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‘An odd question enough’. Charles James Fox, the crown and British policy during the Hanoverian crisis of 1806*

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 February 2009

Brendan Simms
Affiliation:
Peterhouse, Cambridge

Abstract

The essay aims to close a longstanding gap in the political historiography of later Georgian Britain by examining the ‘Hanoverian Crisis’ of 1806. Drawing on a broad range of British, Hanoverian and Prussian records, the essay demonstrates that the British–Prussian conflict of that year was caused not – as conventionally assumed – by the closure of the North Sea ports to British shipping, but by the Prussian occupation of George III's electoral land of Hanover. The essay then shows how the commitment of the British government to its restitution was largely motivated by the desire of Charles James Fox and the incoming Ministry of All the Talents to build bridges to the crown. This stance was in complete contradiction both to the broad thrust of the new ‘maritime’ foreign policy of the Talents and to Fox's previous policy in matters Hanoverian. Subsequently the implications of this for our understanding of Fox's political biography are assessed. Finally, the essay illuminates the existence of a coherent ‘Hanoverian Faction’ in London headed by Count Münster which together with a highly activist George III was often able to tip the balance in the formulation of British policy.

Type
Articles
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1995

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13 The British Library (B.L.) and the Public Record Office London (P.R.O.L.). The author has never knowingly cited a manuscript where a printed version of a document is available. In this way it is hoped to highlight where original research has added to our understanding of events.

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50 I have dealt with the question of maritime versus continental warfare in greater detail in my thesis, Simms, , ‘Anglo-Prussian relations, 1804–6’, pp. 104–9.Google Scholar

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61 Yarmouth to Fox, ‘confidential communication made 13 June 1806’, P.R.O.L. F.O. 27/73.

62 Yarmouth to Fox, 30 July 1806, Paris, P.R.O.L. F.O. 27/73.

63 Yarmouth to Fox (draft), Paris, 25 July 1806, Holland House papers, B.L. Add. MSS 51458, fo. 71; Yarmouth to Fox, 30 July 1806, Paris, Holland House papers, B.L. Add. MSS 51458, fo. 83.

64 Yarmouth to Fox, ‘received June 21’, copy or extract, P.R.O.L. F.O. 27/73.

65 Fox to Yarmouth, 26 June 1806, Downing Street; Fox to Yarmouth, 5 July 1806, Downing Street; Fox to Yarmouth, 18 July 1806, Downing Street. All P.R.O.L. F.O. 27/73.

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72 Castlereagh to George III, 11 Jan. 1806, Downing Street; George III to Castlereagh, 12 Jan. 1806, Windsor. Both in Aspinall, (ed.), Later correspondence of George III, pp. 376–7.Google Scholar

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74 ‘Substance of papers communicated by his excellency Count Woronzow, marked “A” sent to Fox’, 7 Feb. 1806, Holland House papers, B.L. Add. MSS 51460, fos. 119–21; Münster to Fox, 27 June 1806, London, Holland House papers, B.L. Add. MSS 51461, fos. 68–9.

75 ‘Aus den Lebenserinnerungen des Gesandten Ompteda’, in von Ompteda, Ludwig, Politischer Nachlaβ des hannoverschen Stoats und Cabinettsministers, Ludwig von Ompteda aus den Jahren 1804 bis 1813, I (Jena, 1869), 144–5.Google Scholar

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78 Brandes, , ‘Hannover in der Politik der Großmächte’, p. 274.Google Scholar

79 Münster to George III, 12 Dec. 1805, Hanover, N.Sta.H. Hann.92 XLI 71, 1, fo. 235.

80 Münster to Harrowby (copy), 7 Dec. 1805, Hanover, N.Sta.H. Hann.92 XLI 71, 1, fo. 239.

81 Münster to Novosiltzov, 7 Dec. 1805, Hanover, N.Sta.H. Hann.92 XLI 71, I, fo. 237.

82 Münster to the princes, 20 Jan. 1806, Hanover, N.Sta.H. Hann.92 XLI 71, II, fos. 35–8.

83 Best to the princes, 6 Feb. 1806, London, N.Sta.H. Hann.92 XLI, II, fo. 126.

84 Best to an unnamed British politician, 16 Feb. 1806, Hann.92 XLI, III, fo. 135; Münster to Grenville, 22 Feb. 1806, London, Dropmore papers, B.L. Add. MSS 59059, fos. 8–16. (not in the Dropmore printed collection).

