Box: 1 Fold: 52 Nathalie Benckendorff Box: 1 Fold: 53 Gladys Benskin Box: 1 Fold: 54 Richard Irving Best Box: 1 Fold: 55 John Betjeman Box: 1 Fold: 56 Penelope Betjeman
1. To Sir Ralph Glynn, undated ALS: "..whom I have for years past called the ogre of the downs because he hides in woods & pounces out on my children when they ride that way...My contention is that children on ponies are such a beautiful sight that landowners would rejoice at seeing them; but not so the ogre..."
2. To Catholicism, Christopher Sykes, etc., in TLS 10/20/1950: "...I thought your letter about Harrovians in the Spectator...very good and funny. I cannot thin why prots are so annoyed about it as its nothing to do with them and as you said in Church times Anglo-Catholics have always believed it so why the A/B's of C and Y are in such a state I don't know. As for Bobby Spe(a)ight and Christopher Sykes in the Tablet...It seems to me that in becoming a Catholic infallibility is accepted in its entirety and we believe that the Holy Ghost will make everything plain, everything that is still to come, so when the Pope does make something plain why do even Catholics get upset about it????? Of course most uneducated born C's are very surprised as they always thought it was a dogma and have never questioned it..."
Box: 2 Fold: 1 Nathaly Bevan Box: 2 Fold: 2 Nathaly Bevan Box: 2 Fold: 3 Nathaly Bevan Box: 2 Fold: 4 Anthony Bevir Box: 2 Fold: 5 Marthe Bibesco (Martha Bibescu) Box: 2 Fold: 6 Francis Bigger Box: 2 Fold: 7 Earl of Birkenhead, Frederick Winston Furneaux Smith
1. To the death of Vyvyan Holland, TLS 10/25/1967: "I also was very sad at the departure of our old friend Vyvyan and went up to his funeral at Golders Green where there were a few of his more intimate friends assembled. But I understand that he had a very quick and painless death which is something, and anyway he never went through any period of senility which he would have disliked intensely..."
2. To Winston Churchill and a one-volume critical biography that the Earl of Birkenhead was commissioned to write, TLS 5/6/1969 and 5/9/1969.
@ Includes autograph copy of a letter from Shane Leslie to F.W.F. Smith, concerning the biography the latter wrote about his father, Frederick Edwin Smith, 1st Earl of Birkenhead; as well as a reminiscence by Shane Leslie of F.E. Smith, with references to the earl and Mona Dunn, AMs, 1 page.
Box: 2 Fold: 8 Margaret Birkenhead Box: 2 Fold: 9 William Norman Birkett Box: 2 Fold: 10 Archbishop of Birmingham, Thomas Williams Box: 2 Fold: 11 Kitsy Lady Blackwell Box: 2 Fold: 12 Judith Blunt Box: 2 Fold: 13 Wilfrid Blunt Box: 2 Fold: 14 Josselin Bodley Box: 2 Fold: 15 Ronnie Bodley Box: 2 Fold: 16 Mother M. Bonaventure, O.S.F. Box: 2 Fold: 17 Violet Bonham Carter
Box: 2 Fold: 18 Violet Bonham Carter Box: 2 Fold: 19 Violet Bonham Carter Box: 2 Fold: 20 Violet Bonham Carter Box: 2 Fold: 21 Violet Bonham Carter Box: 2 Fold: 22 Violet Bonham Carter Box: 2 Fold: 23 Violet Bonham Carter
De Gaulle, death of Randolph Churchill, assassinations of John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King, and Robert Kennedy.
Box: 2 Fold: 24 Violet Bonham Carter Box: 2 Fold: 25 Francis Cardinal Bourne Box: 2 Fold: 26 Francis Cardinal Bourne Box: 2 Fold: 27 Hugh C. Boyle (Archbishop) Box: 2 Fold: 28 Brendan Bracken
@ "...I read Father Heenan's letter in the Times. He missed the point of my answer in the House of Commons. Lady Astor, who is a great hater of Catholics, asked a rhetorical question about sending certain propagandist documents to the Pope. I replied by telling her that I have no means of communicating with His Holiness. My colleague, the Foreign Secretary, can communicated by telegram with Mr. Osborne, but I cannot imagine him wiring thousands of words of propaganda in code to the Vatican."
Box: 2 Fold: 29 Max Brennan Box: 2 Fold: 30 Oliver Brett, Lord Esher Box: 2 Fold: 31 Tom Bridges
1. 9/26/1939: "AM still here but much better. Have had 3 blood transfusions! What I shall become God knows..."
