William Petty, 1st Marquis of Lansdowne, 2nd Earl of Shelburne papers, 1665-1885

Summary

Creator:

Lansdowne, William Petty, Marquis of, 1737-1805

Abstract:

This collection contains the letters and official papers of Lord Shelburne, British politician, Member of Parliament, secretary of state for the Southern Department, and Prime Minister. The papers document British foreign, colonial, and domestic affairs throughout the 18th century with special focus on the periods 1766-1768 and 1782-1783. In addition to this finding aid, the Clements Library has created a detailed Volume Index and a Name Index and Geographical Index.

Extent:

48 linear feet

Language:

English
French
Italian

Authors:

Collection processed and finding aid created by Philip Heslip, January 2011

Background

Scope and Content:

The William Petty, 1st Marquis of Lansdowne, 2nd Earl of Shelburne papers consist of the letters and official papers of Lord Shelburne, British politician, member of parliament, secretary of state for the Southern Department, and Prime Minister from 1782-1783. These document British foreign, colonial, and domestic affairs, covering the 18th century with special focus on the periods 1766-1768 and 1782-1783. The papers are made up of dispatches, memoranda, trade statistics, reports, essays, questionnaires, and copies of treaties. They cover the conduct of the French and Indian War; the colonies in North America and the West Indies; the 1783 American peace negotiations in Paris; relations with Europe, Africa, and India; the management of the royal household's lands and revenues (1745-1789); and records of the Home Office, Parliament, Customs Revenue, Board of Trade, Army, Navy, War, and Pay offices and Treasury (1760-1797).

Shelburne was an avid collector of books, pamphlets, manuscripts, reports, maps, and prints, and was known as one of the most well-informed politicians of his day. During his political career, Shelburne had access to, and was able to commission, high level reports on domestic and foreign affairs; his papers reveal the British perspective on foreign relations, civil and military, with Europe, America, India, and Africa. Shelburne and his personal librarian Samuel Paterson collected and organized much of the present collection when Shelburne retired from political office.

In addition to the official letters, the collection contains family papers, including letters from Shelburne to his wife Sophia, to his son John, and from his young son William Granville. The Lacatia-Shelburne series, acquired separately from the rest of the collection, is comprised of 207 official letters originally belonging to Shelburne.

The European and Mediterranean Politics series (42 volumes) documents British diplomatic relations and financial interests in Europe and northern Africa. The series contains political and diplomatic letters and copies of letters with officials from the major powers of Europe, including: Austria, France, Portugal, Prussia, Russia, Spain, and Switzerland, as well as Mediterranean powers such as the Ottoman Empire, the Barbary States (Algiers, Morocco, Tunis, and Tripoli), and the Italian states. Also present are copies of treaties and reports on the military and trade capabilities of many of these nations. Though they cover British foreign relations from the beginning of the 18th century, these papers primarily document the 1760s, including the 1763 Peace of Paris, and Shelburne's activities as secretary of state for Southern Department (1766-1768).

The Colonial Affairs and the 1783 Treaty of Paris series (48 volumes) contains Shelburne's letters and reports concerning the British colonies in North America and the West Indies. Of particular interest is the material related to the negotiations leading up to the Treaty of Paris, which Shelburne supervised as Prime Minister (1782-1783). Included are letters and memoranda from the peace commissioners and secretaries at Paris, such as Richard Oswald, Henry Strachey, Thomas Townshend, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, and John Jay, among others. Also present are drafts and copies of preliminary treaties and opinions on the ongoing negotiations. The Assiento papers contain official and private letters and documents of the South Sea Company, a British mercantile venture that, for 30 years after the Treaty of Utrecht, had exclusive rights to sell slaves to Spanish territories in America. The papers comprise confidential agent reports, bills for traded goods and slaves, ship inventories, factory reports, and diplomatic letters between Spain and England on slave trade policies.

Other notable material includes:

• Diplomatic correspondence concerning the end of the Seven Years War (French and Indian War) in 1763
• Copies of letters, intelligence reports, and documents received by Lord Fox and Shelburne from various European courts during the peace negotiations (1782-1783)
• Orders, letters, memorials, and documents to and from the colonial governors of the American colonies, Canada, and the West Indies islands
• Records of West Indian trade, and reports on Jamaica, Barbados, and Tobago (1766-1767)
• Officially commissioned descriptions of the Islands of St. John, Cape Briton, Magdalen, Grenada, St. Vincent, and Dominica (1765-1767)
• Reports on commerce with America including trade statistics
• Letters and papers concerning relations and trade with the Choctaw, Creeks, Mohican, and Six Nation Indians (1703-1767)
• Questionnaires, with answers, sent to colonial governors concerning the "Civil Establishment" and "Accounts of the Fees of Office" (1766-1767)
• Accounts of American civil and military expenses (1765-1767)
• Reports on the Mutiny Act, Indemnity Act, Stamp Act, and other parliamentary laws concerning the American colonies
• Reports on Spanish and Portuguese settlements in South America and the rights of the Spanish in the South Seas
• Minutes on African Affairs (1765-1767)
• Reports and instructions related to Minorca, Gibraltar, and the coast of Africa
• A letter from George Croghan to Shelburne on the discovery of mastodon bones in Big Lick, Ohio Territory (Volume 48, pages 131-134)

