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BROOKE papers: Letter books of Sir James Brooke and J. Brooke Brooke, diary of Annie Brooke, and letter books connected with her and her son Basil's deaths, 1841-1872

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Shelfmark: MSS. Pac. s. 90/2
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Item 1, 'Siam Papers', 20 Jun 1851-14 Feb 1853:

Leather-bound volume, pp. 1-76, containing manuscript copies of correspondence relating to the Mission to Siam (Thailand), 1850, on which Sir James Brooke was sent by the British Government to form a new commercial treaty. Relevant press cuttings, dated 1841-1872, are pasted into the end of the volume. A Contents list gives names of correspondents and dates of the first 20 letters (pp. 1-31). Sir James visited Siam (Thailand) in Aug 1850, accompanied by Spenser St John as Secretary to the Mission (see the account given in his Life of Sir James Brooke, 1879). The king was opposed to the negotiations and the Mission ended in failure, but Sir James entered into correspondence with the heir to the throne in the hope that proposals would be more favourably received after his succession, which occurred in 1851. The correspondence is mainly concerned with the friendly attitude of the new administration, and reforms carried out in Siam (Thailand); Sir James's willingness to undertake a further Mission; improved trade relations under the new government; Lord Derby's appointment of Sir James as Envoy to the Court of Siam (Thailand), and the reversal of this by Lords Aberdeen and Clarendon; and the importance of improving British relations with the Indo-Chinese nations. There are two letters from Sir James to the new king, Chaufa Mongkut: on p. 2, thanking him for a letter and expressing feelings of friendship for him; on p. 31, introducing Mr Parker Hammond. Other correspondents are:

  1. George G. Nicol
  2. Viscount Palmerston
  3. Lord Phaya si Suriwong, Minister of Foreign Affairs
  4. Tan Kim Ching, Chinese Merchant, Singapore
  5. John Jarvies, Singapore
  6. Messrs Hamilton, Gray & Co
  7. Lord Stanley of Alderly
  8. The Earl of Malmesbury
  9. Sir Stamford Raffles (extract from his Life & Journal)
  10. Lord John Russell
  11. Press cuttings (pp. 61-76) are from the Singapore Free Press, 1849-1852, about Siamese (Thai) affairs, and the appointment of Sir James to renew negotiations after the old king's death; also a chronicle of the reigning dynasty of Siam (Thailand), from The Times of India, 17 Feb 1872, and a letter from Colonel H. Burney to A.D. Maingay on Siam (Thailand) and Queda, 28 May 1841.

Item 2, Annie Brooke's diary, with entries for 1 Jan-23 Jun 1858.

Item 3, Letter book, 28 Nov 18585 May 1859; 30 Oct and 1 Nov 1860.

Copies [made by Lucy Grant, Mrs C.W.A. Feilding] of letters to her parents and other members of her family, about her sister Annie's death:

  1. includes letters from C.T.C. Grant and his wife Matilda; Alan Grant; Bishop McDougall; John Brooke Brooke; Mrs Crymble [née Addison, Annie Brooke's maid]; Mrs Harriette McDougall
  2. also two letters about the death of Annie's elder son, Basil, on 28 Oct 1860, from John Brooke Brooke and (unsigned) C.T.C. Grant (the originals of some of these letters are in MSS. Pac. s. 90 Vols 6 and 10)
  3. pasted into the volume are photographs of Annie and her two sisters, and of John Brooke Brooke at Kilgraston, 1857; also, curls of hair from her two baby sons, Basil and Hope.

Item 4, Letter book, 1856-1859:

  1. (fols. 1-107) copies of letters about Annie Brooke written after her death, with list (incomplete) of correspondents; also, extracts from letters from her and from her journals, written both before and after her marriage
  2. an envelope, pasted at the end of the volume, contains a sketch of her tombstone and pressed flowers.

