The Creevey Papers
Thomas Creevey to Elizabeth Ord, 11 February 1824
“11th Feb., 1824.
“. . . I dined yesterday at Vesuvius Kinnaird’s,* and such a mixture
was never before got together—Sir Francis
Burdett and Sir Charles
Flint, Lavelette Bruce,
and Lord Fitzroy Somerset,† Mr. Creevey and Sir George Warrender—and, what is more, the last two
gentlemen sat next to each other to the great amusement of Ellice‡ . . . I cracked my jokes with
such success that old Rat Warrender was compelled to ask
me to drink wine with him, tho’ he was infernally annoyed all the time,
and made a most precipitate retreat after dinner. But my delight was
Lord Fitzroy Somerset. . . . I never was more pleased
with any one than I was with him during our conversation, which was of some
length. . . .”
Michael Bruce (1787-1861)
Educated at Eton and St. John's College, Cambridge; he was the companion of Lady Hester
Stanhope in her eastern travels, 1810-13, assisted in the escape of Count Lavalette from
France, and was MP for Ilchester (1830-31).
Sir Francis Burdett, fifth baronet (1770-1844)
Whig MP for Westminster (1807-1837) who was imprisoned on political charges in 1810 and
again in 1820; in the 1830s he voted with the Conservatives.
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.
Edward Ellice (1783-1863)
British merchant with the Hudson's Bay Company and Whig MP for Coventry (1818-26,
1830-63); he was a friend of Sir Francis Burdett and John Cam Hobhouse.
Sir Charles William Flint (1777-1834)
He was private secretary to the Duke of Wellington and under secretary of state for
Ireland (1827).
Sir George Warrender, fourth baronet (1782-1849)
Educated at Christ Church, Oxford and Trinity College, Cambridge, he was MP for
Haddington (1807-12), Truro (1812-18), Westbury (1826-30) and Honiton (1830-32). He was
Lord of the Admiralty (1812-22).
