The Dusty Archive

Wellington

by Paul Chamberlain

The Wellington Papers

Those readers who have attended a Napoleonic Association conference will have heard papers presented by the likes of Stephen Petty and Mark Romans on aspects of the Duke of Wellington's campaign in the Iberian Peninsula. Indeed, Stephen has had much very interesting and original work published in this magazine, the research for which has been conducted in the Wellington Papers at the University of Southampton. Last year Karen Robson from the University gave a presentation at the Napoleonic Association Autumn Conference on using this material. The following information about the Wellington Archive was kindly sent to me by Karen, and is taken from a Sources for Research 1996 booklet that the University publishes.

Papers of the first Duke of Wellington

This is the principal collection of the political, military, official and diplomatic papers of the first Duke of Wellington, containing in total approximately 100,000 items. The archive covers the whole of the Duke's life from 1790 until his death in 1852. A summary catalogue of the archive has been published and a detailed description of the whole collection is in progress and is available as an on-line database. The detailed cataloguing has concentrated on the papers for 1819-32 and has now passed on to the papers for the Peninsular War.

In the archive there are approximately 15,000 papers for Wellington's career in India up to 1805, and they refer particularly to the presidency of Madras and to Mysore. Papers for 1807-09 cover Wellington's activities as Chief Secretary for Ireland. The section for the Peninsular War provides an unrivalled source for the history of British participation. This part of the archive is extensive, with well in excess of 25,000 papers, and contains much Spanish and Portuguese material. The archive also includes Wellington's correspondence and papers for the international congresses at the end of the Napoleonic Wars and for the allied occupation of France.

At the end of 1818, Wellington returned to England, resuming his political career with a place in Lord Liverpool's cabinet as master General of the Ordnance. There are some 30,000 papers from the 1820s, the Duke's first premiership, and the period of the Reform Act. The subjects of the correspondence are wide-ranging, providing a cross-section of views on most of the political, social and economic questions of the day, with important series of letters from both home and abroad. There are a further 30,000 papers for the period 1833-52, the Duke's second ministry, his service in Peel's government of 1841-46, and his third tenure of the post of Commander-in-Chief of the army; and there are also sequences of correspondence for the Duke as Constable of the Tower of London, Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports, Lord Lieutenant of Hampshire, Chancellor of the University of Oxford, a Governor of the Charterhouse, an Elder Brother and Master of Trinity House, and as Ranger of the Royal Parks.

Some of Wellington's papers are well-known from nineteenth century editions of the Duke's correspondence, and there have been more recent selections and editions; the published papers, however, are only a fraction of the total quantity that survives.

he Division holds the following manuscript collections that complement material in this archive: papers of Richard, Marquess of Wellesley, and his son Richard Wellesley, reflecting the career of the Marquess as Governor General of India, ambassador to Spain and Foreign Secretary; papers of the Barons Congleton, including material for Sir Henry Brooke Parnell, first Baron Congleton, as Secretary at war, Treasurer of the navy and Paymaster General; papers of Christopher Collins, Wellington's confidential servant; correspondence with William Holmes, Tory Whip; and the papers of the third Viscount Palmerston. In addition, there is a substantial collection of printed pamphlets sent to or collected by the first Duke of Wellington.

The Library has also recently acquired a number of small collections relating to the Napoleonic era. These include much Spanish material, 1805-23, including a journal of operations of the Spanish First Army under General Francisco Copons y Navia, June 1813; papers of Manuel Godoy, 1805; and collections of manuscripts, pamphlets, posters and ephemera. The Library has also recently acquired the papers of Sir Robert Hugh Kennedy, 1793-1832, Wellington's Commissary General for much of the Peninsular War.

As you can see, this collection represents a very important archive source for Napoleonic researchers. The Archives and Manuscripts are a part of the Special Collections Division of the University of Southampton. This Division is normally open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday 0900-1700, and Wednesday 1000-1700. All visits are with prior written appointment. To find out more about this source of research, and how to obtain access to the collections, write to: The Hartley Library, University of Southampton, Highfield, Southampton SO17 1BJ. Telephone 01703 593335 (printed collections) or 01703 592721 (manuscripts). E-mail, via Janet, to: Library@uk.ac.soton

Wellington Studies I

Following on from the above, Wellington Studies I presents recent research on the military career of the first Duke of Wellington. Published by the Hartley Institute at the University of Southampton, this volume marks the first in a series which will present the fruits of work on the Wellington papers at the University of Southampton Library and associated collections.

Contents:

R.J.B.Muir & C.J.Esdaile. Strategic planning in a time of small government: the wars against revolutionary and Napoleonic France, 1793-1815.
W.A.C/Halliwell. The passage to Bombay 1801.
K.Robson. Military patronage for political purposes: the case of Sir Arthur Wellesley as Chief Secretary for Ireland.
S.Petty. Wellington's General Orders, 1808-1814.
M.Romans. Eyes in the hills: intelligence during the operations at Alcantara, May 1809.
C.M.Woolgar. Wellington's Dispatches and their editor, Colonel Gurwood.

Published by the Hartley Institute, University of Southampton, November 1996. Price £15. ISBN 085432 614 6.

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