Item 5, 'Private Letter Book' of J. Brooke Brooke, 19 Feb 1859-22 Apr 1863:

Containing copies of his own letters and some from Sir James Brooke, not always in chronological order. References are given to the original letters when these are included in the Collection; fols. 19-20; 28; 49; 51; and 137-139 are blank. Comprises:

  1. (fols. 1-2) letter from White Lackington, to J.C. Templer, about the case of Dr Corry, 19 Feb 1859
  2. (fols. 2v-4v) letter from White Lackington, to Templer, about his own want of caution in dealing with Corry, and asking why Templer had not replied to his letter about George Brooke, 22 Feb 1859
  3. (fols. 5-7v) letter from White Lackington, to Mr Stuart, about his condemnation of John Brooke Brooke's conduct regarding Corry, and giving details of his own association with the Corry family, 23 Feb 1859
  4. (fol. 8) letter to the Secretary, Borneo Company Limited (B.C.L.) asking to be sent a copy of the account between the Sarawak Government and the Company, and reminding him of Sir James Brooke's stipulation in regard to the coal royalty, n.d.
  5. (fols. 9-10) letter to an unnamed company that had handled delivery of John Brooke Brooke's baggage at Southampton, about the loss of a box of shells, 12 Apr 1859
  6. (fols. 10v-11) letter to the Borneo Company Limited Directors, about payment of the Sarawak Government's debt to the Company, and about payment of the antimony royalty into the Oriental Bank in Singapore on behalf of Sir James (£300) and himself (£200), 19 Apr 1859
  7. (fols. 11v-17) extracts from letters, from John Brooke Brooke at White Lackington, to Templer about the case of Dr Corry, 7-23 Nov 1856
  8. (fols. 17v-18) letter to Robert Henderson, asking if the Borneo Company Limited would lend the Sarawak Government a sum to meet the award of the arbitrator in the Corry case should the decision be given in the doctor's favour; his intention to pay off £4,000 of the debt to the Company; and Sir James's stipulation that no interest should be charged on the Coal Royalty, May [1859?]
  9. (fols. 21-23) letter from White Lackington to Templer about the coal and antimony royalties; and on the same subject to Crawford, Secretary, Borneo Company Limited, 25 May 1859
  10. (fol. 23v) letter to the Directors, Borneo Company Limited, enclosing a draft for £3,600 in liquidation of the Sarawak Government debt, 21 May 1859
  11. (fol. 24) copy of two letters from Sir James Brooke in Totnes to Templer, (1) about John Brooke Brooke's discharge of the account still due to the Borneo Company Limited, and the arrangement that he should draw on the Company to meet Corry's claim, and (2) about John Brooke Brooke signing a reference, 31 May 1859
  12. (fol. 25) letter from Totnes, to the Manager, Oriental Bank, London, enquiring about the payment of the antimony royalty into the Singapore branch; and on the same subject to the Secretary, Borneo Company Limited, 31 May 1859
  13. (fol. 26) letter from London, to the Directors, Borneo Company Limited, enclosing final payment of the Sarawak Government's debt to the Company, 8 Jun 1859
  14. (fols. 27-27v) letter from London, to Alfred Ruppell, about the sale of property in Sarawak that had belonged to the late George Ruppell, 9 Jul 1859
  15. (fols. 29-30) letter from White Lackington, to Lord Grey, enclosing a copy of a letter to Lord Elgin about Sir James's resignation of Sarawak to John Brooke Brooke on closure of the Memorial, asking about the prospect of England's Recognition of the Settlement, and stating his own reluctance to request aid from a foreign country, 17 Jul 1859
  16. (fols. 30v-31v) see MSS. Pac. s. 90 Vol. 7, fols. 164-165 (dated 18 Jul), 17 Jul 1859
  17. (fols. 32-33v) see MSS. Pac. s. 90 Vol. 5, fols. 152-155, 2 Jul 1859
  18. (fols. 34-34v) letter from London, to Lord Elgin, about John Brooke Brooke's letters to H.M. Ministers containing 'a definite proposition', the Dutch Government's intention to take Sarawak on Sir James's death 'by gradually making our position untenable', and the importance of obtaining England's recognition before the transfer of government to John Brooke Brooke, 6 Aug 1859
  19. (fols. 35v-36v) letter from London, to Lord Grey, enclosing a copy of a letter sent to Lord Palmerston proposing that England should give formal recognition to Sarawak, and refuting Lord Elgin's objection that a British subject was the ruler, 6 Aug 1859
