MenuGuide to the Malet Family Papers, 1808-1937
Collection Overview
The papers of the Malet family span the dates 1808-1937, with most of the papers being dated between 1824 and 1908. The papers consist chiefly of correspondence among members of the Malet family, particularly Sir Charles Warre Malet, Sir Alexander Malet and his wife Lady Marian Dora Malet, Sir Henry Charles Eden Malet, and Sir Edward Baldwin Malet, and their friends and diplomatic associates. Notable correspondents include Queen Sophia of the Netherlands, Sidney Herbert, Lord Clarendon, Lord Napier, Lord Stuart de Rochesay, Lord Brougham, Sir Rennell Rodd, Lord Lyons, Lord Granville and Lord Dufferin. The papers also include printed material, writings, financial papers, clippings, photographs, Lady Marian Dora Malet's diary (1831-1833), Sir Henry Charles Eden Malet's album of illustrations of his service in the Crimean War, and miscellaneous papers. The collection is particularly rich in material concerning 19th-century British diplomacy. The letters of Sir Alexander and Sir Edward Malet thoroughly document British relations with Russia, Portugal, Holland, Austria, Germany, the United States, France, Turkey, Greece, Italy, Belgium, China, and Egypt. The letters and album of Sir Henry Charles Eden Malet in the Malet Family Correspondence Series provide detailed information about the Crimean War, particularly the siege of Sevastopol.
The Queen Sophia Series contains around 900 letters (1842-1877) from Queen Sophia of the Netherlands to Lady Malet relating to political and diplomatic matters with references to Emperor Napoleon III, Empress Eugénie, and Prince Napoleon, of France; King William II, King William III, and Queen Anna, of the Netherlands; King William I and Queen Olga of Württemberg; Francis Napier, Baron Napier; Edward Henry Stanley, Earl of Derby; George William Frederick Villiers, Earl of Clarendon; Henry Richard Charles Wellesley, Earl Cowley; and to other members of the royal families of England, France, the Netherlands, and Württemberg.
In the Alexander and Edward Malet Correspondence Series, Sir Alexander Malet's letters to his mother chronicle his duty in Russia (1824-1827), Portugal (1833-1835), Holland (1836-1843), and Austria and Germany (1844-1845). Three letterbooks contain copies of dispatches that he wrote to the Foreign Office while acting as envoy to the Germanic Confederation at Frankfurt from 1852-1866. Bismarck, a friend of the family, was at Frankfurt between 1851 and 1858, and conversations with him were reported in the correspondence.
The letters of Sir Edward Malet in the Alexander and Edward Malet Correspondence Series cover his entire diplomatic career. He was in Washington, D.C. during the American Civil War, in Paris during the Franco-Prussian War and Commune, in Constantinople at the end of the Russo-Turkish War, and in Egypt as agent and consul-general from 1879-1883. Peking (1873), Athens (1874), Rome (1875-1876), Brussels (1884), and Berlin (1884-1895) were also on his tour of duty. One volume contains copies of Malet's dispatches from Egypt from 1881-1883. Around 4,000 letters span his career, documenting political events of the period.
The Malet Family Printed Material Series includes material concerning the marriage of Princess Louise of Schleswig-Holstein in 1891 and for the visit on that occasion of the Emperor and Empress of Germany. The Alexander and Edward Malet Writings Series includes Sir Edward's Shifting Scenes (1901) in both print and manuscript format and proofs and manuscripts of Sir Alexander's The Overthrow of the Germanic Federations by Prussia in 1866 (1870)
Descriptive Summary
- Title
- Malet Family Papers, 1808-1937
- Creator
- Malet Family
- Extent
- 15 Linear Feet, 7,000 Items
- Repository
- Duke University. David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library
- Location
- For current information on the location of these materials, please consult the Library's online catalog.
- Language
- English.
Administrative Information
A majority of collections are stored off site and must be requested at least 24 business hours in advance for retrieval. Contact Rubenstein Library staff before visiting. Read More »
Access Restrictions
This collection is open for research.
However, patrons must sign the Acknowledgment of Legal Responsibility and Privacy Rights form before using this collection.
Also, all or portions of this collection may be housed off-site in Duke University's Library Service Center. Consequently, there may be a 24-hour delay in obtaining these materials.
Please contact Research Services staff before visiting the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library to use this collection.
Use Restrictions
copyright interests in the papers of the Malet family have not been transferred to Duke University. For further information, see the section on copyright in the Regulations and Procedures of the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library.
