¹ As GH, where dated 2 Jan.: G H thought ‘the hope of peace is small, Russia is clearly not ready for war…’

² Salisbury to Derby 26 Dec. 1876, in Cecil, 117.Google Scholar

³ Cecil makes no mention of this sub-plot.

⁴ Salisbury to Derby 29 Dec. 1876, in Cecil, 118–9.Google Scholar

⁵ As GH: cabinet called by Carnarvon to consider Indian famine.

⁶ Salisbury to Derby, tel., 9 Jan. 1877, withdrawing request for Elliot's withdrawal, and expecting ‘further continuance of the conference will be useless’ (Cecil, 121).Google Scholar

⁷ During this lull, Derby was out of health, in his view because of revaccination (3 Jan.), smallpox being rife, and tooth extraction (5 Jan.); ‘not fit for much business’ (Sun. 7 Jan.) and ‘woke in the night with headache and sickness … continued all day. Did not leave my room’ (Tue. 9 Jan.) Derby was at the office, Sat. 13 Jan., but at Fairhill, near Tonbridge on Sun. and Mon., with Sanderson and Lady Derby, doing 10 boxes on Mon. He saw Schouvaloff, 1, 3, 4, 5, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13 (Sat.), 16, 17 Jan. 1877, but to little purpose; and ‘Chinese’ Gordon ‘who really interested me’, 11 Jan.

⁸ ‘Schouvaloff … assured me as a fact within his certain knowledge that the under standing between France, Austria, & Germany, on the Turkish business is perfect, & that they will act in common. It may be so; but his eagerness to assert the reality of their union looks suspicious, & certainly neither the language of Andrassy, nor of Bismarck has been in that sense.’ (D.D. 10 Jan. 1877). Cf. below, 24 Jan. 1877.

⁹ Min. to Rumania 1876–8.

¹⁰ C.-in-c. Mediterranean 1877–80.

¹¹ Plenipotentiaries intended to depart on 22 Jan.; their last ultimatum, presented 15 Jan., withdrawing all but two demands, was rejected on 20 Jan., when Salisbury formally declared the Conference closed (Cecil, 128).Google Scholar

¹² Wilhelm II.

¹³ See Frodsham, J.T. ed., The First Chinese Embassy to the West (Oxford, 1974).Google Scholar

¹⁴ Min. at Pekin.

¹⁵ Junior priv. sec. to Derby; ‘not very sharp nor very active’ (D.D. 30 Oct. 1877); hardly mentioned.

¹⁶ Lord-It, of Ireland 1874–Dec. 1876; leading freemason.

¹⁷ Cecil, , Salisbury, 124Google Scholar, but sense partly differing.

¹⁸ For Lyons's views, see Lyons to Derby, 5 Feb. 1877, in Newton, , Lyons, ii107.Google Scholar

¹⁹ Philip Currie, 1st Baron Currie (1834–1906), diplomatist from 1854; with Salisbury at Constantinople, 1876, and Berlin, 1878; cr. peer 1899.

²⁰ Sir W. Hart Dyke (1837–1931), Cons, chief whip 1874–80.

²¹ No borough M.P.s sat in cabinet.

²² W.H. Smith, newsagent; 1st lord of admiralty 1877–80.

²³ C.S. Read (1826–1905), Cons. M.P.; sec. to local gov. board 1874–6.

²⁴ Lord William Nassau Jocelyn (1832–92), sec. of legation at Constantinople 1874–8; diplomatist at German courts, 1878–92; d.s.p.; 3rd s. of 3rd E. of Roden.

²⁵ J.G. Biggar (1828–90), M.P. Cavan 1874–90; bigamist.

²⁶ Philip Callan, M.P. 1868–85; for tortuous career of, see Cooke, A.B. and Vincent, J. (ed.) Lord Carlingford's Journal, 14111.Google Scholar

²⁷ W.R. Greg (1809–81), millowner and essayist; comptroller of stationery office 1864–77.

