Books and Manuscripts

(Presumed Weyhausen, Germany), March 9, 1710. One sheet folded to make four pages, 12 x 7 3/4 in. (305 x 197 mm). Manuscript letter in German, in a secretarial hand, signed by future King George I of Great Britain, as Georg Ludwig, Duke of Brunswick-Luneburg and Prince Elector of Hanover, to Ernst Ludwig, Count of Hesse-Darmstadt, concerning the upcoming election in the Burgraviate of Friedburg. Integral address panel with Ernst Ludwig's long title, original red wax seal intact on same; panel of address panel excised; creasing from contemporary folds, scattered separations along same; sheets toned; scattered minor foxing.

Future King George I of Great Britain (1660-1727), the first of the Hanoverian kings, writes to his cousin the Count of Darmstadt, Ernst Ludwig, seeking his help in securing the election of his privy council, Colonel von Dieden, as leader of the Burgraviate in Friedberg: "You are doubtlessly informed of the fact that on the 19th day of the coming month of June the election of a new Burggrave at Friedberg is to take place. Since my Privy Councilor, Colonel von Dieden, is one of the candidates for this office, and since I would very much like to see him attain this position, I herewith request Your Highness and kind Cousin to urge those people who are in your service, as well as the Castellans in your district, to give von Dieden their vote. Together with the support he is initially counting on, he would then have reasons to hope for a majority of votes in his favor, and thus he could obtain the position of Burggrave. I would be much obliged to Your Highness for any consideration you could give this matter. Be assured of my continued concern in your welfare as I remain your faithful and cordial cousin..." (translation provided by a previous cataloguer).

While Colonel von Dieden, also known as Georg Ludwig Diede zum Fürstenstein, did not win the election written about in this letter (his father had been a prior Burggrave), he was not only Georg Ludwig's privy councilor in Hanover, but also apparently his spymaster and war councillor in England after Georg ascended to the British throne in 1714 upon the death of Queen Anne, four years following this letter. His reign generally saw the power of the monarchy wane with the rise of the power of Parliament, then under Robert Walpole acting as the first de facto Prime Minister.