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Add MS 18983
- Record Id:
- 032-002095609
- Hierarchy Root Ancestor Record Id:
- 032-002095609
- MDARK:
- ark:/81055/vdc_100000000041.0x00003e
- LARK:
- ark:/81055/vdc_100166882288.0x000001
- SLARK:
- Format:
- ISAD(G)
- Reference (shelfmark):
- Add MS 18983
- Title:
-
Original letters from King Charles I to Prince Rupert, 8 Mar 1643-4 Aug 1645
- Scope & Content:
-
Thirteen letters of King Charles I to Prince Rupert, 8 Mar 1643-4 Aug 1645.
Twelve of these letters were bought by the British Museum at the sale of Prince Rupert's correspondence in 1851-1852, and were evidently separated from the main chronological series (Add MSS 18980-18982) as letters of the King to the Prince. However, three of the King's letters to Rupert remain in the main series (Add MS 18980, f. 151; Add MS 18981, ff. 157, 174).
A further letter, f. 3*r-v, was purchased in 1855.
All were evidently once part of the same series from which the items have been abstracted: nearly every one carries amongst its endorsements at least two numbers, the first struck out, and both evidently in 17th-century hands; sometimes there are four numbers.
Contents:
ff. 1r-v: Letter of King Charles I to Prince Rupert, Oxford, 8 Mar 1643. In King's hand with his signature. Partly in cipher and deciphering in pencil: most of the deciphering seems contemporary. Numbered 8 and 36.
ff. 2r-v: Letter of King Charles I to Prince Rupert, Oxford, 9 Apr 1643. In King's hand with his signature. Partly in cipher. The 17th-century endorsement summarizes the letter and decodes the cipher. The endorsement may partly misread: it refers to a design against Derby, whereas the PS to the letter refers to 'Derbies place' (i.e Lathom House, Lancashire). Numbered 36 (struck out), 54, 13 (struck out) and 251.
ff. 3r-v: Letter of King Charles I to Prince Rupert, Oxford, 15 Apr 1643. In King's hand with his signature. Partly in cipher with contemporary deciphering. 17th-century endorsement summarizes letter. Numbered 39 (struck out), 55, 13 (struck out), 252.
ff. 3*r-v: Letter of King Charles I to Prince Rupert, Oxford, 16 Apr 1643. Royal signature. 17th-century endorsement summarizes the latter. Numbered 40 (struck out), 56, 12 (struck out), 249.
ff. 4r-5v: Letter of King Charles I to Prince Rupert, n.d. (Friday, 6 at night), Oxford. The letter includes congratulations to Rupert for taking Bristol, which happened on 26 July. One endorsement ventures the letter as July 1643, which seems likely.though it may just be the beginning of August. The other endorsement is a summary of the contents. In King's hand with his signature. Numbered 18, 54 (struck out), 268.
ff. 6r-v: Letter of King Charles I to Prince Rupert, Oxford, 25 Mar 1644. In King's hand with his signature. 17th-century endorsement summarizes contents. Numbered 41 (struck out), 261.
ff. 7r-v: Letter of King Charles I to Prince Rupert, Oxford, 26 May 1644. In King's hand with his signature. No numbering.
ff. 8r-9v: Letter of King Charles I to Prince Rupert, Blandford (Dorset), 11 Oct 1644. In King's hand with his signature. Partly in cipher, with contemporary deciphering. On f. 9v the address. 'For my Nepueu Prince Rupert' and damaged seals survive. 17th-century endorsements, one giving place and date, the other summarizing contents. Numbers 45, 62 (struck out), 275.
ff. 10r-11r: Letter of King Charles I to Prince Rupert, Boconnoc (Cornwall), 30 Aug 1644. In King's hand with his signature. Endorsement in 17C hand summarizing contents on f. 10v. Numbers 39, 61 (struck out), 274.
ff. 12v-13r: Letter of King Charles I to Prince Rupert, Tavistock (Devon), 6 Sep 1644. In King's hand with his signature. Partly in cipher, with contemporary deciphering. No numbering.
