Janus: The Papers of Archibald Sinclair, 1st Viscount Thurso

Churchill/THRS contains:
I	Private papers and correspondence
II	Political correspondence, speeches and Liberal Party papers
III	General correspondence
IV	General correspondence and press cuttings
V	Political papers, Scottish
VI	Constituency, Young Liberal and League of Nations correspondence
VII	Liberal Party and Scottish Federation
VIII	Family correspondence and business papers

More information

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The Papers of Archibald Sinclair, 1st Viscount Thurso

Title	Family correspondence and business papers
Reference	THRS VIII
Covering Dates	1814–1968 (The majority of folios date from 1911-1968.)
Extent and Medium	9 archive boxes

Content and context

Includes: correspondence of AS's parents; correspondence between AS and his wife, Marigold, Lady Sinclair [later Marigold, Lady Thurso]; letters to AS's son, Robin Sinclair [later 2nd Lord Thurso] from family and friends; business papers, mainly on the settlement of the family estate, once AS had come of age.

Churchill/THRS VIII contains:

Letters to Clarence Sinclair. Letters, poems, invitations and theatrical programmes, including a letter [incomplete] from Mabel Sands refusing to marry Sinclair.
1 file.

c 1881-c 1891

"Mabel". Leather portfolio, with "Mabel" embossed on the front [Mabel Sinclair, AS's mother], containing letters including: letters from Mabel Sands to her parents on subjects including her decision to marry Clarence Sinclair; letters from Clarence Sinclair to his wife's family on subjects including his marriage and AS as a baby; letters to her parents on Mabel's death from correspondents including Charlotte Knollys, William Sinclair [Canon of St Paul's Cathedral] and Julian, Lady Folkestone [later Lady Radnor].
1 file.

c 1885-c 1893

Pre-1914 letters. Includes: letters from Clarence Sinclair to his wife, Mabel on his mother's death and their marriage; letter from AS to his grandfather, Sir Tollemache Sinclair on taking his final examinations at Sandhurst; letter of advice to AS from his uncle Hugh Sinclair on his passing the exam and joining the Life Guards; copy of an account of how Lieutenant Archibald Sinclair saved a midshipman from drowning in 1825.
1 file.

Dec 1889-Jan 1910

"Coming of Age". Press-cuttings on the celebrations to mark AS's 21st birthday, with a list of acceptances for a luncheon in AS's honour and report of the festivities from the estate office.
1 file.

Oct 1911-Nov 1911

Social invitations. Correspondents include: Clementine Churchill; Alice Keppel; Maxine Elliott; James Masterton Smith, Private Secretary to Winston Churchill, First Lord of the Admiralty, on arrangements for AS to join the Admiralty yacht, Enchantress; Violet, Duchess of Rutland; Susan, Duchess of Somerset.
1 file.

1912–1914

Letters from AS to his wife, Marigold, Lady Sinclair.
1 file.

May 1918-Jun 1918

Letters from AS to his wife, Marigold, Lady Sinclair.
1 file.

Jun 1918-Aug 1918

Letters from AS to his wife, Marigold, Lady Sinclair.
1 file.

c Jul 1918

"Undated letters, most likely Great War". Letters from AS to his wife, Marigold, Lady Sinclair.
1 file.

c Jul 1918

Letters from AS to his wife, Marigold, Lady Sinclair. Subjects include: the forthcoming election; an offer from Winston Churchill (23 Aug) to find AS a constituency and AS's worries about taking sides between Herbert Asquith [later 1st Lord Oxford and Asquith] and David Lloyd George [Prime Minister]; campaigning in the General Election (Dec 1918). Includes a letter to AS from John Seely [later 1st Lord Mottistone], giving him advice on his future political career.
1 file.

Aug 1918-Dec 1918

Letters from AS to his wife, Marigold, Lady Sinclair. Subjects include a visit to the British Army on the Rhine with Winston Churchill, Secretary of State for War and Air.
1 file.

Aug 1919

Letters from AS to his wife, Marigold, Lady Sinclair. Subjects include: local politics; campaigning in 1923; a speech by AS on cruisers; difficulties for Winston Churchill [Chancellor of the Exchequer] from naval spending and the coal strike (1925); a meeting of Liberal miners; a visit to John Maynard Keynes in Cambridge.
1 file.

