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 Cavendish 4th Duke of Devonshire

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC09054.21 Author/Creator: Fox, Henry, Baron Holland (1705-1774) Place Written: London, England Type: Manuscript letter Date: 20 April 1756 Pagination: 3 p. : docket ; 30.1 x 19.3 cm. Order a Copy

Encloses a letter to Cavendish concerning the affairs in America and writes to inform him of what has been going on with the possible spy and intercepted letters. "Both these Letters being of the most dangerous Nature, the King ordered me to give Copies of them to Col. Webb...to suggest to Him the most probable means...for the immediate Discovery of the Author of them." Mentions people suspected of being the author, one Captain George Croghan, another, Mr. Gamble of Londonderry and Mr. Remond Cunningham of Philadelphia. States that Gamble is most likely an alias as "there not being any considerable Person, as I am informed in Philadelphia, of that Name..." Noted as a copy and secret in the upper left hand corner. Gilt edges and watermarked with a fleur-de-lis, V, backward C, I and VI.

Cavendish was First Lord of the Treasury and most historians consider him Prime Minister during this service.

Fox, Henry, Baron Holland, 1705-1774
Cavendish, William, Duke of Devonshire, 1720-1764
Webb (colonel), fl. 1756

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