The Lord Halsbury Correspondence

THE LORD HALSBURY LETTERBOX OF AUTOGRAPHED LETTERS
THREE TIME LORD HIGH CHANCELLOR
130+ LETTERS & MEMORANDA COVERING 70 YEARS

January 21, 1915
- 1st Sea Lord Fisher: Private
"This is one good step ahead and I will see to it that he soon rises again. Yours in haste. Please keep private"
Fisher

Dec. 5, 1916
- Marquess Lincolnshire:
"Enclosed from Stamfordham. Your valuable advice has saved the situation. We ought to be very grateful to you."
Lincolnshire

17 March 1906
- Duke Northumberland
My many thanks for your letter. I am glad to find you looked upon the matter just as I did. As you signed I signed, but growled & protested - And I feel very like the young lady who raving she could ne'er consent, consented!"
Northumberland

Over 130 letters, notes and memoranda spanning seventy years of Giffard Family history. There is a little of everything in this multi-generational family holding. There are social invitations to tea and tennis, but there are also letters of importunity attempting to influence judicial, legislative and electoral outcomes, there are political strategies, ecclesiastic implorements, military and political appointments and actions and royal protocol. What is fascinating about this collection is its sheer breadth of coverage. This is to be expected of course of the three time Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain, the titular Leader of the House of Lords and the High Court. There are letters from Princes, Marquessa, Dukes, Earls and Barons. There are letters from Field Marshals, Generals, Sea Lords and Admirals. There are letters from authors, academics, scientists, business magnates, Lord Mayors, Archbishops, High Justices, Ambassadors and Ministers.

