852. In Frank Benjamin Maggs, 1897-1965, “The Duke, The Tower, And The Beefeaters…,” (1962-1963). HM 76911.
    Wellington, Catherine Wellesley, Duchess of, 1772-1831. In Algernon Frederick Greville, 1798- 1864, letter to John Henry Elrington, 1771-1857, (1831, Apr. 27). HM 76888.
    Wellington, Arthur Wellesley, Duke of, 1796-1852. In [Ralph Partridge], [Notes and partial quotations…], ([1950]). HM 76913.
    Wellington, Arthur Wellesley, Duke of, 1796-1852. In Ralph Partridge, “The Duke and the Beefeaters,” ([1950]). HM 76914.
    Wellington, Arthur Wellesley, Duke of, 1796-1852. In Gerald Wellesley, Duke of Wellington, 1885-1972, letter to Ralph Partridge, (1949, Mar. 23). HM 77125.
    Westmorland, Jane Saunders, Countess of, d. 1857. In Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington, 1769-1852, letters to John Henry Elrington, 1771-1857, (1835). HM 76996-76998, 77000.
    William IV, King of Great Britain, 1765-1837. In Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington, 1769- 1852, letters to John Henry Elrington, 1771-1857, (1835). HM 77001, 77003.

    Indexing: Added Entries

    Doyle, Francis Hastings, Sir, 1783-1839. Addressee for Algernon Frederick Greville, 1798-1864, (1832, Aug. 16). HM 76872.
    Doyle, Francis Hastings, Sir, 1783-1839. Addressee for Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington, 1769-1852, (1830-1839). HM 76922-76938.
    Elrington, John Henry, 1771-1857. Signature and note on letter from George Sackville-West, Earl De La Warr, 1791-1869, (1841, Nov. 7). HM 76863.
    Elrington, John Henry, 1771-1857. Autograph notes following letters from Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington, 1769-1852, to John Henry Elrington, 1771-1857, (1828-1838). HM 76951, 76998, 77002, 77043.
    Gurwood, John, 1790-1845. Addressee for Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington, 1769-1852, (1841, Mar. 27). HM 77124.
    Howe, Robert. Autograph note attached to Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington, 1769-1852, letter to John Henry Elrington, 1771-1857, (1828, May 26). HM 76950.
    Partridge, Ralph. Addressee for Gerald Wellesley, Duke of Wellington, 1885-1972, (1949, Mar. 23). HM 77125.
    Wellington, Arthur Wellesley, Duke of, 1796-1852. Cross written replies on letters from Fox Maule-Ramsay, Earl of Dalhousie, 1801-1874, (1847-1850). HM 76861-76862.
    Wellington, Arthur Wellesley, Duke of, 1796-1852. Cross written reply on letter from Hopwood & Son (Firm), (1846, May 21). HM 76907.
    Wellington, Arthur Wellesley, Duke of, 1796-1852. Cross written reply on letter from Sir John Pirie, 1781-1851, (1842, July 7). HM 76916.
    Wellington, Arthur Wellesley, Duke of, 1796-1852. Addressee for Fox Maule-Ramsay, Earl of Dalhousie, 1801-1874, (1847-1850). HM 76861-76862.
    Wellington, Arthur Wellesley, Duke of, 1796-1852. Addressee for John Henry Elrington, 1771- 1857, (1838-1845). HM 76867-76871.
    Wellington, Arthur Wellesley, Duke of, 1796-1852. Addressee for Hopwood & Son (Firm), (1846, May 21). HM 76907.
    Wellington, Arthur Wellesley, Duke of, 1796-1852. Addressee for Thomas Kelly, 1772-1855, (1836, July 11). HM 76908.
    Wellington, Arthur Wellesley, Duke of, 1796-1852. Addressee for Sir John Pirie, 1781-1851, (1842, July 7). HM 76916.

    Indexing Terms

    The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the Huntington Library's Online Catalog.  

    Subjects

    Victoria, Queen of Great Britain, 1819-1901.
    Wellington, Arthur Wellesley, Duke of, 1769-1852 -- Archives.
    Westmorland, Jane Sanders, Countess of, 1857-.
    Tower of London (London, England)
    Cholera -- Great Britain -- Prevention -- History -- 19th century.
    Great Britain -- History -- 19th century.

    Forms/Genres

    Documents -- Great Britain -- 19th century.
    Ephemera -- Great Britain -- 19th century.
    Letters (correspondence) -- Great Britain -- 19th century.
    Letters (correspondence) -- Great Britain -- 20th century.
    Manuscripts -- Great Britain -- 19th century.
    Manuscripts -- Great Britain -- 20th century.

    Additional Contributors

    Cathcart, George, Sir, 1794-1854.
    Dalhousie, Fox Maule-Ramsay, Earl of, 1801-1874.
    De La Warr, George Sackville-West, Earl, 1791-1869.
    Doyle, Francis Hastings, Sir, 1783-1839, recipient.
    Elrington, John Henry, 1771-1857, recipient.
    Greville, Algernon Frederick, 1798-1864.
    Gurwood, John, 1790-1845.
    Loftus, William, 1752-1831.
    Maggs, Frank Benjamin, 1897-1965.
    Partridge, Ralph.
    Pirie, John, Sir, 1781-1851.
    Sandys, Arthur Marcus Cecil Sandys, Baron, 1798-1863.
    Wellington, Gerald Wellesley, Duke of, 1885-1972.

    Collection Contents
    Correspondence, Manuscripts, Documents and Ephemera
    Home | Contributing Institutions | Collection Guides | Browse Map | About OAC | FAQs | Contact Us | Privacy Statement | Terms of Use | Accessibility
    The Online Archive of California is a service of the UC Libraries, powered by the California Digital Library.