Sir John Simeon Correspondence An inventory of his correspondence at Syracuse University

Papers of the British politician. Simeon, 3rd baronet and eldest son of Sir Richard Godwin Simeon, was born and lived most of his life at Swainston on the Isle of Wight. Succeeding to the title in 1854, Simeon, following a career in the Navy, served as a Member of Parliament from the Isle of Wight from 1847 to 1851, and again between 1865 and 1870. Nearly 350 incoming letters to Sir John Simeon from prominent Victorians, including literary figures, politicians, religious leaders, scholars and statesmen.

Language:

English

Repository:

Special Collections Research Center,
Syracuse University Libraries
222 Waverly Avenue
Syracuse, NY 13244-2010
https://library.syracuse.edu/special-collections-research-center

Biographical History

Sir John Simeon (1815-1870) was born and lived most of his life at Swainston on the Isle of Wight. Third baronet and eldest son of Sir Richard Godwin Simeon, Sir John Simeon succeeded to the title in 1854. Following a career in the Navy, Simeon served as a Member of Parliament for the Isle of Wight from 1847 to 1851, and again between 1865 and 1870.

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Scope and Contents of the Collection

The Sir John Simeon Correspondence comprises nearly 350 incoming letters.

Organized alphabetically, the collection begins with 9 incoming letters written between 1824 and 1846 to John's father, Sir Richard Simeon. Among this group are letters from political and religious figures, including an extensive missive from social reformer and abolitionist William Wilberforce concerning slavery in the West Indies.

The remainder of the letters span 1854 through 1870 and reflect Simeon's prominence in the social, political, and artistic circles on the Isle of Wight. For a time the only Roman Catholic Member of Parliament, Simeon, who was closely associated with the Oxford Movement, numbered among his correspondents many of the Victorian era's most influential politicians, statesmen (Frederick Temple Blackwood, Henry Bruce, Edward Cardwell, Hugh Childers, William Gladstone, George Goschen, George Lyttleton, William Monsell) and religious leaders (George Granville Bradley, Henry Manning, Arthur Stanley, William Ward, Samuel Wilberforce).

A classical scholar himself, Simeon's correspondents also included antiquarians (Frederic Madden, Thomas Wright), authors (Alexander Beresford-Hope, George Brodrick, Charles Kingsley, William Lecky, Anthony Sterling, Philip Henry Stanhope, William Stirling-Maxwell, George Venables), men of letters (James Froude, Theodore Martin, Richard Monckton Milnes), and scholars (Stephen de Vere, Benjamin Jowett, James Lacaita, Thomas May). With the arrival of Alfred Tennyson at Farringford, near Swainston, Simeon's circle of acquaintances broadened to include literary figures (William Allingham, Robert Browning, Pauline Craven, Aubrey de Vere, Georgiana Fullerton, Frederick Locker-Lampson, Charles Merivale, Caroline Norton, Laurence Oliphant, Coventry Patmore, Anthony Trollope).

Simeon's correspondents also included representatives of the visual and performing arts, including illustrators (Richard Doyle, Edward Lear), painters (William Boxall, Francis Grant, William Holman Hunt, Edwin Landseer, Frederic Leighton), photographers (Julia Margaret Cameron), sculptors (George Frederick Watts, Thomas Woolner), actresses (Helena Faucit Martin), and musicians (Charles Hamilton Aide, Charles Halle, Henry Russell).

While the Simeon letters are rich in associations with prominent Victorians, they are perhaps most valuable for their illumination of the intellectual, political, and social life which flourished on the Isle of Wight during that period.

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Arrangement of the Collection

Letters are divided into those of Richard Simeon and of John Simeon; within that they are arranged alphabetically by correspondent.

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Restrictions

Access Restrictions

The majority of our archival and manuscript collections are housed offsite and require advanced notice for retrieval. Researchers are encouraged to contact us in advance concerning the collection material they wish to access for their research.

Use Restrictions

Written permission must be obtained from SCRC and all relevant rights holders before publishing quotations, excerpts or images from any materials in this collection.

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Subject Headings

Persons

Simeon, John, Sir, 1815-1870.

Simeon, Richard Godwin, Sir, 1784-1854.

Subjects

Catholics -- Great Britain.

Legislators -- England -- Isle of Wight.

Politicians -- England -- Isle of Wight.

Places

Great Britain -- Intellectual life -- 19th century.

Great Britain -- Politics and government -- 19th century.

