| Document Reference | Pw J |
| Title | Papers of Lord William H. Cavendish Bentinck (1774-1839), soldier, politician and statesman, in the Portland (Welbeck) Collection |
| Date | 1790-1839 |
| Extent | 203 boxes |
| Abstract | Principal document types present include; correspondence, letter books, journals, maps. |
| Level | SubFonds |
| Access Conditions | Accessible to all readers. |
| Admin History | Lord William Cavendish Bentinck (1774-1839) was the second son of the third Duke of Portland and a professional soldier. His extensive correspondence and associated official papers cover his distinguished career. He saw service in Minorca and Egypt before being posted to India in 1803 as Governor of Madras. In 1811 he returned to Europe as commander-in-chief of the British forces in Sicily, and later served in Spain. He served briefly as M.P. for Kings Lynn before returning to India in 1827 as governor general of Bengal, where he effected important financial reforms, reorganized the judicial department and extended the system of employment of natives in official positions. In 1833 he became the first governor general of India. Lord William returned to England in 1835, serving as Liberal M.P. for Glasgow from 1837. |
| Custodial History | These papers form a sub-group of the Portland (Welbeck) Collection (Pw) and were received from the 7th Duke of Portland in the first deposit from Welbeck Abbey in 1949. A second deposit was received in 1968. |
| Description | The Collection covers Lord William's military and official postings in some detail, with separate groups of papers concerning his career in Madras, Sicily, and Bengal. The pre-1803 series refers to his activities as a young officer in the English armies in Flanders and Italy during the Revolutionary wars. Correspondence and related papers are also present for his time with the British armies in the Penninsular War, when he took part in the retreat to Coruña under Sir John Moore.
From his experience as a local landlord, there are records concerning his interest in agricultural improvement and the Fen drainage system. His life and interests after his return from India to England are also reflected, particularly his energetic efforts as M.P. for Glasgow to set up a company to promote steam ship communication with India via Suez and Socotra. |
| MgtGroup | Political and diplomatic papers |
| Family and estate collections |
| MgtSubGroup | Individuals |
| Portland |
| Arrangement | Lord William's papers are divided according to notable stages in his career, with different finding aids devoted to the seven different series:
Pw Ja. Early military career to 1803
Pw Jb. Governor of Madras, 1803-1807
Pw Jc. Military Service during the Peninsular War, 1807-1811
Pw Jd. Envoy to the Court of Sicily, 1811-1814
Pw Je. King's Lynn and political career, 1814-1827
Pw Jf. Governor-General of Bombay and India, 1827-1835
Pw Jg. Political Career after India, 1835-1839
In most cases, the surviving papers reflect the organisation of his files during his official duties. |
| Language | English |
| Italian |
| Term | Europe - History, Military |
| Military history, Modern - 18th century |
| Military history, Modern - 19th century |
| Great Britain - Politics and government - 19th century |
| Agriculture - Great Britain |
| Peninsular War, 1807-1814 |
| Elections - England |
| Great Britain - Parliament - Elections |
| Great Britain - Colonies - Administration |
| India - Politics and government |
| FindingAids | Copyright in all Finding Aids belongs to the University of Nottingham.
In the Reading Room, King's Meadow Campus: 4 Typescript Catalogues, 529 pp
At the National Register of Archives, The National Archives, Kew: 4 Typescript Catalogues, 529 pp
Online:
Catalogue available through the website of Manuscripts and Special Collections, Manuscripts Online Catalogue.
Access to the old typescript catalogue was also made available online during the national Access to Archives (A2A) project in 2000-2004. This catalogue is now available through Discovery, hosted by The National Archives (http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk). The version on our own Manuscripts Online Catalogue will be more up to date. |
| Copyright | Identification of copyright holders of unpublished material is often difficult. Permission to make any published use of any material from the collection must be sought in advance in writing from the Keeper of Manuscripts and Special Collections (email mss-library@nottingham.ac.uk). |
| ReprodnNote | Photocopies and photographic copies can be supplied for educational use and private study purposes only, depending on the condition of the documents. |
| Related Material | See the fonds record for the Portland (Welbeck) Collection as a whole (Pw); and also the separate records for each of the other constituent subfonds (Pw 1, Pw 2 Hy, Pw B, Pw C, Pw F, Pw G, Pw K, Pw L, Pw M, Pw N, Pw V) |
| British Library |
| Other collections listed through The National Archives Discovery catalogue. |
| Related Record | Pw/H |
| Pw/F |
| PwV |
| Pw |
| Publication Note | John Rosselli, 'Lord William Bentinck: The Making of a Liberal Imperialist 1774-1839' (Chatto and Windus, 1974)
C.H. Philips, (ed.), 'The Correspondence of Lord William Cavendish-Bentinck' (2 vols., Oxford University Press, 1977) |