Brief guide to manuscripts collections| William L. Clements Library The University of Michigan William Petty, Lord Shelburne Papers |
William Petty, earl Shelburne was born into an ancient Anglo-Irish family. His early private schooling was poor and, although he attended Christ Church, Oxford, he felt the inadequacies of his education throughout his life. He served with distinction in Germany during the Seven Years War, achieving the rank of colonel. In 1760 he was elected to Parliament for the family seat at Chipping Wycombe; the following year he succeeded to his father's peerages.
As a political figure, Shelburne remains an enigma. In spite of a long public career, during which he served on the Board of Trade in 1763, as secretary of state for the Southern Department, 1766-1768, and finally as prime minister, 1782-1783, his merits are difficult to assess. Ambitious, intelligent, well-informed, Shelburne appears to have been blocked from potential success by fortuitous circumstances and a complex personality. His career is marred by unfortunate alliances, first with Bute, but most importantly with the mercurial Chatham.
Shelburne's great fortune from the Petty estates in Ireland did not gain him political or social entrance into powerful Whig circles. Lacking connections, he was singularly unpopular among his peers, with a reputation for deviousness and arrogance that is difficult to justify by his behavior. In other quarters--among City of London radicals, Dissenters, colonial rebels, and French philosophes--Shelburne was regarded with respect and affection. His 'college' at Bowood attracted Franklin and Morellet; he was a patron of Priestley, Price, and Bentham. Under their influence, Shelburne championed parliamentary and fiscal reform, liberal trade policies, and religious toleration for Dissenters.
As a stockholder in the East India Company, a large landowner in Ireland, and particularly as an official dealing with American affairs, Shelburne was involved in the major issues affecting the British empire in the mid-eighteenth century. When he was a young politician in 1763, he played an important role in drafting the regulations for England's newly acquired empire in North America. As secretary of state during the Chatham administration, he attempted to find a source of revenue acceptable to both colonials and Parliament. Throughout the American Revolution he was a consistent, outspoken opponent of the war. Ultimately, as prime minister, Shelburne directed the negotiations and shaped the policy which determined the controversial peace treaty of 1783.
Papers of William Petty, 2nd earl of Shelburne, 2nd baron Wycombe, 1st marquess of Lansdowne, British statesman.
This collection of papers was compiled by Shelburne during his public career for his private use. It contains some letters, but is primarily a treasure of information--reports, memoranda, documents, essays, questionnaires, and copies of correspondence, gathered and arranged topically in the following general categories: England's relations with the powers of continental Europe, 1754-1769; administration of the American and West Indian colonies, 1766-1783; negotiations for the treaty of 1783; the East India Company, 1761-1796; English domestic matters (Home Office, Parliament, Customs Revenue, Board of Trade), 1766-1797; Army, Navy, War, and Pay offices.
Purchased, 1937
This collection is calendared incompletely as the Lansdowne Manuscripts by the Historical Manuscripts Commission in the Third, Fifth, and Sixth Reports (London, 1872, 1876, 1877). Of the volumes listed therein, the Clements Library has 1-99, 101-125, 127-155, 161-168. The Reports are incomplete for volumes 34-36, 52, 58, 60, 69, 72, 75-76, 85-88. the material listed in the Sixth Report, section V, pp. 236-242, 'General and Family Correspondence,' is not present at the Clements Library. The Lansdowne Manuscripts at the British Museum contain the ancient manuscript collection compiled by Shelburne and sold when his estate was settled in 1807.
The Shelburne Papers contain the following items not listed in the Reports:
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