Add MS 89170/2/2

Correspondence of Hugh Oakeley Arnold-Forster and members of his family, including:

• letter from Jane Forster to her Aunt Elizabeth regarding Oakeley and his siblings, 25 May [1858-1859];
• three letters from Mary Arnold to her grandson Oakeley, 1860-1861;
• letter from Oakeley to Frances Arnold-Forster regarding his marriage to Mary, 8 March 1885;
• letter from W. E. [William Edward] Forster to Oakeley regarding a meeting, 3 August 1885;
• letter from Oakeley to his adoptive father [William Edward Forster] regarding naming his first son after him, [1886];
• notes by M. [Mary] Arnold regarding Lord Randolph’s opinion of Balfour, William [Forster] and Gladstone, [c1890];
• letter from Ferdinand of Savoia to Mrs Arnold thanking her for sending him a boat, Genoa, 6 August 1894;
• letter from Frances Arnold-Forster to Oakeley regarding the death of his mother Jane Forster, 22 October 1899;
• letter from Oakeley to Frances Arnold-Forster regarding the death of Queen Victoria, 22 January 1901;
• envelope marked [by Frances Arnold-Forster] ‘Oakeley’s account of the Naval procession at the time of the Queen’s death; his talk with the King and the German Emperor; description of Archbishop Temple at Windsor. Also letter written immediately after the Queen’s death’. The envelope contains: letter from Oakeley to his sister Frances Arnold-Forster regarding the naval procession and meeting the King [Edward VII], Prince Henry of Prussia, Queen Alexandra and the German Emperor [Wilhelm II], 1-3 February 1901; copy of letter on behalf of the King inviting Oakeley aboard the Royal Yacht for the procession with accompanying note from Oakeley to his sister Frances Arnold-Forster, 31 January 1901 (the letter described as ‘written immediately after the Queen’s death’ was not found inside the envelope at the time of cataloguing);
• letter from Mary Arnold-Forster to Frances Arnold-Forster regarding King Edward VII’s coronation (incomplete), 10 August 1902;
• letter from Oakeley to his sister Florence Vere O’Brien regarding the Committee of Defence and the purchase of Chilean Ships, 13 December 1903;
• letter from Oakeley to Frances Arnold-Forster regarding his visit to Windsor Castle, 24 January 1904;
• envelope containing letter from Mary Arnold-Forster to her son Will, written whilst aboard RMS Port Kingston, describing their trip on the way to Jamaica, 7 January 1907;
• envelope marked ‘Jamaica’ containing a letter from Mary Forster-Arnold to her son and a letter-diary regarding the experience of the earthquake, Kingston, January 1907;
• letter from F.V.O.B. [Florence Vere O’Brien] to Oakeley regarding his retirement from public life, Co. Clare, 1 April 1907;
• letter from Frances Arnold-Forster to Oakeley regarding his poor health, Liverpool, 6 April 1907;
• two letters from [Nevil Story-Maskelyne] to Oakeley and Mary regarding a letter from their son Will and his trip to Italy, Basset Down House Swindon, 15 April 1907.

The file also includes:

• notes by [Mary Arnold-Forster] about the sale of land and property, undated, written on a sheet of paper marked on top right with a short note by N.S.M. [Nevil Story-Maskelyne], 25 July 1866;
• two newspaper obituaries of Mrs W.E. Forster (Jane Forster), 1899;
• list of members of the Arnolds and Forsters families, giving date of birth and/or death of family members, undated;
• newspaper obituary of Hugh Oakeley Arnold-Forster from The Times, 13 March 1909;
• small envelope containing a specimen of 'The Sloane Bank pen’.