ff. 14r-v: Letter of King Charles I to Prince Rupert, Oxford, 29 Apr 1645. Noted in top right-hand corner as 'Duplicate' but evidently written in the King's hand and with his signature. Largely in (undeciphered) cipher. 17th-century endorsement notes the cipher but not the contents. Numbers 79 (struck out), 283.
ff. 15r-16v: Letter of King Charles I to Prince Rupert, Cardiff, 31 July 1645. In King's hand with his signature. Partly ciphered (with contemporary deciphering) and noted at the head that the letter is in the Duke of Richmond's cipher. On f. 16v are 17th-century endorsements, one of which summarizes the letter: 'Shewing the unlikelyood of an hon[ora]ble treaty with the Rebells and his resolution to accept of none other'. Numbetrs 12, 118 (struck out), 297.
ff. 17r-v: Letter of King Charles I to Prince Rupert, Cardiff, 4 August. In King's hand with his signature. 17th-century endorsement summarizes the letter. Numbers 13, 121 (struck out), 29[illegible digit].
- Collection Area:
- Western Manuscripts
- Project / Collection:
- Additional Manuscripts
- Hierarchy Tree:
- [{ "id" : "032-002095609", "parent" : "#", "text" : "Add MS 18983: Original letters from King Charles I to Prince Rupert, 8 Mar 1643-4 Aug 1645" , "li_attr" : {"class": "orderable"} }]
- Hierarchy Record Ids:
- 032-002095609
- Is part of:
- not applicable
- Hierarchy:
- 032-002095609
- Container:
- not applicable
- Record Type (Level):
- Fonds
- Extent:
- 1 volume (bound with Add MS 18992)
- Digitised Content:
- http://access.bl.uk/item/viewer/ark:/81055/vdc_100166882288.0x000001 (digital images currently unavailable)
- Thumbnail:
-
- Languages:
- Cipher
English - Scripts:
- Latin
- Start Date:
- 1643
- End Date:
- 1645
- Date Range:
- 8 Mar 1643-4 Aug 1645
- Era:
- CE
- Place of Origin:
- England.
- Access:
- Restrictions to access apply please consult British Library staff
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- User Conditions:
- Letter of introduction required to view this manuscript.
- Physical Characteristics:
-
Materials: Paper.
Dimensions: 290mm x 200 mm (writing area 150-275mm x 170-180 mm)
Foliation: ff. 17 + f. 3* (plus four flyleaves at front and eleven flyleaves at back; also in the same volume Add MS 18992, 3ff., and five leaves between Add MS 18983 and Add MS 18992).
Script: 17th-century secretary hands.
Binding: British Museum. Red leather; gold tooling.
- Custodial History:
-
Origin:
England.
Provenance:
The collection of which Add MS 18983 forms a part derives from Colonel Benett, Prince Rupert's private secretary, passing down the family to John Benett of Pyt House (1773-1852).
Richard Bentley (1794-1871), printer and publisher, bought the collection in the late 1840s, and then auctioned it in a sale.
Twelve of the thirteen letters were purchased by the British Museum at the sale of Prince Rupert's correspondence, Sotheby's, 14 Apr 1851 (lot 21); 14-18 Jun 1852 (lots 178, 200, 208, 283, 626, 691, 720, 758, 890, 967, 972).
One letter (ff. 3*r-v) was bought by the British Museum at Baker's sale, 26 May 1855.
- Publications:
-
Catalogue of Additions to the Manuscripts of the British Museum in the Years MDCCCVVIII-MDCCCLIII (London: British Museum, 1868), p. 178.
Ronald Hutton, The Royalist War Effort, 1642-1646, 2nd edition (London; Routledge, 2003).
Eliot Warburton, Memoirs of Prince Rupert and the Cavaliers, 3 vols (London: Richard Bentley, 1849).
- Material Type:
- Archives and Manuscripts
- Legal Status:
- Not Public Record(s)