John, 1st Baron Acton: Letters to him concerning the Cambridge Modern History

John Emerich Edward Charles Dalberg Acton, 1st Baron Acton (1834-1902), was born in Naples on 10 January 1834, the son of Sir Ferdinand Richard Acton, 7th Baronet. He studied at the University of Munich under the church historian Ignaz von Döllinger. In 1859 he became Liberal MP for the Irish constituency of Carlow, and in 1869 accepted a peerage. During this time Acton acquired The Rambler and developed it as a liberal Catholic journal dedicated to discussing social, political and theological matters. He was engaged for many years in carrying out historical research on the continent. In 1895 he was appointed Regius Professor of Modern History at Cambridge University. He gave lectures on the French Revolution and Modern History, and was chiefly responsible for organising the Cambridge modern history. Acton died at Tegernsee, Bavaria, on 19 June 1902.

A collection of letters to Lord Acton, nearly all relating to the Cambridge Modern History. The principal correspondent is his co-editor W.A.J. Archbold; the remainder are for the most part potential or actual contributors to the History, replying to Acton's invitations to take part or writing about their contributions. Appended are a further letter of A.W. Ward, 1914, and one of Herbert Butterfield, 1964, relating to the collection, and a few miscellaneous papers. 291 items.

Purchased 1914.

Please cite as Cambridge University Library, Department of Manuscripts and University Archives, John, 1st Baron Acton: Letters to him concerning the Cambridge Modern History, MS Add.6443

For further papers of Acton see MSS Add. 4607-5021 (which also includes MSS Add.5347-5348, 5381-5710, 5751-5776, 7726-7732, 7892 and 8409-8417). Cambridge University Library holds other papers relating to Lord Acton and the Acton family, MSS.Add.6871, 6872, 7472, 7956, 8119-8123, 8260, 8261 and 9616, and MS.Doc.1275. Shropshire Archives holds the 'Acton of Aldenham papers', around 1,180 items dating from the sixteenth to the twentieth century, S.R.O. ref. 1093, together with other groups of papers relating to the Acton family.