2. 10/12/1939: "It is indeed noble of you to fling yourself into the breach. I must insist on mentioning the fact in the short preface which I am now writing..."
Box: 2 Fold: 32 Anne Brindley Box: 2 Fold: 33 William F. Brown, Bishop of Pella Box: 2 Fold: 34 Henry Browne, S.J. Box: 2 Fold: 35 Maurice Cardinal Browne Box: 2 Fold: 36 Mgr. Patrick Browne Box: 2 Fold: 37 Oscar Browning Box: 2 Fold: 38 Oscar Browning Box: 2 Fold: 39 Duke of Buccleugh, Walter John Montagu-Douglas-Scott Box: 2 Fold: 40 G.A. Burton, Bishop of Clifton Box: 2 Fold: 41 Eloise Bury Box: 2 Fold: 42 Robert G. Bury
Box: 2 Fold: 43 Basil Christopher Butler Box: 2 Fold: 44 Urban Butler Box: 2 Fold: 45 Patrick Butler on Sir William Butler (Correspondence) Box: 2 Fold: 46 Sir William Butler
Letter dates incomplete
DESCRIPTION: Contains 3 ALS from Nathalie Benckendorff to Shane Leslie, acknowledging gifts of books from the latter and reminiscing about her acquaintance with his parents.
Letter dates incomplete
DESCRIPTION: Contains 2 ALS to Shane Leslie from Mrs. Joseph Benskin.
Letter dated 8/1/1934
DESCRIPTION: Contains ALS to Shane Leslie from Richard Irving Best, National Library of Ireland, Dublin.
Letter dated 12/13/1950
DESCRIPTION: Contains ALS, 3 pp/2 sheets, from poet John Betjeman to Shane Leslie sending early Christmas greetings.
Letter dated 10/20/1950
DESCRIPTION: Contains undated ALS & TLS 10/20/1950 to Shane Leslie from Penelope Betjeman, with references as follows -
Letters dated 11/21/1965-11/24/1967
DESCRIPTION: Contains 17 ALS to Shane Leslie from Nathaly Bevan, wife of artist Robert Bevan.
Letters dated 3/25/1968-11/11/1969
DESCRIPTION: Contains 10 ALS from Nathaly Bevan to Shane Leslie, including 1 large ACS bearing a color print of a painting by Robert Bevan.
Letter dates incomplete
DESCRIPTION: Contains 11 ALS bearing incomplete dates, from Nathaly Bevan to Shane Leslie.
Letter dated 5/29/1942
DESCRIPTION: Contains 1 TLS from Anthony Bevir to Shane Leslie concerning a grant from the Royal Literary Fund for one Miss Elrington.
Letter dated 3/13/1950
DESCRIPTION: Contains ALS 6 pp/3 sheets, from Princess Marthe Lucie Lahovary Bibesco (1887-1973), thanking Shane Leslie for reviewing her book (not named in letter).
Letters dated 4/24/1922-5/4/1922
DESCRIPTION: Contains 2 ALS from Francis Bigger to Shane Leslie, including references to the condition of Catholics in Belfast, Ireland. Includes newsclipping of an article on Bigger.
Letters dated 8/9/1951-7/18/1969
DESCRIPTION: Contains 4 ALS, 3 TLS to Shane Leslie from Frederick Winston Furneaux Smith, 2nd.Earl of Birkenhead, with references as follows -
Letters dated c.5/1/1928-10/25/1967
DESCRIPTION: Contains 5 ALS to Shane Leslie from Margaret Eleanor Birkenhead (nee Furneaux), wife of Frederick Edwin Birkenhead, 1st Earl of Birkenhead, and mother of Frederick Winston Furneaux Birkenhead, 2nd Earl of Birkenhead, Includes references to the death of her daughter Eleanor, ALS 11/4/1945, and to the death of Vyvyan Holland, ALS 10/25/1967.
Letter date 11/23/1959
DESCRIPTION: Contains 1 TLS from William Norman Birkett to Shane Leslie.
Letters dated 3/15/1926-12/26/1943
DESCRIPTION: Contains 3 ALS to Shane Leslie from Thomas Williams, Archbishop of Birmingham, with remarks on the former's writing and views on Catholicism.
