Autograph diary of Charles Aldenburg Bentinck (1810-1891) of Bishopsteignton and Bovey Tracey, Devon; 1832-1836

MS 933/3/1: Daily diary, briefly recording visits in England, the Netherlands and New York, undertaken when the author was between the ages of 22 and 26. Diary begins on 1 November 1832.

Includes three visits to The Netherlands, between November 1832 and February 1833, April to November 1834, and May to September 1835. During each of the trips, he visits Doorwerth for long periods of time. He had inherited the house and estate at Doorwerth, which were part of the ancestral property of the Bentinck family. Other places mentioned include Rotterdam, the Hague, Antwerp, Brussels, Nijmegen and Elsbroek. Between 13 September and 24 October 1834 he visits Frankfurt and Dusseldorf.

In May 1833 he took the ship 'New York' from Liverpool, and landed in New York on 2 June 1833. During his visit to America and Canada, he visits New York ('Went to City Hall, where the President [Andrew Jackson] was holding a ladies levee but could not get in'), Philadelphia, Niagara Falls, Detroit ('saw 2 wigwams full of Indians'), Lake Huron and Montreal ('Dined at Rasco's, with C[harles] Kemble, (actor, 1775-1854), Miss Fanny [Kemble] (actress & author, 1809-93) & Clara Fisher (actress, 1811- 98'). He also goes to Boston, and sails back on the ship 'Sovereign' in October 1833.

At other times the diary records numerous accounts of visits in England and Scotland, including Evenley (Aynho, Northamptonshire), London, Edinburgh (Garvock House, Dollar), Thoresby, Southwell, Cowes, Brighton, Stoke, Torquay, and Bishopsteignton where his family home was.. Mentions Lady Exmouth (Susan Pellew), Admiral Sir Charles Ekins, the Hon. George Jerningham (Charge d’affaires at the British Embassy to the Netherlands), Dr Gideon Mantell, Duke of Somerset and members of the Pierrepont family.

Last entry is dated 30 April 1836, with the insciption 'End of 3rd book' [no other books are present in this collection now].

Pen and ink drawing on last folio of a house, drawn by Caroline Lukin at Exeter, 26 April 1836.

Loosely inserted items:

MS 933/3/2: Engraving of Vander Heyden House, North Pearl Street, Albany [New York]

MS 933/3/2: Autograph letter in Dutch from Charles Bentinck to Heer Gaillard, 29 February 1833

MS 933/3/3: Autograph letter in Dutch [from Charles Bentinck] to Heer Gaillard, n.d.

MS 933/3/4: Pencil sketch from memory, at New York, October 1833

MS 933/3/5: Engraving of Luther's house at Frankfurt, cut from a newspaper

MS 933/3/6: Bill from the Hotel de Flandres at Breda, 17-18 June 1834

MS 933/3/7: Note of money spent in Belgium

Charles Aldenburg Bentinck was the third son of Vice-Admiral William Bentinck (1764-1813). His father had inherited a Dutch estate at Doorwerth in the Netherlands from his grandmother Charlotte Sophie, Countess Bentinck (1715-1800), née Countess of Aldenburg, and bequeathed this estate to Charles in his will. Legal business concerning Doorwerth was handled until Charles came of age by his mother Lady Frances Bentinck (c.1781-1847), née Pierrepont, daughter of Earl Manvers, later wife of Henry William Stephens. Doorwerth was sold by Charles in 1837.

Charles lived the majority of his life in Devon, and rebuilt Indio House in Bovey Tracey. In 1849 he married Harriet Fulford (1818-1853) and married secondly Frances Williams (1816-1904).

No archival arrangement has been necessary

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The diary was purchased by Manuscripts and Special Collections in November 2022.

Papers of the Bentinck family, Counts of the Holy Roman Empire, largely concerning their estate at Doorwerth, The Netherlands (BK)