Inventory Acc.11388 Ashburton Papers National Library of Scotland Manuscripts Division George IV Bridge Edinburgh EH1 1EW Tel: 0131-466 2812 Fax: 0131-466 2811 E-mail:
[email protected] © Trustees of the National Library of Scotland Papers of William Bingham Baring, second Baron Ashburton (succeeded 1848; 1799- 1864), his first wife (m.1823) Lady Harriet Mary Montagu (?1805-1857, eldest daughter of the 6th Earl of Sandwich) and his second wife (m.1858) Louisa Caroline Stewart Mackenzie (1827-1903). Also papers of his only child surviving to adulthood, Mary Florence (1860-1902, married William Compton, fifth Marquess of Northampton), and their extended family, especially Louisa’s mother, the Hon. Mary Frederica Stewart Mackenzie of Seaforth (formerly Lady Hood) (1783-1862). These individuals are referred to below as Bingham, Harriet, Louisa, Mary and Mrs Stewart Mackenzie respectively. The importance of the papers lies in the enormous range of the correspondents: politicians British and French, writers, artists. Bingham was an MP from 1826 until he succeeded to the peerage, and this, as well as his family of bankers and politicians gave him a wide-ranging acquaintance. Harriet too was deeply interested in politics, and also knew many writers, presiding over a salon and conducting a large correspondence. Louisa was a well-known figure in society, especially in the artistic world. Mrs Stewart Mackenzie was a close friend of Sir Walter Scott. Particularly notable are the correspondences with Scott, Thomas and Jane Carlyle, Dr John Brown,