The East Indian Affairs series (11 volumes) contains Shelburne's papers related to British financial and political interests in India. Included are official letters and documents (both originals and copies) transmitted to Shelburne to keep him up to date with activities and conflicts. Shelburne was heavily invested in the East India Company and was one of the company's most vocal advocates in Parliament.

The series includes:

• A chronological account of significant events in the establishment and activities of the East India Company (1601-1761)
• Finances and budgets of the East India Company along with copies of original government and business documents (1766-1767)
• Policy proposals for India and the East India Company including notes for speeches in parliament (1760-1790)
• A narrative history of the second war with Hyder Ali Khan (Second Anglo-Mysore War), with maps (1779-1782)
• A narrative history of Indian kingdoms
• Letters with the Secret Committee of the East India Company and other company officials

The British Government series is comprised of 5 subseries.

The Parliament, Customs Revenue, Trade, Imports, and Exports subseries (39 volumes) contains Shelburne's collection of official records, reports, accounts, and letters related to British customs, taxes, expenses, and trade revenue. These document British financial operations throughout most of the 18th century, and show Shelburne's efforts to reform domestic financial policies.

The subseries includes:

• Reference tables describing the division of power in British government, including the King, House of Lords, and House of Commons
• Abstract reports on the Stamp Tax (1734-1764)
• Customs reports for revenue and departmental expenditures
• Lists of customs officers and employees
• Import and export records for trade with Europe, Africa, and America
• Letters and documents concerning excise taxes, the post office, and the stamp duties
• Financial reports on the royal household, lands, and revenues (1745-1789) and instructions on the management of the royal estate
• City of London papers, including proceedings of councils and letters concerning raising troops, establishing meeting halls, quelling riots, crime, and other topics (1588-1783)
• Reports on England's forests, corn and food, and currency (paper money and coins)

Note: Volume 100, entitled "A Table Reference Concerning the King, Lords, and Commoners," is not the same Volume 100 as noted in the Historic Manuscript Commission Report, which was entitled "East India Correspondence," and is not at the Clements.

The British Army, Navy, and Military Administration subseries (20 volumes) contains material related to the British military and information on foreign forces covering 1694 to 1783.

Included are:

• Papers on War Office expenses for troops in Britain, Africa, Gibraltar, Scotland, and America (1765-1783)
• Papers concerning the navies and armies of foreign powers, including Spain, France, and Holland
• Naval department commissions, expenses, warrants, bills, and patents (1701-1779)
• Copies Admiralty and Navy Board letters (1695-1779)
• Shipping lists for equipping stations and ports (1770-1780 and 1783)
• Copies of intelligence on French and Spanish navies(1777-1780)
• Contracts for individuals employed by the navy
• Chronological records of the major policy decisions, events, and projects of the British navy

The volumes in the Ireland subseries (4 volumes) were owned by the Lansdowne family as recently as 1982.

The Cabinet and Treasury Minutes subseries (5 volumes) document Shelburne's governmental activities from 1762-1783. The cabinet minutes cover Shelburne's tenure as secretary of state of the Southern Department from 1766 to 1768. Included are instructions, announcements, and letters concerning issues with military officials and ambassadors in Ireland, Sweden, Spain, and Portugal. The treasury minutes cover Shelburne's activities as Prime Minister from July 1782 to March 1783.

These concern financial matters of the British government, such as:

• Purchasing land
• Reviewing petitions and paying reparations to British Loyalists who lost property in the war with America
• Issuing warrants to the military
• Paying compensation for ships lost doing official business in the West Indies.

Also present are minutes of motions on various parliamentary subjects, such as the 1780 riots in London, speeches for and against settling peace with America, and speeches concerning French and Spanish treaties (1782-1782).

The Appeals and Minutes of the House of Lords subseries (16 volumes), include 8 volumes that document the "appellant's cases" brought before the House of Lords between 1769 and 1788. These printed volumes contain the case declarations, pleas, breaches, verdicts, final judgments, and reasons. Many entries are manuscript comments about the case. 8 volumes of manuscript minutes of the House of Lords span 1767 to 1788 and include cursory information about bills, petitions, cases, and other business. Several printed copies of the King's speeches to Parliament and the Lords' addresses in reply are included in volumes HL-14, HL-15, and HL-16.

The Personal Correspondence series (167 items) is comprised of two subseries: The Shelburne family letters, the Lansdowne-Bowles letters.

