Minutes of the meetings of the Committee of Baronets, and Committee of the Baronetage for Privileges, 1835-1848

The collection comprises:

• Signed minute books of meetings of the Committee of Baronets and its successor body, 1835-1848 (MS 4/1/1, MS 4/2).
• Loose printed and manuscript items including a printed copy of an address by Dr Broun on the subject of the baronets of Scotland and Nova Scotia receiving knighthoods 1840, a printed letter and tables by Lord Langford concerning the Peerage 1837, and a printed leaflet about the Committee of the Baronetage for Privileges 1840, 1835-1840 (MS 4/1/2-4/1/8).

In spite of the failure of the Committees, their records reflect the significance which members of the Order in the 1830s and 1840s attached to their titles and status.

The Committee of Baronets was appointed at a preliminary General Meeting of Baronets, held at the Clarendon Hotel, Bond Street, London on 26th May 1835. The Meeting was instigated by Sir Richard Broun who put forward a case to the assembled Baronets arguing that the Baronets of Ulster and Nova Scotia should have the chance to enjoy the honorary epithet of 'The Honourable' and to have the designation 'Knight and Baronet'.

Sir Richard Broun became the Secretary of the new Committee that, during the next few years, prepared various reports and submitted a number of petitions to the Crown for the privileges of the baronetage. One of the most important of these was that presented to Queen Victoria on the occasion of her Coronation in 1838. It was largely the lack of success of the petition that brought about a change in the Committee.

At an adjourned General Meeting of the Baronets on 15th June 1840, the 'Committee of the Baronetage for Privileges' was founded. This was to be a permanent Committee 'with full authority to attend to, and act for, the common good and benefit of the Order in all matters appertaining to its state and dignity'. Sir Richard Broun became Secretary of the new Committee, which, despite the revised title and status, was as unsuccessful in extending the privileges of the baronetage as the original Committee.

ACCESS: Accessible to all registered readers.

REPROGRAPHIC: Photocopies and photographic copies can be supplied for educational use and private study purposes only, depending on the condition of the documents.

This description is the only finding aid available for the collection. Copyright on the description belongs to the University of Nottingham's Department of Manuscripts and Special Collections.

COPYRIGHT: Permission to make published use of any material from the collection must be sought in advance in writing from the Keeper of the Department of Manuscripts and Special Collections (email mss-library@nottingham.ac.uk). The Department will try to assist in identifying copyright owners but this can be difficult and responsibility for copyright clearance before publication ultimately rests with the person wishing to publish.

LANGUAGE: English

The minute books were presented to University College Nottingham in 1932.