Contents of the Collection
Browse List of Series
Collapse All
Expand AllChiefly letters to members of the Malet family. Includes letters (1850-1867) from Lord Edward Henry Stanley to Lady Marian Dora Malet concerning politics and literature; letters from Frances Eden to Lady Malet concerning her life in India from 1835-1841; letters to Sir Charles Warre Malet, Indian administrator and diplomat; and letters from Sir Henry Charles Eden Malet, 3rd Baronet, to his parents describing his life as a young officer during the Crimean War. Other correspondents include Sidney Herbert, Lord Clarendon, Lord Napier, Lord and Lady Palmerston, Sharif Pasha, and Nubar Pasha.
Note: For more detailed description of the material in this series, see the cards in the Main Entry drawer of the card catalog. The inventory file also contains a folder of biographical and genealogical material regarding the Malet family.
Arranged chronologically.
Includes Sketch of the Life of the Duke of Devonshire (1861), printed political papers and programs, invitations, and other items from the ceremonies for the marriage of Princess Louise in1891and for the visit on that occasion of the Emperor and Empress of Germany. Also includes a warrant from Queen Victoria granting Sir Alexander Malet's diplomatic pension, Feb. 22, 1867 (oversize folder).
Unarranged.
Card photographs of Sir Edward Malet, Lady Ermyntrude Malet, Ahmed Araby, and Izzet Bey.
Photocopy of a typescript of a two-volume diary (1831 Nov. 14 - 1833 Aug. 29) of Lady Malet written in the years before her marriage. Entries chiefly contain information about her social activities and conversations with friends, many of whom were notable political figures. Includes a sequel written by her in1857 in which she reflects on her earlier entries and her relationships with those mentioned in the diary. This sequel concludes with an epilogue by her son, Sir Edward Malet. Some pages appear to be missing from the typescript.
Album of watercolors, drawings, and maps, most created by Sir Henry Charles Eden, 3rd Baronet, during his service as a lieutenant in the Grenadier Guards during the Crimean War. Most of the 44 sketches, battle plans, and watercolors illustrate the siege of Sevastopol, the countryside, and army life. Views include Balaklava, the Inkerman Valley, and the Mackenzie Heights. The album also contains views and maps of the Redan, Mamelon, and Malakoff. Two watercolors of Cintra dated1834 are not by Malet, if the penciled dates are correct, as he was born in1835.
Letters, clippings, and pictures representing Lady Marian (sometimes spelled Mary Anne and Marianne) Dora Malet's close friendship with Queen Sophia Frederica Mathilda of the Netherlands. Most letters are from Queen Sophia, and include references to her personal life with her husband King William III; her friendships with Lord Clarendon, Lord Cowley, Lord Napier, and their wives. Other English friends mentioned were Charles Villiers, Lady Ely, Lady Westmoreland, and Lady Russell. Letters document her anglophilia and her antipathy towards the Russians. Correspondence includes analyses of Napoleon III and his wife Empress Eugénie. Letters contain not only the Queen's information and judgments about European affairs, but also her comments and opinions about rulers, nobles, diplomats, politicians, and military men of England, France, Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, and Russia. Letters are arranged chronologically. Includes clippings regarding Queen Sophia's death in1877 and a cabinet card photograph of the Queen at the end of the series.
Note: Many of the letters in this series are undated. At some point, dates were penciled on letters, but many appear to be inaccurate. For more detailed description of the material in this series, see the cards in the Main Entry drawer of the card catalog. The inventory file also contains a folder of biographical and genealogical material regarding Queen Sophia.
Letters are arranged chronologically with letterbooks arranged chronologically at the end of the series.
Correspondence among Sir Alexander Malet and Sir Edward Malet and their family members, friends, and political associates. Many of Sir Alexander's letters concern family matters, his accommodations and events at court at his various posts in Europe, and his appointments and transfers. Some letters contain information about political events in Russia, Portugal, Great Britain, and Afghanistan. Sir Edward's letters to his parents (1854-1890) include comments on British politics as well as political events and figures in other places where he traveled (Washington, D.C. during the American Civil War; Paris in1870; and Berlin in1884). Also included is Sir Edward's diplomatic correspondence. Correspondents include Lord Clarendon, Lord Stuart de Rochesay, Lord Brougham, Lord Loftus, Lord Powlett, Sir J. R. Milbanke, Sir Rennell Rodd, Lord Lyons, Lord Granville, the Duke of York (later King George V), Lord Salisbury, Wilfred Scawen Blunt, Lord Dufferin, Esme Howard, and Lord Palmerston. One letterbook (1855-1858) contains dispatches of Sir Alexander Malet from Frankfurt while he served as British Minister to the Germanic Federation to Foreign Secretaries, Lords Malmesbury, John Russell and Clarendon, while five others contain printed correspondence from numerous diplomats regarding the political situation in Egypt 1882-1884 and1904.