The Shelburne family letters subseries contains seven volumes of material related to Shelburne and his family, including Lady Sophia Carteret, William Granville Petty, John Petty Earl of Wycombe, Henry Petty-Fitzmaurice, and Lady Louisa Fitzpatrick. Also present are letters from Shelburne to his friend and colleague Thomas Coutts.

These are:

• Volume 1 contains 47 letters from Shelburne to his first wife Lady Sophia Carteret from 1766 to 1770. In these, Shelburne noted his daily activities, detailing greetings he shared with passers-by, visitors, dining companions, and meetings with government officials and dignitaries. He updated her on news of their friends and acquaintances in London, and frequently expressed his love for her.
• Volumes 2 and 3 consist of 48 letters to Shelburne from his young son William Granville Petty (1774-1778). Also present are letters from a servant named Thomas Servis who reported on William's health. Volume 3 contains more letters from William, several with mentions of the American Revolution, as well as a short memoir written by William's tutor after the boy's death in 1778, an elegy by his brother Viscount Fitzmaurice, and copies of 4 of William's scholastic essays.
• Volume 4 contains 37 letters from Shelburne to his son John Petty, Earl Wycombe, from 1768 and 1780-1789. Shelburne primarily wrote of personal and family news, providing many details on John's brother Henry Petty-Fitzmaurice and the health of his step mother Lady Louisa. He also discussed John's social obligations, and occasionally, political events. Also present is a letter in which Shelburne asked the unknown recipient to be the godfather of his newborn son (1768).
• Volume 5 consists of 23 letters from Shelburne to his friend and colleague Thomas Coutts (1735-1822), a wealthy and prominent London banker who owned the House of Coutts & Company. These letters span 1793 to 1802 and include discussions of personal business, news of acquaintances, and domestic and international politics of the day, such as the French Revolution, William Pitt and other political leaders, and the political state of Ireland.
• Volume 6 is comprised of three letters and three engraved portraits of Shelburne. The portraits are dated 1780, 1798, and undated, and the letters include a brief note from Shelburne to a Mr. Lawrence (May 10, 1782), a letter from Shelburne to the Earl of Egremont concerning the war in North America and its implications in Europe (July 9, 1762), and a letter from Shelburne to James Currie (September 5, 1800).

The Lansdowne-Bowles letters subseries (69 items) contain letters from Henry Petty-Fitzmaurice, 3rd Marquis of Lansdowne, and his wife Louisa to Magdalene and William Bowles. The letters span 1806-1835 and 53 items are undated; most are addressed from London. Henry Lansdowne's letters (24 items) are all to Reverend William Bowles, his friend and a frequent recipient of his patronage. Louisa contributed 45 letters, all to Magdalene Bowles; she discussed administrative aspects of a school that they jointly managed. She often remarked on the hiring of new teachers, and assessed their qualifications and personal merits. Louisa also discussed visits to the Lansdowne estate, Bowood, and made queries about the characters of potential visitors.

The Lacaita-Shelburne letters series (706 items) is a collection of letters compiled by Sir James Lacaita and his son Charles Carmichael Lacaita spanning 1692 to 1885. James Lacaita was Henry Petty-Fitzmaurice, 3rd Marquis of Lansdowne's private secretary from 1857 to 1863, during which time he organized Shelburne's unbound letters. Many items in this series (270 items) are addressed to Shelburne or were originally among his papers. These represent documents from his career, including political matters and discussions of peace negotiations with America (1760-1801). The 19th century material is addressed chiefly to James Lacaita, Lady Holland, Nassau William, Sr., and Anthony Panizzi, mostly from British and Italian politicians and Dante scholars. In all, the series contains letters from 274 contributors, primarily British and Italian lords, politicians, and military figures. See the Name Index for a list of contributors.

In addition to this finding aid, the Clements Library has created a detailed Volume Index and a Name Index and Geographical Index. For additional information see the Clements Library card catalog.

Biographical / Historical:

William Petty, 1st Marquis of Lansdowne, 2nd Earl of Shelburne (1737--1805), hereafter referred to as Shelburne, was born in Dublin, Ireland, to John Fitzmaurice Petty (1706-1761) and Mary Fitzmaurice (d 1780). He served with distinction in Germany during the Seven Years War, achieving the rank of colonel and in 1760, he became King George's aide-de-camp. Later that year he took over his family's seat in Parliament representing Chipping Wycombe. After his father's death in May 1761, he entered the House of Lords as Baron Wycombe, second earl of Shelburne. During his tenure in the House of Lords, Shelburne served as first lord of the Board of Trade (1763), as secretary of state for the Southern Department, as home secretary under Rockingham (March-July 1782), and as prime minister (1782-1783). As an official dealing with American affairs, a stockholder in the East India Company, and a landowner in Ireland, Shelburne was involved in many of the major issues affecting the British Empire in the mid-eighteenth century.

