Crawford Historical Miscellany

Reference
- GB 133 Eng MS 43
Dates of Creation
- 17th to 18th century
Name of Creator
- Name of Author: Unknown
Language of Material
- English, with some French and Latin
Physical Description
- various sizes. 1 volume (165 folios);

Scope and Content

The volume contains original documents and contemporary copies of documents relating to a range of political, religious and cultural issues in the 17th and early 18th centuries. Contents include:

f. 1: Passages of the late generall assemblie holden at Edinburgh, 12 August 1639;
f. 30: Papers relating to the taxation of the county of Northampton, 1673-1674;
f. 32: Articles of impeachment for treason against the Earl of Arlington, 1674;
f. 34: Copies of correspondence, etc., relating to the United Provinces, Sweden, Brandenburg, etc., 1674-5;
f. 58v: 'England's Looking Glass, or a short account how the kingdom of Scotland hath been dealt with all and managed by Dk Lauderdale [John Maitland (1616-1682), Duke of Lauderdale] in these last 3 of 4 years', 1678;
f. 71: Proceedings of the Committee of Estates for securing the peace of the kingdom, 1689;
f. 99: Minutes of the second session of the First Parliament, William and Mary, 1690;
f. 140: Papers relating to the trial of Dr Henry Sacheverell for high crimes and misdemeanours, 1709/10;
f. 151: Latin verses by Dr Derham and others.

Administrative / Biographical History

Dr Henry Sacheverell (1674?-1724), English clergyman, was at the centre of a religio-political incident in the reign of Queen Anne. In two sermons (1709) Dr Sacheverell attacked the Whig government, lashing out especially against its toleration of religious dissenters. He was charged with seditious libel, tried, convicted, and sentenced in 1710 to a three-year suspension from preaching. The trial created a furore, and the light sentence made Sacheverell the victor in the eyes of the public. The Whigs were severely humiliated by the trial.

Source: W.A. Speck, 'Sacheverell, Henry (bap. 1674, d. 1724)', Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004. By permission of Oxford University Press - http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/ref:odnb/24440.

Access Information

The manuscript is available for consultation by any accredited reader.

Acquisition Information

Purchased by Mrs Enriqueta Rylands, on behalf of the John Rylands Library, in 1901 from James Ludovic Lindsay, 26th Earl of Crawford.

Note

Description compiled by Henry Sullivan and Jo Humpleby, project archivists, with reference to the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography article on Henry Sacheverell.