Anglo-Irish family.- Molesworth Family, of Brackenstown near Swords, Dublin, Edlington, Yorkshire & elsewhere.- Molesworth (Robert, first Viscount Molesworth, politician and political writer, 1656-1725), Molesworth (John, second Viscount Molesworth, diplomat and government official, bap. 1679 d. 1726), Molesworth (Richard, third Viscount, Anglo-Irish army officer and politician, 1680-1758) & Molesworth (Richard Nassau, fourth Viscount Molesworth, 1748-94) Correspondence and documents by or addressed to the first four Viscounts Molesworth and members of their families, together c. 855pp. in c. 280 letters and c. 45 manuscript documents, many letters with address panels and postal marks, folds, numerous tears with slight loss to some words, many tears along folds, some where opened, some browning and creasing, a few repaired with tape, some edges chipped, folio and smaller, London, Edlington, Dublin, Brackenstown and elsewhere, 1690-1783 (c. 280 letters and c. 45 pieces).

⁂ A wealth of political and social detail from the late 17th and early 18th centuries in Ireland and England.

Letters and documents, including:

(1). Correspondence and drafts of letters of the first four Viscounts Molesworth, most by Robert first Viscount Molesworth to his wife Letitia, addressed variously to "My dear life" ("Lettygoose"), also from Copenhagen as Ambassador to Denmark, also to his sons John and Richard, c. 380pp. in c. 125 letters, Dublin, London and elsewhere, 1690-1733, a wide variety of political and social news, including: on Irish affairs, "I hear ye Lord Lieut. will not be permitted to come over for fear he should blurt out home truths wch these people woud have conceald for tis plain their management of Ireland has been a mystery even to most of ye Tory party here..."; the Irish plot of 1696, "I can make neither head nor tale of this Irish plott: I look on it as a very silly business & wch ought not to have bin regarded by any man of sense who might easily see that ye Irish are in no manner of condition to do ye least mischief much less to massacre"; comments on William III, "The King came to town on Sunday night late I am going just now to Kensington to indeveaour to kiss his hand, to wh purpose I cannot tell for my poor D. of Shrewsbury came to town but for 2 or 3 dayes in hopes to see the king & do business"; death of Sidney Godolphin, first Earl of Godolphin (1645–1712), politician, "My dear Lord Godolphin is dead! The greatest man in the whole world for honesty capacity courage friendship generosity is gone!... this Great Patriot could not survive the libertyes of his Countrey whilst I like a wretch am like to live a slave"; to Richard Molesworth, third Viscount Molesworth as aide-de-campe to John Churchill Duke of Marlborough, "I can not see that there is any likely hood of a battle in flandres, or if there that we should be beaten... . Dick is now in a less dangerous employment than ever, under a good General who loves him & in ye finest Army that ever was seen, so that I hope all feares upon his account are ill grounded, and if our government in Dublin were worth a farthing they would secure such impertinant disaffected persons as you say came over in the packet boat & made that false report. They hope and think it might follow yt because we were by accident beaten in Spain where the french were 2 to one & that against an army 3 parts portugese who ran away"; work at his estate at Brackenstown, "I hope Nick will take care to cutt ye Hedges in his diagonal walks... I woud fain have had my fountain in the middle of ye Parterre compleate this year by carrying on ye large Pipe to ye Bason..."; to his son John second Viscount in Turin, "... if you meet with any choice books relating to fine gartdening & to Waterworks, fountains &c; or ye manner of conveying & collecting waters pray purchase such at my expense"; his opinion of doctors, "I think ye Irish doctors better than ye English ones"; and many other matters, including, standing for parliament, the Dukes of Dorset and Argyll, financial matters, international affairs, Russian aggression towards Sweden by Peter the Great in the camaign of 1719-21 etc.

