Beschreibung:

Collection of letters to Gordon's beloved sister Augusta, and by her to her sister-in-law Rose, wife of General Sir Henry Gordon, principally relating to Augusta's contacts with Queen Victoria and the Royal Household in the weeks after General Gordon had been sent out to Khartoum early in 1884, the collection comprising (i) letters from the Household to Augusta (and passed on by her to Rose), including two letters by Jane Marchioness of Ely, the Queen's Lady of the Bedchamber (the first written on 17 February 1884, the day before Gordon's arrival in Khartoum - "I have showed your two letters to the Queen & Her Majesty desires me to thank you for them. I feel so much for all your anxiety, but God grant, every blessing, will rest on your brother, & his great mission by 'His Blessing' be successful..."; the second on 24 February - "I really cannot thank you sufficiently, for the photograph, of your Brother... I hope you will continue to have good news of him, & that by God's blessing all will prosper with him..."), one by Lady Waterpark (26 February 1884 - "I fear things look very bad in Egypt just now - I hope you do not feel discouraged by the storm raised by General Gordon's Proclamation - I am pleased to think I never lost faith in him..."), and four by General Sir John Cowell, Comptroller of the Royal Household, fellow officer in the Royal Engineers and close friend of Gordon's (21 January - "The Queen wishing to possess a photograph of your Brother... I am commanded by Her Majesty to request that one may be obtained for her..."; 23 January - "I am commanded by Her Majesty to express her thanks... for these photographs..."; 10 February - "it is The Queen's wish that, any intelligence which arrives here respecting your Brothers progress towards Khartoum, should be forwarded to you at once... I am very hopeful that your brother will have no difficulty, beyond the fatigues, in reaching his destination..."; 3 March - "To days report from Khartoum is far from what I had refuted [?sic] owing to the shameful treachery of the two Pachas; but this will not discourage your brother. -/ I heard from him to day - dated 26 Feb - and I am making the best use I can, of what he tells me..."); and (ii) seven letters by Augusta to Rose, four written at the same period (28 February - "I told the Queen Charlie 'wears your Majesty's uniform and medals now' I think she was pleased at my telling her so - She reads about him herself in the Papers..."; Wednesday [?29 February] - "I am very sorry you have made Mrs Allnutt's acquaintance/ she is not nice/ she went on so about Charlie I was quite horrified and so was he... her aim is to get at him and she will humbug you... she is very pushing the only excuse is she is not quite right... I was really obliged to protect Charlie from her there was quite a scene when he saw her for the first and last time when here..."; 3 March - "I have just heard from Aunt Amy she says Charlie telegraphed to W.O. 'I am not going to be dictated to by Sir E. Baring'... Is this the case?..."; 7 March - "I cannot encourage her in her goings on if she was 18 and unmarried it might be different - I did try to be kind to her and got Charlie to write now and then but she went too far. I have not told one person except you all about my visit or about Charlie..."), with three later letters, about unauthorized publication Gordon's Taiping journal; together with other material, some relating to Rose's daughter Queenie; and a list of memorabilia in the family's keeping, including Gordon's famous Chinese yellow jacket, envelopes, some dust-staining etc., principally February to March 1884