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Collection Overview

Creator:
Walpole, Horace, 1717-1797.
Collector:
Princeton University. Library. Special Collections
Title:
Horace Walpole Family Collection
Repository:
Manuscripts Division
Permanent URL:
http://arks.princeton.edu/ark:/88435/wp988j85h
Dates:
1724-1857 (mostly 1724-1786)
Size:
1 box and 0.2 linear feet
Storage Note:
  • ReCAP (scarcpxm): Box 1
Language:
English

Abstract

A collection of letters and documents of Horace Walpole, 4th Earl of Orford, the English historian, Member of Parliament, connoisseur, playwright, and novelist, and of his father Sir Robert Walpole, 1st Earl of Orford, who was to become England's longest running Prime Minister.

Collection Description & Creator Information

Scope and Contents

The collection consists of selected letters of Horace Walpole, 4th Earl of Orford, and documents of his father, Robert Walpole, 1st Earl of Orford. In a letter to Philip Yorke, 2nd Earl of Hardwicke, dated January 12, 1775, Walpole relates that he is closing the "Strawberry Hill" printing press due to health reasons. There are two letters from Walpole to the Duc de Nivernais, dated January 6, 1785, and February 1, 1785, thanking the Duke for his translation into French of Walpole's Essay on Modern Gardening and for allowing him to print it at Strawberry Hill. There is also a letter from Princess Amelia to Walpole, dated June 17, 1786, and endorsed by Walpole; and there is another letter to "My Lord," dated March 17 (n.y.)

Included are four documents signed by Robert Walpole: a warrant to pay Samuel Grice £400 on November 19, 1724, signed by Walpole and others; a warrant to pay £50 to Francis Earl of Godolphin, dated September, 1732; a warrant to pay Henry Beeston, dated May, 1734; and a warrant to pay John Pitt, dated August 14, 1739.

In addition, there are several illustations: a steel engraving of Horace Walpole at the age of ten, engraved by Samuel Smith, dated 1857; a wood engraved portrait of his father Robert by Thomas Chambars; and a stipple engraved portrait also of Robert Walpole, by Edward Harding.

Arrangement

Organized by accession number.

Collection Creator Biography:

Walpole, Horace, 1717-1797.

Horace Walpole was the third son of Sir Robert Walpole. From 1741 to 1747 he was a member of Parliament. In 1747 he acquired a small villa at Twickenham, near London, and transformed it into a Gothic showplace known as Strawberry Hill. Over the years he added cloisters, turrets, and battlements, filled the interior with pictures and curios, and amassed a valuable library. Walpole established a private press on the grounds, where he printed his own works and those of his friends. Strawberry Hill was the stimulus for the Gothic revival in English domestic architecture. Walpole's literary output was extremely varied. The Castle of Otranto (1765), which was first published anonymously, succeeded in restoring the element of romance to contemporary fiction, and his private correspondence of some 4,000 letters constitutes a survey of the history, manners, and taste of his age.

Collection History

Acquisition:

Letters to the Duc de Nivernais were tipped in a copy of Essay on Modern Gardening, Princeton University Catalogue number (Ex) 3862.7.64, removed on February 28, 1951 .

Letter to "My Lord," was tipped in the same above book, and removed on February 28, 1951 .

Letter of Princess Amelia was tipped in the same above book, and removed on February 28, 1951 .

Documents and engravings of Robert Walpole were a gift of James D. Pitney, Princeton Class of 1943, on June 8, 1965 .

Letter to Philip Yorke was a gift of Mr. and Mrs. William M. Cahn, Jr., Princeton Class of 1933, on November 21, 1980 .

Warrant to pay Samuel Grice was purchased on November 8, 1983 .

Custodial History

The collection was formed as a result of a Departmental practice of combining into one collection material of various accessions relating to a particular person, family, or subject.

Appraisal

No appraisal information is available.

Processing Information

Folder inventory added by Nicholas Williams '2015 in 2012.

Access & Use

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open for research use.

Conditions Governing Use

Single copies may be made for research purposes. To cite or publish quotations that fall within Fair Use, as defined under U. S. Copyright Law, no permission is required. For instances beyond Fair Use, it is the responsibility of the researcher to determine whether any permissions related to copyright, privacy, publicity, or any other rights are necessary for their intended use of the Library's materials, and to obtain all required permissions from any existing rights holders, if they have not already done so. Princeton University Library's Special Collections does not charge any permission or use fees for the publication of images of materials from our collections, nor does it require researchers to obtain its permission for said use. The department does request that its collections be properly cited and images credited. More detailed information can be found on the Copyright, Credit and Citations Guidelines page on our website. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us through the Ask Us! form.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

For preservation reasons, original analog and digital media may not be read or played back in the reading room. Users may visually inspect physical media but may not remove it from its enclosure. All analog audiovisual media must be digitized to preservation-quality standards prior to use. Audiovisual digitization requests are processed by an approved third-party vendor. Please note, the transfer time required can be as little as several weeks to as long as several months and there may be financial costs associated with the process. Requests should be directed through the Ask Us Form.

Credit this material:

Horace Walpole Family Collection; Manuscripts Division, Department of Special Collections, Princeton University Library

Permanent URL:
http://arks.princeton.edu/ark:/88435/wp988j85h
Location:
Firestone Library
One Washington Road
Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
(609) 258-3184
Storage Note:
  • ReCAP (scarcpxm): Box 1