Though shrewd and ambitious, Shelburne frequently allied himself with unpopular politicians, such as John Stuart, 3rd Earl of Bute, and William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham, and often found himself in the opposition party. Shelburne also advocated for controversial policies such as free trade, religious tolerance, and parliamentary and fiscal reforms, which contributed to his unpopularity. In 1763, Shelburne became first lord of the Board of Trade and played an important role in drafting the regulations for England's newly acquired empire in North America. He opposed the Stamp Act and supported its repeal. As secretary of state for the Southern Department during the Chatham administration (1766-1768), he oversaw America, India, and Ireland, and had diplomatic responsibilities to France, Spain, and other southern European countries. He was at odds with many of his colleagues, particularly for wanting to avoid tax increases for America. After resigning from the office, he spent the next 14 years as a leader of the opposition party and as an outspoken opponent of the war with America. In March 1782, Shelburne accepted the appointment of Home Secretary under Rockingham. Upon Rockingham's death in July 1782, Shelburne became prime minister, and directed the peace negotiations with the American commissioners that resulted in the controversial 1783 Treaty of Paris. Parliament disapproved of the treaty's terms and, in March 1783, Shelburne resigned, making way for the North-Fox coalition.

After the end of his political career, Shelburne remained well informed on international affairs, commissioning reports on Europe and other foreign powers' finances and military forces. He amassed a sizable collection of books, pamphlets, and manuscripts, maps, prints, statues, and other material related to art, science, and politics. He associated with, and was a patron of, many of the most learned men of his time, including Benjamin Franklin, André Morellet, Joseph Priestley, Adam Smith, and Jeremy Bentham.

Shelburne married twice, first in 1765 to Lady Sophia Carteret (1745-1771) and then to Lady Louisa Fitzpatrick (1755-1789) in 1779. He was created marquis in 1784, assuming the title of 1st Marquis of Lansdowne. He died in 1805 and was succeeded by his son John, 2nd Marquis of Lansdowne (1765-1809).

Henry Petty-Fitzmaurice, 4th Earl of Kerry, 3rd Marquis of Lansdowne (1780-1863), was the son of Shelburne and his second wife Lady Louisa Fitzpatrick. He served as chancellor of the exchequer from 1806-1807 and, in 1809, succeeded his half brother John to the Lansdowne title. From 1830-1841 and 1846-1852, Lansdowne was lord president of the Council. He married Louisa Emma Fox-Strangways (1785-1851) in 1808. The couple maintained correspondence with friend Reverend William Lisle Bowles (1762-1850) and his wife Magdalen Wake. William was the vicar of Bremhill, Wiltshire, from 1804 to 1850, and the chaplain to the prince regent in 1818. He was also a famous poet and literary critic.

Italian politician and Dante scholar James Lacaita (1813-1895) was born in Manduria, Italy, and practiced law in Naples. In 1840, Lacaita became a legal advisor to the British legation in Naples. Though a moderate liberal, he was arrested in 1851 for supplying the British government with information on the new Bourbon autocracy. Escaping arrest, he left Italy for Edinbugh and married Maria Clavering Gibson-Carmichael. Their son, Charles Carmichael Lacaita (1853-1933), later became a Member of Parliament from 1885-1888. James Lacaita and his family moved to London and he taught Italian at Queens College from 1853 to 1856. Henry Petty-Fitzmaurice, 3rd Marquis of Lansdowne, employed Lacaita as his personal secretary between 1857 and 1863. In 1860, Lacaita returned to Naples to represent Bitonto in parliament, and in 1876, he became an Italian senator. He died near Naples in 1895.

Acquisition Information:

1929-1980. M-66, M-69, M-79, M-209, M-241, M-351, M-1923 .

Processing information:

Cataloging funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the "We the People" project.

Arrangement:

This collection is organized into six series:

• Series I: European and Mediterranean Politics
• Series II: Colonial Affairs and the 1783 Treaty of Paris
• Series III: East Indian Affairs
• Series IV: British Government
• • Subseries I: Parliament, Customs Revenue, Trade, Imports, and Exports
  • Subseries II: British Army, Navy, and Military Administration
  • Subseries III: Ireland (not at the Clements, see scope note)
  • Subseries IV: Cabinet and Treasury Minutes
  • Subseries V: Appeals and Minutes of the House of Lords, 1767-1788
• Series V: Personal Correspondence
• • Subseries: I: Shelburne Family letters
  • Subseries II: Lansdowne-Bowles letters
• Series VI: Lacaita-Shelburne letters

The bulk of the collection is comprised of bound letters and reports. The first four series are based on a report created by the Royal Commission on Historical Manuscripts (see references for more details). The Clements Library created the fifth and sixth series, neither of which is mentioned in the Royal Commission report.

Rules or Conventions:

Finding aid prepared using Describing Archives: A Content Standard (DACS)

Related

Additional Descriptive Data:

Alternate Locations

Many of the Shelburne maps are housed in the Clements Library Map Division. See below for a list of maps in the collection.

