Lansdowne manuscripts
Item
Country
GB
Name of institution (official language of the state)
Language of name of institution
eng
Contact information: postal address
96 Euston Road, London NW1 2DB
Contact information: phone number
0044 (0)1937 546060 (Customer Services)
Contact information: web address
Contact information: email
mss@bl.uk
Reference number
Lansdowne MS
Type of reference number
Archival reference number
Title (official language of the state)
Lansdowne manuscripts
Language of title
eng
Creator / accumulator
William Petty, 1st Marquess of Lansdowne
Date note
13th century/18th century
Language(s)
eng
gre
lat
Extent
1,245 manuscripts
Type of material
Textual Material
Scope and content
The Lansdowne collection comprises papers of important historical and literary figures such as William Cecil, Lord Burghley, and Geoffrey Chaucer, as well as precious Medieval manuscripts, such as the Shaftesbury Psalter (12th century) and an illuminated copy of John Hardyng's Chronicle of Britain to Henry VI.
Scattered throughout this diverse collection are several documents of interest for the history of the Western Sephardic Diaspora. It is the case of two Philip Carteret Webb's notebooks (Lansdowne MS 629-630). Webb was the solicitor of the Parnassim and leading members of the Spanish and Portuguese Jews' Congregation of London in the 1720s, at the time of the greatest migration of Portuguese exiles to London. These Webbs' notebooks, dating from 1720 to 1733, include about 30 Jewish cases that are a crucial source for the history of the Sephardic community of London during these years. These cases involved Sephardic Jews such as Joseph da Costa Villa Real, Jacob Gomes Serra, Gabriel Lopes Pinheiro, Sampson Gideon, among others. See Diamond (1962) for more information on Webb's notebooks.
Other examples of items of interest are the following:
Lansdowne MS 27, no. 34: records on medical services provided by Dr. Hector Nunes, a Portuguese converso physician, to Lord Burleigh and his family. October 17, 1578. Other documents on the same subject can be found in Lansdowne MS 40, fol. 64r (March 26, 1583) and MS 43, no. 55 (January 28, 1584).
Lansdowne MS 57, no. 107: Latin letter from Queen Elizabeth to the Sultan in favour of Álvaro Mendes (alias Solomon Aben Yaesh). March 1592. Published in Wolf (1924).
Lansdowne MS 69, no. 28: Spanish letter from Salomon Cormano, the envoy from Álvaro Mendes to Queen Elizabeth, March 1592. Published in Wolf (1924).
Lansdowne MS 145, fols. 359, 379: notes on a prize case involving Amsterdam New Christian merchants (among them, Francisco Pinto de Brito, James Lopes da Costa, and Francisco Nunes Homem) who traded with Portugal, India, and Brazil. The case was placed before Sir Julius Caesar, judge of the High Court of Admiralty, in 1601. Published in Samuel (1953-55).
Lansdowne MS 558: a volume of miscellaneous tracts on legal subjects, including records on the case of Kitty Villareal's refusal to marry her cousin Philip Mendes da Costa.
Scattered throughout this diverse collection are several documents of interest for the history of the Western Sephardic Diaspora. It is the case of two Philip Carteret Webb's notebooks (Lansdowne MS 629-630). Webb was the solicitor of the Parnassim and leading members of the Spanish and Portuguese Jews' Congregation of London in the 1720s, at the time of the greatest migration of Portuguese exiles to London. These Webbs' notebooks, dating from 1720 to 1733, include about 30 Jewish cases that are a crucial source for the history of the Sephardic community of London during these years. These cases involved Sephardic Jews such as Joseph da Costa Villa Real, Jacob Gomes Serra, Gabriel Lopes Pinheiro, Sampson Gideon, among others. See Diamond (1962) for more information on Webb's notebooks.
Other examples of items of interest are the following:
Lansdowne MS 27, no. 34: records on medical services provided by Dr. Hector Nunes, a Portuguese converso physician, to Lord Burleigh and his family. October 17, 1578. Other documents on the same subject can be found in Lansdowne MS 40, fol. 64r (March 26, 1583) and MS 43, no. 55 (January 28, 1584).
Lansdowne MS 57, no. 107: Latin letter from Queen Elizabeth to the Sultan in favour of Álvaro Mendes (alias Solomon Aben Yaesh). March 1592. Published in Wolf (1924).
Lansdowne MS 69, no. 28: Spanish letter from Salomon Cormano, the envoy from Álvaro Mendes to Queen Elizabeth, March 1592. Published in Wolf (1924).
Lansdowne MS 145, fols. 359, 379: notes on a prize case involving Amsterdam New Christian merchants (among them, Francisco Pinto de Brito, James Lopes da Costa, and Francisco Nunes Homem) who traded with Portugal, India, and Brazil. The case was placed before Sir Julius Caesar, judge of the High Court of Admiralty, in 1601. Published in Samuel (1953-55).
Lansdowne MS 558: a volume of miscellaneous tracts on legal subjects, including records on the case of Kitty Villareal's refusal to marry her cousin Philip Mendes da Costa.
Archival history
The collection was purchased for the British Museum with a parliamentary grant in 1807.
Administrative / Biographical history
William Petty-Fitzmaurice (1737-1805), first Marquess of Lansdowne and 2nd Earl of Shelburne, was a British statesman and prime minister during the reign of George III.
Son of John Petty-Fitzmaurice, who was created Earl of Shelburne in 1753, William studied at Christ Church, Oxford (1755-57) and, entering the army, served in the Seven Years War. While abroad, he was elected to Parliament for the family borough of Chipping Wycombe (1760). In 1761, he was reelected and was also returned to the Irish Parliament for County Kerry. However, his father's death in May of that year made him ineligible to sit in the House of Commons and transferred him to the English House of Lords. He declined office under Lord Bute but became first lord of trade in the Grenville ministry (1763). A few months later, he resigned and attached himself to William Pitt, under whom he served as secretary of state for the southern department in 1766. Differences with his colleagues on colonial questions caused him to resign in 1768. In 1782, Petty took office under Lord Rockingham as home secretary and was appointed prime minister on Rockingham's death in July. However, he ended up being removed from this position the following year. In December 1784, Petty was created Marquess of Lansdowne. He no longer took an active part in politics.
Son of John Petty-Fitzmaurice, who was created Earl of Shelburne in 1753, William studied at Christ Church, Oxford (1755-57) and, entering the army, served in the Seven Years War. While abroad, he was elected to Parliament for the family borough of Chipping Wycombe (1760). In 1761, he was reelected and was also returned to the Irish Parliament for County Kerry. However, his father's death in May of that year made him ineligible to sit in the House of Commons and transferred him to the English House of Lords. He declined office under Lord Bute but became first lord of trade in the Grenville ministry (1763). A few months later, he resigned and attached himself to William Pitt, under whom he served as secretary of state for the southern department in 1766. Differences with his colleagues on colonial questions caused him to resign in 1768. In 1782, Petty took office under Lord Rockingham as home secretary and was appointed prime minister on Rockingham's death in July. However, he ended up being removed from this position the following year. In December 1784, Petty was created Marquess of Lansdowne. He no longer took an active part in politics.
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Access points: subject terms
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Access, restrictions
Some items of this collection are available in digital format at:
Finding aids
The Lansdowne charters and seals are not described online. Hand-written descriptions can be found in a volume in the Manuscripts Reading Room. These can also be consulted on microfilm M2032/19.
Links to finding aids
Author of the description
Carla Vieira, 2022
Bibliography
Published primary sources
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