Catalogue of letters from H.H. Asquith to Venetia Stanley, 1910-15, 1927

Bodleian Library, University of Oxford

Elizabeth Turner

2003

Department of Special Collections and Western Manuscripts
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Letters from H.H. Asquith to Venetia Stanley, 1910-15, 1927

Abstract:
Personal letters from H.H. Asquith, while he was Prime Minister, to Venetia Stanley, who later became the wife of E.S. Montagu.

Shelfmarks: MSS. Eng. c. 7091-8

Extent: 8 shelfmarks

Biographical History

Herbert Henry Asquith (1852-1928) was Prime Minister, 1908-16. For further details see the Dictionary of National Biography. (Beatrice) Venetia Stanley (1887-1948) was the youngest child of Lord Sheffield, confidante of H.H. Asquith and friend of Violet Asquith, later Bonham Carter. For further details see Michael Brock H.H. Asquith Letters to Venetia Stanley (Oxford, 1982).

Arrangement

Chronological.

Custodial History

Previously owned by Judy, Venetia Montagu's daughter, and Milton Gendel.

Acquisition

The letters were in Christie's sale 20 Nov. 2002, lot 101, but were purchased later from Milton Gendel, 6 Dec. 2002, with help from Dr. Michael Brock, Mr. Claude Hankes-Drielsma, Mr. Bob Levitt, grants from the Resource/V&A Purchase Grant Fund and the Friends of the National Libraries and generous donations from the Pitt Rivers Charity, the Rothschild Foundation, the late Lord Jenkins, Brasenose, Wolfson and Nuffield Colleges, Oxford and Mr. Michael Gaskin.

Alternative Form Available

Many of the letters have been published in Michael Brock's H.H. Asquith Letters to Venetia Stanley (Oxford, 1982).

Preferred Form of Citation

Oxford, Bodleian Library [followed by shelfmark and folio or page reference, e.g. MS. Eng. c. 7091, fols. 1-2].

Personal names (NCA Rules)

Asquith | Herbert Henry | 1852-1928 | 1st Earl of Oxford and Asquith | statesman
Montagu | Beatrice Venetia | 1887-1948 | nee Stanley | wife of E.S. Montagu

Subject

World War I, 1914-18

Descriptive List


1910-Feb. 1914
Shelfmark: MS. Eng. c. 7091
Extent: 224 leaves

Scope and Content:

Includes (fols. 199-200) a letter from Sir Edward Carson, 1914


Mar.-July 1914
Shelfmark: MS. Eng. c. 7092
Extent: 220 leaves

Scope and Content:

Includes letters from

  • (fols. 107-8) D. Lloyd George, 1914
  • (fols. 127-30) George V, 1914
  • (fols. 147-8, 169) A.W.C.O. Murray, Baron Murray of Elibank, 1914
  • (fols. 166-8) J.A. Spender, 1914

Aug.-Sept. 1914
Shelfmark: MS. Eng. c. 7093
Extent: 263 leaves

Scope and Content:

Includes letters from

  • (fols. 63-6) Queen Mary, 1914
  • (fols. 89-90) H.H. Kitchener, 1st Earl Kitchener of Khartoum, 1914
  • (fols. 185-8) Sir John French, 1914

with (fol. 97) a telegram from Sir John French to Lord Kitchener, 1914


Oct.-Nov. 1914
Shelfmark: MS. Eng. c. 7094
Extent: 250 leaves

Scope and Content:

Includes letters from

  • (fols. 45-6) Augustine Birrell, 1914
  • (fols. 161-2) J.E. Redmond, 1914
  • (fols. 206-7) Sir John French, 1914

Dec. 1914-18 Jan. 1915
Shelfmark: MS. Eng. c. 7095
Extent: 229 leaves

Scope and Content:

Includes (fols. 25-6) a letter from Sir John French, 1914


20 Jan.-25 Feb. 1915
Shelfmark: MS. Eng. c. 7096
Extent: 269 leaves

Scope and Content:

Includes (fol. 19) a letter from N.J.A. Primrose, 1915


26 Feb.-Mar. 1915
Shelfmark: MS. Eng. c. 7097
Extent: 258 leaves

Apr.-Dec. 1915, 1927, n.d.
Shelfmark: MS. Eng. c. 7098
Extent: 233 leaves

Scope and Content:

Includes (fols. 202-3) a letter from A.C.W. Harmsworth, 1st Viscount Rothermere to A.W.C.O. Murray, Baron Murray of Elibank, 1915

Transformation from XML to HTML by Lawrence Mielniczuk
02 June 2011