Spencer Perceval
Spencer Perceval (1762–1812)
Copy of a letter to the Prince Regent
London, 22 April 1811
MS Add. 8713/XIII/37
Perceval was Chancellor of the Exchequer from 1807 to 1809 and Prime Minister from 1809 until his assassination in the lobby of the House of Commons on 11 May 1812. Among the documents in the fascinating collection of his papers held in the University Library are drafts, final versions and file copies of Perceval’s own letters, which provide an insight into the workings of a prime minister’s mind. In this letter, couched in the third-person formalities of the age, he made a proposal to the Prince Regent, the future King George IV, seeking a vote of thanks in Parliament for Wellington and his army, following the Duke’s successful operations against the French in Portugal and Spain. Perceval, a skilful manager of parliamentary procedure, finessed arrangements to achieve simultaneous motions in the Lords and the Commons.
For a transcript of the letter click on ‘Extended Captions’, and for further images of this item click on ‘Open Digital Library’.