Letters dated 1/23/1950-4/23/1954
DESCRIPTION: Contains 2 autograph copies of letters from Shane Leslie to "Kitsy" Lady Blackwell, with news about activities at Glaslough: school visits, lectures on forestry, etc. Includes 1 ALS from Lady Blackwell to Shane Leslie (1/23/1950).
Letters dated 5/12/1953-1/7/1954
DESCRIPTION: Contains 2 ALS to Shane Leslie from Judith Blunt, with reference to a "biographical autobiography" that she was writing about her father Wilfrid Scawen Blunt: "I do agree with you that it is essential to produce a book in which his multi-sided character shall be given full justice. I have no wish to dim his golden raiment but I think the contradictory angelo-satanic elements constitute the unique interest of his personality..."
Letter dated June 11, 1958
DESCRIPTION: Contains ALS from Wilfrid Blunt to Shane Leslie, with reference to reading the latter's book, "The Oppidan": "It is a glorious book, & there is so much in it that wd. stimulate the present generation, who know it far less than they should..."
Letters dated 1/29/1952-2/5/1952
DESCRIPTION: Contains 2 ALS from Josselin Bodley. ALS 2/5/1952 concerns the death of her daughter Vyvyan, granddaughter of J.E.C. Bodley.
Letters dated 2/4/1952-6/22/1968
DESCRIPTION: Contains 2 ALS from Ronnie Bodley, son of J.E.C. Bodley, to Shane Leslie, in which the former advises the latter to advertise his lectures in order to become better known on American platforms. Reference also to death of Randolph Churchill.
Letters dated 8/15/1951-6/15/1961
DESCRIPTION: Contains 4 ALS from Mother M. Bonaventure, O.S.F. to Shane Leslie. Includes notes and extracts of letters from Shane Leslie to Mother Bonaventure, transcribed in the hand of Iris C. Leslie (total 10 pages/5 pages).
Letter dated 2/18/1920
DESCRIPTION: Contains ALS from Lady Violet Bonham Carter to Shane Leslie re politics, Lloyd George, and Llewellyn Williams.
Letters dated 9/29/1952-6/5/1957
DESCRIPTION: Contains 5 ALS from Lady Violet Bonham Carter to Shane Leslie, which include some remarks on politics, and a letter about her daughter Cressida (ALS 5/30/1957).
Letters dated 6/25/1958-12/21/1958
DESCRIPTION: Contains 5 ALS from Lady Bonham Carter to Shane Leslie, with references to family; and questions about Sir Charles Dilke and Virginia Crawford (ALS 12/21/1958).
Letter dates 7/29/1959-12/19/1959
DESCRIPTION: Contains 2 ALS from Lady Bonham Carter to Shane Leslie, with references to politics.
Letter dates 7/10/1960-12/30/1961
DESCRIPTION: Contains 3 ALS from Lady Bonham Carter to Shane Leslie, with references to her family.
Letters dated 9/23/1966-1/27/1967
DESCRIPTION: Contains 3 ALS from Lady Bonham Carter to Shane Leslie, with references to the Churchills.
Letters dated 1/2/1968-1/23/1969
DESCRIPTION: Contains 3 ALS from Violet Bonham Carter to Shane Leslie with references to
1949-1978
DESCRIPTION: Contains TLS from Violet Bonham Carter to Shane Leslie concerning her views on the position of Ireland during World War Two. Includes an autograph "assessment" of the letter by Anita (Leslie) King, written in 1978.
Letters dated 4/15/1914-11/19/1920
DESCRIPTION: Contains ALS, TLS, ACS from Cardinal Bourne to Shane Leslie, with references to various works in progress by the latter, including a biography on Henry Edward Cardinal Manning.
Letter dated 4/25/1930
DESCRIPTION: Contains xerox copy of ALS to Cardinal Bourne from Shane Leslie (torn into 4 pieces).
Letter date 3/6/1935
DESCRIPTION: Contains ALS from Archbishop Boyle of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, inviting Shane Leslie to visit him after a lecture tour near that city.
Letters dated 7/22/1941-6/16/1942
DESCRIPTION: Contains 4 TLS to Shane Leslie from Brendan Bracken, parliamentary private secretary to the British prime minister (1940-41) and minister of information (1941-45). Reference to Irish-English relations, Allied policy toward Japan, and to the following in TLS 6/16/1942:
Letter dated 5/16/1916
DESCRIPTION: Contains ALS, 4 pages/2 sheets, to Shane Leslie from Max Brennan, describing the rebellion organized by the Irish Revolutionary Brotherhood and its American affiliate the Clan na Gael in Easter 1916. Reference also to the Sinn Fein Policy against British Home Rule.