Great Britain -- Social life and customs -- 19th century.

Isle of Wight (England) -- History -- 19th century.

Isle of Wight (England) -- Intellectual life -- 19th century.

Isle of Wight (England) -- Political activity -- 19th century.

Isle of Wight (England) -- Politics and government.

Isle of Wight (England) -- Social life and customs -- 19th century.

Occupations

Legislators.

Politicians.

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Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Preferred citation for this material is as follows:

Sir John Simeon Correspondence,
Special Collections Research Center,
Syracuse University Libraries

Finding Aid Information

Created by: KM
Date: Oct 1991
Revision history: 14 Mar 2008 - converted to EAD (MRC)

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Inventory

Richard Simeon correspondence

Box 1

Graham, James Robert George 1845 (1 letter)

Box 1

Grey, George 1846 (1 letter)

Harris, James Edward

See Malmesbury, James Edward Harris

Box 1

Malmesbury, James Edward Harris 1826 (1 letter)

Box 1

Taylor, Herbert 1824 (1 letter)

Wellesley, Arthur, Duke of Wellington

See Wellington, Arthur Wellesley

Box 1

Wellington, Arthur Wellesley 1845 (1 letter)

Box 1

Wilberforce, Samuel 1843, undated (2 letters)

Box 1

Wilberforce, William 1826 (2 letters)

John Simeon correspondence

Box 1

Adderley, Charles Bowyer undated (1 letter)

Aide, Charles Hamilton

See Aide, Hamilton

Box 1

Aide, Hamilton 1869, undated (3 letters)

Box 1

Allingham, William 1869 (2 letters)

Box 1

Arthur William Patrick Albert, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn 1868 (1 letter)

Box 1

Aumale, Henri d'Orleans, duc d' 1860 (1 letter)

Box 1

Baker, Samuel White 1869 (1 letter)

Box 1

Ball, John 1859 (1 letter)

Box 1

Beresford-Hope, Alexander James Beresford 1869? (1 letter)

Blackwood, Frederick Temple

See Dufferin and Ava, Frederick Temple Blackwood

Box 1

Boxall, William undated (1 letter)

Box 1

Bradley, George Granville 1865, undated (2 letters)

Box 1

Brodrick, George Charles undated (1 letter)

Box 1

Browning, Robert 1867, 1870 (2 letters)

Box 1

Bruce, Henry Austin 1868, 1869? (3 letters)

Box 1

Cameron, Julia Margaret 1868, 1870 (2 letters)

Box 1

Cardwell, Edward Cardwell 1865, 1870 (5 letters)

Box 1

Carlingford, Chichester Samuel Parkinson-Fortescue 1863, 1865, undated (3 letters)

Box 1

Carmichael, James Robert 1854, 1865, 1869 (4 letters)

Box 1

Carnarvon, Henry Howard Molyneux 1857, 1863, 1864 (5 letters)

Box 1

Cavendish, Richard 1861 (1 letter)

Box 1

Cayley, George John undated (1 letter)

Box 1

Chance, J. H. 1865 (1 letter)

Box 1

Childers, Hugh Culling Eardley 1867, 1869, 1870 (4 letters; 1 outgoing letter)

Box 1

Circourt, Adolphe de 1866, undated (3 letters)

Box 1

Clifford, Charles Cavendish 1860 1865, undated (5 letters)

Box 1

Clifford, Charles J. (or T.) 1862 (2 letters)

Connaught and Strathearn, Duke of

See Arthur William Patrick Albert, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn

Cowper, William Francis

See Mount-Temple, William Francis Cowper-Temple

Box 1

Craven, Pauline Marie Armande Aglae 1868 (1 letter)

De Montalembert, Charles Forbes

See Montalembert, Charles Forbes

Box 1

De Vere, Aubrey Thomas 1853, 1854, 1858, 1860 (7 letters)

Box 1

De Vere, Stephen Edward 1860, 1865?, undated (6 letters)

D'Orleans, Henri

See Aumale, Henri d'Orleans, duc d'

Box 1

Doyle, Francis Hastings Charles undated (2 letters)

Box 1

Doyle, Henry Edward 1851 (1 letter)

Box 1

Doyle, Richard undated (2 letters)

Dufferin, Frederick Temple Blackwood

See Dufferin and Ava, Frederick Temple Blackwood

Box 1

Dufferin and Ava, Frederick Temple Blackwood 1866, 1869, 1870, undated (5 letters)