Related Materials

Additional Clements Library collections containing items written by Shelburne:

• The Henry Clinton papers: November 27-30, 1781
• The Thomas Gage papers:
  • American Series: September 13, 1766; December 11, 1766 (enclosed in April 18, 1768 and December 13, 1770); November 14, 1767
  • English Series: August 9, 1766-January 5, 1768 (15 items); January 5, 1768 (enclosed in March 12, 1768)
• The John Lee papers: April 15, 1782
• The Viscounts Melville papers: July 11, 1782
• The Henry Strachey papers: October 20, 1782
• The George Townshend papers: November 12 and December 19, 1767; January 16, March 14, May 7, 1768; November 7, 1782; January 30, 1786
• The Thomas Townshend, 1st Viscount Sydney papers: May 21, 1782 (draft and letter); May 25, 1782; July 29-September 26, 1782 (11 items); [November 15, 1782]; July 1786
• The Benjamin and William Oliver Vaughan papers

The following collections contain letters written by Henry Petty-Fitzmaurice, 3rd Marquis of Lansdowne:

• The Viscounts Melville papers: [1847]; December 21, 1849 (enclosed in June 6, 1885); undated
• The John Russell papers: December 15, 1835; January 14, 1836; 1846 (3 items); undated (2 items)

For other books and printed items related to Shelburne, search for the subject "Lansdowne, William Petty,--Marquis of,--1737-1805" in the Library's online catalog.

The Clements Library Graphics Division has nine portraits of Shelburne, a painting and eight engravings, and a political cartoon:

• Painting: Mosnier, Jean Laurent. Lord Shelburne. 1790.
• Of the eight engravings, two are attributed:
  • 1: Sayers, James. Earl of Shelburne. Charles Bretherton, May 14, 1782. British Museum Number 6062.
  • 2: From Joshua Reynolds, Earl of Shelburne. London: Harding & Lepard, Pall Mall East, 1832.

Bibliography

Aiton, Arthur Scott, and William Petty Lansdowne. The Asiento Treaty As Reflected In the Papers of Lord Shelburne. Baltimore and Washington: Hispanic American Historical Review, 1928.

Alvord, Clarence Walworth. "The Shelburne manuscripts in America." In Bulletin of the Institute of Historical Research. London, 1924.

Cannon, John. "Petty, William, second earl of Shelburne and first marquess of Lansdowne (1737--1805)." In Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford University Press, 2004.

Fitzmaurice, Edmond George Petty-Fitzmaurice. Life of William Earl of Shelburne Afterwards first Marquess of Lansdowne: With Extracts from his Papers and Correspondence. (Second and revised edition) [Extra-illustrated]. London: Macmillan and co., 1912.

Lansdowne, William Petty. Lord Shelburne, the Bowood Circle, and the American Revolution.: Letters to Lord Shelburne 1776-1789. Oxford: University Press, 1976.

O'Bryen, D. A Defense of the Right Honorable the Earl of Shelburne, from the Reproaches of his Numerous Enemies ... London: for J. Stockdale, 1782.

Papers of British Cabinet Ministers, 1782-1900. London: H.M.S.O., 1982.

Historical Manuscript Commission Reports

The Shelburne collection was partially calendared as the Lansdowne Manuscripts by the Historical Manuscripts Commission (HMC) in the Third, Fifth, and Sixth Reports (1872, 1876, and 1877). The Clements Library has volumes 1-99, 101-125, 127-155, 161-168. Volumes 100, 126, and 156-160 are at Shelburne's estate Bowood, while most of the letters in volumes 169-200 (section V "General and Family Correspondence") are in the British Museum. The Shelburne family letters series in this collection was created by the Clements Library. The HMC contains incomplete descriptions for volumes 34-36, 52, 58, 60, 69, 72, 75-76, and 85-88 and does not describe the minutes of the House of Lords.

See Report of the Royal Commission on Historical Manuscripts. London: Printed by G.E. Eyre and W. Spottiswoode for H.M.S.O. 1870.

This volume includes:

• The Third Report (1872): Vols. 1-42, Vols. 101-155.
• The Fifth Report (1876): Vols. 43-88, 34, 35, 161-168, 169-201 (Volumes 169-201 are not in WLCL)
• The Sixth Report (1877): Vols. 89-100 (Volume 100 not in WLCL), 156-160.