85 For the involvement of the prince of Wales, via Best and Münster, see Fox to prince of Wales, 10 Feb. 1806, Downing Street, in Arthur, Aspinall (ed.), The correspondence of George, prince of Wales, 1770–1812, V 1804–1806 (London, 1968), 330Google Scholar; Münster to the prince of Wales, 20 Jan. 1806, Hanover, Holland House papers, B.L. Add. MSS 51460, fos. 31–4.

86 Jacobi report, 1 Apr. 1806, London, G.STA.M. Rep. XI.73.180C, fo. 125.

87 Jacobi report, 30 May 1806, London, G.STA.M. Rep. XI.73.180C, fo. 239.

88 Jacobi report, 18 Feb. 1806, London, G.STA.M. Rep. XI.73.180C, fo. 68.

89 In addition to the examples taken from the B.L. and the Staatsarchiv Hannover and cited in the text there is the evidence in P.R.O.L. F.O. 97/243, entitled Hanover. Letters and papers in correspondence between the electoral minister etc and the secretary of state on military points of business – and other communications of a miscellaneous nature during the years 1780–1806: Münster to Fox, 27 Mar. 1807, Clarges Street; Münster to Fox, 17 July 1806, Clarges Street; et passim. Perhaps surprisingly, there are no letters from Best or Münster for 1806 in the Royal Archives at Windsor Castle. I am grateful to the registrar of the Royal Archives, Lady de Bellaigue, for this information.

90 Münster to Grenville, 22 Feb. 1806, London, Dropmore papers, B.L. Add. MSS 59059, fos. 8–16; copies of the same document can be found in N.Sta.H. Hann.92 XLI 71, 1, fos. 182–8 and in Durham University Library, Grey MSS Box 41. I am most grateful to Dr J. M. Fewster of Durham University Library for supplying me with a photocopy of the latter document.

91 Ompteda to the Prussian government, 7 Apr. 1806, Berlin, Rep. XI.14O.Braunschweig-Luneburg.5O.fasc.2, fos. 74–5.

92 Münster to Grenville, 17 July 1806, London, Dropmore papers, B.L. Add. MSS 59059, fos. 87–9 (not in the Dropmore printed collection).

93 Münster to Grenville, 19 Sept. 1806, Dropmore papers, B.L. Add. MSS 59059, fo. 168 (not in the Dropmore printed collection).

94 Münster circular, 25 Apr. 1806, Clarges Street, N.Sta.H. Hann.92 XLI 71, III, fo. 162. Acknowledgements fos. 163–72.

95 Münister to the princes, 10 July 1806, Clarges Street, N.Sta.H. Hann.92 XLI 71, III, fo. 251; Declaration of the princes, N.Sta.H. Hann.92 XLI 71, III, fos. 252–5.

96 In addition to the evidence cited throughout the text, see also Münster to Fox, 11 Mar. 1806, Windsor, Durham University Library, Earl Grey papers, 2nd Earl. I am much indebted to Dr J. M. Fewster for supplying me with a photocopy of this document.

97 Valerie, Chancellor, ‘The Ministry of All the Talents’, p. 72.Google Scholar

98 Lieutenant Ompteda to Baron Ompteda, 21 May 1806, in Ompteda, , Politischer Nachlaβ, p. 162.Google Scholar

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100 See Ompteda, , Politischer Nachlaβ, pp. 85 and 114Google Scholar; see also Münster to Mulgrave, 3 Feb. 1805, Beaumont Street, N.Sta.H. Hann.92 XLI 78, 1, fo. 1.

101 Münster to Fox (draft), 10 Mar. 1806, Windsor, N.Sta.H. Harm.92, XLI 71, II, fo. 236.

102 Fox to Münster, ‘before 7 March’ 1806, N.Sta.H. Dep.110 A 48, unfoliated.

103 Münster to Fox, 17 Mar. 1806, Windsor, Holland House papers, B.L. Add. MSS 51460, fo. 73.

104 Some other instances not already mentioned in the text: Münster to Fox (draft), 5 Mar. 1806, N.Sta.H. Dep.110 A 48, unfoliated; Fox to Münster, 16 Mar. 1806, Downing Street, N.Sta.H. Hann.92 XLI 71, III, fo. 1; Howick to Münster, 28 Sept. 1806, Downing Street, N.Sta.H. Hann.92 XLI 78, II, fo. 18; Münster to Fox, 27 June 1806, London, Holland House papers, B.L. Add. MSS 51461, fo. 68; Münster to Grenville, 15 Sept. 1806, London, Dropmore papers, B.L. Add. MSS 59059, fo. 163 (not in the Dropmore printed collection).

105 E.g. Hugo to Ompteda, 20 Apr. 1806, in Ompteda, , Politischer Nachlaβ, pp. 156–7Google Scholar. See also P.R.O.L. F.O. 97/243, passim.

