| Description | These letters are from friends and acquaintances of Cynthia Mosley who can be positively identified by name. For the most part, these individuals seem to have been only occasional correspondents with Cynthia, and only one letter, or in a few cases, two letters, survive in the collection from each person. The content of the letters varies; many discuss purely personal matters, though there are also several letters from politicians from both the Liberal and Labour parties which are mainly concerned with accepting or declining social invitations. A small number of letters are possibly from personal friends who wrote to Cynthia about political matters, while others may be from political contacts who became personal friends with Cynthia. Letters comprise:
/1 from Isabella Allen, dated 1915
/2 and /3 from W. E. D (Bill)' Allen and his wife Paula (previously Paula Casa Maury). These letters date from 1933 when the Allens were staying in Lofer, Austria and include details about their surroundings, as well as enquiries about Cynthia's health around the time of her appendix operation and favourable comments about Oswald Mosley's 'Blackshirt' publication
/4 from Herbert Asquith, Bedford Square, London, dated 1922 accepting an invitation to dinner
/5 and /6 from Margot Asquith, wife of Herbert Asquith, 44 Bedford Square, London, concerning the publication and reception of her autobiography in 1921 and asking Cynthia's opinion of it. She also refers to the political situation in Ireland at the time
/7 from the secretary of Dr Benes, foreign minister of Czechoslovakia and member of the Council of the League of Nations, dated 1924 and sent from Claridges Hotel, London
/8-/9 from R. H. Benson. /8 is written from Buckhurst, Sussex, 1917, /9 is written from Park Lane, London, dated 1918
/10 from J. C. Bose, Artillary Mansions Hotel, London, declining an invitation in 1926 due to his lecture schedule but promising to meet Cynthia before he returns to India
/11 from Roy Browning, Landguard Manor, Shanklin, Isle of Wight, undated
/12 from Violet Brassey of Apethorpe Hall, Peterborough, mother of Cynthia's friend Gerard, who was killed in action in 1918, enclosing a photograph of Gerard and thanking Cynthia for her condolences
/13 and /14 from Stanley Owen Buckmaster, Porchester Terrace, London, accepting social invitations in 1923
/15 and /16 from William C. Bullitt, an American diplomat and advisor to Franklin D. Roosevelt. /15 is sent from Paris in 1931, and discusses the chances of Roosevelt winning the Presidency of the United States of America in 1932, the impact of this victory on the Prohibition Amendment and the possibility of forming a youth movement possibly aligned to Mosley's New Party policies. /16 is sent from Bremen in 1932 and mentions that Count Paul Teleki, a Hungarian statesman is keen to meet Cynthia and her husband to discuss matters relating to the New Party
/17-/18 from Henry 'Chips' Channon, signed 'Chips' or 'Chippy'. /17 is addressed to Cynthia and 'Tom' [Oswald Mosley]. /18 gives an account of recent travels in Italy with 'Buchie', after a holiday in Venice with the Mosleys, probably in 1925 (see OMN/A/2/22/69)
/19 from Lee Church of Long Beach, California, dated 1923
/20-/21 from Sibyl Colefax, Argyll House, Kings Road, Chelsea, undated, apparently discussing Cynthia's political career, and referring to social plans
/22 from Frederick Peabody Crane, consisting of a note with contact details written on his business card. There is no date on the card, but it is probable that the note dates from September 1930 when Cynthia and her friend Zita James met Crane while in Athens on holiday
/23 from Maud Cunard at the Hotel Ritz, Paris, making social arrangements, undated.
/24 from Cecil Gairdner, Harley House, London, thanking Cynthia for her hospitality during his stay on the Riviera and giving brief details of his journey home with Mrs Wallace, Mr Hansell and Prince George, undated.
/25 from William Goode, Claridge's Hotel, London, making social arrangements to invite the Mosleys for lunch, together with the Bradburys and Lady Cunard, undated.
/26 from Miles Graham at the time of his engagement to Cynthia's sister Irene Curzon in 1933, sent from Villa d'Este, Como. The letter enquires about Cynthia's health following her operation and hopes that she will be able to attend Irene's wedding. He expresses his happiness at his engagement
/27 from Richard Burdon Haldane, Queen Anne's Gate, Westminster, accepting an invitation in 1924
/28 from Ian Hamilton, Hyde Park Gardens, London,1924
/29 and /30 from Katie Hammersley. /29 is dated December 1915 and sent from La Panne. It mentions that Cynthia's presents for 'the princess and princes' will be given to them on Christmas day, and gives brief details of the bombardment of Ostend by the English monitors. /30 is dated 1916 and sent from Essex. It congratulates Cynthia's father George Curzon on being appointed to the War Committee with Lloyd George, and on his engagement to Mrs Duggan. Katie Hammersley also passes the best wishes of 'the princess' to Cynthia
/31 from Mary Herbert, Pixton Park, Dulverton, 1924, concerning the death of her husband, Aubrey Herbert, and what his loss means to Cynthia and Oswald Mosley
/32 from Edith Hillingdon, Grosvenor Street, London, undated.
/33 from James K. Howard, Eastbourne, 1916, inviting Cynthia to tea and giving brief details about his administrative army work
/34 from Sir William Hutchinson, River House, Hammersmith, thanking Cynthia for inviting him to her Venetian party, undated.
