4 See John Derry, The Regency Crisis and the Whigs, 1788–9 (Cambridge 1963), for a comprehensive account of the event. Also Leslie Mitchell, Charles James Fox and the Disintegration of the Whig Party, J. Ehrman, The Younger Pitt, I, and Christopher Hibbert, George IV, Prince of Wales, I.
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5 Chatsworth 921: J. Craufurd to GD, circa Nov. 7, 1788.
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6 Lady Minto, The Life and Letters of Sir Gilbert Elliot, First Earl of Minto, 1751–1806 (London 1874), I, p. 312: Sir Gilbert Elliot to Lady Elliot, May 21, 1789.
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7 Chatsworth 936: diary 1788–9.
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8 W. Sichel, Sheridan (London 1909), ii, p. 249: Sheridan to Harriet, circa 1788.
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9 Chatsworth 937: LS to GD, Dec. 10, 1788.
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10 Duke of Buckingham and Chandos, eds., Memoirs of the Court and Cabinets of George III (London 1853–5), II, p. 56.
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11 Ibid., II, p. 64: Grenville to Buckingham, Dec. 17, 1788.
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12 SNRA Douglas-Home MSS TD95/54: diary of Lady Mary Coke, June 29 and July 18, 1787.
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13 J. Ehrman, The Younger Pitt (London 1969–96), I, p. 583.
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14 Morning Herald, July 6, 1787.
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15 Henry Wheatley, The Historical and Posthumous Memoirs of Nathaniel Wrax-all (London 1884), III, p. 267.
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16 Chatsworth 936: diary.
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17 BL Althorp F29: Lavinia, Lady Spencer to second Earl Spencer, Dec. 13, 1788.
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18 Lady Granville, ed., The Private Correspondence of Lord Granville Leveson Gower (London 1916), I, p. 14: Lady Stafford to LGLG, Feb. 12, 1789.
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19 PRO Hampshire Malmesbury MSS 9M73/150: GD to Lord Malmesbury, [1789?].
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20 Lady Granville, Lord Granville Leveson Gower, I, p. 15: Lady Stafford to LGLG, Feb. 20, 1789.
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21 William LeFanu, ed., Betsy Sheridan’s Journal (Oxford 1986), p. 153, n. 54: March 2–3, 1789.
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22 Lady Minto, Sir Gilbert Elliot, I, pp. 323–4.
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23 BL Althorp F16: second Earl Spencer to LS, March 26, 1789.
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24 A. Aspinall and Lord Bessborough, eds., Lady Bessborough and Her Family Circle (London 1949), p. 48: Lady Duncannon to LS, March 26, 1789.
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25 Ibid.
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26 Ibid., p. 49: March 30, 1789.
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27 R. Brimley Johnson, The Letters of Lady Louisa Stuart (London 1926), p. 98.
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28 Lady Minto, Sir Gilbert Elliot, I, p. 300.
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29 The Times, April 24, 1789.
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30 Lady Granville, Lord Granville Leveson Gower, I, pp. 13–14: Lady Stafford to LGLG, Feb. 12, 1789.
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31 C. Ross, ed., Correspondence of Charles, First Marquis Cornwallis (London 1859), I, pp. 406–7: Lord Sydney to Cornwallis, Feb. 21, 1789.
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32 Quoted in Leslie Mitchell, Charles James Fox and the Disintegration of the Whig Party (Oxford 1971), p. 140: Lord Palmerston to Lady Palmerston, Dec. 26, 1788.
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33 Durham Univ. Lib. Grey MSS, box 70: Lord George Cavendish to Mrs. Ponsonby, Dec. 25, 1788.
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34 For example, Leslie Mitchell, Charles James Fox (Oxford 1992), p. 85.
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35 Chatsworth 936: diary.
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14: THE APPROACHING STORM
1 In March Georgiana may have been so desperate that she briefly contemplated suicide. There is a note preserved in Castle Howard, dated March 18, 1789, which reads: “Dear Georgiana, I leave you, and give you the only valuable gift in my power; wrote in my blood; my Blessing. May God Bless you my Dear Child, Your affectionate Mother, G. Devonshire. Wear the inclos’d chain as a memorandum of my Affection.” Carlisle MSS J18/20: GD to Lady Georgiana Cavendish, March 18, 1789.
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2 Lord Bessborough, Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire (London 1955), p. 143: Thomas Coutts to GD, April 2, 1789.
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3 William Galley, who owned a betting office and lottery shop, was one of those making a fortune out of Geor-giana as she tried everything to raise ready cash. “I am resolved never again to be a burthen to the Duke and never to borrow,” she had written to him in 1789. She offered him an annuity instead: “that it may fall on me alone should I infringe it . . . my debt to you: £1000, the surplus unpaid, £500 the interest—make it up to £3000 by lending me £1500 more, and I will give you a note promising to pay you £500 a year during my life, annuity. You need fear no deceit as I would not for the universe have it come to the Duke. Do this for me, Dear Sir, I entreat you and the payments shall be regular and quarterly.” Walpole Library Devonshire MSS: GD to William Galley, circa winter 1789.
