Manuscript, in a single hand, of a copy by Mark Noble, with annotations, of his sister's diary of their tour through Derby and Stafford, recording their impressions of the counties' great houses and churches; and relating anecdotes and historical notes about the inhabitants, the churches and monuments, local legends and superstitions. She explores the town of Ashborne and Ashborne School, while a guest at Sandy Brook, the home of a Mrs. Gisborne; reminiscenses about Dr. Taylor and Dr. Johnson, and the students of Taylor's including the brother of the antiquarian Thomas Astle. In the chapel at Ashbourne Hall, she examines a monument Sir Brook Boothby had erected there in memory of his daughter Penelope and deplores his harsh treatment of his wife, said to have been a dwarf. In Derby, she passes by Sir Michael Gresley's seat, and relates details of their difficult relationship. She praises the furniture at Ilam Hall; visits John Gisborne's mansion at Sudbury; writes approvingly of his character; and concludes her narrative with a description of his wife and children. They visit Lichfield Cathedral and write about the monuments and renovations
Description:
Mrs. Sarah Chattock was the sister of the antiquarian Rev. Mark Noble (1754-1827)., In English., Binding: marbled paper. Written on front cover: Mrs. S. Chattock's Tour through Derby & Stafford Shires with note by her brother the Rev. Mark Noble., and For further infromation, consult library staff.
Subject (Geographic):
England, Derbyshire., Staffordshire., England., Derbyshire (England), and Staffordshire (England)
Subject (Name):
Ashbourne Hall (Ashbourne, England), Boothby, Brooke, 1743-1824., Bertram, Saint., Camden, William, 1551-1623. Britannia., Cokayne family., Chattock, Sarah., Greene, Richard, 1716-1793., Gisborne family., Gisborne, J. 1770-1851 (John),, Gisborne, Thomas, 1758-1846., Gresley family., Mary, Queen of Scots, 1542-1587, Laporte family., Johnson, Samuel, 1709-1784., Noble, Mark, 1754-1827., Taylor, John, 1711-1788., Ashbourne (England), Ilam Hall (Staffordshire, England), Lichfield Cathedral., and Sudbury Hall (England)
Subject (Topic):
Description and travel, Architecture, Domestic, Gentry, Conduct of life, Monuments, Sepulchral monuments, Travelers' writings, English, and Social life and customs
Manuscript, in Jephson's hand, of a parody of Johnson's A Journey to the Western Islands of Scotland. Using florid language throughout, the author explains his satiety with Dublin and determines to explore the countryside. Traveling with Dean Marlay, Mrs Greville and Mrs Jephson, he complains about the unsightly mendicants who mar the scenery; sings, along with his companions, the Beggar's Opera to pass the time; and runs over "pigs and children who were lying together in the middle of the highway." At Celbridge, he praises the landscape, estate, and the appearance of its owner, Colonel Marlay. The essay concludes with a description of the narrator's fall into the Liffey, and his rescue by catching hold of a passing cow and Horace Walpole has filled in Johnson's name and added "By Richard Jephson, Esqre" underneath the title
Description:
Robert Jephson (1736-1803), playwright and parodist, was born in Dublin. His first play, Braganza, was performed in 1775, with an epilogue by Horace Walpole. His most commercially successful play, performed 37 times between 1781 and 1798, was The Count of Narbonne, based on Walpole's Castle of Otranto as well as Walpole's play, Mysterious Mother. In addition to other plays, Jephson also wrote numerous parodic pieces, including a series in the government newspaper The Mercury under the title "The Bachelor." He parodied the style of the printer George Faulkner and criticized Charles Townshend's enemies in An Epistle to Gorges Edmund Howard (1771); wrote Extempore Ludicrous Miltonic Verses(1788); and wrote a prose piece titled Confessions of James Baptiste Couteau (1794), a satirical parody of revolutionary politics., In English., Title from first page., and For further information, consult library staff.
Subject (Geographic):
Ireland., Celbridge (Ireland), and Great Britain
Subject (Name):
Gay, John, 1685-1732., Jephson, Robert, 1736-1803., Johnson, Samuel, 1709-1784., Marlay, Richard, d. 1802., and Walpole, Horace, 1717-1797.