Letters dated 10/22/1939-6/28/1959
DESCRIPTION: Contains 3 ALS to Shane Leslie from Oliver Brett, Lord Esher, with reference to the effect of World War Two on those at home, ALS 10/22/1939: "I well understand your feeling of isolation. In fact everybody, stuck in their remote country houses, with no petrol, & unable to entertain friends, feels the same. So it is natural to have the illusion that others have seen people & heard things interesting & important, while as a matter of fact nothing happens in this strange war, & we have all gone back to an uneventful eighteenth-century existence, which personally I find rather pleasant..."
Letters dated 9/26/1939-10/12/1939
DESCRIPTION: Contains 2 ALS from General Tom Bridges to Shane Leslie -
Letters dated 10/25/1948-5/14/1967
DESCRIPTION: Contains 9 ALS to Shane Leslie from Anne Brindley. Includes an autograph "resume" (1 folio/4 pp) of her life, re particularly her marriages, and adopted son; and autograph list of extracts of newspaper articles about her work with children orphaned during World War Two. Note: Anne Brindley married Alexander Sedgwick in 1929, and divorced in 1933. She then married Henri Fortin in 1943.
Letters dated 2/7/1925-2/20/1951
DESCRIPTION: Contains 5 ALS to Shane Leslie from William F. Brown, with references to Clare Sheridan and the death of Marjorie Leslie.
Letters dated c.1909
DESCRIPTION: Contains 2 ALS from Henry Browne, S.J., with references to Shane Leslie's writings.
Letters dated 9/21/1961-3/22/1965
DESCRIPTION: Contains 4 ALS, ACS, ALS fragment, addressed & postmarked envelope, from Cardinal Browne to Shane Leslie, with references to the death of Mgr. Patrick Browne (ALS 9/21/61 & 5/17/62).
Letters dated 4/17/1941-5/9/1956
DESCRIPTION: Contains 6 ALS, 1 ACS to Shane Leslie from Mgr. Patrick Browne. Includes reference to a proposed lecture on Nostradamus by Shane Leslie.
Letter dated 4/13/1908
DESCRIPTION: Contains 1 ALS from Oscar Browning to Shane Leslie: "I have just been reading your pamphlet with unqualified admiration..."
Letter dated 12/4/1888
DESCRIPTION: Contains autograph copy of a letter from Oscar Browning to William Guthrie: "I am writing to ask you if you had anything to do with the publication of the Gadfly and if so what you had to do with it...I did not see the paper till yesterday and I confess that I found it far worse than I had any idea of by report. I should have probably thought it my duty to bring a criminal action against the publisher, indeed I am not sure that I might not do so even now..."
Letter dated 3/27/1954
DESCRIPTION: Contains ALS from the Duke of Buccleugh to Shane Leslie re the felling of trees.
Letters dated 12/19/1913-9/12/1921
DESCRIPTION: Contains 3 ALS from G.A. Burton, Bishop of Clifton, to Shane Leslie, with advice and comments on the latter's writings.
Letters dated 12/29/1907-11/7/1917
DESCRIPTION: Contains 4 ALS from Eloise Bury to Shane Leslie with news of her life at Trumpington Vicarage, Cambridge, with her husband Robert G. Bury. Reference also to Shane Leslie's trip to Russia (ALS 12/29/1907).
Letters dated 5/13/1913-6/10/1944
DESCRIPTION: Contains 11 ALS to Shane Leslie from Robert G. Bury.
Letter dated Chistmas Eve 1961
DESCRIPTION: Contains ALS to Shane Leslie from Basil Christopher Butler, with reference to the (Baron) O'Hagan family.
Letter dated 1/28/1960
DESCRIPTION: Contains ALS to Shane Leslie from Urban Butler, Worth Priory, Crawley, Sussex: "Thank you for your letter yesterday. The Headmaster is delighted that you can come and deliver your talk on ghosts and other stories..."
Letters dated 10/31/1942-4/26/1949
DESCRIPTION: Contains 9 ALS to Shane Leslie from Patrick Butler, son of Sir William Butler, re the latter.
Manuscripts dated 8/5/1948
DESCRIPTION: Contains autograph manuscript notes by Patrick Butler about his father Sir William Butler. Manuscript A, 5 pp/5 sheets of script; Manuscript B, 16 pp/15 sheets of script.
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