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4 O. Browning, ed., Despatches from Paris, 1784–90 (Camden Third Series 1909–10), II, p. 217.
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5 Chatsworth 961: GD to LS, Tuesday June [25], 1789.
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6 Peter Burley, ed., Witness to the Revolu-tion: British and American Despatches from France 1788–94 (London 1989), pp. 52–3.
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7 Chatsworth 961: GD to LS, Friday June [26], 1789.
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8 PRO 30/29/5/3, f. 41: Lady Sutherland to Lady Stafford, July 14, 1789.
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9 Burley, Witness p. 53.
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10 Chatsworth 961: GD to LS, June 22–8, 1789.
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11 Ibid.
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12 Chatsworth 963: GD to LS, June 29–July 1, 1789.
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13 Chatsworth 962: GD to LS, June 27, 1789.
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14 Chatsworth 963: GD to LS, June 29–July 1, 1789.
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15 BL Althorp G287: GD to second Earl Spencer, July 5, 1789.
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16 Chatsworth 964: GD to LS, July 5, 1789.
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17 A. Aspinall and Lord Bessborough, eds., Lady Bessborough and Her Family Circle (London 1949), p. 55: GD to Harriet, circa June–July 1789 [misdated October].
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18 PRO 30/29/5/3, f. 39: Lady Sutherland to Lady Stafford, July 12, 1789.
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19 Chatsworth 972: GD to LS, July 18, 1789.
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20 Chatsworth 966: GD to LS, July 14, 1789.
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21 Chatsworth 993: James Hare to Bess, Sept. 15, 1789.
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22 Chatsworth 993: James Hare to Bess, Sept. 15, 1789.
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23 Chatsworth 991: James Hare to GD, Sept. 8, 1789.
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24 Lord Bessborough, Georgiana, p. 158: Coutts to GD, Sept. 9, 1789.
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25 Chatsworth 998: James Hare to GD, Oct. 9, 1789.
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26 Chatsworth 995: GD to LS, Sept. 25, 1789.
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27 Chatsworth 994.2: GD to Coutts, Sept. 23, 1789.
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28 Chatsworth 1010: GD to LS, Nov. 8, 1789.
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29 Chatsworth 1018: GD to Calonne, Nov. 19, 1789. In French.
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30 BL Add. MSS 45548, f. 4: GD and Bess to Lady Melbourne, Dec. 24, 1789.
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31 Chichester RO Bessborough MSS: Harriet’s diary, March 19, 1789.
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32 William LeFanu, ed., Betsy Sheridan’s Journal (Oxford 1986), no. 60: p. 167: June 14 and 15, 1789.
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33 Bath Reference Library Sheridan MSS ALB. 2304: Elizabeth Sheridan to Mrs. Mehitabel Canning, Feb. 5, 1790.
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34 Chatsworth 1051: Duke of Dorset to GD, March 17, 1790.
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35 Chatsworth 1022: Memorandum, Nov. 25, 1789. The draft from Denne on the other hand haunted her, since it contravened an “oath in which I pledged my wishes for the Salvation of my Children, and of the Duke and Ly Eliz; not to sign any paper, to raise money upon interest.” She wrote a memorandum to herself to explain why she had broken her promise. But her excuses were rendered almost unintelligible by her circumnavigations round the truth. It was a secret confession and yet she still lied about the actual sum borrowed, reducing it by half.
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36 Walpole Library Devonshire MSS: GD to William Galley, March 9, [1790].
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37 A. Aspinall, ed., The Correspondence of George, Prince of Wales 1770–1812 (London 1964), II, no. 465: GD to Prince of Wales, July 22, 1789.
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38 Chatsworth 1029: GD to LS, Dec. 21, 1789.
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39 Chatsworth 1036: fifth Duke of Devonshire to Bess, Jan. 22, 1790.
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40 Chatsworth 1052.1: GD to fifth Duke of Devonshire, circa March 1790.
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41 Aspinall, George, Prince of Wales, II, no. 508: GD to Prince of Wales, circa May 1790.
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42 Chatsworth 991, James Hare to GD, Sept. 8, 1789. It was the sort of overanxious care which infuriated James Hare. He often warned Georgiana against overloading them with servants. “I think it is a great disadvantage to children to have five nurses and footmen to attend them, to see their parents but seldom, and under a sort of constraint, which prevents their behaving naturally and being as entertaining as they would be otherwise. It also gives them an early habit of dissimulation, which they would have soon enough without help.”
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43 Chatsworth 1041: GD to LS, Feb. 18, 1790.
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44 Chatsworth 1044: GD to LS, Feb. 23, 1790.
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45 Croft was a successful doctor until he attended Princess Charlotte during her labour in November 1817. She died in agony after two days of labour and people blamed him for her death. Croft was so griefstricken by the event that he committed suicide.
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46 Chatsworth 1030: GD to LS, Dec. 21, 1790.
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47 Reginald Blunt, ed., Mrs Montagu (Edinburgh 1923), II, p. 245: Lord Erskine to Mrs. Montagu, June 6, 1790.
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48 BL Althorp F17: second Earl Spencer to LS, May 7, 1790.