# LTRS	DATE	NAME	TITLE/OFFICE	NOTE	STATIONARY
1	1868	Archbishop of Armagh	to Earl Cranbrook	on his promotion to Home Secretary	42 Princes Gardens
1	1868	From Henry Thomas Lowry Corry	1st Lord of Admiralty	to Giffard re Cork Appointment	Admiralty Whitehall
4	1870-1883	Sir Anthony Hiley Hoskins	First Sea Lord	to Vice Admiral Giffard	Kepwick Park, Northhallerton
3	1870-71	Duke of Beaufort	to Vice Admiral Giffard		On Badminton House Stationary
1	1874	Admiral Beauchamp Seymour	Lord of the Admiralty	from Prince Leiningen	Appointment to Royal Yacht
1	1879	Prince Louis de Lusignan	Libel suit intervention	marked "Private & Confidential"	Harrington Mansions, Queen's Gate
1	1880	Prince Louis of Battenberg		re: the Torpedo Comse.	Darmstadt
1	1885	Sir Henry Norman	to Lord Cranbrook	Would Welcome War with Russia	Kings House Jamiaca
1	1885	Rear Adm Sir George Giffard	to Lord Halsbury		Brightleigh,Outwood,Redhill
2	1892-96	Viscount Garnett Wolseley	Field Marshall	Commander-in-Chief/War Office	War Office London/Dublin
1	1893	Sir Albert W. Woods	Garter Principal King of Arms	Adm. Michael Culme-Seymour's KCB	College of Arms, Queen Victoria St.
2	1895	Duke of Abercorn	James Hamilton	Hampton House, Green Street	Barons Court, Ireland
1	1895	Thomas F. Bayard	American Ambassador		32 Princes Gardens
1	1895	General Sir Redvers Henry Buller	Victoria Cross Winner	Scapegoat of Boer War	Plain Paper
2	1896	Duke of Norfolk	Henry Fitzalan Howard	marked "Private"	Norfolk House, St. James Square
1	1898	Illegible Signature		on Bedlam	Hydrographic Dept, Admiralty, Whitehall
1	1900	William H.M. Christie	Astronomer Royal	On Halsbury's Astronomy photos	Royal Observatory, Greenwich
1	1900	Vice Admiral Sir Wilmot Fawkes	CnC Portsmouth	with Admiral Noel in the Levant	H.M.S. Canopus
1	1901	Prof W. D. Niven	Correspondent of Christie	On H's appt as Dir of Greenwich Hosp	Royal Naval College
1	1902	Joseph Choate	American Ambassador	Wedding Gift	1 Carlton House Terrace
1	1902	Mary Chamberlain	Wife of Joseph Chamberlain	Daughter US Sec of War Endicott	40 Prince's Gardens
1	1902	Archbishop of Canterbury	Frederick Temple	Performing H's daughter's wedding	Old Palace, Canterbury
2	1902	Canon Alfred Ainger	Biographer of Charles Lamb	On music for the wedding	Master's House, Temple, E.C.
1	1902	Eleanor Roseburgh	Wedding Gift		12 Devonshire Place
1	1902	Sir Francis Jenne	President Divorce Court	to Monell marked "Private"	79 Harley Street
1	1902	Illegible Signature			Carlton Club, Pall Mall
2	1902-06	Sir Henry James	1st Baron James of Hereford	Attorney General	41 Cadogan Square, S.W.
1	1903	David Francis	Pres St. Louis Exposition	Governor of Missouri	Claridge's Hotel, Brook Street
1	1904	Comte de Labairy	Belgian Minister		15 W Halkin St, Belgrave Square
1	1906	Duke of Northumberland	On Parliamentary Matters	Grovsvenor Place	Syon Brentford
1	1907	Sir Charles Alfred Cripps, K.C.	1st Baron of Parmoor	Leader House of Lords	Beautiful Temple Bar Watermark
1	1907	Sir Frank Crisp	1st Baronet	Ballad of Frankie Crisp	Ashurst, Morris Crisp, Throgmorton Ave
1	1908	Sir Henry Bargrave Deane	Privy Councillor	Request Clerk Appointment	R. C. J. Probate Division, Strand
3	1908	Bishop of London	Arthur Winnington-Ingram	Contesting the Licensing Bill	London House, 32 St. James Sq
1	1908	Editor of the Times	to Sir Ralph Littler	1st Leader of Parliamentary Bar Mess	Printing House Square, The Times
2	1909	George Everard Webster	1st Viscount Alverstone	Chief Justice of England	Bornton Lodge, Pitt Street
2	1909-10	Lord Charles Beresford	1st Baron of Beresford	aboard HMS King Edward VII	Wynyard Park, Stockton on Tees
1	1910	Illegible Signature		Middle Temple Hall Dinner	1 Mitre Court Buildings, Temple
1	1910	Sir John Edge	Privy Councillor	marked "Private"	Brewers Trading. Brewers' Hall, Addle St
1	1910	Sir John Lubbock	1st Baron of Averbury	Friend of Darwin	Kingsgate Castle, Isle of Thanet
2	1910-11	Sir Arthur Walter	Managing Editor the Times		Zum Grunen Kreuz, Marienbad
3	1910-11	Rt. Hon W.R. Kennedy	Lord Justice of Ct of Appeal	23 Phillimore Gardens	Grand Hotel Klinger Marienbad
