Collections Database Manuscript & Object Collect... Small collections of manusc... Post-1650 Manuscripts Augustus, Ernest and Freder... Finding AidTitle: Augustus, Ernest and Frederick. Letters, 1812-1813, 1823-1842
ID: 01/02/02/POST-1650 MS 0035
Primary Creator: Croker, John Wilson (1780-1857)
Other Creators: Ernest Augustus, King of Hanover (1771-1851), Frederick Augustus, Prince, Duke of York and Albany (1763-1827)
Extent: 1.0 Volume
Arrangement: The letters are bound into a single volume. Each group of letters is arranged chronologically, with undated items placed at the end. The letters of Ernest Augustus precede those of Frederick Augustus.
Subjects: France - Politics and government - 1830-1848, Germany - Politics and government - 1815-1866, Great Britain - Army, Great Britain - Politics and government - 1800-1837, Great Britain - Politics and government - 1837-1901, Ireland - Politics and government - 1837-1901
Languages: English
This collection consists of nineteen letters that Ernest Augustus, King of Hanover, wrote to John Wilson Croker between March 12, 1812, and March 28, 1842, as well as seven letters that Frederick Augustus, Duke of York and Albany, wrote to primarily unidentified recipients between December 16, 1822, and July 17, 1825 (including 2 undated items).
In his first four letters to Croker (dated 1812-1813), Ernest Augustus primarily mentioned military and personal matters, such as a soldier who deserted from the King's Hussars. His fifteen remaining letters (dated 1832-1842) are generally lengthier and concern political issues in Great Britain, Germany, and other Western European countries. Augustus frequently discussed British politicians, even after his move to Hanover, and complained of his treatment in British newspapers. He also commented on German politics, increasing radicalism throughout Western Europe, tensions between Great Britain and France, the reign of Louis Philippe, and the Corn Laws.
Prince Frederick Augustus wrote six brief notes to unidentified correspondents (dated 1822-1825, with two partially dated items) and one to Robert Dundas, 2nd Viscount Melville (June 20, 1823). His letter to Viscount Melville, which concerns a proposed military promotion, includes an unsigned response. The remaining correspondence is largely personal, with one brief reference to the death of George Russell.
See Administrative/Biographical History and Administrative Information for more information.
Ernest Augustus (1771-1851) was the fifth son of King George III of Great Britain. He studied at the University of Gottingen before joining a Hanover hussar regiment in 1790. He served in the hussars and in a dragoon regiment until 1796, eventually earning a British Army commission as lieutenant general.
Following his return to England, Augustus sat in the House of Lords, where he became deeply unpopular. He returned to Hanover in 1813 and lived primarily in Berlin from 1818-1828; he married Friederike Caroline Sophia Alexandria in 1815. Ernest Augustus became King of Hanover upon the death of King William IV in 1837 and reigned locally until his death.
Frederick Augustus (1767-1827) was the second son of King George III of Great Britain. He joined the British Army in 1780 and became Duke of York and Albany in 1784, sitting thereafter in the House of Lords. From 1793-1795 he commanded British forces in Flanders, culminating in a retreat in 1795; nevertheless, he became commander in chief of the British Army in 1798. He was temporarily replaced following a scandal in 1809 but resumed command in 1811.
Sources
Palmer, Alan. "Ernest Augustus (1771-1851)." Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Online edition. Oxford University Press, 2009. doi: 10.1093/ref:odnb/8840
Stephens, H. M. and John Van der Kirste. "Frederick, Prince, duke of York and Albany (1767-1827)." Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Online edition. Oxford University Press, 2007. doi: 10.1093/ref:odnb/10139
France - Politics and government - 1830-1848
Germany - Politics and government - 1815-1866
Great Britain - Army
Great Britain - Politics and government - 1800-1837
Great Britain - Politics and government - 1837-1901
Ireland - Politics and government - 1837-1901
Repository: Rare Book & Manuscript Library, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Access Restrictions: The collection is open for research.
Use Restrictions:
This collection is the physical property of the Rare Book & Manuscript Library. Intellectual property rights, including copyright, may reside with the materials' creator(s) or their heirs.
The Rare Book & Manuscript Library welcomes requests for reproductions made from works in our collections, though restrictions may apply to certain materials. Please contact the library with any questions.
Related Materials: Post-1650 MS 0034 also consists of letters to John Wilson Croker.
Finding Aid Revision History: Revised by Meg Hixon (October 2016) and Dana Miller (December 2023).
URL: https://i-share-uiu.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/01CARLI_UIU/17ks9l7/alma99323835812205899
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