  20. (fols. 37-38v) letter from London, to Lord Palmerston, giving reasons why he proposed that England should ratify the recognition of Sarawak as an independent native state, 9 Aug 1859
  21. (fol. 39) copy of letter from Sir James Brooke to John Brooke Brooke empowering him 'to negociate [sic] with the British Government for a final arrangement of the Relations between the countries', 13 Jul 1859
  22. (fols. 40-41) letter from London, to Lord Palmerston, about the dangers of Sarawak's isolated position, and the benefits that recognition would confer not only on Sarawak but on England's commercial interests, such recognition being of the state and not of the ruler, 11 Aug 1859
  23. (fols. 42-42v) letter from White Lackington, to Lord Palmerston, about his assumption, in the absence of any intimation of a decision from the government regarding recognition, that the proposal had been rejected, 19 Sep 1859
  24. (fols. 43-45) letter from London, to W. Adams, about a candidate proposed by Adams to take the place of Dr Corry, setting out the conditions he would find in Sarawak and the terms of employment, 1 Oct 1859
  25. (fols. 45v-48v) five letters, to Henry Phillips [John Brooke Brooke's attorney] and the Borneo Company Limited, about the award to Corry of £1,000 and arrangements for payment, 2 Oct-2 Nov 1859
  26. (fols. 50-50v) letter from Sir James Brooke in Bath, to Baron Bentinck, introducing John Brooke Brooke, who would lay before him a proposition on the part of Sarawak, 30 Nov 1859
  27. (fols. 52-56) letter from Sir James Brooke at Burrator, to John Harvey, Borneo Company Limited, about the royalty on antimony ore, and his willingness to consider an extension of the lease beyond 1858, 28 Dec 1859
  28. (fols. 57-62) three letters to Harvey about the royalty, and proposals for the Company to work off arrears gradually, 9-16 Jan 1860
  29. (fols. 63-63v) letter from London, to the Manager, Oriental Bank, arranging to pay the sum of £250 quarterly into Sir James Brooke's London bank (Barnett & Hoare), 16 Jan 1860
  30. (fols. 64-66v) see MSS. Pac. s. 90 Vol. 5, fols. 282-286, 16 Jan 1860
  31. (fols. 67-67v) letter from London, to Harvey, about the Directors' proposal concerning the royalty, 17 Jan 1860
  32. (fols. 68-68v) letter from Ryde, to Sir James Brooke, about his own lack of pride in his style of writing, and his doubts regarding Sir James's hopes of realising his 'private fortune from Foreign Powers', 22 Jan 1860
  33. (fols. 69-71) see MSS. Pac. s. 90 Vol. 5, fols. 296-299, 22 Jan 1860
  34. (fols. 71v-73v) see MSS. Pac. s. 90 Vol. 5, fols. 306-312, 30 Jan 1860
  35. (fols. 74-75) letter from White Lackington, to the Sub-Manager, Oriental Bank, asking for an account of all sums sent from Singapore and instructing him about payments of royalties, 2 Feb 1860
  36. (fols. 75v-77v) see MSS. Pac. s. 90 Vol. 5, fols. 313-315, 16 Feb 1860
  37. (fols. 78-79) letter from Singapore, to Sir Robert [...] about news from Sarawak of the plot to murder all Europeans, the successful action taken by Charles Johnson against the chief conspirator, and the need for his own immediate return, 4 Apr 1860
  38. (fols. 80-81) letter from Singapore, to the Governor General, Netherlands India, about the arrest of a man posing as the Sultan of Brunei who was involved in the plot to murder all Europeans in Borneo, requesting that he should be delivered to the Sarawak Authority for trial, 4 Apr 1860
  39. (fols. 82-83) letter from Singapore, to the Secretary to Government, Batavia (Jakarta), about the arrest of Hadji Gaffur by the Netherlands Authorities in Pontianak, requesting that he be detained in Java, 7 Apr 1860
  40. (fol. 84) letter from Mukah (Mukah), to L.V. Helms, asking him to arrange for the Agents of the Borneo Company Limited in Singapore to pay the royalties due into the Oriental Bank to John Brooke Brooke's credit, giving details of these sums, 15 Jul 1860
  41. (fol. 84v) letter from Mukah (Mukah), to the Manager, Oriental Bank, Singapore, about a sum to be remitted to the London branch to Sir James Brooke's credit, 15 Jul 1860
  42. (fol. 85) letter from Singapore, to Messrs Smith Elder, ordering journals and books, 17 May 1861
  43. (fols. 86-89) see MSS. Pac. s. 90 Vol. 5, fols. 381-388, 4 Aug 1861