2	1911	Admiral Sir Arthur Moore	CnC Portsmouth		Admiralty House Portsmouth
1	1911	Illegible Signature	Walter Long	re: Sir William Dunn memorial	Junior Carlton Club
1	1912	Sir Harry Poland, K.C.	Noted Criminal Barrister		New Club, Brighton
2	1913	Roland Lomax Vaughn	Bankruptcy Justice		The Coppice, Henley on Thames
1	1913	Paul von Mendelssohn Bartholdy	German Banking Magnate		Börnicke, Kreis Niderbarnim
3	1914	Duke of Bedford	Herbrand Russell	Aide de Camp George V	Woburn Abbey, Woburn
4	1914-1919	Admiral Sir William Reginald Hall	Director of Naval Intelligence	Includes two secret telegrams re: Armistice	marked "Private & Confidential"
1	1915	Lord Desborough	1st Baron Desborough		Taplow Court/Taplow Bucks
1	1915	Gen'l Sir Garrett O'Moore Creagh	Victoria Cross Winner	marked "Private & Confidential"	Albert Hall Mansions
2	1915	Sir John Arbuthnot Fisher	1st Baron Fisher	First Sea Lord/Admiral of the Fleet	marked "Private" Admiralty Whitehall
1	1916	Lord Wrenbury	Lord of Appeal	Continental Tyre Case	Privy Council Office
1	1916	Lord Robert Wynn Carrington	1st Marquess of Lincolnshire	Governor New South Wales	Daws Hill, High Wycombe
1	1916	Illegible Signature		on "elbow bending" member	Conservative Club, St. James St
2	1916-17	Sir G. Philip Langston	Judge of High Court	Ralph Neville & Beefsteak Club	24 Ryder Street, St. James Street
2	1916-18	Henry R. Gamble	Dean of Exeter		141 Sloane Street
1	1917	Gen' Sir David Henderson	1st Head Air Service in 1914	Arguably Father of Royal Air Force	War Office, Air Board Office
2	1917	Lord Mayor of London	includes telegram		The Mansion House
1	1917	Illegible Signature	House of Lords	Re: Frank Whitehead as MP	17 Cranley Gardens
2	1917-19	Sir John Murray IV	John Murray Publishers about	Croker & Macaulay feud	50 Albemarle Street
1	1918	Lt. Gen Sir Aylmer Haldane	to Palmer		H.Q. VI Corps
4	1918	Lord W. H. Fisher	1st Baron Downham	On Estimates and Admirals	13 Buckingham Palace Gardens
1	1918	G.W.E. Russell	Under Sec State for Home	Author: Matthew Arnold Biography	18 Wilton Street, S.W.
1	1918	J.D. Butler	to Alderson	Re: King's Entrance to Parliament	House of Lords
2	1918	St. John Brodrick	Earl of Midleton	"Private" Asks for Stock Information	34 Portland Place
8	1918-32	Sir William Robertson	Field Marshall		Dean's Yard, Westminster
2	1919	Lord Younger	1st Viscount Younger of Leckie	Chairman Unionist Party	Political Strategy marked "Confidential"
1	1919	Illegible Signature	Liquor Control Board		Central Control Board
1	1919	Hubert S. Martin	Leader of World Scouting Movement	Passport to France	Foreign Office
1	1919	Sir Edward Holt	Lord Mayor of Manchester	Owner Joseph Holt Brewery	Derby Brewery Cheatham
1	1919	Lady Edith Sclater	Lady Halsbury	Patriotic Charity Work	Lady Sclater's Workrooms
2	1919-20	Sir Laurence Halsey	Price Waterhouse	Prince of Wales Journal	3 Frederick's Place, Old Jewry
5	1922-24	Rear Adm Sir Guy Gaunt	Naval Attaché to Washington WWI	M.P.	Gaunt Wood
1	1929	General Sir John Asser			Darenth Tower, Westerham, Kent
1	1930	General Sir Archibald Hunter			Real Hotel, Malaga
2	1937	Lord William George Tyrrell	Baron Tyrrell of Avon	Ambassador to France	Chesham House, Shesham Place
1	no date	unsigned note	Admirals and Chairman Younger	Editors and Labour Party	Carlton Club, Pall Mall
1	no date	Maj Gen Sir Henry Edward Colville	Comm. 9th Div South Africa 1900	Author: History of the Sudan Campaign	Lightwater, Bagshot
1	no date	Lord Mowbray	24th Baron Mowbray		10 Little Stanhope Street, Mayfair
1	no date	Lord Salisbury's Estate	Prime Minister	Marquess of Salisbury	Hatfield House, Hatfield, Herts.
1	no date	Duke of St. Albans	William Beauclerk	marked "Confidential"	Bestwood Lodge, Arnold, Notts.
1	no date	Duke of Marlborough	Charles Spencer Churchill		Blenheim
1	no date	Duke of Newcastle	to Dr. Giffard
1	no date	Baron Darling	Charles Darling	Judge of High Court & Privy Council	Beaconwood Hotel
1	no date	Captain Stansfeld	to 1st Sea Lord on Halsbury	Viscount Tiverton attached to Pom-Pom	Guns atop Crown Agents Office Whitehall