Subject (Topic):
English wit and humor, Parodies, English, Poverty, Travelers' writings, English, Description and travel, and Social life and customs
The account book kept by Assheton Curzon recording personal expenditure and management of his joint executorship, with his father Sir Nathaniel Curzon, of the affairs of his aunt Eleanor Curzon, 1754 December-1758 April. Expenses for servants' wages as well as payments for food, wine, travel, coal, dinners, books, jewelry, clothing, candles, silver dinnerware and candlesticks, tradesmen such as a coach maker and hatters, etc. as well as payments to his mother and brother for their share of the aunt's estate. Of particular note are payments to London bookbinder John Brindley, the Italian delicatessen Barto Valle, jewels from "Mr. Castelfrank", and a painting from Mr. Penny (possibly the painter Edward Penny), and payments to a dancing master named Mr. Vezin and a French teacher named Epinasse
Description:
Assheton Curzon (1730-1820), 1st Viscount Curzon, son of Sir Nathaniel Curzon (1675-1758), fourth baronet. He resided at Penn House, Amersham, which had extensively restored in 1760. His brother Nathaniel Curzon, first baron Scarsdale (1726-1804) was an art collector and commissioned the Palladian mansion Kedleston Hall., In English., Title on cover: Joint acct. of Sr. Nathl. & Assheton Curzon, Dec. 20 1754, This acct. clos'd Lady Day 1758., Title from first ruled leaf: Joint executorship of my Aunts affairs., Laid in, a signed note from Nathaniel Curzon, dated 30 December 1756, giving his son Assheton his share of the interest from the stocks and mortgages from the estate of his sister Eleanor Curzon, without accountability, until Lady Day 1758., Binding: original vellum., and For further information, consult library staff.
Holograph of a diary recording primarily family comings and goings and routine social activities of the East family, including visits from friends and family, tea drinking, dining, races, plays, and balls; as well as traveling by the family and neighbors, descriptions of the weather, and frequent updates on Sir William East's numerous illnesses, including two substantial bouts of the gout, several serious toothaches, a cold, and pain in his fingers, ankle, leg, and heel. Elsewhere, she mentions servants' wages, their livery, and the arrival and firing of a housekeeper who becomes inebriated on his first night of employment. On October 16, 1784, she goes to London to see Jean-Pierre Blanchard ascend in a hot air balloon. The writer also makes frequent mention of members of the Clayton family throughout the volume, most often visits by the "Miss Claytons." The volume also contains a list titled Rules & maxims for promoting matrimonial happiness, and a verse excerpt from the Ladies Magazine in 1786 titled A young lady's advice to an acquaintance lately married. Throughout the manuscript, in a different hand, and sometimes tipped, are notes on landownership, law terms, and legal concepts such as the laws on inheritance
Description:
Lady East, née Hannah Casamajor (1746-1810), was the wife of Sir William East, 1st. Bart. (1738-1819), of the Hall Place in Hurley, Berkshire; they married on 29 June 1763. Their daughter, Mary East (1765-1833), married Sir William Clayton, 4th Bart. (1762-1834) in 1785. Sir William was succeeded by his elder son, Sir Gilbert East, 2nd Bart (1764-1828). The younger son, Augustus Henry East (1766-1828), married Caroline Anne, daughter of George Vansittart, who is mentioned in the diary., In English, some Latin quotations., Available on microfilm, Binding: full parchment with a pencilled number '2' and the date '1776' on the cover. Written on a paper label on front cover: Diary. Feb. 8 1776 to April 16th 1785. On spine: Law., On front flyleaf recto, quote attributed to Sir Edward Coke, followed by a summary of the maxim as mathematical statement: Sex horas somno, totidem des legibus aquis, / Quatuor orabis, des epulisque duos, / Quod superest ultra sacris largire Camcenia. To sleep 6. To law 6. To prayer 4. To [?] 8. 24, Biographical details provided by Neil Jeffares, art historian. See also: Iconographical genealogy, (http://www.pastellists.com/Genealogies/East.pdf)., and For further information, consult library staff.
Subject (Geographic):
England, England., and Great Britain
Subject (Name):
Blanchard, Jean-Pierre, 1753-1809., Clayton family., Clayton, William, Sir, 1762-1834., East, Lady, fl. 1776-1785., and East, William, Sir, 1737 or 8-1819.
