The Creevey Papers
Thomas Creevey to Elizabeth Ord, 22 June 1824
“June 22nd.
“. . . We are all full of a battle that is to take
place in the H. of Lords between the Duke of
York and our Scroop.†
Lord Holland has brought in a bill to
enable Scroop, tho’ a Catholic, to officiate in
future as Earl Marshal. It was read a 2nd time on Saturday, tho’ the
Duke of York and old Eldon were in the minority; but since then the D. of
York has become perfectly furious, and has written to every peer
he knows, calling upon him to come and protect the Crown against the insidious
Scroop. We had a jolly day enough at Whitehall on
Saturday, altho’ I never
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see Sydney
Smith without thinking him too much of a buffoon.”
Lord Henry FitzGerald (1761-1829)
The son of Lt.-Gen. James FitzGerald, first Duke of Leinster; in 1791 he married
Charlotte Boyle, Baroness de Ros of Helmsley.
Henry Richard Fox, third baron Holland (1773-1840)
Whig politician and literary patron; Holland House was for many years the meeting place
for reform-minded politicians and writers. He also published translations from the Spanish
and Italian;
Memoirs of the Whig Party was published in 1852.
Frederick Augustus, Duke of York (1763-1827)
He was commander-in-chief of the Army, 1798-1809, until his removal on account of the
scandal involving his mistress Mary Anne Clarke.
Bernard Edward Howard, twelfth duke of Norfolk (1765-1842)
Educated at the English College at Douai, in 1815 he succeeded his third cousin, Charles
Howard, eleventh duke (d. 1815), and took his seat in Parliament after passage of the Roman
Catholic Relief Bill of 1829.
John Scott, first earl of Eldon (1751-1838)
Lord chancellor (1801-27); he was legal counsel to the Prince of Wales and an active
opponent of the Reform Bill.
Sydney Smith (1771-1845)
Clergyman, wit, and one of the original projectors of the
Edinburgh
Review; afterwards lecturer in London and one of the Holland House
denizens.