²⁸ Col. the Hon. Sir W.P.M. Talbot (1817–98), Derby's bro.-in-law; sergeant-at-arms, H. of Lds 1858; Derby gave £2000 p.a. to Talbot's wife, for 10 yrs, for the benefit of their children ‘in compliance with my mother's expressed wish’ (D.D. 2 July 1876). When the post was filled, Disraeli was wrongly accused of a job.

²⁹ Won with virtually unchanged Cons, majority, 19 Apr. 1877.

³⁰ Sir W.N.W. Hewett (1834–88), naval c.-in-c., W. Africa.

³¹ Prince Charles (Carol) of Rumania (1839–1914), prince 1866–81, king 1881–1914.

³² Reinstated in R.N. as vice-admiral 1885; ensured Turkish mastery at sea 1877–8.

³³ Gen. Sir Arnold Kemball (1820–1908), consul-gen. Baghdad 1859–68; commissioner on Turco-Persian boundary 1875; mil. attaché at Constantinople; kt 1866, gen. 1880.

³⁴ W.P. Adam (1823–91), lib. whip 1874–80.

³⁵ Sir J.L.A. Simmons (1821–1903), soldier; served with Turks in Crimea; insp.-gen. of fortifications, war office, 1875–80; mil. delegate at Berlin congress, 1878.

³⁶ H, ccxxxiv, 101 (Mon. 30 Apr.). Gladstone gave notice of 5 resolutions, which he read, condemning Turkey and urging home rule for its disturbed provinces; it was agreed that the resolutions be discussed the following Monday.

³⁷ Antonio Gallenga (1810–95), man of letters; Times correspondent at Constantinople 1875–7.

³⁸ Jules Simon (1814–96), premier Dec. 1876–May 1877.

³⁹ Disraeli to Derby, 23 May 1877, in M. and B., 140.

⁴⁰ Disraeli to Derby, 25 May 1877, in M. and B., 141.

⁴¹ Jane, Lady Ely (1821–90), widow of 3rd M. (d. 1857); lady of bedchamber 1851–89.

⁴⁸ Taken by Russia Feb. 1884.

⁴³ Sophie, queen of the Netherlands (1818–3 June 1877).

⁴⁴ In 1876 Richard Smyth, a private member, defeated the govt by 57, on a resolution in favour of Irish Sunday closing. In 1877 the bill was talked out.

⁴⁵ Cf. Salisbury to Lytton, 15 June 1877 (Cecil, 145–6): ‘I would have devoted my whole efforts to securing the waterway to India — by the acquisition of Egypt or of Crete, and would in no way have discouraged the obliteration of Turkey’.

⁴⁶ (Sir) William Richard Holmes (1821–82); consular service 1841–77: kt 1 Aug. 1877; consul in Bosnia 1860–77; retd 1 Sept. 1877; s. of Ulsterman; seen by Seton-Watson as culpably Turcophil.

⁴⁷ Lib. vote sharply up; Cons, majority down.

⁴⁸ German first secretary.

⁴⁹ Mil. attaché in Russia.

⁵⁰ Formerly Sir John Pakington; chief civil service commr (£2000 p.a.) 1875–80.

⁵¹ Charity commr.

⁵² First Lord of the Admiralty, d. 30 July.

⁵³ Sir L. Massey Lopes (1818–1908), Cons. M.P.; civil lord of admiralty 1874–80; advocated reducing burdens on agriculture.

⁵¹ Diarist's bro.

⁵⁵ William Duncombe, 3rd Baron Feversham (1829–1915), cr. earl July 1868.

⁵⁶ Derby was at Fairhill, the remoter of his two Kentish properties, 14 Aug.–3 Sept., apart from going to London and office, 22, 27, 29 Aug. He returned to London, 3–4 Sept., working at office, leaving late on 4 Sept. to Knowsley with Sanderson. He saw Schouvaloff on 14, 22, 29 Aug. and 4 Sept. He had no guests, and was not a guest elsewhere, in this period, his only visitors in the country being Morier, and Lord Arthur Russell, a Kentish neighbour.

⁵⁷ Comment evoked by U.S. railway strikes.