Subject (Topic):
Family, Domestic relations, Households, Inheritance and succession, Land tenure, Nobility, Social life and customs, and Weather
Manuscript, in a single hand, of a book of instruction for the author's daughter. Although the volume contains information on parts of speech, explanations of the meanings of words in the English language, basic mathematics such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division, systems of government, and numerous prayers and meditations, the bulk of the volume is given to instruction on letter-writing and astronomy. The manuscript contains guidelines for how to address a queen, a duchess, or someone of one's own station; how to end letters; and how to write a "billet"; as well as form letters of thanks, consolation, recommendation, "congratulation for the recovery of health," and "to a lady newly come to London." The section on astronomy includes 7 diagrams and includes information on the positions of the planets, the phases of the moon, and eclipses
Description:
Stanhope, Philip, second earl of Chesterfield (1633-1714), courtier and politician, was the eldest son of Henry Stanhope (d. 1634), and his wife Katherine (bap. 1609, d. 1667). He was involved in numerous duels, fleeing the country after having killed Francis Wolley, the son of a Hammersmith doctor, in a duel on 17 January 1660. Chesterfield was appointed on 24 February 1662 as lord chamberlain to Queen Catherine of Braganza, and on 13 June 1667 was made the colonel of a foot regiment, but it was disbanded following the treaty of Breda. That year he married his third wife, Lady Elizabeth Dormer (1653-1677). They had two sons and two daughters, one of whom was Lady Mary Stanhope, for whom the manuscript was written. He continued to be active in politics, supporting his tory son-in-law Thomas Coke in Derbyshire elections in 1701-2., Lady Mary (Stanhope) Coke, eldest daughter of Philip Stanhope, 2nd Earl of Chesterfield, married Thomas Coke of Melbourne, Derbyshire., In English., Note on verso of front endpaper: See 'a Prayer after the confession of sins.' and 'a Prayer for the Dead." both at the end of this M.S. 1814., Inscription on verso of front endpaper: Cecil Henry Southwell the gift of his dear Papa., Written on flyleaf: notes written by Thomas, 3rd Baron Southwell concerning the genealogy of the Stanhope family, including a biography of Lady Mary (Stanhope) Coke and her daughter, Mary Baroness Southwell. He mentions that Lady Mary (Stanhope) Coke was his great-grandmother., Written on verso of flyleaf: note by Mary Southwell dated 1756 explaining the manuscript was used to instruct her mother in "what was proper for a young Lady to know," and bequeathing the volume to her granddaughter Frances upon her death., Bookplate of Viscount Thomas Southwell, 3rd Baron Southwell., Marbled endpapers., and Binding: full calf; gilt decoration. Printed on spine: 1st Earl of Chesterfield to his D. L. M. Coke.
Subject (Geographic):
Great Britain
Subject (Name):
Aristotle., Chesterfield, Philip Stanhope, Earl of, 1633-1713., Cicero, Marcus Tullius., Coke, Mary Stanhope, Lady, 1664-1703., Homer., Southwell family., and Southwell, Thomas Southwell, Baron, 1721-1780.
Subject (Topic):
Astronomy, Letter writing, Nobility, Social life and customs, Women, Conduct of life, and Education
Manuscript, in a single hand, of a description of the author's tour through France and Italy in 1770, traveling with his master Robert Fellowes and Thomas Durrant, and recording his interactions with the inhabitants, curious sights, local hygienic practices, and traveling conditions. At one point he writes that he fell 14 times from his horse, while in Aquapendente he witnesses a postboy beating the horses "in a most unmerciful manner." In Bologna, he records news of banditti "which infested this part of the Country consisting of upwards of 40 men." He also climbs Mount Vesuvius "about two years since there was a dreadful eruption," where he walks on rough lava and ashes "in many places knee deep." Elsewhere, he notes the practice in Italy of hanging ladies' negligees out of coach windows and the presence of lice on the Italian nobility; and expresses his regret at the lack of diversions during this season of the year, as he should have been "very glad to have been here at the time of the Carnival when all kinds of diversions are allowed, such as Plays, Operas, Maskings, Horseraces &c." and At the conclusion of the manuscript, the author describes his return to England in excellent health and his gratitude to his "indulgent master" Mr. Durrant; addresses the manuscript to his father; and signs it "J Deeker London March 12th 1770." Bound in throughout the manuscript are 13 maps, colored in red and green representing stages of the author's journey, and 11 pen and wash drawings of such scenes as Trajan's pillar at Rome; Remains of three taverns where St Paul met his friends; and the Palace of the duke of Tuscany at Florence. A wash drawing entitled "Mons. D-r [Deeker] riding post", probably copied from Henry William Bunbury's print "Courier francois", is also bound in.
