Our Collection

At the Institute’s core is the Gilder Lehrman Collection, one of the great archives in American history. More than 85,000 items cover five hundred years of American history, from Columbus’s 1493 letter describing the New World through the end of the twentieth century.

Fox, Henry, Baron Holland (1705-1774) [to William Shirley]

High-resolution images are available to schools and libraries via subscription to American History, 1493-1943. Check to see if your school or library already has a subscription. Or click here for more information. You may also order a pdf of the image from us here.

Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC09054.03 Author/Creator: Fox, Henry, Baron Holland (1705-1774) Place Written: London, England Type: Manuscript letter Date: 13 March 1756 Pagination: 6 p. : docket ; 30.2 x 19.6 cm. Order a Copy

Writes that previous letters have been "regularly received and laid before the King" and that the King is sorry to hear that Shirley's military expedition against Fort Niagara failed. Continues to say that a Colonel Webb will replace Shirley as "General and Commander in Chief of all His Forces in North America til the arrival of the Earl of Loudoun, or Major General Abercrombie." Despite the new appointment, this "is not owing to any Dissatisfaction with [Shirley's] services, But on the contrary, It is the King's Intention, as a Mark of His Royal Favor, to appoint [Shirley] to be Governor of Jamaica..." Main portion of writting on only the right half of the page, with comments on the large left margin. Two leaves sewn together with red thread. Gilt edges and watermarked with a fleur-de-lis, V, backward C, I and VI.

Shirley was the British governor of Massachusetts from 1741 to 1759. Fox was the British Lord of the Treasury in 1743, Secretary at War and member of the Privy Council in 1746, and in 1755 became leader of the House of Commons, Secretary of State for the Southern Department and a member of the cabinet under the Duke of Newcastle. Campbell, Earl of Loudon was a Scottish nobleman and military leader. Abercrombie became commander-in-chief of the British forces in North America after the departure of Campbell in March of 1758.

Fox, Henry, Baron Holland, 1705-1774
Shirley, William, 1694-1771
Campbell, John, 1705-1782
Abercrombie, James, 1706-1781

Citation Guidelines for Online Resources