1
Lansdowne House
Berkeley Square, W.
9. Feb 16 Dear Lady Londonderry Shaftesbury would I fancy
naturally came in front of Stavy, and
his candidature is backed by Portman.
the county council and others. paragraph But Shaftesbury is already L⌃L: of
an Irish county, and there is a doubt
whether he could hold the two, altho'
Devonshire was L⌃L: for Derbyshire and for
Waterford - I told the P.M. that I
thought Stavy might certainly be appointed
if the objection to Shaftesbury prevails - I
shall not be sorry if it does. Until I
heard from you I did not know that
Stavy was in the field. When are you coming to London?
You will find us here, and delighted
to give you luncheon if you should be
passing through. Yours ever
Lansdowne
This letter is part of a series of correspondence belonging to Lady Londonderry, a
large proportion of which concerns Sir Edward Carson and opposition to the Third Home
Rule Bill. Lady Londonderry was a prominent figure in politics and high-society from
1890 until 1919. Her correspondence includes many important figures in literature,
the arts, the military, law and the church.
This letter was written by Henry Charles Keith Petty Fitzmaurice, fifth marquess of
Lansdowne (1845-1927). Lansdowne was a prominent British politician who served in
the wartime coalition ministry of H.H. Asquith. Lansdowne came to believe that victory
in the war was impossible and his views of the matter led to the collapse of the government
in December 1916. On 29 November 1917 he published his views in the 'Lansdowne Letter'.
The letter is addressed to Lady Londonderry (1856 - 1919), the wife of Charles Stewart
Vane-Tempest-Stewart (1852 - 1915), sixth marquess of Londonderry. Lady Londonderry
was also an active figure in British politics.
This letter concerns appointments and arrangements to have lunch when Lady Londonderry
next visits London.