The Creevey Papers
Thomas Creevey to Elizabeth Ord, 19 October 1820
“House of Lords, Oct. 19.
“. . . Most important! McDonald has just returned to me. He has seen and talked with
the Archbishop of York, and it is not
only true that Lord Stafford has become the
strenuous opposer of the Bill, but he has waited upon Lord Harrowby to state his conviction that the Bill must be
given up. You know McDonald is nephew both to the
Archbishop and Lord Stafford. . . .”
George Granville Leveson- Gower, first duke of Sutherland (1758-1833)
The son of the first marquess of Stafford (d. 1803); he was one of the wealthiest men in
Britain with an annual income of £200,000; his program for Scottish clearances and
resettlement was widely unpopular. He was created duke in 1833.
Edward Venables-Vernon Harcourt, archbishop of York (1757-1847)
The son of George Venables-Vernon, first Baron Vernon, educated at Westminster and
All-Souls College, Oxford; he was prebendary of Gloucester (1785-91), bishop of Carlisle
(1791-1807), and archbishop of York (1807-47).
Sir Archibald Macdonald, first baronet (1747-1826)
Born on Skye, he was educated at Westminster and Christ Church, Oxford, and was
solicitor-general 1784-88 and lord chief baron of the Exchequer, 1793-1813, created baronet
in 1813.
Dudley Ryder, first earl of Harrowby (1762-1847)
Tory MP; Pitt's second in the duel with George Tierney (1798), he was friendly towards to
abolition of the slave trade and to Catholic emancipation.