Unarranged.
Writings include manuscripts and proofs of Sir Alexander Malet's book The Overthrow of the Germanic Confederation by Prussia in 1866(1870) and manuscripts and a copy of Sir Edward Malet's Shifting Scenes( 1901). Fragments of poetry, songs, and playbills written by the Malets are also contained within this series, as well as a small illustrated manuscript pamphlet entitled The Countess and the Tomahawk.
Unarranged.
Volumes, printed reports, playbills, advertisements, menus, calling cards, membership lists of organizations, and guest lists documenting the social and diplomatic activities of Sir Alexander and Sir Edward Malet. Includes a program with seating arrangements for the wedding of Princess Louise of Schleswig-Holstein, a1905 biographical pamphlet on Sir Edward Malet, and 2 copies of a1907 pamphlet entitled The Episode of the Egyptian Rebellion of 1882.
Arranged chronologically.
Receipts, hotel bills, ledger pages, inventories, household accounts, lists of servants' wages, and accounts showing profits and costs of the publication of Sir Edward Malet's Shifting Scenes.
Arranged chronologically.
Clippings regarding Malet family members and their political associates and friends. Includes a few German and Egyptian newspaper clippings.
Arranged chronologically.
Includes drawings, guest list for parties, lists of friends and associates who paid calls, a document granting power of attorney for Sir Alexander Malet to his mother Dame Susanna Malet, and a small sketch of a house plan.
Historical Note
Sir Charles Warre Malet, 1st Baronet
| Date | Event(s) |
|---|---|
| 1752, Dec. 30 | Baptised |
| 1791, Feb. 24 | Was created a baronet |
| 1799, Sept. 23 | Married Susanna Wales |
| 1815, Dec. 15 | Died and was succeeded by son Alexander Malet |
Sir Alexander Malet, 2nd Baronet
| Date | Event(s) |
|---|---|
| 1800, July 23 | Born |
| 1834, Dec. 22 | Married Marian Dora Spalding (d. 1891, Jan. 2) |
| 1886, Nov. 28 | Died and was succeeded by son Henry Charles Eden Malet |
Sir Henry Charles Eden Malet, 3rd Baronet
| Date | Event(s) |
|---|---|
| 1835, Sept. 25 | Born |
| 1873, Feb. 19 | Married Laura Jane Hamilton (d. 1922, May 9) |
| 1904, Jan 12 | Died and was succeeded by brother Edward Baldwin Malet |
Sir Edward Baldwin Malet, 4th Baronet
| Date | Event(s) |
|---|---|
| 1837, Oct. 10 | Born |
| 1885, Mar. 19 | Married Lady Ermyntrude Sackville Russell (d. 1927, Mar. 22) |
| 1908, June 29 | Died and was succeeded by cousin Edward St. Lo Malet |
Sir Charles Warre Malet, 1st Baronet
| Date | Event(s) |
|---|---|
| 1753? | Born |
| 1785-1791 | Resident minister at Poona, India |
| 1791 | Was created a baronet for his services at Poona, India |
| 1791-1798 | Acting Governor of Bombay |
| 1798 | Retired and returned to England |
| 1815 | Died |
Sir Alexander Malet, 2nd Baronet
| Date | Event(s) |
|---|---|
| 1800, June | Born at Hartham Park, Wiltshire |
| 1815 | Succeeded to baronetcy |
| 1822 | BA, Christ Church, Oxford |
| 1824 | Entered diplomatic service as attaché at St. Petersburg |
| 1832-1834 | Secretary of Legation at Lisbon under Lord Howden |
| 1834 | Married Marian Dora Spalding |
| 1836-1843 | Secretary of the Embassy at the Hague |
| 1849 | Became Minister Plenipotentiary to the Germanic confederation at Frankfurt |
| 1860 | Author of The Conquest of England |
| 1866 | Retired |
| 1870 | Author of The Overthrow of the German Confederation by Prussia in 1866 |
| 1886, Nov. 28 | Died in London |
Marian Dora Spalding, Lady Malet
| Date | Event(s) |
|---|---|
| Unknown | Born to Thomas Spalding and Mary Anne Eden |
| 1834, Dec. 22 | Married Sir Alexander Malet |
| 1835 | Gave birth to Sir Henry Charles Eden Malet, 3rd Baronet |
