Papers of Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
MSS 280
Collection Title
Papers of Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of WellingtonCollection Identifier
MSS 280Inclusive date(s)
18431906 to 1948
Extent and Medium
Category
Subject: Terms(s)
Subject: Person(s)
Subject: Organisation(s)
Collection Description
An original letter and invitation by Arthur Wellesley, together with notes by his biographer Herbert Maxwell and other family history source material (mostly copies) relating to Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
Administrative / Biographical history
Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Wellesley,_1st_Duke_of_Wellington
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, KG, GCB, GCH, PC, FRS (1 May 1769–14 September 1852) was an Anglo-Irish soldier and Tory statesman who was one of the leading military and political figures of 19th-century Britain, serving twice as Prime Minister. He won a notable victory against Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815.
References:
Number10.gov.uk: Duke of Wellington http://www.number10.gov.uk/history-and-tour/prime-ministers-in-history/duke-of-wellington retrieved 20 May 2020
LibraryIreland.com: Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A070415b.htm?hilite=bridges retrieved 20 May 2020
Acquisition Details
Scope and Content
This collection comprises original and copied source materials relating to the life and career of Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington. The papers belonged to the Duke's grandson, George A. Wellesley, a resident of Sydney, Australia who gifted his personal collection of Wellingtonia to the Royal Military College, Duntroon, Canberra in 1939-1940. As well as a handwritten letter and invitation in the Duke's hand, the material includes a short sequence of notes made by Wellington's biographer, Herbert Maxwell (with whom G.A. Wellesley was in contact), and copies of other Wellington family history-related papers. There is evidence suggesting that a proportion of the material was gathered and used by Maxwell for the purpose of his biography, then passed to G.A. Wellesley and absorbed into a small body of other papers held by the family.
Access Restrictions
Other
Access: Open Access
This collection contains a variety of copyright material. Copyright is held by the creator of each item. Specific conditions for this collection are listed below. If no conditions are stipulated then the standard terms of the Copyright Act apply for published and unpublished items. Digitised material from manuscript collections is provided to clients by UNSW Canberra in good faith for private study and research only, and may not be published or re-purposed without the express and written permission of the individual legal holder of that copyright. Refer also to the UNSW copyright, disclaimer and takedown policy.
Copying: Copying of material for private study and research is approved
Existence and Location of Orginals
Related and Separated Materials
The principal archive of the Duke of Wellington's papers is housed at the University of Southampton (MS 61), comprising more than 100,000 manuscripts and other source materials.
A summary list of additional archival collections relating to Arthur Wellesley (held elsewhere in Great Britain and internationally) is available on the National Archives (UK) website at https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/c/F257265
Separated Material
This collection originally included a small group of historically significant publications, the early works formerly belonging to the private library of Duke of Wellington (thereafter added to by his descendants), some bound in red leather and bearing the Duke's armorial binding. These works have been catalogued separately, and form the Wellesley Collection, housed within Special Collections rare books.
Of special interest is the copy of Maxwell's Life of Wellington (1906) which is annotated with interesting notes by the biographer and observations made by Wellesley's grandson (G.A. Wellesley), and a scrapbook (c1940) documenting Wellington's state funeral, compiled by a member of the family of the coach makers who made the carriage bearing his coffin:
Arthur Wellesley, 1769-1852. Despatches, correspondence, and memoranda of Field Marshal Arthur, Duke of Wellington, 1867-1880. London: J. Murray, 1858-80 (35 volumes, including supplementary volumes)
Arthur Wellesley, 1769-1852. Memoir of the Duke of Wellington. London: Longman, Brown, Green and Longmans, 1852 (1 volume)
Francis L. Clarke. The life of the most noble Arthur Marquis and Earl of Wellington: with copious details and delineations, historical, political and military ... London: J. and J. Cundee, 1813? (2 volumes)
Great Britain. Adjutant-General's Office. General orders. London: T. Egerton, 1810?- (5 volumes)
George Hooper. Wellington. London: Macmillan, 1900 (1 volume)
Herbert Maxwell, 1845-1937. The life of Wellington: the restoration of the martial power of Great Britain. 6th edition. London: Sampson Low, Marston, 1907 (1 volume)
William Maxwell,1792-1850. Life of Field-Marshal His Grace the Duke of Wellington: K.G., G.C.B., G.C.H., etc. etc. 6th edition. London: Bickers, 1862 (3 volumes)
William Napier, 1785-1860. History of the war in the Peninsula and in the south of France: from the year 1807 to the year 1814, to which is prefixed a reply to Lord Strangford's observations, also a reply to various opponents, together with observations illustrating Sir J. Moore's campaigns. 3rd edition, London: Thomas and William Boone, 1835-1840 (6 volumes)
R.B. Oubridge. Copy of the official programme of his [Wellington's] public funeral [together with] copy of ode on the death of the Duke of Wellington by Lord Tennyson. Scrapbook consisting of typescript sections, photographs and clippings, compiled by a member of the family of coach makers who made Wellington's funeral carriage, c1940 (1 volume)
Thomas Reide. The staff officer's manual: in which is detailed the duty of brigade majors and aides de camp in camp, garrison, cantonments, on the march and in the field. London: T. Egerton, 1806 (1 volume)
Alexander Innes Shand, 1832-1907. The war in the Peninsula, 1808-1814. London: Seeley, 1898 (1 volume)
Henry Torrens, 1779-1828. A course of drill and instruction in the movements and duties of light infantry, founded upon the regulations for the exercise of infantry in close order, and the regulations for the exercise of riflemen and light infantry. London: Printed for T. Egerton, 1808 (1 volume)
Disclaimer
This collection contains a variety of copyright material. Copyright is held by the creator of each item. Specific conditions for this collection are listed above. If no conditions are stipulated then the standard terms of the Copyright Act apply for published and unpublished items. Digitised material from manuscript collections is provided to clients by UNSW Canberra in good faith for private study and research only, and may not be published or re-purposed without the express and written permission of the individual legal holder of that copyright. Refer also to the UNSW copyright, disclaimer and takedown policy.