Description:
James Deeker was one of the first aeronauts in England. His hot-air balloon ascent in Norwich in June, 1785, was witnessed by Horace's nephew, George, the 3rd Earl of Orford., In English., Index of places visited at end of manuscript, as well as a mileage chart and a "List of Painters &c." which lists artists' names and brief biographies., On flyleaves, two pages in pencil recording "Interesting Remarks" and their page numbers., Autograph in pencil on flyleaf: ER Pratt. April 1812., Bookplate of Roger Pratt. Written in pencil on bookplate: Ryston Hall. Norfolk., and Binding: full reverse calf. Marbled endpapers. Stamped on spine: Deeker's Journal. Written on spine: 1770.
Subject (Geographic):
Europe., Europe, France, Italy, and Vesuvius (Italy)
Subject (Name):
Deeker, James.
Subject (Topic):
Grand tours (Education), Tourism, Travelers' writings, English, Ruins, Social life and customs, and Description and travel
Holograph of a diary kept by 14-year-old Dorothy Walpole, who records primarily routine social activities, both her own and those of family members, especially her mother, father, sister Rachel, and brother Horace, such as visits to and from friends; trips every Monday and Friday to the dancing academy; visits by the music master; and breakfasts, teas, and dinners with acquaintances; attendance at balls. She visits with Jane, Charlotte, and Fanny Pepys in London; on another occasion, she accompanies her mother to the Pantheon where she buys worsteds and patterns. She records the gifts she receives for Christmas; and, at the end of the volume, her travels through Italy, where she describes the quality of her lodgings in various towns; views paintings and churches; and declares Parma "the most horrible place I ever was in." Elsewhere, she records several verses, including an epitaph and a poem on mortality called The common lot; as well as a prose narrative of the life of St. Dorothy
Description:
Lady Dorothy Fanny Nevill (née Walpole) (1826-1913), hostess, horticulturist, and writer, was the youngest daughter of Horatio Walpole, third earl of Orford, and his wife, Mary, daughter of William Augustus Fawkener. In 1847, she married her cousin Reginald Henry Nevill (1807-1878); their 23-acre garden at Dangstein, in west Sussex, soon became well-known in horticultural circles, particularly for its collection of exotic plants and silkworms. She was the author of five books: Mannington and the Walpoles, Earls of Orford (1894), a book on silkworms, and three autobiographical volumes: The Reminiscences of Lady Dorothy Nevill (1906), Leaves from the Notebooks of Lady Dorothy Nevill (1907), and Under Five Reigns (1910)., In English., On title page: Journal begun May 1st 1840 Friday., On verso of title page: My Journal book. Dorothy Fanny Walpole. May 1st 1840 Friday., Pasted inside front cover: advertisement for W. Creswick, Paper Maker, 5 John Street, Oxford Street., and Binding: green half calf over marbled boards.
Manuscript, in a single hand with numerous corrections, of a collection of 15 letters describing life in England, translated into French, possibly from German. The letters discuss English lotteries; the proliferation of newspapers; the constitution and the difficulty of reconciling ideology with practice; Parliamentary elections; literary societies; and the nobility. One letter describes and deplores the cruelty of amusements such as hunting, cock-fighting, and "combats des gladiateurs"; another letter mocks an English law against the illegal wearing of buttons. A letter dated December 14, 1790 discusses the possibility of the abolition of the slave trade; the author declares it is the most talked-of subject of conversation and expresses his astonishment that the trade still exists and The letters are followed by a lengthy essay explaining the Women's March on Versailles on October 5-6, 1789. The volume is prefaced by a note by the translator, who criticizes the motives of many travel writers; says that he was drawn to this letter-writer for his curiosity and interest in humanity; and explains that the writer published two volumes, the first of letters written in Paris and Versailles during the revolution in 1789, and the second of letters in England
Description:
In French., Binding: full calf., and For further information, consult library staff.
