For your consideration is an exceptionally rare original 21 May 1882 autograph letter by Lieutenant-General Arthur Richard Wellesley, 2nd Duke of Wellington, KG, PC (18071884), written from Stratfield Saye, the Wellington family estate in Hampshire, to Matilda Georgiana Josephine Willes (18251912), ne Lockwood, wife of Vice-Admiral George Ommanney Willes. Measuring approximately 3.75 by 6.0 inches, the single manuscript sheet is written in black ink on the recto, with the verso blank. The letter opens Dear Mrs Willes and contains informal, humorous remarks concerning a recent wedding and the Dukes dislike of being jostled or pushed about in crowded social situations.
The recipient was the wife of Vice-Admiral George Ommanney Willes (18231901), then serving as Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Navys China Station. Willes had previously served as aide-de-camp to Queen Victoria and belonged to the highest levels of Britains naval and court establishment. In 1882 he had not yet been knighted, making the Dukes salutation Mrs Willes precisely appropriate; after Willes received the KCB in 1884, she would have been styled Lady Willes. The relaxed tone of the letter reflects the shared aristocratic, military, and court circles of the Wellington and Willes families.
Arthur Richard Wellesley was the eldest son of Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, victor of Waterloo and former Prime Minister. He succeeded to the dukedom in 1852, served as Master of the Horse under Queen Victoria, became a Privy Councillor, and was appointed Knight of the Garter in 1858. Written only a little over two years before his death in 1884, this note offers an unusually personal glimpse of the 2nd Duke away from official ceremony, speaking candidly and humorously about social discomfort and a recent wedding incident.
Preserved in attractive original condition with expected folds, light toning, and minor age-related handling wear, the letter is an evocative piece of late-Victorian aristocratic correspondence. Its association with Stratfield Saye, the Wellington family, Matilda Georgiana Josephine Willes, and the wife of one of Britains senior serving admirals gives it considerable historical interest for collectors of British nobility, military history, royal and court correspondence, and 19th-century manuscripts.
Related Items:
small 1882 magazine engraving ~ LIEUTENANT G.W. DE LONG, Commander of JEANNETTE
$4.28
1882 Lieutenant General Arthur Wellesley 2nd Duke Wellington Signed Letter ALS
$375.00
Otto WEDDIGEN 15.09.1882 naval officer U boat commander lieutenant- Old Photo
$6.43
