Collection GB 0074 F/LEG - LEGGE FAMILY

Identity area

Reference code

GB 0074 F/LEG

Title

LEGGE FAMILY

Date(s)

  • 1770-1885 (Creation)

Level of description

Collection

Extent and medium

0.76 linear metres (1034 documents).

Context area

Name of creator

Biographical history

The Legge family were prominent in London, holding various City offices. However, the Dartmouth branch of the family descended from Edward Legge (d 1616) who as the a second son of a second son had made his own way, largely though settlement in Ireland. He was the vice-president of Munster. Edward's son William Legge (1607-1670) was a royalist army officer.

William's son George Legge (1647-1691) was a naval officer and courtier who was named 1st Baron Dartmouth in December 1682. He is best known for commanding the fleet which failed to prevent the invasion of William of Orange in 1688. His son William Legge (1672-1750), a politician, became the first Earl of Dartmouth. His son George died in 1732 and the title was inherited by his grandson William Legge (1731-1801). The 3rd Earl was William's son George Legge (1755-1810), also a politician, who married Lady Frances Finch (1761-1838) in 1782, having nine daughters and five sons.

George was succeeded as 4th Earl by his eldest son William (1784-1853). The 5th Earl was William Walter Legge (1823-1891) who was married to Augusta Finch (1822-1900) a noted philanthropist.

The main family residence was Patshull Hall, Wolverhampton; although the family maintained connections to London.

Mary, Duchess of Gloucester, (1776-1857), was one of the daughters of King George III. She married her cousin Prince William Frederick, second duke of Gloucester (1776-1834) on the 22 July 1816.

The Battle of Kandahar, 1 September 1880, was the last major conflict of the Second Anglo-Afghan War. The battle was fought between the British forces under command of General Frederick Roberts and the Afghan forces led by Ayub Khan, who was defeated.

Archival history

GB 0074 F/LEG 1770-1885 Collection 0.76 linear metres (1034 documents). Legge , family , Earls of Dartmouth

The Legge family were prominent in London, holding various City offices. However, the Dartmouth branch of the family descended from Edward Legge (d 1616) who as the a second son of a second son had made his own way, largely though settlement in Ireland. He was the vice-president of Munster. Edward's son William Legge (1607-1670) was a royalist army officer.

William's son George Legge (1647-1691) was a naval officer and courtier who was named 1st Baron Dartmouth in December 1682. He is best known for commanding the fleet which failed to prevent the invasion of William of Orange in 1688. His son William Legge (1672-1750), a politician, became the first Earl of Dartmouth. His son George died in 1732 and the title was inherited by his grandson William Legge (1731-1801). The 3rd Earl was William's son George Legge (1755-1810), also a politician, who married Lady Frances Finch (1761-1838) in 1782, having nine daughters and five sons.

George was succeeded as 4th Earl by his eldest son William (1784-1853). The 5th Earl was William Walter Legge (1823-1891) who was married to Augusta Finch (1822-1900) a noted philanthropist.

The main family residence was Patshull Hall, Wolverhampton; although the family maintained connections to London.

Mary, Duchess of Gloucester, (1776-1857), was one of the daughters of King George III. She married her cousin Prince William Frederick, second duke of Gloucester (1776-1834) on the 22 July 1816.

The Battle of Kandahar, 1 September 1880, was the last major conflict of the Second Anglo-Afghan War. The battle was fought between the British forces under command of General Frederick Roberts and the Afghan forces led by Ayub Khan, who was defeated.

Records deposited in March 1957.

Records of the Legge family, earls of Dartmouth, including letters to the Countess of Dartmouth (Lady Frances Legg?) from her children and family members, 1809-1836; letters from Mary, Duchess of Gloucester, and her household, 1828-1856 (Lady Caroline Legg was lady-in-waiting to the Duchess); general family letters, 1820-1856; diaries and travel diaries (Italy and Germany) of Lady Caroline Legg, 1815-1836; papers of Lt Col Edward Legge including correspondence, travel diaries (Switzerland, Crimea, Palestine, Syria, Egypt, Germany, France, Italy), 1853-1877; military notes, army diary and papers concerning service in the Coldstream Guards, 1855-1875, note books and memoranda books, undated; papers taken from Afghan commander Ayub Khan's camp at Kandahar, 1880.