Map List: Below is a list of 33 maps acquired with the Shelburne papers, including individual maps and maps within the volumes. This list is organized chronologically:

• Elorriaga, Miguel, and Ivan de Siscarra. Puerto De Cavite. 1713.
• Jefferys, Thomas. The Island of Hispaniola Called by the French St. Domingo: Subject to France & Spain from the Best Authorities. London: Thomas Jefferys, 1760.
• Belle-Isle from Point Somaria to Point Daubourg. 1761.
• Sketch of the Action of Hoenover on the 15th and 16th July 1761. [1761]. In Shelburne volume 137, page 195.
• Smyth, Hervey. 3d Camp of the Allies: The Enemy Camp at Wert Much Stronger Than Unna. Werth, 1761. In Shelburne volume 37, page 199.
• Holland, Samuel. Plan and Project, for Fortifying the High Commanding Ground at the Church of Deschambeaux as also the Island of Richlieu [sic]. [1762].
• Holland, Samuel. Plan (no. 1) to Explain the Report of the State of Defense of the Fortifications of Quebec. [1762].
• Holland, Samuel. Plan (no. 2) Shewing the Ground Whereon the Citadel is Proposed to be Built: The Ground Lines of the Present Fortifications are Colour'd Yellow, And Those of the Proposed, Red. [1762].
• Holland, Samuel. Plan (no. 3) of the Citadel Compleatly Finished. [1762].
• Holland, Samuel. Plan No. 4 Shewing the Bastion A with its Foundations and Casemates and Bastion B Finish'd with its Ambrazures and Platforms C the Foundations of the Ravelin with two Casemates D for 5 Cannon each to Scour the Ditch and Profiles of the Whole by the Different Lines Pointed Out. [1762].
• Holland, Samuel. Plan (no. 5) Shewing the Half Bastion C with its Foundations and the Rampart towards the River Side, as far as the Loop-hole Wall Beginning at E in Plan (no. 3) With its Casemates and Profils Cut by the Yellow Lines Thro' the Work. [1762].
• Holland, Samuel. Plan No. 6 Shewing the Profils Cut Thro' the Different Works by the Yellow Lines Seen on Plan No. 3. [1762].
• Rownd, James. [Survey of 100 Acres of Land Laid out for Benjamin Cox]. 1762. In Shelburne volume 55, pages 370-371.
• Chart of the Straits of Magellan. 1764.
• Part of East Falkland and Several Islands Immediately to the North. 1764.
• Pittman, Philip, and William Brasier. A Plan of the Ibberville from the Missisippi to Anatamaha. 1765.
• Pittman, Philip, and William Brasier. A Draught of Massiac Lake, Maurepas, Part of the River Amitt and the River Ibberville: Copy From Lieut Philip Pittman. 1765.
• Pittman, Philip, and William Brasier. Plan of Point Ibberville. 1765.
• Cantonment of the Forces in N. America. 1766.
• Debbieg, Hugh. A Plan of York or Chateaux Bay on the Coast of Labrador with all its Contain'd Harbours. [1766].
• Debbieg, Hugh. Plan of the Blockhouse. [1766].
• [Map of the Inland Trade of Tripoli]. [1766]. In Volume 111.
• Park, Moses. To the Right Honourable the Earl of Shelburne, His Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for the Southern Department: This Plan of the Colony of Connecticut in North-America is Humbly Dedicated. 1766.
• [Pringle, Robert. A Plan of Toulon. [1766]. In Volume 137:110.
• Collet, John. Plan of Johnston Fort at Cape Fear with the Project of one Covert Way With Places of Arms: Survey'd and Designed. 1767.
• Neale, Christopher. Surveyed for James Fulsher 200 Acres Land In Craven County. 1767. In Shelburne Volume 56, page 171.
• Chamberlain, Thomas. Mappa Generalis Totius Imper[ii] Russici. 1768.
• Glas, George. A Chart of the Maderas and Canary Islands from the Draughts and Memoirs of Captn. George Glas: Regulated and Ascertained by Astronomical Observations. London: Printed for Robert Sayer, No. 53 in Fleet Street, 1775. In Shelburne Volume 86, page 199.
• Plan of the Engagement between the Army Under the Command of Lieut. Genl. Sir Eyre Coote, K.B. and the Forces of Hyder Ally 1st July 1781 between Porto-Novo & Cuddalore. 1781. In Shelburne Volume 91.
• Plan of the Engagement between the Army under the Command of Lt. Genl. Sir Eyre Coote K.B. and the Forces of Hyder Ally the 27th Sept. near Sholangur. [1781]. In Shelburne Volume 91.
• Plan of the Engagement between the Army under the Command of Lieut: Genl: Sir Eyre Coote K.B. and the Forces of Hyder Ally on the 27th: of August 1781 near Perambaukum. 1781. In Shelburne Volume 91.
• Baring, Francis. Yucatan And Central America. 1782. In Shelburne Volume 72, page 405.
• To the Most Noble Marquis of Lansdowne this Map is Most Humbly Dedicated. [London], 1784. In Shelburne Volume 86, page 94.
• [Daniel]. [The General Character of the Country]. [1790]. In Shelburne Volume 99.
• Though not part of the Shelburne accession, the following map was created for Shelburne: Park, Moses. To the Right Honourable the Earl of Shelburne, His Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for the Southern Department: This Plan of the Colony of Connecticut in North-America is Humbly Dedicated. 1766.

