Correspondence and Papers of Sir Maurice William Ernest de Bunsen

Political, semi-official, personal and family correspondence and papers of Sir Maurice de Bunsen, consisting of:  

• De Bunsen's correspondence and papers, 1852-1932 (making up the bulk of this collection). They fall into two groups: letters written by de Bunsen to his family, and letters written to de Bunsen and his professional and private papers
• Social and family correspondence and papers of Berta Mary de Bunsen (ne Lowry-Corry, 1869-1954), ca. 1890-1945
• Miscellaneous family and other correspondence and papers of Montagu William Lowry-Corry, Lord Rowton (1838-1903), uncle of Berta Mary de Bunsen, private secretary to Disraeli, 1866-81, ca. 1877-1916
• Diaries, correspondence, sketches etc. of Elizabeth Gurney (d 1903), mother of Maurice de Bunsen, third daughter of Samuel Gurney of Earlham, married to Ernest Christian Ludwig de Bunsen (d 1903) of Abbey Lodge, Regent's Park, (he was the second son of Baron von Bunsen, Prussian minister in England, 1841-54), and of her sisters Richenda Cunningham and Sarah Gurney, ca. 1826-50

Sir Maurice William Ernest de Bunsen (1852-1932), baronet, was a diplomat. He entered the British diplomatic service in 1877. Positions he held included Secretary of the British Legation in Tokyo, 1891-94; Charg d'affaires and Consul General at Bangkok, 1894-97; First Secretary at Constantinople, 1897-1902; at Paris, 1902-5; Minister at Lisbon, 1905-06; Ambassador at Madrid, 1906-13; Ambassador at Vienna, 1913-18. In 1918 he headed a mission to South America. Further details are given in the Dictionary of National Biography.

Entry to read in the Library is permitted only on presentation of a valid reader's card (for admissions procedures see http://www.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/specialcollections).

The papers were given to the Library in 1986.

Collection level description created by Emily Tarrant, Department of Special Collections and Western Manuscripts.

A draft catalogue is available in the Library.

On the death of Sir Maurice de Bunsen in 1932, without male issue, the papers passed to his eldest daughter Hilda, wife of Major-General Sir Guy Salisbury-Jones.