Elcho

See Wemyss, Francis Wemyss-Charteris Douglas

Box 1

Enfield, Edward (?) 1865 (1 letter)

Erskine May, Thomas see

See May, Thomas Erskine

Box 1

Estcourt, Edgar Edmund 1861 (1 letter)

Box 1

Eversley, Charles Shaw-Lefevre 1857, 1859-1860 1863-1866, 1869 (18 letters)

Farnborough, Thomas Erskine May

See May, Thomas Erskine

Faucit, Helena Saville

See Martin, Helena Faucit Saville

Forbes, Charles

See Montalembert, Charles Forbes

Box 1

Forster, William Edward 1865, undated (2 letters)

Fortesque, Chichester Samuel

See Carlingford, Chichester Samuel Parkinson-Fortescu

Box 1

Fowler, John 1870 (1 letter)

Box 1

Froude, James Anthony 1858, undated (1 letter)

Box 1

Fullerton, Georgiana undated (1 letter)

Box 1

Galton, Douglas Strutt 1865 (1 letter)

Box 1

Gladstone, William Ewart 1865 (1 letter)

Box 1

Gordon, H. P.(?) 1868 (1 letter)

Box 1

Goschen, George Joachim Goschen 1868, undated (5 letters)

Box 1

Grant, Francis undated (2 letters)

Box 1

Grant-Duff, Mountstuart Elphinstone 1870 (1 letter)

Box 1

Granville, Granville George Levenson-Gower 1857 (or 1859), 1870 (5 letters)

Box 1

Grey, George 1857, 1865 (2 letters)

Box 1

Gully, James Manby 1869 (1 letter)

Box 1

Halle, Charles 1868 (4 letters)

Box 1

Harman, R. 1865, 1869 (2 letters)

Box 1

Head, Edmund Walker 1867 (1 letter)

Herbert, Henry Howard Molyneux

See Carnarvon, Henry Howard Molyneux

Hope, Alexander James Beresford

See Beresford-Hope, Alexander James Beresford

Box 1

Hope-Scott, James Robert 1860 (1 letter)

Box 1

Houghton, Richard Monckton Milnes 1858, 1860, 1870, undated (8 letters, 1 fragment)

Box 1

Houseman, Henry 1867 (1 letter)

Box 1

Hunt, William Holman 1864 (1 letter)

Box 1

Iddesleigh, Stafford Henry Northcote 1867 (1 letter)

Box 1

Jowett, Benjamin 1869 (1 letter)

Box 1

Kinglake, Alexander William 1857, 1859, 1863, 1869 (4 letters)

Box 1

Kingsley, Charles 1862 (1 letter)

Box 1

Kingsley, George Henry undated (2 letters)

Box 1

Knatchbull-Hugesson, Edward Hugesson 1867 (2 letters)

Box 1

Lacaita, James Phillip 1869-1870 (4 letters)

Box 1

Landseer, Edwin Henry 1869 (1 letter)

Box 1

Lear, Edward 1867-1869, undated (5 letters, 1 drawing)

Box 1

Lecky, William Edward Hartpole undated (2 letters)

Lefevre, Charles Shaw

See Eversley, Charles Shaw-Lefevre

Leighton, Frederic Leighton

See Leighton of Stretton, Frederic Leighton

Box 1

Leighton of Stretton, Frederic Leighton undated (1 letter)

Leveson-Gower, Georgiana Charlotte

See Fullerton, Georgiana

Leveson-Gower, Granville George see

See Granville, Granville George Leveson-Gower

Box 1

Locker-Lampson, Frederick 1864, 1866, 1869 (4 letters)

Box 1

Lyttleton, George William 1857, 1860, 1862, 1869 - includes one letter to R. Harman, 2 to R. Cavendish (10 letters, )

Box 1

Madden, Frederic 1858 (1 letter)

Box 1

Manners, John James Robert 1868 (1 letter)

Box 1

Manning, Henry Edward 1851?, 1854, 1855, 1857?, 1859, 1860 (13 letters)

Box 1

Martin, Helena Faucit Saville undated (1 letter)

Box 1

Martin, Theodore 1870? (1 letter)

Maxwell, Caroline Elizabeth Sarah Sheridan Norton

See Norton, Caroline Sheridan

Maxwell, William Stirling

See Stirling-Maxwell, William

Box 1

May, Thomas Erskine 1868 (1 letter)

