An Autograph Letter of Elizabeth Craven to Louis XVIII of France
One thing that always annoys me is how many letters written by women or appertaining to women are not catalogued under that woman's name in archives, but are shoved in with the papers of a male relative or recipient.
The British Library does not list this item in its collection under Elizabeth Craven. It is left hidden in the miscellaneous correspondence of her son Keppel. Yet this letter is of great interest being written to Prince Louis Stanislas Xavier de Bourbon, known as Count of Provence until in later life he became King Louis XVIII of France. He was the younger brother of Louis XVI who had been sent to the guillotine in 1792. The letter is dated in 1814, just before his accession to the throne after the fall of Napoleon. It indicates what friendly terms Elizabeth Craven was on with him during his exile in England, and was sent as a cover-note with a gift of a manuscript by a French author, apparently dedicated to her late husband the Margrave of Anspach. And it is written with some of Craven's typical whimsicality e.g. the address "Des Bords de la Tamise" i.e. From the Banks of the Thames meaning her home, Brandenburgh House, at Hammersmith.
"From the Banks of the Thames 7th June 1814.
In searching among the manuscripts that belonged to my worthy spouse, all the letters that I think it my duty to give to his heir, the King of Prussia, the following Discourse, which I have found among other works dedicated to the Margrave, seems to me to agree so well with the conduct and ideas of the virtuous Louis 18 that I now take pains to place it before his eyes, hoping that he will accept this tribute of my esteem
and its King long enjoy that peace and happiness that I wish for them, and may Louis 18 accept with his usual grace and generosity, this small tribute of my esteem.
Elizabeth, Dowager Margravine of Anspach & Bayreuth
née Berkeley, Princess Berkeley."
It appears that the book she was giving him was a discourse on the art of governing, dedicated to the Margrave when he was still the ruler of Anspach. Joseph Uriot (1713-1788) was a Frenchman, who had been tutor to the Margrave's mother Princess Frederica of Wurttemberg. He may have written this discourse on the occasion of the Margrave's succession to the title, which would have been a suitable moment. The discourse seems never to have been published. At any rate, it is not listed on WorldCat.org though many other books by Uriot are, so unless the manuscript has survived somewhere in an archive the work is lost.
Given that the letter was written to accompany a gift to Louis, the question is, why did it end up in the papers of Keppel, Elizabeth Craven's son? Surely it would have been sent with the parcel? Two explanations occur to me. One, that it was intended for a presentation when Louis actually visited Elizabeth Craven's home. The letter does refer to the gift being made publicly. So the note might have been given, opened and then left behind. Otherwise, it may be that the note was considered too untidy and smudgy, and so a neater copy was made.
This is one of Uriot's published books.
The British Library does not list this item in its collection under Elizabeth Craven. It is left hidden in the miscellaneous correspondence of her son Keppel. Yet this letter is of great interest being written to Prince Louis Stanislas Xavier de Bourbon, known as Count of Provence until in later life he became King Louis XVIII of France. He was the younger brother of Louis XVI who had been sent to the guillotine in 1792. The letter is dated in 1814, just before his accession to the throne after the fall of Napoleon. It indicates what friendly terms Elizabeth Craven was on with him during his exile in England, and was sent as a cover-note with a gift of a manuscript by a French author, apparently dedicated to her late husband the Margrave of Anspach. And it is written with some of Craven's typical whimsicality e.g. the address "Des Bords de la Tamise" i.e. From the Banks of the Thames meaning her home, Brandenburgh House, at Hammersmith.
"From the Banks of the Thames 7th June 1814.
In searching among the manuscripts that belonged to my worthy spouse, all the letters that I think it my duty to give to his heir, the King of Prussia, the following Discourse, which I have found among other works dedicated to the Margrave, seems to me to agree so well with the conduct and ideas of the virtuous Louis 18 that I now take pains to place it before his eyes, hoping that he will accept this tribute of my esteem
which I thus present publicly with the consoling hope that the People will follow exactly the Advice that Monsieur Uriot gives them and that their grateful hearts will find that their King has already fulfilled his Task, since almost everything Monsieur Uriot recommends Sovereigns to do appears to be the Echo of the wishes of Louis 18. The French people will be glad that I do Justice to the memory of this man [Uriot] whose thoughts addressed to the best of all sovereign princes [the late Margrave], were merely the forerunners of the conduct of their King. May France
and its King long enjoy that peace and happiness that I wish for them, and may Louis 18 accept with his usual grace and generosity, this small tribute of my esteem.
Elizabeth, Dowager Margravine of Anspach & Bayreuth
née Berkeley, Princess Berkeley."
It appears that the book she was giving him was a discourse on the art of governing, dedicated to the Margrave when he was still the ruler of Anspach. Joseph Uriot (1713-1788) was a Frenchman, who had been tutor to the Margrave's mother Princess Frederica of Wurttemberg. He may have written this discourse on the occasion of the Margrave's succession to the title, which would have been a suitable moment. The discourse seems never to have been published. At any rate, it is not listed on WorldCat.org though many other books by Uriot are, so unless the manuscript has survived somewhere in an archive the work is lost.
Given that the letter was written to accompany a gift to Louis, the question is, why did it end up in the papers of Keppel, Elizabeth Craven's son? Surely it would have been sent with the parcel? Two explanations occur to me. One, that it was intended for a presentation when Louis actually visited Elizabeth Craven's home. The letter does refer to the gift being made publicly. So the note might have been given, opened and then left behind. Otherwise, it may be that the note was considered too untidy and smudgy, and so a neater copy was made.
This is one of Uriot's published books.
Discours prononcé a l'ouverture de la bibliotheque publique fondée par son altesse serenissime Monseigneur Le Duc Regnant de Wurtemberg et Teck [et]c. [et]c. le onze Fevrier MDCCLXV. jour de la fete de sa naissance by Joseph Uriot.
de l'Imprimerie de Cotta, imprimeur de la Cour, 1765
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