Biographical Timeline

Date	Event
May 2, 1737	Shelburne born
1757	Joined the British Army 20th Regiment
1760	Promoted to colonel and appointed aide-de-camp to King George III
June 1760	Elected Member of Parliament for Chipping Wycombe and elected to the Irish Parliament for County Kerry
1761	Succeeded his father's peerage as Baron Wycombe and at Dublin as 2nd Earl of Shelburne
April-September 1763	President of the Board of Trade
1765	Married Lady Sophia Carteret
1766-1768	Secretary of State for the Southern Department
January 5, 1771	Lady Sophia Carteret died in childbirth
1779	Married Lady Louisa Fitzpatrick
March-July 1782	Home Secretary
July 1782-March 1783	First Lord of the Treasury and Prime Minister
December 1784	Promoted to Marquis and titled Lord Lansdowne
August 7, 1789	Lady Louisa Fitzpatrick died
May 23, 1803	Shelburne made his last public speech
May 7, 1805	Shelburne died

In addition to this finding aid, the Clements Library has created a detailed Volume Index and a Name Index and Geographical Index. For additional information see the Clements Library card catalog.

Other Finding Aids:

In addition to this finding aid, the Clements Library has created a detailed Volume Index and a Name Index and Geographical Index. For additional information see the Clements Library card catalog.

Alternative Form Available:

This collection is partially microfilmed

Subjects

Click on terms below to find any related finding aids on this site.

Subjects:

Admiralty--Great Britain.
American loyalists.
Anglo-French War, 1755-1763.
Cherokee Indians.
Choctaw Indians.
Cotton.
Creek Indians.
Currency question--United States.
Diplomatic and consular service, British.
Fisheries--France.
Indians of North America.
Indians of North America--Florida.
Indians of North America--Georgia.
Indians of North America--Michigan.
Indians of North America--New York (State)
Indians of North America--South Carolina.
Indians of North America--Virginia.
Indigenous peoples--Great Britain--Colonies.
Iroquois Indians.
Mastodons.
Mohegan Indians.
Requisitions, Military.
Seven Years' War, 1756-1763.
Slave trade.
Smuggling--United States.
Sugar trade--West Indies, British.
Tariff--Great Britain.
Taxation--Great Britain.
Treaty of Paris (1763)
Treaty of Utrecht (1713)

Formats:

Accounts.
Extracts.
Letters (correspondence)
Maps.
Memorandums.
Orders (military records)
Receipts.
Reports.
Treaties.

Names:

Austria. Armee.
East India Company.
Five Nations.
France. Armée.
Great Britain. Army Colonial forces America.
Great Britain. Board of Trade.
Great Britain. Royal Navy.
Great Britain. Stamp Act (1765)
Great Britain. Treaties, etc. Spain, 1713 Mar. 26.
Muscovy Company.
Ohio Company (1747-1779)
Prussia (Kingdom) Armee.
Six Nations.
South Sea Company.
Swallow (Ship)
Haidar Ali, Nawab of Mysore, ca. 1722-1782.
Abercromby, James, 1706-1781.
Arnold, Benedict, 1741-1801.
Ashburton, Alexander Baring, Baron, 1774-1848.
Auckland, William Eden, Baron, 1744-1814.
Baring, Francis, Sir, 1740-1810.
Barrington, William Wildman Barrington, Viscount, 1717-1793.
Bernard, Sir Fancis, bart., 1712-1779.
Blackstone, William, Sir, 1723-1780.
Bowles, Magdalene.
Bowles, William Lisle, 1762-1850.
Burgoyne, John, 1722-1792.
Bute, John Stuart, Earl of, 1713-1792.
Campbell, John, 1708-1775. .
Clinton, Henry, Sir, 1738?-1795.
Colden, Cadwallader, 1687-1776.
Coleridge, John Taylor, Sir, 1790-1876.
Coote, Eyre, Sir, 1726-1783.
Cornwallis, Charles Cornwallis, Marquis, 1738-1805.
Croghan, George, 1720-1782.
Dalrymple, Wm. (William), 1736-1807.
Dunmore, John Murray, 4th earl of, 1732-1809.
Egremont, Sir Charles Wyndham, 2nd earl of, 1710-1763.
Ellis, Welbore, 1st baron Mendip, 1713-1802.
Fauquier, Francis, 1704?-1768.
Fitzmaurice, Caroline Fox.
Fox, Charles James, 1749-1806.
Franklin, Benjamin, 1706-1790.
Franklin, William, 1731-1813.
Gage, Thomas, 1721-1787.
George III, King of Great Britain, 1738-1820.
Germaine, George Sackville, 1st viscount Sackville, 1716-1785.
Grenville, George, 1712-1770.
Haldimand, Sir Frederick, 1718-1791.
Halifax, George Montagu Dunk, 2nd earl of, 1716-1771.
Hillsborough, Wills Hill, 1st marquis of Downshire, 1st earl of, 1718-1793.
Howe, Richard Howe, Earl, 1726-1799.
Howe, William Howe, Viscount, 1729-1814.
Jefferson, Thomas, 1743-1826.
Johnson, Sir William, 1st bart., 1715-1774.
Johnstone, George, 1730-1787.
Lansdowne, Henry Petty Fitzmaurice, 3rd Marquess of Lansdowne, 1780-1863.
Lansdowne, Louisa Emma Petty-Fitzmaurice, Marchioness of, 1785-1851.
Legge, Francis, 1719-1783.
Leslie, Alexander, ca. 1740-1794.
Melville, Henry Dundas, Viscount, 1742-1811.
Mill, Sophia.
North, Frederick, Lord, 1732-1792.
Oswald, Richard, 1705-1784.
Patterson, Gov. Walter, d. 1798.
Penn, John, 1729-1795.
Petrovna, Yelizaveta, 1709-1761.
Pigot, Sir Robert, 2nd bart., 1720-1796.
Pitt, William, Earl of Chatham, 1708-1778.
Rockingham, Charles Watson-Wentworth, Marquis of, 1730-1782.
Sackville, George Germain, Viscount, 1716-1785.
Shelburne, Louisa Fitzpatrick, Countess Shelburne.
Shelburne, William Petty, 2nd Earl of Shelburne, 1737-1805.
Strachey, Henry, Sir, 1736-1810.
Sydney, Thomas Townshend, Viscount, 1733-1800 .
Townshend, George Townshend, 4th viscount and 1st marquis, 1724-1807.
Tryon, William, 1729-1788.
Benjamin Vaughan, 1751-1835.
Wilkes, John, 1725-1797.
Williams, Charles Hanbury, 1708-1759.
Wooldridge, Susanna.
Wright, Sir James, 1st bart., 1716-1785.

