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Add MS 81592
- Record Id:
- 032-001987306
- Hierarchy Root Ancestor Record Id:
- 032-001987306
- MDARK:
- ark:/81055/vdc_100000000036.0x00008d
- LARK:
- ark:/81055/vdc_100165152134.0x000001
- SLARK:
- Format:
- ISAD(G)
- Reference (shelfmark):
- Add MS 81592
- Title:
-
An original letter of Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, addressed to an unnamed nobleman, probably the Earl of Rutland
- Scope & Content:
-
This item is an autograph letter, written by Robert Devereux (b. 1565, d. 1601), 2nd Earl of Essex, and addressed to an unnamed nobleman, most likely the Earl of Rutland, offering advice on military service and the pursuit of honour in war.
The letter takes the form of a brief discourse and was clearly written in great haste by Essex, in order to fulfill his 'promise' to the 'Noble Lord' and to express the opinion asked of him as to how his correspondent might best spend his 'tyme in the warres and see them with most profite'. Essex explains that he is 'by her Majesties direction shortly to go forth with part of her nauy to see whither the Adelantado of Castille be willing to putt his army which hath bene so long in gar[ris]on to fight'. His reference to an imminent naval campaign against Spain and the date of 26th May (f. 2v) suggests that the letter was written in 1596, six days before Essex embarked on the Cadiz expedition.
The letter is reminiscent of a series of other letters of advice on study, travel, and observation written by Essex to Roger Manners (b. 1576, d. 1612), 5th Earl of Rutland in 1596, one of which survived among the Hulton papers (see Sotheby's catalogue, 'Elizabeth and Essex, 14 Dec. 1992, lot 7). It is possible therefore that this letter is similarly addressed to Rutland.
The letter once formed part of the Hulton Papers, the major part of which (including Essex's autograph letters to Queen Elizabeth) is now housed at the British Library as Add MSS 74286-74287).
Contents:
ff. i-vii: A series of paper cut-outs from an article in the school magazine, The Rossallian, dated 15 December 1903, recording the gift of the Essex letter to Rossall School, Fleetwood, and including a transcription of the text.
ff. 1r-2v: An original letter of Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, addressed to an unnamed nobleman, probably the Earl of Rutland, offering advice on military service and the pursuit of honour in war, featuring occasional deletions and revisions in Essex's hand; dated 26 May [1596]
- Collection Area:
- Western Manuscripts
- Project / Collection:
- Additional Manuscripts
- Hierarchy Tree:
- [{ "id" : "032-001987306", "parent" : "#", "text" : "Add MS 81592: An original letter of Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, addressed to an unnamed nobleman, probably the Earl of Rutland" , "li_attr" : {"class": "orderable"} }]
- Hierarchy Record Ids:
- 032-001987306
- Is part of:
- not applicable
- Hierarchy:
- 032-001987306
- Container:
- not applicable
- Record Type (Level):
- Fonds
- Extent:
- 1 bifolium
- Digitised Content:
- http://access.bl.uk/item/viewer/ark:/81055/vdc_100165152134.0x000001 (digital images currently unavailable)
- Thumbnail:
-
- Languages:
- English
- Scripts:
- Latin
- Start Date:
- 1596
- End Date:
- 1596
- Date Range:
- 26 May [1596]
- Era:
- CE
- Access:
-
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- User Conditions:
- Letter of introduction required to view this manuscript
- Physical Characteristics:
-
Material: Paper.
Watermark: A Latin cross within a pendent and letters 'AI' beneath, similar to Briquet No. 5693, dated 1566 (C. M. Briquet, Les Filigranes: Dictionnaire historique des marques du papier dès leur apparition vers 1282 jusqu'en 1600, A Facsimile of the 1907 edition with supplementary material, ed. by Allan Stevenson, 4 vols (Amsterdam: The Paper Publications Society, 1968), no. 5693).
Dimensions: 210 x 295 mm.
Foliation: ff. vii + 2. ff. i-vii are paper cut-outs from a copy of The Rossallian school magazine.
Script: Cursive Italic, written in the hand of Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex.
Binding: Post-1600. British Library in-house binding; framed in Melinex.
- Custodial History:
-
Origin: England.
Provenance:
Robert Devereux (b. 1565, d. 1601), 2nd Earl of Essex: written by him, addressed to an unnamed nobleman, and dated 26 May [1596].
Robert Devereux (b. 1591, d. 1646), 3rd Earl of Essex: probably bequeathed to him along with Add MS 74286 and Add MS 74287 after his father's death in 1601.
William Jessop of Gray's Inn (b. c. 1603, d. 1675), government official, politician and MP: acted as attorney to the executors of the will of Robert Devereux, 3rd of Earl of Essex; owned the manuscript from 1646 until his death in 1675 and then bequeathed it to his only child Anne Jessop (d. 1681).
The Hulton (alias Hilton) family of Hulton Park, County Lancashire: inherited the manuscript through the marriage of Anne Jessop and William Hulton (b. 1625, d. 1694).
Sir Roger Hulton (b. 1891, d. 1956), 3rd baronet: gave the manuscript to Rossall School, Fleetwood. This gift is recorded, with a transcription of the text, in the school magazine The Rossallian, 15 December 1903 (see ff. i-vii).
Purchased by the British Library, Sotheby's, 16 December 2004, lot 28.
- Material Type:
- Archives and Manuscripts
- Legal Status:
- Not Public Record(s)