/35 from Elsie James, Carlton Hotel, London, 1924, making social arrangements
/36 from Lesley Jowell, Upper Brook Street, London, offering support during the period following Oswald Mosley's resignation in 1930
/37 telegram from William Lyon Mackenzie King, Prime Minister of Canada, 1926
/38 from Stephen King Hall, Yateley, Hampshire, 1929, discussing disarmament, and mentioning that he has been approached with an offer to produce a play which he has written
/39 from Margaret Storm Jameson on behalf of Alfred A. Knopf inc Borzoi Books, 1927
/40 greeting card from Arthur Lawson, Christmas 1909
/41 from Stephen Leacock, undated
/42 from Rosamond Lehmann, Ipsden, Oxford, 1931, referring to the defeat of candidates in Oswald Mosley's New Party at the recent General Election, and praising the most recent issue of 'Action'
/43 from Norah Lindsay, Grosvenor Street, London, undated
/44 from Megan Lloyd George, Bron-y-de, Churt, Surrey, undated
/45-/46 from Edith Sophy Lyttelton, mother of Oliver Lyttelton. /45 is dated 1923 and discusses social arrangements, /46 is dated 1929 and congratulates Cynthia on her successful election campaign
/47 from Hermione Lytton, daughter of Sir Victor Bulwer-Lytton and his wife Pamela, Government House, Darjeeling, 1922, containing a detailed account of her journey to India, arrival in Calcutta and daily life and activities in India
/48 from Harold Macmichael, Acting Governor General at Khartoum, Sudan, 1929, making arrangements to meet Cynthia in London after he leaves Sudan, having handed over to General Huddleston and discussing his own political views.
/49 from Miles Malleson, Portsdown Road, to Cynthia and Oswald Mosley congratulating them on their election success in 1929
/50 from Dudley Field Malone, American attorney and friend of Cynthia and Oswald Mosley, Paris 1930
/51 from Michael Mason, Eynsham Hall, Oxfordshire, 1931, making social arrangements
/52 from W. K. McClure, British Embassy, Rome, making arrangements to meet in Rome, probably during Cynthia's visit with Oswald Mosley in April 1933
/53 from Christabel McLaren, Tal-y-Cafn, Wales, undated
/54 from B. Mitchelham, Chateau St Christophe, Oise, undated
/55-/56 from Gerald Murphy, 1930
/57 from Phyllis Nichols, Vicolo Tre Madonne, making social arrangements, undated.
/58 from Geoffrey Nickson, Eton, Windsor, 1932, making arrangements to meet Cynthia.
/59 from Ethel Pearson, Hotel de Castiglione, Paris, Mar 1929, sending good wishes for happiness and luck to Cynthia and mentioning that she looks forward to hearing her maiden speech in the House
/60 from Ralph Peto, British Clinic, Tangier, giving an account of his recent flying accident, undated
/61 from Wogan Philips, undated, thanking Cynthia effusively for her hospitality at a recent party
/62 from Glyn Philpot, Tite Street, Chelsea, making arrangements to begin a portrait, undated
/63 from Ruth Pratt, New York, giving details of recent social engagements with Lady Astor and Mrs Lyttelton, undated
/64 postcard from Frank Pretyman, Wisconsin, 1914. For other letters from Frank Pretyman to Cynthia, see OMN/A/4/2/8
/65-/66 from Gertrude M. Richards. /65 is dated 1922 and sent from Queen Anne's Mansions, London, discussing the publication of 'High Tide' and other poetry anthologies in England. /66 is dated 1923 and sent from New York, making arrangements to meet when she visits London
/67 from Nathalie Ridley, Portman Square, London, undated
/68 from Hugo Rumbold, White's, attached to a letter of introduction for Hugo Rumbold, undated.
/69 from 'Buck', Herbrand Edward Dundonald Brassey Sackville, Cernobbio, Italy, 1925, thanking Cynthia for a recent holiday in Venice
/70 from John [Singer] Sargent, Tite Street, Chelsea, concerning a commission for a drawing of an unidentified lady, undated.
/71 postcard from F. Campbell Shaw, written at sea, and postmarked Southampton, 1930
/72 from Edith Sitwell, poet, critic and biographer, Pembridge Mansions, London, inviting Cynthia and Oswald Mosley to a party for Pavel Thelitchev, given by Edith and Osbert Sitwell, undated
/73 from Ethel Snowden, political campaigner and wife of Philip Snowden, Labour MP and Chancellor of the Exchequer in Ramsay MacDonald's 1929 government. This letter is written from Carlisle Mansions, Westminster, inviting Cynthia for lunch in 1924
/74 from Stephen Tennant, artist and writer, Wilsford Manor, Salisbury, making social arrangements, undated
/75 from S. A. Tewell, Harrow-on-the-Hill, 1922
/76 from Abigail Brown Tompkins and Emma Louisa Tompkins, New Jersey, 1922
/77 from Robert Vansittart, Secretary to George Curzon at the Foreign Office 1920-1924, making social arrangements
/78 from Harry Rowan Walker, West Eaton Place, London, 1932, asking Cynthia if she will visit Brenda Dean Paul in hospital in Chobham
/79 from Sidney Webb, Grosvenor Road, Westminster, 1924, declining an invitation on behalf of himself and Mrs Webb
/80 from Florence Wedgwood, wife of Josiah Wedgwood, Beaufort House, Chelsea, 1930, offering her support following Cynthia's resignation from the Labour party, but warning her that Josiah does not approve of her new policy
/81 from Josiah C. Wedgwood, Liberal MP, House of Commons, cancelling a social engagement in 1920
/82 from Marguerite R. Wilber, New York, 1925, concerning Christian Science
/83 from Ellen Wilkinson, Labour MP, House of Commons, declining a social invitation, undated
/84 from Margaret Wintringham, Labour MP, Little Grimsby Hall, Louth, undated
/85 from Catherine Xarosi, 1928, concerning social arrangements, but also asking for Cynthia's impressions about Germany and Eastern Europe |