Description:

Gladstone William 1809 - 1898
ALS by William Gladstone as Prime Minister in 1869




Cream watermarked stationery paper with "11, Carlton-House-Terrace, S.W." letterhead in blue Gothic lettering, signed "Faithfully yours, W. Gladstone" at bottom. Letter is addressed to "Russell Sturgis Esq" and dated "Nov. 9, 69." at top, measuring 4.5" x 7.125". In very fine condition with expected wear including fold marks and isolated smudging in upper left corner. Corner discoloration verso indicates letter was probably affixed to other support at one time.

The letter in full can be seen below:

"My dear Sir



I thank you for your suggestion which shall be carefully considered. The first thing to consider, in order of time, will be to learn the precedents. I remain



Faithfully yours

W. Gladstone



Russell Sturgis Esq."



The 60-year political career of William Gladstone (1809-1898) left an indelible mark on Victorian domestic and foreign policy. To his supporters, he was "The People's William"; to detractors like Benjamin Disraeli (1804-1881), he was "God's Only Mistake".

Gladstone served as Prime Minister to Queen Victoria (1819-1901) on four separate occasions, from 1868-1874, 1880-1885, briefly in 1886, and 1892-1894. Gladstone's ministries were conservative: he lobbied for less central government, free trade, reduced public spending, and election reforms. Gladstone adopted some controversial stances concerning slavery during his career. He notably opposed the abolition of slavery and considered an alliance with the Confederate States of America during the Civil War. On specific domestic issues, Gladstone favored both paternalistic and laissez-faire approaches; he walked London streets reclaiming "fallen women", and yet also advocated home rule for Ireland.

Our letter was written during Gladstone's first tenure as Prime Minister, several years after his second term as Chairman of the Exchequer. The exact matter referenced in our letter is unknown, yet Gladstone was tackling weighty issues during his first ministry, including the disestablishment of the Church of Ireland, military and civil service reforms, and expanding poor relief. Gladstone's conservatism can be seen by his deliberate reply, wherein he proposes consulting historical precedents before reaching any decisions. Gladstone resided at 11, Carleton House Terrace between 1857 and 1875, during most of his first ministry.

It is probably that Gladstone's correspondent was the American expatriate Russell Sturgis (1805-1887). Like Gladstone, Sturgis came from a merchant family. Sturgis practiced law in Boston, represented the opium trade, and lived abroad in Macau and the Philippines during the 1830s. He became a partner in the London-based Barings Bank in 1851, administrating the firm after 1864.

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