Motley, John Lothrop

Identity Statement

Reference code(s)	: GB 0096 SL V 20
Held at	: Senate House Library, University of London   Click here to find out how to view this collection at http://www.senatehouselibrary.ac.uk/our-collections ›
Full title	: Motley, John Lothrop
Date(s)	: 1854-1857
Level of description	: Collection (fonds)
Extent	: 1 bundle
Name of creator(s)	: Motley | John Lothrop | 1814-1877 | writer and diplomat
Detailed catalogue	: Click here to view repository detailed catalogue

Context

Administrative/Biographical history:

John Lothrop Motley was born on 15 April 1814 in Dorchester, Massachusetts, USA. He was educated at Harvard College, 1827-1831. After graduating from Harvard, Motley spent two years as a student at the universities of Berlin and Göttingen. He returned to Boston in 1835, where he began a career as a novelist. His first work Morton's Hope was published in 1839. Motley was appointed secretary of legation in St. Petersburg, Russia in 1841. He returned to Boston in 1842, where he began taking an interest in historical writing. Motley's first piece of historical writing was an essay on Peter the Great, which he contributed to the North American Review in 1845. In 1851 Motley took his family to Europe, where he undertook historical research in many archives and libraries in Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium. Motley published three works on Dutch history including The Rise of the Dutch Republic, (1856). Motley served as minister to Austria between 1861-1867 and to England, 1869-1870. After 1874 he undertook no further literary work. He died at the house of one of his daughters in England on 29 May 1877.

Content

Scope and content/abstract:

Thirteen letters, 1854-1857, by John Lothrop Motley to his publisher John Chapman concerning the first edition of The Rise of the Dutch Republic.

Access & Use

Language/scripts of material:
English

System of arrangement:

Conditions governing access:

Access to the items in the collection is unrestricted for the purpose of private study and personal research within the controlled environment and restrictions of the Library's Palaeography Room Uncatalogued material may not be seen. Please contact the University Archivist for details.

Conditions governing reproduction:

Copies may be made, subject to the condition of the original. Copying must be undertaken by the Palaeography Room staff, who will need a minimum of 24 hours to process requests.

Finding aids:

Archival Information

Archival history:

Immediate source of acquisition:

Allied Materials

Related material:

National Register of Archives: Click here to view NRA record

Publication note:

Description Notes

Archivist's note:

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Date(s) of descriptions:
1999-07-15 Simon McKeon