| Admin History | Henry Pelham Archibald Pelham-Clinton, 7th Duke of Newcastle under Lyne (1864-1928) succeeded his father, Henry, in 1879. The 7th Duke suffered from delicate health as a result of a fall during his infancy, and this prevented him from taking more than a small part in public life. Educated at Eton from 1878-1882, and then at Magdalen College, Oxford, the duke's politics were staunchly Conservative. He played no active role in politics, however, and appears to have spoken in the House of Lords very infrequently. The 7th Duke was perhaps best known for his devout Anglo-Catholicism. He was a follower of Ritualism, and during 1888 was the subject of persistent rumours that he was about to join the Roman Catholic Church. These he vehemently denied. He was a member of the English Church Union, and was strongly in favour of the repeal of the Public Worship Regulation Act. In Nottinghamshire, he is best remembered as having built the magnificent chapel of St Mary the Virgin at Clumber, at a cost of some £40,000.
Aside from religion, the 7th Duke's other main interests were photography and travel. He was considered to be 'one of the most expert and enthusiastic amateur photographers in the country', with a personal collection of more than 30 cameras. He made photographic studies of the Romany people, in whom he took a deep interest. He travelled widely in the U.S.A..
Though never holding political office, the 7th Duke was a member of the London School Board, was Lord High Steward of Retford, a Deputy Lieutenant for Nottinghamshire, Master Forester of Dartmoor, Keeper of St Briavel's Castle, and was a director of public companies. In 1889 he married Kathleen Florence May Candy, daughter of Major Henry Augustus Candy. There was no issue of the marriage, and in 1928 the 7th Duke was succeeded by his brother, Lord Francis Hope. |
| Custodial History | These papers form a sub-fonds of the Newcastle (Clumber) Collection (Ne) and are part of the personal and political papers fonds (Ne C). They were part of the first deposit received from the 9th Duke of Newcastle in 1955 and were accepted in lieu of estate duty in 1981. |
| Description | This is a small collection of personal papers. The majority of documents within the collection are bills, letters and newspaper cuttings, though there are also addresses, orders of service, play bills, tracts and so on. The letters are of a largely personal nature, with correspondents providing the duke with news of their interests and actvities. There is information relating to the dedication of the Chapel of St Mary the Virgin at Clumber, and a significant part of the newspaper cuttings focuses on the 7th Duke's religious beliefs and on reports of his wedding. |
| FindingAids | Copyright in all Finding Aids belongs to the University of Nottingham.
In the Reading Room, King's Meadow Campus:
Old typescript Catalogue, 2 pp
At the National Register of Archives, The National Archives, Kew:
Old typescript Catalogue, 2 pp
Online:
Catalogue accessible on the website of Manuscripts and Special Collections, Manuscripts Online Catalogue.
Readers are advised that the online catalogue is more comprehensive than the old typescript version, and has been enhanced by personal, place and subject indexing. |