Add MS 75775-75868

Admiralty

Althorp Papers. Vols. cdlxxv-dlxviii. Correspondence and papers of Spencer as First Lord of the Admiralty; 1640-1801, but chiefly 1794-1801. Partly copies. Partly French. Many letters have a paper guard attached with a summary indicating their author, date and subject. Those numbered in red were bound in to an earlier volume. Many are endorsed with the writer's name and date and some have their bottom right-hand corner folded over in the Admiralty tradition to allow for a draft reply to be made. A few letters have had signatures removed by George Appleyard, secretary and librarian to the Earls Spencer. Correspondents include George III, Frederick, Duke of York, Duke of Portland, Earl of St. Vincent, Viscounts Bridport, Duncan, Exmouth, Melville and Hood, William Lord Grenville, Lord Horatio Nelson and William Pitt. The subject-matter includes threat of French invasion from the French, the battles of St. Vincent, Camperdown and the Nile, the mutinies at Spithead and Nore, expeditions to Quiberon, the West Indies and Helder, and the attack on Texel; also much the day-to-day business of the admiralty and navy boards, including many intelligence reports from admirals and other navy personnel. Some correspondence has been printed in the Private Papers of George, 2^nd Earl Spencer, ed. Julian S. Corbett and H. W. Richmond, Navy Records Society, vols. 46, 48, 58, 59 (1913-24). Letters from Nelson have also been printed by Sir N. H. Nicolas in the Addenda to the 7^th volume of his Despatches and Letters of Lord Nelson. See also Add. MS 34963 for Nelson’s letterbook, containing copies of letters to Spencer amongst others;1798-1799.

Ninety-four volumes. The inherited arrangement by year and correspondents name has been kept in light of a note in the first volume that this derives from Spencer himself.