Subject (Geographic):
Great Britain, Great Britain., England, France, and Versailles (France)
Subject (Name):
Lafayette, Marie Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert Du Motier, marquis de, 1757-1834., Louis XVI, King of France, 1754-1793., and Necker, Jacques, 1732-1804.
Subject (Topic):
Cockfighting, Elections, Hunting, Lotteries, Slave trade, Newspapers, Nobility, Travelers' writings, French, Description and travel, History, Women, Intellectual life, Politics and government, and Social life and customs
Manuscript on paper, in a single hand, of copies of 20 letters from Alured Clarke to Charlotte, Lady Sundon, followed by copies of 4 letters to her from Lord John Hervey and one letter from an unsigned hand. Many of the letters from Clarke concern his patronage of the poet Stephen Duck, in which he discusses his anxiety about exposing Duck to the cruelty of Alexander Pope and "the Dunciad Club," his negotiations with various booksellers and publishers on Duck's behalf, and his high hopes for Duck's poetry after the death of Duck's wife. He also describes books on religion, history, and moral philosophy that he has read; witnesses a presentation of "Indians" to the Queen; and imparts various religious and political news, including Quaker activities. The letters from Hervey consist primarily of descriptions of his own routine social activities as well as those of such notables as the King, Queen, and Duke of Grafton, though he also writes with surprise that Stanislaus has been chosen King of Poland and reports that Benjamin Hoadly, Bishop of Salisbury, is on the brink of being promoted to the bishopric of Winchester, despite his disagreements with Sir Robert Walpole. An unsigned letter dated 1734, sent "by a private hand," discusses the controversial nomination of Thomas Rundle to the see of Gloucester
Description:
Charlotte Clayton, Lady Sundon (c.1679-1742), courtier, married William Clayton (baptised. 1671, died 1752) of Sundon Hall in Bedfordshire before 1714. With the help of the Duchess of Marlborough, Charlotte Clayton was appointed a woman of the bedchamber to Caroline, princess of Wales in 1714. Her considerable influence over Caroline was distressing to Robert Walpole, who accused Clayton of procuring various political favors for her friends., Alured Clarke (1696-1742), was a Church of England clergyman. Ordained by his uncle Bishop Trimnell in 1720, in 1723 he became rector of Chilbolton in Hampshire and a prebendary of Winchester. He was a chaplain-in-ordinary to both George I and George II; in 1731, he became a prebendary of Westminster. Later he became deputy clerk of the closet to George II. Clarke was also a patron; he founded a county hospital at Winchester in 1736 and was a champion of the poet Stephen Duck., John Hervey, second Baron Hervey of Ickworth (1696-1743), was a courtier and writer. On 2 April 1725 he was elected MP for Bury St Edmunds, and entered the Commons as a supporter of Sir Robert Walpole. In 1730, he became vice-chamberlain to the king's household and, consequently, a member of the privy council; and, in 1740, lord privy seal. However, in 1742 Walpole resigned, and that same year Hervey also left public office. He wrote numerous tracts, including Ancient and Modern Liberty Stated and Compared (1734); The Conduct of the Opposition and the Tendency of Modern Patriotism (1734); and Miscellaneous Thoughts (1742). Hervey's Memoirs were published, with some material suppressed, in 1848, and a more complete version was published in 1931., In English., Pasted onto back pastedown: dealer's description of manuscript., Phillipps 18548., Binding: full calf. In gilt on spine: Clarke Sundon Letters., and For further information, consult library staff.