Places:

Africa--History.
Algeria--History.
Albany (N.Y.)
Bahamas--History.
Barbados--History.
Bengal (India)
Bermuda--History.
Big Bone (Ky.)
Bombay (India)
Bordeaux (Aquitaine, France)--Description and travel.
Boston (Mass.)--History--Revolution, 1775-1783.
Boston (Mass.)--Politics and government--To 1775.
Boulogne (France)
Brazil--History.
Canada--History--To 1763 (New France)
Cape Breton Island (N.S.)
Cartagena (Colombia)
Cherbourg (France)
Corsica (France)--History.
Connecticut--History--Colonial period, ca. 1600-1775.
Cuba--History.
Denmark--Foreign relations--Great Britain.
Detroit (Mich.)
Dominica--History.
East Florida.
Falkland Islands--History.
Florida--History--English colony, 1763-1784.
Fort de Chartres Site (Ill.)
France--Foreign relations--Great Britain--Early works to 1800.
Friesland (Netherlands)
Genoa (Italy)
Georgia--History.
Great Britain--Colonies--Administration.
Great Britain--Colonies--Africa.
Great Britain--Colonies--America.
Great Britain--Commerce.
Great Britain--Foreign relations--18th century.
Great Britain--Politics and government--18th century.
Guatemala--History.
Hamburg (Germany)
Illinois--Description and travel.
Ireland--History--18th century.
Jamaica--History.
Louisiana.
Massachusetts--History--Colonial period, ca. 1600-1775.
Mexico--History.
Mississippi River--Description and travel.
Mobile (Ala.)--Description and travel.
Montreal (Quebec)
Mysore (India)
Nagapattinam (India)
Netherlands--History.
New Hampshire--History--Colonial period, ca. 1600-1775.
New Jersey--History--Colonial period, ca. 1600-1775.
New Orleans (La.)--Description and travel.
New York (State)--History--Colonial period, ca. 1600-1775.
Newfoundland--History.
Nova Scotia--Description and travel.
Ohio--History--Colonial period, ca. 1600-1775.
Panama--History.
Pennsylvania--Colonial period, ca. 1600-1775.
Pensacola (Fla.)
Peru--History.
Philadelphia (Pa.)--History--Revolution, 1775-1783.
Poland--History.
Portugal--History.
Puerto Rico.
Rhode Island--History--Colonial period, ca.1600-1775.
Russia--History.
South Carolina--History--Colonial period, ca.1600-1775.
Spain--History.
Tunisia--History.
United States--Foreign relations--1775-1783.
United States--History--French and Indian War, 1755-1763.
United States--History--Revolution, 1775-1783--Foreign public opinion, British.
United States--History--Revolution, 1775-1783--Participation, German.
United States--History--Revolution, 1775-1783--Peace.
Virginia--History--Colonial period, ca.1600-1775.
West Florida.
West Indies--History--18th century.