The Creevey Papers
Thomas Creevey to Elizabeth Ord, 20 September 1831
“Stoke, 20th.
“. . . Old
Wickedshifts and I had a most agreeable duet to Stoke,† or
at least within 3 miles of it, when he had fairly talked himself to sleep. . .
. Sefton and I were more astonished at him
than ever. By his conversation with old Talleyrand it appeared most clearly that
Vaux had been intimately acquainted with every leading
Frenchman in the Revolution, and indeed with every Frenchman and every French
book that Tally mentioned. He always led in this
conversation, as soon as Tally had started his subject.
Our party altogether was a most agreeable one—Tally
and the Dino, Esterhazy, M[illegible] his 2nd in
command, Vaux, old
Greville and Ly.
Charlotte, Punch‡
and Henry, Alava,
Luttrell and myself. . . . I got to
the Honorable [House] before 12, when I found there had been a division; in
short, the Bill read a 3rd time
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| 1830-31.] | CORONATION GOSSIP. | 237 |
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between 5 and 6
o’clock—a surprise, which did not serve the purpose which its wily
authors intended!”
Miguel de Alava (1770-1843)
A Spanish officer and statesman who fought with the Duke of Wellington in the Peninsular
War and at Waterloo.
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.
Dorothée, duchesse de Dino (1793-1862)
The daughter of Dorothea von Medem, Duchess of Courland, she was the lover of Talleyrand
and spouse of his nephew. In 1831 Maria Edgeworth described her as “little, and
ugly—plain, I should say.”
Charles Greville (1762-1832)
The son of Fulke Greville; educated at Westminster School, he was MP for Petersfield
(1795-96) and the father of Harriet Catherine, countess of Ellesmere and Charles Greville
the diarist.
Charles Cavendish Fulke Greville (1794-1865)
The son of Captain Charles Greville (1762-1832); he was educated at Eton College and at
Christ Church, Oxford, and was clerk-in-ordinary to the privy council. His famous
Diary began appearing in 1874.
Henry Luttrell (1768-1851)
English wit, dandy, and friend of Thomas Moore and Samuel Rogers; he was the author of
Advice to Julia, a Letter in Rhyme (1820).
Paul Anton III, Prince Esterházy (1786-1866)
Hungarian diplomat who after the Congress of Vienna was appointed as ambassador to the
United Kingdom (1815-42); he was foreign minister (1848).
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.
