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- 27 October 1833 (Creation)
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1 leaf of paper, folded, 4 p.
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Biographical history
Van de Weyer served as Belgium’s Prime minister from July 1845 to March 1846. However, he lived for the majority of his life in London (17 Fitzroy Square, 50 Portland Place) and Windsor (New Lodge), and held the office of Belgian Minister at the Court of St. James’s under Queen Victoria, an ambassadorial role. Van de Weyer was close friends with Lord Palmerston. In addition to being a member of the Roxburghe Club, Van de Weyer was a founder member of the Philobiblon Society, the Vice President of the London Library, a Member of the Société des Bibliophiles de Belgique and the Head of the Royal Library of Brussels.
Pierre Henri Laurent said of Van de Weyer: 'His manners, taste, and savoir-faire brought him into the vital center of the intellectual, diplomatic, and financial communities. His home became the meeting place of writers, artists, and scientists’.
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Autograph letter addressed from "Malahide Castle", signed, to “Col Shawe”. “Col Shawe” is Lieutenant Colonel Merrick Shawe. Also mentioned in the letter is Richard, Marquess Wellesley (1760–1842), Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, his wife, Marianne Wellesley née Caton (1788-1853), her sister Elizabeth Caton (1790-1862), and Thomas Spring Rice (1790–1866).
Full transcription of the letter:
Malahide Castle
Sunday Octr. 27th
1833
My Dr Col Shawe
Altho’ you have shewn me no signs of life, since
my return to this land of Blessedness, yet so many
tender recollections, and historical associations, of all
that concerns you & the vice regal court of the
present day, crowd on my mind in this Castle, that
I cannot refrain from giving you a flapper and
reminding you, that, “such things were, & were to us
most dear”.—This being sentimentally observed, I shall
proceed to business, in the true Irish style, by
asking a favor—viz—will you allow me—to
name a few foreign letters (which are lying for me
at my Booksellers in London),—under cover to
you? —They are but letters! in case you
favorably “incline your ear” to my petition
will you have the kindness to frank the inclosed
for my Ministers which contains an order to
forward my foreigns letters to you.—We
shall return to Town ^\on/ Tuesday—and
hope to hear from you, de-bisée-birse,
a good account of the Lord Lieutenants
health & of the safe arrival of la
belle Excellence.—We have had
Mr & Mrs Littleton here, making
the most agreable impressions,
I grieve for the loss of my old Fogeys,
especially as there does not appear
that there are any younger ones to supply
their place at present in Dublin,
I hope Mr Spring Rice will spare us
the two or three men, old or young that
remain,—& that under the latter head
he will at least leave us him, whose
eternally devouée, I beg to subscribe myself
Sydney Morgan
I hope Miss Caton accompanies Lady Wellesley;
She is a famous Coajutor, as we say in our church—
If you have not read Manor Sackvill (in dramatic
scenes) you may expect to be read out of mine by
Bell book & Candle light!
[Superscription:] Col Shawe
[Docketed:] Lady Morgans letters
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23.4 cm x 19 cm