The collection also includes notes on the history of the Legge family, some letters and scrap-books relating to other members of the family; and other papers relating to Mary, Duchess of Gloucester, including letters to her from Queen Victoria, Leopold King of the Belgians, and the Duke of Wellington, 1839-1841.

Divided into four series:

  • Correspondence and Diaries, 1809-1856 (F/LEG/0001-0893);
  • Diaries and Notebooks of Lieutenant Colonel Edward H Ledge, 1853-1885 (F/LEG/0894-0953);
  • Family Papers, Diaries and Correspondence, 1770-1857 (F/LEG/0954-1015);
  • Family History Notes, undated, 19th c.? (F/LEG/1016-1034).

    Available for general access.

    Copyright to this collection rests with the depositor.

    Persian

    Fit

    Please see online catalogues at: http://search.lma.gov.uk/opac_lma/index.htm

    Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

    Records prepared May to September 2011. Germany Italy Kandahar Afghanistan Middle East Syria Western Europe Europe Egypt North Africa France Coldstream Guards Mary , 1776-1857 , Princess , Duchess of Gloucester , daughter of George III x Gloucester , Duchess of Royal family Legge , family , earls of Dartmouth Family correspondence Family archives Travel Travel abroad Wars (events) Anglo-Afghan wars Second Anglo-Afghan War (1878-1880) Information sources Documents Primary documents Personal papers Family records Literature Literary forms and genres Prose Nonfiction Diaries War diaries Switzerland Palestine Kyrm Russia Eastern Europe Krym Crimea

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

Records deposited in March 1957.

Content and structure area

Scope and content

Records of the Legge family, earls of Dartmouth, including letters to the Countess of Dartmouth (Lady Frances Legg?) from her children and family members, 1809-1836; letters from Mary, Duchess of Gloucester, and her household, 1828-1856 (Lady Caroline Legg was lady-in-waiting to the Duchess); general family letters, 1820-1856; diaries and travel diaries (Italy and Germany) of Lady Caroline Legg, 1815-1836; papers of Lt Col Edward Legge including correspondence, travel diaries (Switzerland, Crimea, Palestine, Syria, Egypt, Germany, France, Italy), 1853-1877; military notes, army diary and papers concerning service in the Coldstream Guards, 1855-1875, note books and memoranda books, undated; papers taken from Afghan commander Ayub Khan's camp at Kandahar, 1880.

The collection also includes notes on the history of the Legge family, some letters and scrap-books relating to other members of the family; and other papers relating to Mary, Duchess of Gloucester, including letters to her from Queen Victoria, Leopold King of the Belgians, and the Duke of Wellington, 1839-1841.

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

Accruals

System of arrangement

Divided into four series:

  • Correspondence and Diaries, 1809-1856 (F/LEG/0001-0893);
  • Diaries and Notebooks of Lieutenant Colonel Edward H Ledge, 1853-1885 (F/LEG/0894-0953);
  • Family Papers, Diaries and Correspondence, 1770-1857 (F/LEG/0954-1015);
  • Family History Notes, undated, 19th c.? (F/LEG/1016-1034).

Conditions of access and use area

Conditions governing access

Available for general access.

Conditions governing reproduction

Copyright to this collection rests with the depositor.

Language of material

  • English

Script of material

  • Latin

Language and script notes

Persian

Physical characteristics and technical requirements

Finding aids

Please see online catalogues at: http://search.lma.gov.uk/opac_lma/index.htm

Allied materials area

Existence and location of originals

Existence and location of copies

Related units of description

Related descriptions

Notes area

Alternative identifier(s)

Access points

Place access points

Name access points

Genre access points

Description control area

Description identifier

Institution identifier

London Metropolitan Archives

Rules and/or conventions used

Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

Status

Level of detail

Dates of creation revision deletion

Language(s)

  • English

Script(s)

    Sources

    Accession area