(2). Newton (Sir Isaac, natural philosopher and mathematician, 1642-1727).- Molesworth (Richard, third Viscount Molesworth, Anglo-Irish army officer and politician, 1680-1758) 2 Autograph Letters one signed "RM" to his brother John Molesworth, second Viscount Molesworth, Envoy to Turin, together 7pp., folio & sm. 4to, London, 11th September 1721 & 22nd March 1722, about a ?marine chronometer named after the Elizabethan courtier Sir Jerome Bowes who was appointed Ambassador to Russia in the 1590's, he has brought to Newton's attention, "... Sr Jerome has at last made his entrance into the world; And by his late appearance gain'd the Approbation, or rather admiration of the Learned & Curious. The method by which I usher'd him in was first, by communicating him in particular to Sir I. Newton, who did him the honour of several visits at my Chamber: and indeed, both the thing and its Author seem to be highly in his good Graces. He denounce't him in form to the Royal Society, and a day was apointed to view him, and accordingly... I conveyed to their Chamber in Crane Court... . The members crowded about him with great eagerness and view'd him narrowly. It was offer'd me by some members to be of the Society, an honour which I could not refuse."

(3). Members of the extended Molesworth family, together c. 130pp. in c. 45 letters, 1700-26, including: Monck (Mary, poet, daughter of first Viscount Molesworth, ?1677-1715) 2 ALs.s to her mother Letitia, "... the french ladys had a sad jurney to london they were force't to sell their Chaire horses at Tucksford [Tuxford] & leave ye Chaire there & go in ye Stage Coach, I beleive indeed they will heartily repent their jurney when they come to lay down" (2); Molesworth (Coote, physician, son of first Viscount Molesworth, 1697-1792) (11); Molesworth (William, son of first Viscount Molesworth) (14), mostly about family matters, rents etc.

(4). Letters addressed to members of the Molesworth family, c. 340pp. in c. 110 letters, including: Ashe (St. George, Bishop of Clogher, Irish mathematician, friend of Jonathan Swift, 1657-1718), "Johnny is extremely pleased that you like yr things, & will always be ready to serve you... the unexpected going away of the D. of Marlborough must needs much increase his melancholy, people reason variously on this occasion, his enemies say 'tis guilt, & that he flyes; his friends... urge the reasonableness of his quitting a place, when he is dayly baited"; Lord Carteret, reporting the passing of a bill to suspend the Habeas Corpus Act), 1722; Parker (Thomas, first Earl of Macclesfield, politician, Lord Chief Justice, 1666-1732), on his resignation from office on charges of corruption, "You will undoubtedly have known... I have resigned ye Great Seal... it is all reduced to this single charge upon ye admittance of Masters in Chancery I have accepted presents, as all my predecessors did..." (4); Onslow (Arthur, Speaker of the House of Commons, 1691-1768) (4); Steward (Sir Annesley, sixth Baronet, Anglo-Irish banker and politician, 1725-1801) (17); John Le Keux (5); Captain G Malcolm (7); and others from John Eckersall, Secretary to Princess Caroline; Sir Thomas Hewett (1656-1726), architect and landowner etc.

(5). Molesworth family documents, including: Richard Molesworth third Viscount Molesworth. To the King The Memorial of Richard Lord Molesworth most humbly sheweth, "his Grace the Duke of Marlborough did him the honour to appoint him one of his Aids de Camp... (in acknowledgement of a Particular service he had the good fortune to do him and the Publick at the Battle of Ramilies) [saved Marlborough's life at the Battle of Ramilies], manuscript draft, 2pp., dated in text 1718; Richard Molesworth third Viscount Molesworth witnessed copy of Robert Molesworth, first Viscount's Will, 1728; Woolston Trial. Mr Woolston's Speech to ye Judges on his being Call'd... Judgement pass'd 2 Geo 2di 1729 [trial for blasphemy]; Richard Nassau Molesworth, fourth Viscount, [Account book of a European Travel journey], manuscript in English and Italian, 58pp. excluding blanks, some browning and staining, original card wrappers, small piece of upper corner torn away, soiled and stained, 4to, 1765-66; Dublin. A Rent Roll of Lord Visct. Molesworth's Estate in the City of Dublin... 1774; Dublin. A stated Account of the Receipt of the Rents of the Estate of... Lord Viscount Molesworth in Fingal in the County of Dublin..., 1783-85; The Molesworth Family - The Kingston-Family, 2 manuscript pedigrees, one dated 1822; and c. 36 other documents of contracts, rentals, indenture agreements etc., most on paper, a few on vellum, v.s., v.d., 1718-1822 (c. 45 pieces).

Provenance: Bought by the present owner at Sotheby's, lot 106, 12 December 1977.