Collections Database Manuscript & Object Collect... Small collections of manusc... Post-1650 Manuscripts Stanley, Edward Smith. Lett... Finding AidTitle: Stanley, Edward Smith. Letters to John Wilson Croker, 1843-1852
ID: 01/02/02/POST-1650 MS 0034
Primary Creator: Croker, John Wilson (1780-1857)
Other Creators: Derby, Edward George Geoffrey Smith Stanley, Earl of (1799-1869)
Extent: 1.0 Volume
Arrangement: The letters are bound into a single volume. The collection is arranged chronologically, with Croker's letter to Stanley placed at the end.
Subjects: Great Britain - Politics and government - 1837-1901, Ireland - Politics and government - 1837-1901
Languages: English
This volume contains manuscript letters (18) from Edward Smith Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby and leader of the Conservative Party (UK), to John Wilson Croker between August 29, 1843 and May 31, 1852, as well as a letter from Croker to Stanley dated March 13, 1851.
Most of the letters are 3-4 pages in length, and nearly all of them touch on political topics, often at length. Stanley frequently commented on Parliamentary politics and proposed legislation, particularly bills relating to Ireland, expanded suffrage, religion, and economic issues such as taxation and trade policies. He also discussed party politics within Parliament and sometimes complained about other politicians and parties. His letter of December 22, 1851, describes recent political upheaval in France. In his letter to Stanley, Croker mentioned the Quarterly Review and its role as the Conservative Party's primary organ and also discussed the difficulty of forming a government in the current political climate.
See Administrative/Biographical History and Administrative Information for more information.
Edward George Geoffrey Smith Stanley (1799-1869) was a native of Lancashire, England. The son of a landed family and the future 14th Earl of Derby, he attended Eton College and Christ Church, Oxford, before entering the House of Commons as a Whig in 1822. He briefly served as Colonial Under-Secretary of State for War and the Colonies in late 1827 and later became Chief Secretary for Ireland (1830-1833); during this time, his political views shifted and by 1835 he had publicly aligned himself with the Conservative Party.
He served as Secretary of State for War and the Colonies from 1841 to 1845 and, now a member of the House of Lords, was the Conservative Party's leader from 1846 to 1868, becoming Prime Minister on three occasions: February-December 1852, February 1858-June 1859, and June 1866-February 1868. He died shortly after his retirement from Parliament.
John Wilson Croker (1780-1857), a native of Galway, Ireland, attended Trinity College, Dublin, in the late 1790s and later practiced law. Croker sat in Parliament from 1807 to 1832, representing Downpatrick, Athlone, Yarmouth, Bodmin, Aldeburgh, and Trinity College, Dublin; he also served as deputy Chief Secretary for Ireland (1808-1809) and Secretary of the Admiralty (1809-1830). During and after his time in Parliament, Croker often published political and historical articles for various periodicals, including the Quarterly Review, and, less frequently, poetry. He also published full-length works on historical subjects, including the French Revolution.
Sources
Hawkins, Angus. "Stanley, Edward George Geoffrey Smith, fourteenth earl of Derby (1799-1869)." Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Online edition. Oxford University Press, 2009. doi: 10.1093/ref:odnb/26265
Thomas, William. "Croker, John Wilson (1780-1857)." Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Online edition. Oxford University Press, 2011. doi: 10.1093/ref:odnb/6738
Repository: Rare Book & Manuscript Library, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Access Restrictions: The collection is open for research.
Use Restrictions:
This collection is the physical property of the Rare Book & Manuscript Library. Intellectual property rights, including copyright, may reside with the materials' creator(s) or their heirs.
The Rare Book & Manuscript Library welcomes requests for reproductions made from works in our collections, though restrictions may apply to certain materials. Please contact the library with any questions.
Related Materials: Post-1650 MS 0035 also consists of letters to John Wilson Croker.
Finding Aid Revision History: Revised by Meg Hixon (October 2016) and Dana Miller (December 2023).
Other Note: Former sheflmark: x942.08 D44c
URL: https://i-share-uiu.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/01CARLI_UIU/17ks9l7/alma99323835812205899
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