The Creevey Papers
Thomas Creevey to Elizabeth Ord, 11 March 1837
“Brooks’s, March 11th.
“. . . I dined on Sunday at Sefton’s to meet Brougham, with Denman,
Radnor and others. ![]()
| 318 | THE CREEVEY PAPERS | [Ch XIV. |
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. . . Just as we were going away, Brougham took me
aside, and, to my great surprise, asked me if I would dine with him alone as
yesterday at 6 o’clock, and that he would show me some most curious
correspondence of George the third. I, of
course, expected to be put off every day, but no such thing. . . . After
dinner, Brougham read the correspondence to me till
between 11 and 12 o’clock and I have much more to come. It consisted of
letters from George the 3rd to Lord North as his minister, during the whole of his long
administration.* Talk of the Creevey
papers, my dear! would that they contained these royal letters! I have never
seen anything approaching them in interest—the cleverness of the writer,
even in his style—his tyranny—his insight into everything—his
criticism upon every publick parliamentary man—his hatred of Lord Chatham and Fox, and all such rebellious subjects—his revenge; but at
the same time and throughout, his most consistent and even touching affection
for Lord North. . . . You would be amused to see the
effect produced upon the Whig Government by this conduct of
Brougham to myself. . . . [They are] most desirous for
me to make some kind of opening between them and Brougham,
for there is no kind of communication between them, and they feel it most
unpleasant to see him every night in the House of Lords, and never to feel sure
whether he will pounce upon them or not. Oh dear! to think of the prudent
Mr. Thomas being called in to settle such
matters!”
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.
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).
Thomas Creevey (1768-1838)
Whig politician aligned with Charles James Fox and Henry Brougham; he was MP for Thetford
(1802-06, 1807-18) Appleby (1820-26) and Downton (1831-32). He was convicted of libel in
1813.
Thomas Denman, first baron Denman (1779-1854)
English barrister and writer for the
Monthly Review; he was MP,
solicitor-general to Queen Caroline (1820), attorney-general (1820), lord chief justice
(1832-1850). Sydney Smith commented, “Denman everybody likes.”
Charles James Fox (1749-1806)
Whig statesman and the leader of the Whig opposition in Parliament after his falling-out
with Edmund Burke.
