The Creevey Papers
Thomas Creevey to Eleanor Creevey, 1 June 1812
“York St., Monday, 1st June.
“As Folkestone,
Bennett and I are to go from the H.
of Commons this afternoon to dine at Richmond, I begin my dispatch here, least
I should have no time to do it at the House. Folky and
Bennett return at night, but I shall sleep there. . .
. The more one sees of the conduct of this most singular man [the Prince Regent], the more one becomes convinced he
is doomed, from his personal character alone, to shake his throne. He is
playing, I have no doubt he thinks, some devilish deep game, from which he will
find he is utterly unable of extricating himself without the most serious and
lasting injury to himself and character. . . . I dined at Taylor’s last night with that ![]()
| 1812.] | LORD WELLESLEY TRIES HIS HAND. | 161 |
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excellent young man
Lord Forbes,* and I have never seen
a greater appearance of worth and honor in any young man in my life. Besides
being Moira’s nephew, he is an
aide-de-camp to the Regent, and he has received such usage from his Master,
either on his uncle’s account or his own voting in Parliament, that he
won’t go near him, and greatly to the horror of
Taylor, he came to dine yesterday with the yellow
lining and the Prince’s buttons taken away from his coat. He said never
again would he carry about him so degrading a badge of servitude to such a
master. To Taylor, who was done up in the neatest edition
of the said badge, this was too much. On Saturday, a great lot of us dined at
Kit Hutchinson’s request at
the British Coffee House, with the gentlemen educated at Trinity College,
Dublin; Kit in the chair, and it really was most
entertaining. Irish genius for speaking and eloquence was never more
conspicuous: upon my soul, I think five or six fellows who spoke—quite
young men—spoke as well as Pitt. .
. .”
“House of Commons.
“Well, now we have made a start. Mr. Canning has got up with due pomp and
dignity, and has declared he has full authority to state from his noble friend
Lord Wellesley that he, Lord
Wellesley, has this morning received from the Regent his Royal Highness’s commands to form
an administration. So much for this first official act of the new Whig
Government! . . .”
Henry Grey Bennet (1777-1836)
The son of Charles Bennet, fourth earl of Tankerville; educated at Eton and Peterhouse,
Cambridge, he was a Whig MP for MP for Shrewsbury (1806-07, 1811-26) and a legal
reformer.
William Pleydell- Bouverie, third earl of Radnor (1779-1869)
Son of the second earl (d. 1828); educated at Brasenose College, Oxford, he was Whig MP
for Downton (1801) and Salisbury (1802-28), and an associate of Sir Francis Burdett and
Samuel Whitbread.
George Canning (1770-1827)
Tory statesman; he was foreign minister (1807-1809) and prime minister (1827); a
supporter of Greek independence and Catholic emancipation.
George John Forbes, viscount Forbes (1785-1836)
The son of George Forbes, sixth Earl of Granard, he was an Irish military officer, MP for
County Longford (1806-32, 1833-36), and Lord-Lieutenant of County Longford.
Christopher Hely- Hutchinson (1767-1826)
The fifth son of John Hely-Hutchinson, he was educated at Trinity College, Dublin and
Lincoln's Inn; he was an Irish politician opposed to the Union who was a Whig MP for Cork
City (1802-12, 1818-26).
William Pitt the younger (1759-1806)
The second son of William Pitt, earl of Chatham (1708-1778); he was Tory prime minister
1783-1801.
Michael Angelo Taylor (1757 c.-1834)
Educated at Corpus Christi College, Oxford, he was MP (1784-34) for a variety of
constituencies; originally a Tory he gravitated to the Whigs over the course of his long
career.
Richard Wellesley, first marquess Wellesley (1760-1842)
The son of Garret Wesley (1735-1781) and elder brother of the Duke of Wellington; he was
Whig MP, Governor-general of Bengal (1797-1805), Foreign Secretary (1809-12), and
Lord-lieutenant of Ireland (1821-28); he was created Marquess Wellesley in 1799.