  44. (fols. 89v-92) two letters from Sarawak to Arthur Crookshank, about the future prospects for government officers if Sarawak were to be placed under the protection of a European State; reparation for losses incurred through the Chinese insurrection, and John Brooke Brooke's willingness to make him a loan against claims on the Government for such losses, 8 Aug and 4 Sep 1861
  45. (fols. 92v-93) letter from Sarawak to an unnamed friend of John Brooke Brooke's aunt, Mrs Savage, about his wish to visit Sarawak in the hope of obtaining employment under the Sarawak Government, 4 Sep [1861]
  46. (fols. 93v-94) see MSS. Pac. s. 90 Vol. 5, fols. 389-390, [Sep 1861?]
  47. (fol. 94v) see MSS. Pac. s. 90 Vol. 5, fols. 391-392, 16 Sep 1861
  48. (fols. 95-97) see MSS. Pac. s. 90 Vol. 5, fols. 405-408, 2 Jan 1862
  49. (fols. 97v-98) letter from Sarawak, to [J.G.] Booty, about Mrs Channon's pension, and Mrs Brooke's Marriage Settlement, 3 Jan 1862
  50. (fols. 99-100) letter from Sarawak, to Harvey, about Penty's pension; Harvey's kindness to the children (Hope Brooke and Blanche Grant) upon their arrival in England; Rainbow's report of 'all quiet' in the rivers; a workable seam of coal found at Bintulu; and insurance of Rainbow, 28 Feb 1862
  51. (fols. 100v-101) letter from Sarawak, to Messrs Griffiths & Co, ordering wine, 1 Mar 1862
  52. (fols. 102-103) two letters from Sarawak, to [Paul] Tidman and to John Gunn, about selling the Whitworth gun, 2 Apr 1862
  53. (fols. 104-113) two letters from Sarawak, to Bishop McDougall, about the Bishop's accusations of [Rev. W.H.] Gomes, stating his own high opinion of the man and his valuable missionary work at Lundu, referring to the attacks made by St John on the Bishop's conduct of the Mission and hostile newspaper articles, and appealing to the Bishop to show forbearance to his clergy and to refrain from referring to them in derogatory terms, 31 Oct and 5 Nov 1862
  54. (fols. 114-117) letter from Sarawak, to the aide-de-camp to the Duke of Brabant, about his previous approach on the subject of placing Sarawak under the protection of a European Power and his later conviction that the people would resent any attempt to change their form of government, 15 Nov 1862
  55. (fols. 118-124) see MSS. Pac. s. 90 Vol. 5, fols. 492-494, 14 Nov 1862
  56. (fols. 124-132) two letters from Sarawak, to L.V. Helms, Manager, Borneo Company Limited, about the terms on which the wood trade should be carried on; the Company's claims regarding coal mines, and the need to develop the resources of the country, 19 and 21 Dec 1862
  57. (fols. 133-135) letter to Bishop McDougall about St John's attack being based on the Bishop's unpopularity with his clergy; and St John's intention to publish a pamphlet in answer to the Bishop's attack on his private character, 20 Jan 1863
  58. (fol. 136v) see MSS. Pac. s. 90 Vol. 5, fols. 505-506, 26 Feb 1863
  59. (fols. 140-141) letter from White Lackington, to [A.A.] Knox, sent with copies of correspondence with Knox in 1859 and of letters from Crookshank and Dr Cruickshank about John Brooke Brooke's Investiture in the Court of Sarawak, and referring Knox to C.T.C. Grant in London; and John Brooke Brooke's intention to draw up a statement of his position in Sarawak, and to submit the case to Dr Phillimore, hoping that Sir James would consent to arbitration between them, 18 Apr 1863
  60. (fols. 142-144) letter from White Lackington, to his brother Charles Johnson in Sarawak, about the false position in which he had allowed the 'Old Rajah' to place him; the danger that he would 'be branded as a false Brother and a dishonourable man'; evidence proving John Brooke Brooke to be Rajah to be circulated in a pamphlet; and Sir James's aim to obtain first English recognition and then to renew negotiations with foreign powers and to 'sell Sarawak'. In a formal notice, John Brooke Brooke requested that his brother represent him during his absence in England and entrusted him with 'the Guardianship of my honor, my Property, and my Powers', 22 Apr 1863.

Item 6 (fols. 1-59) John Brooke Brooke's journal, recording hunting activities, 29 Oct 1865-20 Jan 1866.

Dates

  • Creation: 1841-1872

Extent

6 items

Language of Materials

  • English

Shelfmark

MSS. Pac. s. 90/2

Repository Details

Repository Details

Part of the Bodleian Libraries Repository

https://www.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/weston
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