Catalogue description SP 78/231-238

Details of Subseries within SP 78
Reference: Subseries within SP 78
Title: SP 78/231-238
Note: SP 78/231 deals almost exclusively with the captivity of the Duc de Belle-Isle at Windsor in 1745. SP 78/232 and 233 consist of correspondence between the Secretary of State for the Southern Province, the Duke of Bedford, and the British Embassy in Paris from the beginning of 1749 to the beginning of 1750. SP 78/234 is solely concerned with negotiations about prizes between British, Dutch and French commissaries at St. Malo. SP 78/235 and 236 consist of correspondence between the Duke of Bedford and the Earl of Albemarle, Ambassador in Paris, with correspondence, often duplicates of the above, between Albemarle and the Duke of Newcastle, Secretary of State for the Northern Province, while he is with the King in Hanover. These two volumes cover January to August 1750. SP 78/237 continues both exchanges from August to December 1750, and includes a dossier of French complaints about British actions in and around Madras, a survey of French manufactures and a report of the distribution of the French militia. SP 78/238 includes further correspondence between Albemarle, Bedford and Newcastle but is mainly concerned with negotiations between British and French commissaries in Paris during 1750, about Nova Scotia, prisoners of war, prizes, sea limits and the disputed West Indian islands. In the Index many references to these five subjects have been entered under sub-headings to the main heading of Commissaries. Additional material is to be found in SP 103/17, f.1 about the Cambric Act and f. 5 about North America; in SP 78/309, correspondence between Bedford, Grenville, Caylus, Holbourne, Matthew, Falkingham and Ligny about activities in the West Indies, including orders for the evacuation of St. Martin; also in SP 78/309, correspondence between Cornwallis and Lawrence about Nova Scotia, with reference to Captain Rous and the French ship St. François and in the same volume correspondence between Ruvigny de Cosne, Payzant, clerk in the office of the Secretary of State and Madame d'Agar about her affairs. SP 78/309, f. 363 contains a printed list of books. The Index also contains lists of ambassadors and other diplomatic representatives, of ships and of treaties.

Have you found an error with this catalogue description?

Help with your research