Box 1

Merivale, Charles undated (1 letter)

Box 1

Milman, Henry Hart 1857 (1 letter)

Milnes, Richard Monckton

See Houghton, Richard Monckton Milnes

Molyneux, Henry Howard

See Carnarvon, Henry Howard Molyneux

Box 1

Monsell, William 1860 (6 letters)

Box 1

Montalembert, Charles Forbes 1865, 1868, 1869 (3 letters)

Box 1

Motley, John Lothrop undated (1 letter)

Box 1

Mount-Temple, William Francis Cowper-Temple 1868 1869, undated (3 letters)

Box 1

Murchison, Roderick Impey 1865? (1 letter)

Box 1

Murray, John 1860 (1 letter)

Northcote, Stafford Henry

See Iddesleigh, Stafford Henry Northcote

Box 1

Norton, Caroline Sheridan undated (2 letters)

Box 1

Oliphant, Laurence undated (2 letters)

Orleans, Henri d'

See Aumale, Henri d'Orleans, duc d'

Box 1

Owen, Richard undated (1 letter)

Box 2

Palgrave, Francis Turner 1863 (1 letter)

Palmer, Roundell

See Selborne, Roundell Palmer

Parkinson-Fortescue, Chichester Samuel

See Carlingford, Chichester Samuel Parkinson-Fortescue

Box 2

Patmore, Coventry Kersey Dighton 1856-1857, 1859-1860, undated (12 letters)

Box 2

Pollen, John Hungerford 1860 (1 letter)

Box 2

Prinsep, Henry Thoby undated (1 letter)

Box 2

Prinsep, Sara 1865 (1 letter)

Box 2

Russell, Elizabeth Anne 1868 (1 letter)

Box 2

Russell, Henry undated (1 letter)

Box 2

Russell, John Russell 1851 (1 letter)

Box 2

Seely, Mary 1865 (1 letter)

Box 2

Selborne, Roundell Palmer 1865 (1 letter)

Box 2

Selfe, Henry James Seife 1867 (1 letter)

Shaw-LeFevre, Charles

See Eversley, Charles Shaw-LeFevre

Box 2

Shelley, Frances Winckley date illegible (1 letter)

Box 2

Stanhope, Philip Henry 1868 (1 letter)

Box 2

Stanley, Arthur Penrhyn 1865, 1870, undated (9 letters)

Box 2

Sterling, Anthony Coningham 1862, 1870 (2 letters)

Stirling-Maxwell, Caroline Elizabeth Sarah Sheridan Norton

See Norton, Caroline Sheridan

Box 2

Stirling-Maxwell, William 1862, 1868-1870 (5 letters)

Box 2

Taylor, Henry 1856 (1 letter)

Box 2

Taylor, Tom undated (1 letter)

Box 2

Tennyson, Alfred Tennyson 1860, 1865, 1868, undated (6 letters)

Box 2

Tennyson, Emily Sellwood Tennyson 1860-1861, 1865, 1867, 1869 (8 letters)

Box 2

Trevelyan, George Otto 1867? (1 letter)

Box 2

Trollope, Anthony undated (1 letter)

Box 2

Van de Weyer, Sylvain undated (1 letter)

Box 2

Venables, George Stovin undated (1 letter)

Box 2

Ward, William George 1854, 1857, 1860, 1865, 1868, undated (12 letters)

Box 2

Watts, George Frederick undated (1 letter)

Box 2

Wemyss, Francis Wemyss-Charteris Douglas 1859 (1 letter)

Box 2

Wetherell, T. F. 1865 (1 letter)

Box 2

Wilberforce, Samuel 1862, undated (2 letters)

Box 2

Woolner, Thomas 1859, 1862-1865, 1867-1869 (8 letters)

Box 2

Wright, Thomas 1858 (2 letters)

Box 2

Wynne, Charles 1860, undated (2 letters)

Box 2

Wyvill, Marmaduke 1866 (1 letter)

Partial identification or unidentified

Box 2

C.W.F. 1869 (3 letters (from Paris))

Box 2

Emanuel 1865 (1 letter)

Box 2

Grey (?) 1864-1865 (2 letters)

Box 2

Grosvenor undated (1 letter)

Box 2

Wodehouse 1869 (1 letter)

Box 2

Unidentified 1858 (1 letter)

Box 2

Unidentified 1866 (5 letters)

Box 2

Unidentified 1867 (1 letter)

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Collection inventory

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