| StorageSite | UCL Special Collections |
| Level | Item |
| Reference Number | MS OGDEN/36 |
| Title | Political Texts (17th century) |
| Date | 17th century
|
| Description | A folio volume of four tracts, the first three of them in the professional secretary hand of the ‘Feathery Scribe’, 83 leaves, in modern half-vellum marbled boards. c.1625-40.Contains the following:(1) 'The Historie Of Actiones Done, in England, aboute the beginninge of the raigne of King James, written and sett forthe by an unknowne author, concerninge Essex, Carr, Northampton and Overburye. Of the condicion of the state of England, and the relation it had to other provinces' (128 pages) (2) Cyril Tourneur, 'The Character Of Robert Earle Of Salisburye, Lord High Treasurer of England, &c. Written by Mr. Serill Turneur, and dedicated to the most understandinge, and the most worthie ladie, the Ladie Theodosia Cecill' (9 pages (3) Robert Cecil, 1st Earl of Salisbury, 'The state of a secretaries place, and the perill: written by Robte, Earl of Salesburye' (4 pages) (4) Sir Daniel Donne (or Dunn), 'A Discourse written by Sr Danyell Dunn, doctor of the civell-lawe, of the prosecution of the nulleti betweene the Earl of Essex and his wife the Lady Frances Howard' (26 pages). Also including: (5) A modern manuscript transcription of the four texts. With a label on the spine: 'History of King James & c'. |
| Extent | 1 volume containing 128 pages |
| AdminHistory | The texts concern events and personalities of the early 17th century. Two of the texts relate to the Overbury case, in which Thomas Overbury (1581-1613), an associate of Robert Carr (favourite of James I), was, owing to his opposition to Carr's proposed marriage to the divorcedCountess of Essex, Frances Howard, poisoned in the Tower of London in 1613 at her instigation, possibly with the complicity of her great-uncle Henry Howard, Earl of Northampton. The couple, who married the same year and became the Earl and Countess of Somerset, were arrested and, brought to trial, were convicted of the murder in 1616, but were pardoned, and were released from the Tower in 1621 owing to James I's favour. Sir Daniel Donne (or Dunn) was one of the members of a commission appointed to examine the Somersets' marriage in 1616. The other two texts relate to Robert Cecil (1563-1612), 1st Earl of Salisbury, who succeeded his father William, Lord Burghley, as Queen Elizabeth I's chief minister in 1598 and continued to serve under James I. |
| CustodialHistory | Mostyn MS 262 (MS 56 in 1744), from the library originally founded by Sir Thomas Mostyn (1535-1617) at Mostyn hall, near Holywell, Flintshire, and maintained by Sir Roger Mostyn (1567-1642) and his son Sir Roger Mostyn, first Baronet (1625?-90). Later in the library of Charles Kay Ogden (1889-1957), psychologist, linguist, and book collector. Part of the library of Charles Kay Ogden (1889-1957), linguistic psychologist, founder of the Orthological Institute and originator of the language system Basic English, whose interests in language systems are reflected in the subject matter of his collection, which comprised individual manuscripts and manuscript collections dating from the 14th to the 20th century. |
| Acquisition | Part of the C K Ogden Library acquired by UCL in 1953. |
| AccessStatus | Open |
| AccessConditions | The papers are available subject to the usual conditions of access to Archives and Manuscripts material, after the completion of a Reader's Undertaking. |
| Related Material | University College London Special Collections also holds transcripts of letters between Robert Cecil and Francis Bacon [17th century] (Ref: MS OGDEN 7/41). For Overbury, it holds an account of the events surrounding his murder (Ref: MS OGDEN 7/42), a manuscript copy of his 'Observations upon the state of the 17 provinces' (Ref: MS OGDEN 40), and an indenture, 1604, bearing his signature (Ref: MS OGDEN 39).
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For University College London Special Collections, MS OGDEN 36/1, cf British Library, Manuscript Collections, Add MS 3680. For University College London Special Collections, MS OGDEN 36/4, cf British Library, Manuscript Collections, Harl MS 39. Correspondence and papers of Robert Cecil, 1st Earl of Salisbury, are held at the British Library, Manuscript Collections; Cambridge University Archives; Centre for Kentish Studies; Northamptonshire Record Office; Warwickshire County Record Office; Lambeth Palace Library; Hatfield House; Stonyhurst College; and, in the USA, New York Public Library and the Huntington Library, San Marino, California. A memorandum book of Sir Daniel Donne, 1607-1617, is held at the National Library of Scotland, Manuscripts Division (Ref: MS 202). For literary manuscripts of Cyril Tourneur, see Index of English literary manuscript, i: 1450-1625 (1980). For further details see the National Register of Archives. |
| FindingAids | Handlist at University College London Special Collections. |