Subject (Geographic):
Great Britain. and Great Britain
Subject (Name):
Clarke, Alured, 1696-1742., Duck, Stephen, 1705-1756., Bristol, John Hervey, Earl of, 1665-1751., Hervey, John Hervey, Baron, 1696-1743., Hoadly, Benjamin, 1676-1761., Rundle, Thomas, 1688?-1743., Stanisław I Leszczyński, King of Poland, 1677-1766., Sundon, Charlotte Clayton, Baroness, d. 1742, Walpole, Robert, Earl of Orford, 1676-1745., and Church of England
Subject (Topic):
Bishops, Clergy, Appointment, call, and election, Authors and patrons, Nobility, Social life and customs, and Politics and government
Collection, in a single hand, of 61 letters from Henry Seymour-Conway to his brother, Lord Francis Seymour-Conway, in which he discusses military, political, and social news between 1744 and 1784. The collection contains discussion of his military service in the Netherlands in the 1740s, including a detailed description of battle against the French in a letter dated June 30, 1743; he also mentions his campaign in Germany during the Seven Years' War, including his altercation with Col. Beckwith, his irritation with a commission he has been given, and news of a peace treaty between Austria and Prussia. In 1744 he discusses the practicality of buying a regiment, asks his brother for help raising the money, and offers to sell his own South Sea stock. He writes several letters from Dublin Castle reporting on Irish politics, including some movements in the House of Lords regarding "papists." In England, he complains about prime minister George Grenville's uncivil and unjust treatment of him and defends his decision in the affair of the Britannic Legion and in the John Wilkes affair which led to his dismissal from court and military office in 1764. Conway also occasionally mentions American affairs, including one letter in 1766 which reports the repeal of the Stamp Act, and another in 1774 in which he expresses pleasure on hearing that violent measures in America had been rejected for the present. Numerous letters make reference to friends and family, including his wife Lady Ailesbury and Conway's close friend Horace Walpole, who offers financial assistance after Conway's dismissal; becomes ill in 1765; and visits Conway after Conway's retirement in 1784
Description:
Henry Seymour Conway (1719-1795) was an army general and politician. He fought in the War of the Austrian Succession; served in Ireland during the Jacobite Rebellion, and in Germany during the Seven Years' War. He was successively promoted to major general in 1756 and to lieutenant general in 1759. Sitting in the House of Commons from 1741 to 1774 and from 1775 to 1784, Conway became a leading member of the opposition, opposing the King's action against John Wilkes regarding general warrants in 1763. In 1765, he became secretary of state for the southern department in Lord Rockingham's ministry, where he promoted a policy of reconciliation towards the American colonies. He supported the repeal of the Stamp Act in 1766, and opposed the taxation policies of Chancellor of the Exchequer Charles Townshend. He criticized British prosecution of the war with the American colonies and played an important part in the House of Commons' resolution against continuing the war. In 1747, he married Caroline Bruce, countess of Ailesbury (1721-1803), and had one child, Anne Seymour Damer (1749-1828). His aunt Catherine was the wife of Sir Robert Walpole, and Conway maintained a lifelong friendship and correspondence with his cousin Horace Walpole., Francis Seymour-Conway, first marquess of Hertford (1718-1794) and older brother of Henry Seymour Conway, was a courtier and politician. He became a lord of the bedchamber in 1757 and was sworn to the privy council in 1763. He served as ambassador to France 1763-5, lord lieutenant of Ireland 1765-6, lord chamberlain 1766-1782 and again in 1783. He was also lord lieutenant of Warwickshire from 1757 until his death. From 1766-1782, he was a friend and confidant to George III. Hertford supported Lord North's administration and the war in America, in which three of his sons served, and voted against Shelburne's peace preliminaries in February 1783. He was also influential in Irish politics, owning extensive estates in County Antrim, and serving a term as lord lieutenant in 1765-6., In English., The manuscript is accompanied by typed transcription., Pasted into letter of Aug 22, 1744: printed and handwritten note about Cadivor ap Gwaethvord, Lord of Cardigan Iscoed., Laid in with letter of August 11, 1748: list of contents of manuscript., Laid in with letter of May 11, 1764: newspaper clipping from Gazetteer, dated May 9, 1764, concerning Conway's dismissal., Vol. 2 with original binding, now housed separately. Binding: half red morocco over marbled boards. Written on cover: The Conway Correspondence. Pasted inside front cover: bookplate with Order of the Garter. Laid in with the covers are a pencilled floor plan and a page from a journal listing the numbers of foot soldiers and naval ships and guns in Europe, North America, Africa, East and West Indies, and the Mediterranean., and Binding for volume 2 shelved separately. For further information, consult library staff.
Subject (Geographic):
Great Britain., Great Britain, United States., Ireland, and United States
Subject (Name):
Conway, Henry Seymour, 1721-1795., Grenville, George, 1712-1770., Hertford, Francis Seymour-Conway, Marquess of, 1718-1794., Walpole, Horace, 1717-1797., Wilkes, John, 1725-1797., Great Britain. Parliament., and Ireland. Parliament.
Subject (Topic):
Military administration, Seven Years' War, 1756-1763, Stamp act, 1765, Court and courtiers, Foreign relations, Militia, Politics and government, and Social life and customs