Historic letters written to the Earls of Derby by members of the royal family and other prominent figures are to be put on display at Liverpool Central Library for the first time.
A team of experienced archivists has spent more than 20 months deciphering thousands of papers, which also include diaries and other documents written in the 1880s belonging to the 13th, 14th and 15th Earls of Derby.
The current Earl of Derby will be on hand to unveil a selection of the documents at Hornby Library in the Liverpool Central Library on Thursday 7 January.
Correspondence to the Earls includes letters from Queen Victoria, Prince Albert, the Prince of Wales, Horatio Nelson, Edward Lear, the Duke of Wellington, Charles Darwin, Benjamin Disraeli, William Gladstone, Catherine Gladstone, Florence Nightingale and Herbert Spencer.
Councillor Wendy Simon, assistant Mayor and cabinet member for culture, says: “This collection is a significant snapshot of our history, giving a fascinating insight into the world of some of the most famous and influential people of the 19th Century.
“I am delighted that thanks to the work of our archivists, we are now able to make the papers available to people who wish to view them, whether it’s in person or online.”
The letters are now catalogued in detail and fully accessible at Liverpool Record Office in the Central Library and also available and searchable online.
Over the years the Earls of Derby, based at Knowsley Hall, have had a major influence as national politicians and local magnates and property-owners across Lancashire, affecting education, hospitals, law, agriculture, trade and art.
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