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108 For the coalition negotiations of January and February 1806 see Aspinall, (ed.), The later correspondence of George III, pp. 385–99.Google Scholar

109 Ham, , ‘Strategies of coalition and isolation’, p. 66.Google Scholar

110 Quoted in Taylor, , ‘Foxite party and foreign polities’, p. 53.Google Scholar

111 Grenville to Fox, 19 Apr. 1806, Camelford, House, in Dropmore, p. 108.Google Scholar

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114 Auckland to Grenville, 7 Apr. 1806, Eden, Farm, in Dropmore, p. 85.Google Scholar

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116 See The parliamentary debates from the year 1803 to the present time… Vol. VI comprising the period from the twenty-first day of January 1806 to the sixth day of May 1806 (London, 1812), cols. 882–94.Google Scholar

117 ‘His Majesty's most gracious message to the house of Lords and House of Commons and the Unanimous Addresses of both Houses thereupon to His Majesty’, 21 Apr. 1806, N.Sta.H. Hann.92 XLI 71, III, fos. 139–40 (printed document, but not in Parliamentary history).

118 Déclaration of 20 Apr. 1806, signed by George III and Count Münster, Windsor, N.Sta.H. Hann.92 XLI 71, III, fos. 233–4.

119 Parliamentary history, cols. 882–3.

120 Ibid. col. 886.

121 Ibid. col. 891.

122 Ibid. cols. 893–4.

123 E.g. Auckland to Fox (copy), 12 Apr. 1806, Eden Farm, Dropmore papers, B.L. Add. MSS 58923, fos. 41–2; Henry Heyman to Fox, 20 May 1806, Bloomsbury, Holland House papers, B.L. Add. MSS 51461, fo. 26; Auckland to Grenville, 4 May 1806, Palace, Yard, in Dropmore, p. 132.Google Scholar

124 Auckland to Grenville, 29 Apr. 1806, Palace, Yard, in Dropmore, p. 123Google Scholar; Auckland to Grenville, 1 July 1806, Eden, farm, in Dropmore, pp. 211–12.Google Scholar

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127 J. Nichol to Auckland (‘private’), 15 May 1806, B.L. Add. MSS 34456, fo. 491.

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129 John, Brooke, King George III (London, 1972)Google Scholar, makes no mention of the events of 1806 and George III's role in them; Watson, J. Steven, The reign of George III, 1760–1815 (Oxford, 1960)Google Scholar, mentions the Prussian occupation of Hanover but ignores the war that resulted therefrom.

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131 Ham, , ‘Strategies of coalition and isolation’, p. 74Google Scholar; Taylor, , ‘Foxite party and foreign polities’, p. 71Google Scholar. Another and unexpected exception is Trevelyan, G. M.. His Lord Grey of the reform bill, the life of Charles the second Earl Grey (London, 1920), p. 151Google Scholar, clearly identifies Hanover as the casus belli, but is unaware of the role of the crown and the Hanoverian faction, quite apart from being only one paragraph long.

132 Allen, G. Eastby, ‘Charles James Fox and the ministry of All the Talents’ (unpublished Ph.D. dissertation, New York University, 1973), pp. 197206Google Scholar provides an accurate account, but no detail on the Hanoverian faction; Chancellor, , ‘Ministry of All the Talents’, p. 72Google Scholar catches Fox's hesitation in moving against Hanover but contains absolutely no material on the court dimension; Taylor, , ‘Foxite party and foreign polities’, pp. 70–3Google Scholar is a good treatment of events but, again, is unaware of the Hanoverian influences.

133 Herbert, Butterfield, Charles James Fox and Napoleon. The peace negotiations of 1806, Creighton Lecture in History, 1961 (London, 1962)Google Scholar. Coquelle, P., Napoleon and England, 1803–1813. A study from unpublished documents (London, 1904)Google Scholar contains some important extracts from documents in which Hanoverian concerns are raised (e.g. pp. 89, 106, 124) but does not cite, and does not seem to be aware of, those dispatches in which the centrality of Hanover is obvious.

134 There is no hint of Hanoverian concerns in the Royal Correspondence of Grenville, Dropmore papers, B.L. Add. MSS 58865, nor does the General Correspondence, Dropmore papers, B.L. Add. MSS 59380–6 contain anything beyond one letter from Best on a financial matter. There is no evidence in B.L. Dropmore 58863 that the dukes of York, Clarence or Gloucester tried to exert influence on Grenville, though we have seen that they did try to do so on Fox. The promising-sounding engagement diaries, Dropmore papers, B.L. Add. MSS 59331–2 turn out to contain only a record of monies spent. Equally disappointing are the dinner books of Lady Holland, Holland House papers, B.L. Add. MSS 51950–1 (I thank Dr Wright of the British Library for allowing me to use the index he compiled of the Hollands' dinner guests). Finally, a computer-search at the National Register of Archives produced no records on Best or Münster.