⁵⁸ Purchase of Holwood on reversion agreed, 20 Oct., and contract signed, 26 Nov. 1877. Negotiations for this purchase preoccupied Derby during the August vacation.

⁵⁹ Diplomatic routine did not stop entirely during the August vacation. On 22 Aug., Derby saw at the F.O. Lawson, Menabrea, Musurus, Harcourt, Münster, the Austrian chargé d'affaires (‘I forget his name’) who ‘came only for news and brought none’; and Schouvaloff, calmly confident that Russia superiority would eventually tell. The U.K. consul-gen, at Hawaii called to discuss the Hawaiian commercial treaty with the U.S.; and the new Liberian minister (who sought an invitation to Balmoral) was formally received. Derby also worked routinely at Fairhill: on 23 Aug. 12 boxes were sent off, the same number on the 24th. On the 25th, 13 boxes came: ‘nothing of any interest in any of them’. On the 20th, Derby sent off 8 boxes, on the 28th 15, on the 30th 15 boxes (‘a quiet easy day’), on the 31st 18 boxes, on 1 Sept. 15 boxes, on 2 Sept. (Sunday) 4 boxes (‘no important news of any kind’).

⁶⁰ R. Lingen, 1st Baron Langen (1818–1905), perm. sec. to treasury 1869–85).

⁶¹ F. Stanley, fin. sec. to treasury 1877–8.

⁶² For Derby's opening of the Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool, see T, 7 Sept. 1877, 8a.

⁶³ Amb. at Vienna.

⁶⁴ D. 11 May 1877.

⁶⁵ Through diarist's bro.-in-law.

⁶⁶ Sir E. Harris (1808–88), Malmesbury's bro.; min. at The Hague 1867–77, when retired from diplomacy. ‘He has long suffered from ill-health, and is no loss to the service: a kindly goodnatured sort of man, who made no enemies; got into no scrapes, & did no more than he could help. The vacancy was much wanted, & will remove some discontents.’ (D.D., 11 Sept. 1877.)

⁶⁷ U.S. minister.

⁶⁸ Sir F. Napier (1819–98), 9th Baron Napier in the Scottish peerage, cr. Baron Ettrick 1872; John Bloomfield, 2nd Baron Bloomfield (1802–79) as Irish peer, cr. U.K. peer 1871.

⁶⁹ Aleksandr Henrikhovich, Baron Jomini (1817–88), senior counsellor in Russian foreign office and sometime deputy for. minister, 1856–88.

⁷⁰ Derby asked Hardy ‘whether the Cabinet or the Turkish Empire would last the longer’ (GH, 6 Oct., which classes Cross and Smith as with Disraeli).

⁷¹ For Salisbury's Bradford speech on the Eastern Question, see T, 12 Oct. 1877, 10a.

⁷⁸ U.K. minister at Athens from c. summer 1876; ‘disappointed at not getting Lisbon, and talks of resigning. I write to encourage him … it would be a loss to the service if he retired’ (D.D., 17 Feb. 1876): moved to The Hague, autumn 1877 (D.D., 12 Sept. 1877).

⁷³ Sir Edward Thornton (1817–1906), min. at Washington 1867–81; amb. at St Petersburg 1881–4.

⁷⁴ Cf. GH, 22 Oct. 1877.

⁷⁵ Probably Bernard E.E. Barrington (1847–1918), priv. sec. to Salisbury when in office 1878–1900.

⁷⁶ William Watson, lord advocate.

⁷⁷ The first under-sec, for Scotland at the home office was Lord Rosebery, Aug. 1881.

See Hanham, H.J., ‘The Creation of the Scottish Office, 1881–87’, The Juridical Review, (1965), 205–44.Google Scholar

⁷⁸ For Harrington's speech on receiving the freedom of the city of Glasgow, see T, 6 Nov. 1877, 4a.

⁷⁹ For Gladstone's speech on receiving the freedom of Dublin, see T, 8 Nov. 1877, 7c.