| 1836 | Anonymously published Violet, or The Danseuse: A Portraiture of Human Passions and Character, a satirical novel |
| ca. 1836 | Became friends with Queen Sophia of Holland, with whom she corresponded until the Queen's death in 1877 |
| 1837, Oct. 10 | Gave birth to Sir Edward Baldwin Malet, 4th Baronet |
| 1891, Jan. 2 | Died |
Sir Henry Charles Eden Malet, 3rd Baronet
| Date | Event(s) |
|---|---|
| 1835 | Born to Sir Alexander Malet and Marian Dora (Spalding) Malet |
| 1854 | Commissioned in the Grenadier Guards |
| 1854-1856 | Served in the Crimean War |
| 1862 | Was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel |
| 1870 | Retired |
| 1904 | Died |
Sir Edward Malet
| Date | Event(s) |
|---|---|
| 1837, Oct. 10 | Born to Marian and Alexander Malet |
| 1854 | Appointed attaché at Frankfurt at age seventeen |
| 1860 | Appointed to the British Legation at Parana in the Argentine |
| 1861 | Transferred to Brazil |
| 1862 | Changed positions with William Brodie, attaché at Washington, D.C. |
| 1864 | Returned to England as Head of Chancery |
| 1865 | Transferred to Constantinople |
| 1867 | Transferred to Paris |
| 1871 | Promoted to Secretary of Legation at Peking |
| 1873 | Accepted appointment as Secretary of the Athens Legation and transferred to Greece |
| 1875 | Accepted appointment as Secretary of the Rome Legation and moved to Italy |
| 1876 | Promoted to Secretary of Embassy |
| 1878 | Appointed to Constantinople |
| 1879 | Appointed Agent and Consul General in Egypt and transferred to Alexandria |
| 1883 | Promoted to Minister at Brussels and transferred to Belgium |
| 1884 | Appointed to Berlin as ambassador |
| 1885 | Married Ermyntrude Hastings |
| 1895 | Retired and returned to England |
| 1901 | Published Shifting Scenes |
| 1908, June | Died at the Chorleywood home of his sister-in-law, Lady Ella Russell |
Subject Headings
- Crimean War, 1853-1856.
- Derby, Edward Henry Stanley, Earl of, 1826-1893.
- Diplomats--Great Britain--Correspondence.
- England--Kings and rulers.
- Europe--Politics and government 18th century.
- France--Kings and rulers.
- Germany--Kings and rulers.
- Great Britain.--Army.--Grenadier Guards.
- Great Britain--Politics and government 1837-1901.
- India--History--British occupation, 1767-1945.
- Netherlands--Kings and rulers.
- Eden, Frances, dd 1801-1849.
- Malet, Alexander, Sir, 1800-1886.
- Malet, Edwin, Sir, 1837-1908.
- Malet, Henry Charles Eden, Sir.
- Malet, Mary Ann Dora Spalding--Lady, d. 1891.
- Sophie, Queen Consort of William III, King of the Netherlands, 1818-1877.
Provenance
The papers of the Malet family were acquired by the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library of Duke University between 1970 and 1990.
Processing Information
Processed by: Melissa Delbridge, William Erwin, Allan Freyer, Akira Ishii, Elizabeth Scott, Lisa Stark
Completed September 24, 1996
Encoded by Stephen D. Miller
This finding aid is NCEAD compliant.
When Duke University acquired the Malet family papers, dates had been penciled on some of the letters and documents. Researchers should be aware that some of these dates may not be accurate. No attempt has been made in the processing of the collection to change or verify them.
The name of Lady Marian Dora (Spalding) Malet is sometimes given as “Mary Anne” or “Marianne.” In processing, the name “Marian” is used after the form used in the OCLC Name Authority File.
The papers of Alexander and Edward Malet were housed in acidic folders upon their arrival at Duke University. The notes on these folders have been photocopied and can be found in the Inventory Drawer in the Research Room, and may provide additional information about the material in the Alexander and Edward Malet section of the Malet Family Papers.