The Creevey Papers
Thomas Creevey to Eleanor Creevey, 28 January 1810
“28th, Sunday.—Dined at
Western’s. I have got so much
master of the Talavera campaign, that I meant to have had a round upon it; but
I find Whitbread is so well primed upon
the subject, and so many others in the same way, that I shall desist. Supped
with Lord Thanet at Brooks’s, from
mere curiosity, having heard so much of his talents. He is certainly a quick,
clever man, but his earldom has done great things for his fame in the
intellectual line. . . .
“Lord John
Townshend attacked George
Ponsonby with the most honest indignation on notes having been
sent out to say there wd. be no division to-morrow on the thanks to Wellington, after notes had previously gone round
to say there would be. . . . The Right Hon. George could
only say, over and over again—‘I don’t agree with you, my
lord’—‘My lord, I by no means agree with
you.’
George Ponsonby (1755-1817)
The son of John Ponsonby (d. 1787); he was speaker of the Irish House of Commons, lord
chancellor of Ireland in the Fox-Grenville ministry (1806) and succeeded Lord Grey as
leader of the Whigs in the British House of Commons.
Lord John Townshend (1757-1833)
The son of George Townshend, first Marquess Townshend; he was educated at Eton and St
John's College, Cambridge and was a Whig MP for Cambridge, Westminster, and Knaresborough.
He was a denizen of Holland House and Sheridan's literary executor.
Charles Callis Western, baron Western (1767-1844)
Of Rivenhall in Essex, politician and agricultural reformer; he was educated at Eton and
Queens' College, Cambridge and was MP for Maldon (1790-1812) and Essex (1812-32). He was a
school friend of Thomas Creevey.
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.