1922–1928

Letters from AS to his wife, Marigold, Lady Sinclair. Includes telegrams on the formation of a national government (1931).
1 file.

1931–1939

Letters from AS to his wife, Marigold, Lady Sinclair. Letter written at the time of the Munich Crisis, on subjects including: AS's distress at the choice between immediate war and capitulation to the Fascist powers; the humiliation of Neville Chamberlain [Prime Minister] and the lack of leadership shown by Britain; opposition to Chamberlain's appeasement policy; the betrayal of Czechoslovakia; AS's own speech; support from the Liberals, Winston Churchill, Harcourt Johnstone ("Crinks") and [Robert] Anthony Eden [later 1st Lord Avon].
1 file.

22 Sep 1938

Letters from Marigold, Lady Sinclair to AS. Subjects include the poor morale of troops stationed in the Orkneys [Scotland], trouble with "Crinks" [Harcourt Johnstone] and meeting Clementine Churchill and Harry Hopkins [Special advisor to President Franklin Roosevelt] on their way to Scapa Flow.
1 file.

Nov 1940-Jan 1941

Letters from Marigold, Lady Sinclair to AS. Also includes some letters from other family members and a letter to AS from an unknown correspondent on the Liberal Party's resolution in support of the war, and confidence in AS as the party leader.
1 file.

c 1940-c 1943

Letters from Marigold, Lady Sinclair to AS. Subjects include troops being billeted on the household. Also includes a letter from Clementine Churchill to AS on her investments, also complimenting him on a speech.
1 file.

Jan 1941-Aug 1941

Letters from Marigold, Lady Sinclair and their children to AS. Includes one letter from AS.
1 file.

Aug 1941-Dec 1941

Letters from Marigold, Lady Sinclair and their children to AS.
1 file.

Apr 1942-Sep 1942

Letters from Marigold, Lady Sinclair and their children to AS.
1 file.

Sep 1942-Sep 1943

Letters to Robin Sinclair from his family. Letters written while Sinclair [later 2nd Lord Thurso] was stationed in India, mainly from AS and Marigold, Lady Sinclair.
1 file.

Jun 1944-Sep 1944

Letters to Robin Sinclair from family and friends. Letters written while Sinclair [later 2nd Lord Thurso] was stationed in India, mainly from Marigold, Lady Sinclair but also AS and Sinclair's brother and sisters, and other correspondents, particularly Diana Lyttelton [later Diana, Lady Hood] on subjects including her brother Humphrey Lyttelton's health and trumpet playing and also Felicity Wavell.
2 files.

Dec 1943-Dec 1944

Jan 1945-Mar 1945

Family letters. Mainly letters from Marigold, Lady Sinclair, family and friends to AS, and letters from her children and grandchildren to Marigold.
1 file.

c Apr 1948-Jan 1968

Letters from Marigold, Lady Thurso to AS.
1 file.

Jul 1952-Apr 1953

Family photographs. Includes: a portrait photograph of Clarence Sinclair in uniform; Clarence Sinclair riding a penny-farthing bicycle; [?] Mabel Sinclair; the funeral of Sir Tollemache Sinclair (AS's grandfather); various family groups (unidentified); various military groups.
1 file.

c 1890-c 1940

Business papers. Letters to AS, mainly on the settlement of his grandfather's estate. Also includes: letters from Clarence Sinclair to his solicitor on his wedding and his mother's death; letters on AS's loan of his car to Conservative Central Office during the 1910 General Election, including letters of thanks from Carlyon Bellairs and (William) Foot Mitchell; bills and receipts for the car.
4 files.

Nov 1889-Mar 1912

Business papers. Letters to AS, on subjects including the settlement of his grandfather's estate, stocks and shares, and AS's car.
3 files.

Apr 1912-Jun 1913

Business papers. Letters to AS, on subjects including the settlement of his grandfather's estate, AS's will, his grandfather's death, AS's membership of various clubs, and AS's car.
2 files.

Jun 1912-Dec 1913

Business papers. Letters to AS on estate business.
2 files.

May 1921-Dec 1921

Miscellaneous papers. Papers from the estate office, including: family wills; letters of sympathy to Sir Tollemache Sinclair on the death of his son, Clarence Sinclair; letter to Marigold Sinclair from Cyril Asquith, agreeing to speak to a Liberal meeting on Fair Trade.
2 files.

1814-Oct 1868