What: Carlingford and Waldegrave Study Day
Where: Foyle Visitor and Learning Centre, The British Library, 96 Euston Road, London
NW1 2DB
When: –
Free: to book a place please follow this link: https://www.bl.uk/events/carlingford-and-waldegrave-study-day
A study day to celebrate the British Library’s acquisition of the correspondence of Chichester Fortescue, Lord Carlingford and Frances, Countess Waldegrave
Last year the British Library acquired over 8,000 letters sent to Chichester Fortescue, Lord Carlingford (1823-98) and Frances, Countess Waldegrave (1821-79). Waldegrave was one of the six daughters of the famous tenor singer John Braham. She married four times in total, to John Waldegrave, his brother George Waldegrave, George Granville Vernon Harcourt and to Chichester Fortescue. She was a keen political hostess and actively promoted her fourth husband Chichester Fortescue’s career in the Liberal Party. Chichester Fortescue had a distinguished political career including appointments as Under Secretary of State for the Colonies, President of the Board of Trade, Lord Privy Seal and finally President of the Council.
This acquisition complements the manuscript materials kept among the Strachey papers at Somerset Heritage centre and permits us to gain a full picture of a remarkable couple whose contacts and whose interests touched on many aspects of politics, society and the arts in the 1850s, 1860s and 1870s. Specialists from a range of fields will explore the contexts which can be illuminated by this voluminous archive, including Liberal party networks in England and Ireland, metropolitan elite sociability, cosmopolitan friendships with French princes, the power of the Victorian hostess and mid-century art collecting.
Speakers include: Angus Hawkins, Kim Reynolds, Philip Mansel, David Craig, Sara Lodge, Claire Leighton, Nino Strachey, Tom Stammers, Silvia Davoli, Tom Mayberry, Laura Walker and Stephen Noble.
Lunch is not provided at this event.
In association with the University of Durham.