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49 BL Althorp G280: LS to second Earl Spencer, May 20, 1790.
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50 Chatsworth 1054.1: journal of Ann Scafe, May 1790.
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51 Chatsworth 1056.1: Lord George Cavendish to GD, June 9, 1790. Many years later the rumours about Hartington’s birth resurfaced. Lord George believed an absurd story which maintained that both women had been pregnant but Bess had given birth to the boy while Geor-giana’s was either stillborn or a girl. They swapped the babies and Hart-ington was illegitimately brought up as the true heir. Lord George contemplated suing for the dukedom after his brother’s death until he read Ann Scafe’s diary and accepted her account as incontrovertible evidence.
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52 BL Althorp G281: LS to second Earl Spencer, June 19, 1790.
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53 Chatsworth 1056: GD to LS, August 11, 1790.
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54 Dorothy Stuart, Dearest Bess (London 1955), p. 53.
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55 PRO 30/29/5/3, f. 56: Lady Sutherland to Lady Stafford, circa August 1790. In French.
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56 Ibid., f. 55: Lady Sutherland to Lady Stafford, circa July 1790.
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57 Ibid., f. 56: Lady Sutherland to Lady Stafford, circa August 1790.
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15: EXPOSURE
1 Chatsworth: diary of Lady Elizabeth Foster, November 25, 1790.
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2 W. S. Lewis, ed., Horace Walpole’s Correspondence (New Haven, Conn. 1937–80), XI, p. 263: Walpole to Mary Berry, May 12, 1791.
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3 Chatsworth 936: GD Regency crisis diary, introduction.
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4 Chatsworth 971: anonymous, undated letter to GD, “1789” erroneously added by another hand; almost certainly written by Lafayette in July 1791.
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5 Chatsworth 1072: Duke of Dorset to GD, Nov. 1, 1790.
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6 Chatsworth 1086: Duke of Dorset to GD, June 30, 1791.
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7 BRBL Yale University: Duke of Dorset to GD, August 1791.
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8 Chatsworth 1062: GD to LS, Sept. 9, 1790.
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9 Ibid.
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10 Chatsworth 1064: GD to LS, Sept. 10, 1790.
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11 Chatsworth 1063: LS to GD, Sept. 10, 1790.
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12 Chatsworth 1075: GD to LS, Nov. 12, 1790.
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13 SNRA Douglas-Home MSS TD95/54: diary of Lady Mary Coke, Feb. 27, 1791.
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14 Ibid.
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15 Vere Birdwood, ed., So Dearly Beloved, So Much Admired: The Letters of Lady Chatham (London 1994), p. 217: Mrs. Trevor to Lady Hester, March 7, 1791.
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16 BL Althorp G291: Lavinia, Lady Spencer to second Earl Spencer, May 1789.
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17 Chatsworth 1078.1: GD to Coutts, circa March 1791.
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18 Lewis Melville, ed., The Berry Papers (London 1914), p. 39: Hon. Mrs. Damer to Mary Berry, June 20, 1791.
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19 Henry Wheatley, The Historical and Posthumous Memoirs of Nathaniel Wrax-all (London 1884), I, p. 50.
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20 Chatsworth 1099.1: GD to Coutts, circa March 1791.
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21 Morning Post, July 11, 1791.
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22 Chatsworth 1095: GD to Coutts, July 17, 1791.
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23 Joyce Hemlow and Althea Douglas, eds., The Journals and Letters of Fanny Burney (Madame d’Arblay) (Oxford 1972–84), I, p. 38: August 31, 1791.
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24 Ibid.
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25 Ibid., I, p. 41: August 31, 1791.
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26 Ibid., I, pp. 61 and 49.
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27 Ibid., I, p. 49: August 31, 1791.
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28 Lady Granville, The Private Correspondence of Lord Granville Leveson Gower (London 1916), I, p. 117: Lady Bess-borough to LGLG, Oct. 6, 1795.
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29 BL Add. MSS 45548, f. 79: Bess to Lady Melbourne, circa May 1791.
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30 C. Price, ed., The Letters of Richard Brinsley Sheridan (Oxford 1966), I, pp. 225–6: Sheridan to GD, circa July 20, 1791.
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31 BL Add. MSS 45548, f. 79: Bess to Lady Melbourne, circa May 1791.
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32 BL Althorp F17: second Earl Spencer to LS, June 10, 1791.
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33 Chatsworth 1098: GD to Coutts, July 17, 1791.
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34 BL Add. MSS 45911, f. 15: Lady Duncannon to Lady Melbourne, circa Oct. 1791.
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35 BL Add. MSS 45548, f. 36: Lady Duncannon to Lady Melbourne, circa Oct. 1791.
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36 BL Add. MSS 45911, f. 18: GD to Lady Melbourne, Oct. 15, 1791.
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37 Ibid.
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38 BL Add. MSS 45548, f. 44: Lady Duncannon to Lady Melbourne, circa Oct. 1791.
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39 BL Add. MSS 45911, f. 15: Lady Duncannon to Lady Melbourne, circa Oct. 1791.
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The Duchess Page 53