Historical Note

Hardinge Giffard, 1st Earl of Halsbury

Hardinge Stanley Giffard, 1st Earl of Halsbury (3 September 1823 - 11 December 1921) was a leading barrister, politician and government minister, serving as Solicitor General and Lord Chancellor of Great Britain. His lasting legacy was the compilation of a complete digest of "Laws of England" (1905-1916), a major reference work published in many volumes and often called simply "Halsbury's". "Halsbury's Laws" was followed by a second multiple-volume reference work in 1929, "Halsbury's Statutes", and later by "Halsbury's Statutory Instruments".

Hardinge Giffard was the son of Stanley Lees Giffard, LL.D., and was born in London. He was educated at Merton College, Oxford, and was called to the bar at the Inner Temple in 1850, joining the North Wales and Chester circuit. Afterwards he had a large practice at the central criminal court and the Middlesex sessions, and he was for several years junior prosecuting counsel to the Treasury. He was engaged in most of the celebrated trials of his time, including the Overend and Gurney and the Tichborne cases. He became Queen's Counsel in 1865, and a bencher of the Inner Temple. Giffard twice contested Cardiff in the Conservative interest, in 1868 and 1874, but he was still without a seat in the House of Commons when he was appointed Solicitor General by Disraeli in 1875 and received the honour of knighthood. In 1877 he succeeded in obtaining a seat, when he was returned for Launceston, which borough he continued to represent until his elevation to the peerage in 1885.

He was then created Baron Halsbury, of Halsbury in the County of Devon, and appointed Lord Chancellor, thus forming a remarkable exception to the rule that no criminal lawyer ever reaches the woolsack. He resumed the position in 1886 and held it until 1892 and again from 1895 to 1905, his tenure of the office, broken only by the brief Liberal ministries of 1886 and 1892-1895, being longer than that of any Lord Chancellor since Lord Eldon. In 1898 he was created Earl of Halsbury and Viscount Tiverton, of Tiverton in the County of Devon. Among Conservative Lord Chancellors Lord Halsbury must always hold a high place, his grasp of legal principles and mastery in applying them being pre-eminent among the judges of his day. During the crisis over the Parliament Act of 1911, Halsbury was one of the principal leaders of the rebel faction of Tory peers that resolved on all out opposition to the government's bill. Giffard was also President of the Royal Society of Literature, Grand Warden of English Freemasons, and High Steward of the University of Oxford.

Document Specifications: This is an enormous, unique and desirable collection of letters, notes & memoranda. They are almost entirely related to the Giffard Family, some to Vice Admiral Giffard, but most to Edward Giffard, as Lord High Chancellor. There are some additional letters not directly connected to Halsbury, but they were in the letterbox and will be included. All the letters are in a rigid letterbox with the printed gilt label "Autograph Letters, Naval, Military, Etc." Many of them have been docketed and contain a penciled notation as to the writer's identity, which we believe was done by Lady Evelyn. In almost all cases the documents are in very fine to extremely fine condition. While we cannot authenticate each and every signature, the sheer volume, the recipient involved, and the personal docketing supply a very high order of confidence in the identities above enumerated.

A nice example of the sense of noblesse oblige that permeated the House of Lords

March 24, 1896 - Duke of Norfolk

Private - Norfolk House

Me Dear Lord Halsbury
"I hear the Chester District County Court Judgship is vacant. May I again remind you of my petition for my friend Sir S. Lenster Baker. You will remember that when you spoke to me very kindly of him you mentioned you had intended to give him some appointment. But you were put in a difficulty by his taking a violent line against us politically. I have ascertained that this must be a mistake as he has never done so. He contested a London hope for us at the last London County Council elections. I hope that you may find it possible to do what I venture to ask. Believe me your very humble."
Norfolk

Offered by Berryhill & Sturgeon, Ltd.

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