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PETH/2/69 · Item · 2 July 1958
Part of Pethick-Lawrence Papers

Commonwealth Relations Office.—‘If indeed your papers are already on record in the India Office [see 2/71], that of course wholly meets my point. But I shall deeply appreciate any supplementary papers.’

(Marked in pencil, ‘Bring up after Stansgate has seen my papers’.)

MONT II/A/1/92 · Item · 10 Sept. 1913
Part of Papers of Edwin Montagu, Part II

Admiralty Yacht, off Colonsay.—She enjoyed Ardgowan, but the guests at Penrhôs have been dull. While the yacht was at Holyhead she went for walks with Winston, whose opinion of Montagu has improved. She has sailed with them as far as Colonsay, and will go home on Tuesday. Asks about his stay at Hopeman, and discusses Dorothy’s engagement. Some friends will be at Penrhôs when she returns, but afterwards her family will be alone till they leave for Alderley in early October.

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Transcript

Admiralty Yacht
Off Colonsay Sept 10th 1913

Thank you so much for your letter which I loved getting and meant to answer ages ago, but I’ve been leading such a dull life since I left Ardgowan (where it was quite fun owing to Geoffrey and Mrs Ridley whom I found) that I hadnt the heart to inflict an account of it on you. The only people at Penrhos were Gertrude Bell (as usual most full of dewdrops about you also old Chirol in the same state of mind, it sounds a dreary kind of compliment to have repeated, but really it means a good deal as those two very rarely admit any good in a political head of a department) then when she left Barbara MacLaren (very nice and restful to live with) and Bear Warne {1}. He got terribly on my nerves after a week’s tête a tête, for it was practically that, by his blatant, pretentious stupidity I could hardly bring myself to speak to him with decent civility, he never begins to understand what one means. You can imagine what a relief the advent of the yacht was on Saturday {2}, she stayed two days at Holyhead, both marvellous golden sunny blazing days, and I had two long walks with Winston and very good talks to him. He is in very good form just now very happy and full of schemes. He likes you very much now. Then Sunday night we left and after a dull day at Barrow in Furness arrived here yesterday morning. A most wonderful, lonely enchanted place, with delicious sandy and rocky little bays looking quite glo-rious yesterday in brilliant clear weather and even to day full of charm and mystery in spite of thick obliterating Scotch mist. We stay here I hope till Sat then move South to Greenock. On Tuesday I go home. I am always very happy here, I love the life with long intervals of {3} of drifting about and then one goes to divine inaccessible places. Did you have fun at Hopeman {4} and what did you think of the place and of Margot and of them all generally.

Dorothy. Arent you thrilled by her engagement {5}. Did you know about it before? Do you know him at all. I am astounded by it, I always think he is rather a boring man, not because he’s very stupid but I think he has a dull mind and always rather a boring point of view. If I were married to him I should never want to hear what he thought about anything, and should always be irritated by his opinions. However she seems delighted by him and very happy and as he’s as nice as can be I expect it will be a huge success. I think its larks his being a brewer and a Conservative and an Anti-Suffragist, I wonder if he will be converted. Dont tell Geoffrey what I say, this is hardly a necessary warning as you arent at all likely to.

When are you leaving Scotland.

I shall find such a strange collection of people when I get home, Mikky, Bluey, Mr Wedgewood Benn, Mr Smyth. I wish you were going to be amongst them, then after they go we shall be alone till I leave on about the 6th of October and go to dank Alderley for ever and ever.

There were thousands of things I wanted to say to you when I started writing, but I’ve now forgotten them and the babblement that’s going on makes writing hard.

Your
Venetia

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Written in pencil and ink (see below).

{1} ‘Bear Warne’: reading uncertain.

{2} 6th.

{3} The first sheet, which is in pencil, ends here. The rest of the letter is in ink.

{4} Montagu did not, in the event, go there.

{5} Dorothy Howard had become engaged to Francis Henley. They were married on 14 October.

MONT II/A/1/93 · Item · 22 Sept. 1913
Part of Papers of Edwin Montagu, Part II

Penrhôs, Holyhead.—Refers to his planned visit to Alderley in November, and invites him to Penrhôs later that month to shoot. They leave Penrhôs on the 6th (for Alderley), after which she goes to London and then Hopeman. Benn is still with them. She enjoyed her voyage on the Enchantress very much.

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Transcript

Penrhôs, Holyhead
September 22nd 1913

This is merely a line about plans. I believe you are coming to Alderley on about the 10th arent you for a Sunday (November I mean) {1}. Will you also come here on the 27th of the same month, I think it is a Thursday {2} and shoot the Friday and Saturday. Arthur has just decided that it is worth while coming over to shoot the pheasants which throng these woods! Violet is also coming. We shall have rather fun. Do come. You cant be have meetings in Cambridge then.

I wonder if I shall see you before that, everyone I meet tells me how delightful you are! We leave here on the 6th and I go to London for a few days on the 13th and then the week after to Hopeman. Perhaps I shall see you in London.

I came back here on Wednesday {3}. I was heartbroken at leaving the Enchantress, I’ve seldom enjoyed anything so much. But its nice here, dear little Bluey has just left, Mr Benn remains behind. He’s a strange keen alert little creature. He starts every conversation with such hope and enthusiasm, it seems so cruel that every time he must find it falls short of his expectations.

I’ve loved my summer this year, and am really sad its over. Have you had fun? There are such a lot of things I want to talk to you about, I hope I shant forget them when we do meet.

Your
Venetia

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{1} 9 November.

{2} It was.

{3} 17th.