The Creevey Papers
Lord Ossulston to Thomas Creevey, 31 July 1815
“Walton, July 31, 1815.
“. . . Buonaparte still remains at Plymouth, but it is expected that
the ship which is to convey him will sail very shortly. I believe he is allowed
to take 3 persons (besides servants) with him, excepting those who are named in
the list of proscribed. The general feeling, I think, here is that he ought to
be placed out of the reach of again interfering in the concerns of the world,
tho’ it is difficult not to feel for a man who has played such a part, if
he is destined to end his days in such a place as St. Helena. Seeing the other
day a list of intimate friends invited to meet the P.
Regent at Melbourne House—viz. Jack
Manners, Ld. Fife, Ld. Headfort, &c., I could not help thinking
what a strange fortune it was by which Buonaparte shd. be
at that moment at Torbay, waiting his destiny at the Prince’s hands. . . . Kinnaird is in town. His account of his arrest by
Buonaparte is that, hearing of the battle of Waterloo,
he had said in society—‘Now the French have nothing to do but to
send for the D. of Orleans;’ which
being reported to Buonaparte on his return, he sent to
Kinnaird to quit Paris in 2 hours, and France in 2
days. Kinnaird upon this asked leave to go to Fouché, who told him not to stir, for that in
two hours he would hear something which wd. surprise them—that was
Buonaparte’s abdication. . . . Whitbread’s eldest son comes into not less than £20,000
per ann.—so Brougham told me.
Whitbread, however, in the last year had outrun his
income by £14,000—probably the theatre. . . .”
Henry Peter Brougham, first baron Brougham and Vaux (1778-1868)
Educated at Edinburgh University, he was a founder of the
Edinburgh
Review in which he chastised Byron's
Hours of Idleness; he
defended Queen Caroline in her trial for adultery (1820), established the London University
(1828), and was appointed lord chancellor (1830).
James Duff, fourth earl of Fife (1776-1857)
Son of the third earl (d. 1811); after study at Westminster and Oxford he fought at the
Battle of Talavera, was Major-General in the Spanish Army, and was Tory MP for Banffshire
(1818-27).
Charles Kinnaird, eighth baron Kinnaird (1780-1826)
The son of George Kinnaird, seventh baron Kinnaird; he was Whig MP for Leominster
(1802-05) before he succeeded to the title. He was the elder brother of Byron's friend,
Douglas Kinnaird.
Louis Philippe, king of the French (1773-1850)
The son of Louis Philippe II, Duke of Orléans; he was King of France 1830-48; he
abdicated following the February Revolution of 1848 and fled to England.
Emperor Napoleon I (1769-1821)
Military leader, First Consul (1799), and Emperor of the French (1804), after his
abdication he was exiled to Elba (1814); after his defeat at Waterloo he was exiled to St.
Helena (1815).
Thomas Taylour, first marquess of Headfort (1757-1829)
The son of Thomas Taylour, first Earl of Bective (d. 1795); an Irish MP, he was created
Marquess of Headfort in 1800 and was Lord of the Bedchamber (1812-29).
Samuel Whitbread (1764-1815)
The son of the brewer Samuel Whitbread (1720-96); he was a Whig MP for Bedford, involved
with the reorganization of Drury Lane after the fire of 1809; its financial difficulties
led him to suicide.
Samuel Charles Whitbread (1796-1879)
Of Southill Park, Bedfordshire, the son of the politician (d. 1815); he was a Whig MP for
Middlesex (1820-30), justice of the peace and F.R.S.