⁸⁰ Batoum or Batum, a Turkish port in Lazistan, in S.-E. of Black Sea; repulsed Russian attack in 1877–8, but ceded to Russia at congress of Berlin, July 1878, despite vociferous protests from much U.K. opinion.

⁸¹ At Brompton Oratory, 21 Nov. 1877, the 20th D. (1847–1917) m. Countess of Loudoun.

⁸² Lord Verulam's house in Herts.

⁸³ Algernon Borthwick, 1st Baron Glenesk (1830–1908), prop, of Morning Post from 1876.Google Scholar

⁸⁴ Léon Gambetta (1838–82), French republican; premier 1881–2.

⁸⁵ D. 1882.

⁸⁶ John Welsh (1805–86), U.S. minister 22 Dec. 1877–14 Aug. 1878.

⁸⁷ Philip Beresford-Hope, e.s. of A.J. Beresford-Hope, politician, by Mildred, dau. of James, and M. of Salisbury. B. 1851, he m. (1883) the 4th dau. of a U.S. general.

⁸⁸ John Savile (Savile-Lumley to 1887), 1st Baron Savile of Rufford (1818–d. unm. 1896); illegit. s. of 8th E. of Scarborough (who d. unm. 1856); entered F.O. 1841; envoy to Saxony 1866–7,to Switzerland 1867–8, to Brussels Oct. 1868–83; amb. to Italy, 1883–7; cr. peer 1888; art collector.

⁸⁹ Head agent at Knowsley.

⁹⁰ Sir William Thomson, 1st Baron Kelvin (1824–1907), prof, of natural philosophy at Glasgow; involved, like Derby's friend Pender, in laying of transatlantic cable.

⁹¹ Derby MSS, uncatalogued.

⁹² The following day Sanderson wrote to Lady Derby, apparently in reply to some warning about talking to Schouvaloff from Mary Galloway. Sanderson said that Derby could not have divulged the draft agreed in cabinet on the 27th ‘as the exact terms were not settled. There was a running to and fro of Tenterden to the Prime Minister's, etc. etc. The telegram went off last night to Loftus.

I am afraid my intelligence yesterday [i.e. on 27th] was somewhat meagre but presume you heard all from Lord Derby. He scarcely told me anything except that the cabinet had gone off well, and without any difference of opinion.’ (Derby MSS, uncatalogued.)

⁹³ Lady Derby's bro., Lionel Sackville-West, 2nd Baron Sackville (1827–1908), min. to Argentina 1872–8, became min. to Spain 1878–81, then to Washington 1881–8.

⁹¹ French amb.

⁹⁵ Schouvaloff's movements are of some interest. On Thursday evening at 6.30 Lady Derby heard from him that he would be in Liverpool at 6 a.m. on Friday morning and at Knowsley at 9 a.m. He then spent Friday and most of Saturday at Knowsley, in Derby's absence, presumably leaving on Sunday morning. Lady Derby had at this time just received ‘Very stringent advice’ from Dean Wellesley, acting for the Queen, about her familiarity with Schouvaloff. She replied to Wellesley's letter on 29 December, presumably after discussion with Schou., whose own comments reflect this. Schou.'s sudden arrival at Knowsley may have been in response to the Queen's letter. (Cf. Blake, , Disraeli, 635).Google Scholar

⁹⁶ John Brown (1826–83), manservant.

⁹⁷ Sir G.G. Petre (1822–1905), diplomatist 1846–93; envoy at Stuttgart 1872–81, at Lisbon 1884–93.

⁹⁸ Edwin Corbett (1819–88), diplomatist 1847–1888; like Derby, educ. Rugby and Trin. Coll. Cambridge; min. to Guatemala 1872, and to four other Central American states, 1873; transferred to Berne, May 1874; min. to Greece Jan. 1878, to Brazil 1881, to Sweden 1884-death.

⁹⁹ (Sir) Horace Rumbold (1829–1913), diplomatist 1849–1900; min. in Chile 1872–8, in Switzerland 1878–9; finally amb. to Austria 1896–1900; succ. bro. as bt 1877.

¹⁰⁰ For this reshuffle, see also above, 12 Sept. 1877 et seq.