135 Introduction to volume four of Aspinall's, Correspondence of the prince of Wales, p. 297.Google Scholar

136 Taylor, , ‘Foxite party and foreign polities’, p. 8.Google Scholar

137 Herbert, Butterfield, Sincerity and insincerity in Charles James Fox, Raleigh Lecture in History (Oxford, 1972), pp. 1719.Google Scholar

138 Ibid. p. 20.

139 Taylor, , ‘Foxite party and foreign polities’, p. 38.Google Scholar

140 Ibid. p. 420.

141 Taylor, A. J. P., The trouble makers. Dissent over foreign policy 1792–1939 (London, 1957).Google Scholar

142 Taylor, , ‘Foxite party and foreign polities’, p. 13.Google Scholar

143 E.g. Loren, Reid, Charles James Fox. A man for the people (London, 1969), pp. 414–15Google Scholar notes Fox's commitment to Hanover and his speech of 22 Apr. to parliament without comment. Edward, Lascelles, The life of Charles James Fox (Oxford 1936)Google Scholar, seems to make no mention of the Hanoverian crisis; John, W. Derry, Charles James Fox (London, 1972)Google Scholar, contains no discussion of Hanover and Prussia in 1806 though it does draw attention to improved relations between George III and Fox; Leslie, Mitchell, Charles James Fox (Oxford, 1992), pp. 230–1Google Scholar, is probably the best published account available, though it too overlooks the role of the Hanoverian faction.

144 H. M. Scott, private communication to the author, 28 Feb. 1993.

145 Lady Bessborough to Granville Leveson Gower, 5 Feb. 1806, in Castalia, Countess Granville (ed.), Lord Granville Leveson Gower. Private correspondence 1781 to 1821, II (London, 1916), 177.Google Scholar

146 Taylor, , ‘Foxite party and foreign polities’, p. 71.Google Scholar

147 Fox to Adair, ‘March 1804’, in Russell, (ed.), Memorials and correspondence, IV, 33.Google Scholar

148 Cited in Taylor, , ‘Foxite party and foreign polities’, p. 70.Google Scholar

149 Butterfield, , Charles James Fox and Napoleon, pp. 2 and 30.Google Scholar

150 Brooke, , George III, p. 374.Google Scholar

151 Bernard, Porter, ‘British foreign policy in the nineteenth century’, HJ, XXIII (1980), 194Google Scholar; Middleton, C. R., The administration of British foreign policy, 1782–1846 (Durham, N.C., 1977), p. 72.Google Scholar

152 H. M. Scott, private communication to author, 28 Feb. 1993.

153 Conrady, S., ‘Die Wirksamkeit Königs Georgs III. für die hannoverschen Kurlande’, Niedersächsisches Jahrbuch für Landesgeschichte, XXXIX (1967), 150–91.Google Scholar

154 See Blanning and Haase, ‘Hannover, der Kaiser und die “Regency crisis” von 1788/9’; Blanning, and Haase, , ‘George III, Hanover and the regency crisis’, in Black, (ed.), Knights errant and true Englishmen.Google Scholar

155 There is some literature on the German chancery and its forceful chief, Count Münster. However, being largely German in origin it tends to ignore its importance for British politics: e.g. Rudolf, Grieser, ‘Die Deutsche Kanzlei in London, ihre Entstehung und Anfänge. Eine behördengeschichtliche Studie’, Blätter für deutsche Landesgeschichte, LXXXIX (1952), 156–68Google Scholar. For the strong personality of Münster see also Carl, Haase, ‘Graf Münster, von Lenthe und die Katastrophe Kurhannovers 1803’, NJLG, LIII (1981), 279–88Google Scholar and Reinhard, Oberschelp, ‘Graf Münster in der hannoverschen Politik, 1805–1831’, in Ernst Friedrich Graf zu Münster. Staatsmann und Kunstfreund, 1760–1839. Ein Kolloquium aus Anlaβ seines 150. Todestages… unter wissenschaftlicher Letting von Josef JVolte (Hildesheim, Zürich, New York, 1991), pp. 1222.Google Scholar

156 See Simms, , ‘Anglo-Prussian relations 1804–1806’, pp. 6773.Google Scholar