| Description | This group of documents consists mainly of letters with a sprinkling of accounts and militia papers all directed to or from the third earl of Cholmondeley. They cover the period September 3 1745 to February 1746-the time of the Jacobite rebellion when the earl, in his capacity as lord lieutenant of the county palatine of Chester was in charge of the Cheshire militia and the defence of Chester and its castle. Although from an essentially private collection, these letters deal mainly with public matters-the raising of the militia of which Lord Cholmondeley was in charge, the defence of Chester castle, the handing on of information as to enemy movements and particularly the gathering of supplies both for the army at Chester and the army of HRH William, Duke of Cumberland. The letters are calendered in chronological order. Undated letters are dated where possible by content-those relating to the Gower mutiny are dated with reference to the order book of Lord Cholmondeley (see below, DCH/X/9a/70. |