Sir William de Salis's son, owner of Battine House, wishes to terminate his lease after four years. The Russells have agreed to release Battine House on August 12th, 1931.

"The loss of Battine House will make it impossible for us to carry on the school except on a very small scale unless we are able to build up here...." Dora refers to the "American slump" and the former "necessity for Bertie's popular articles and lecture tours".
 

Re Telegraph House.

Both Russells bank with Glyn, Mills.

Davies responds to a letter on 14 January about Telegraph House and possibly having to close the school next June.

Davies has listed a series of questions for BR re the new fire policy with Guardian Assurance Company for Battine House. The answers have been noted directly on the letter. There is a notation on the letter that they were answered 26/1/31.

Re new Guardian Assurance policy.

Davies encloses a notice from Guardian Assurance Company to show BR "... that they will issue a policy on the items which are not covered against risk of fire, and that the premium will be £5."

There is a notation on the letter that the notice was returned and a cheque for £5 sent 31/1/31.

Re new insurance.

Davies confirms that he received BR's cheque for £5 and sent it to the company.

BR inquires whether new passports for Dora and himself are necessary, "... on account of my brother's death? It is our desire to avoid the use of the title as much as we possibly can, but we are not prepared to carry this so far as to land ourselves in prison."

They are planning to spend the summer in France and inquire if John and Kate need new passports also. They have hidden from John that he now holds the title of Lord Amberley, "... and if it were possible, I should continue indefinitely to conceal it...."

Davies has contacted the passport office and encloses the letter he received in response, along with forms for BR to complete (not present).

Re Telegraph House, quarterly rent of £100.

A notation on the letter states cheques for £100 and £9.2.3 were sent 24/3/31.

Re passport applications. BR is unsure how to describe John, due to his new title, of which he still has not told John. "I have so far concealed from him that he has become a Lord, and he certainly has not the vaguest idea that his proper signature is Amberley. I suppose, however, I shall have to make him sign Amberley on the passport application."

The tenants of cottage, commonly referred to as the "gardener's cottage", are leaving, and BR thinks it would be best to rent the cottage for a year. It was located on the grounds of Telegraph House.

Davies has spoken to the passport office and the usual name and signature of john should be sufficient.

Re the "gardener's cottage".

Re Battine House, and Davies' charges, including those for "the Griffin affair", i.e. the Griffin Barry affair.

Davies has seen Withers, who will agree to BR's wishes re the cottage at Telegraph House.

Davies has BR's letter of yesterday (not in file) about taking his seat in the House of Lords.

Re the cottage, Telegraph House.

Re the cottage, Telegraph House.

Page 2 concerns Battine House, and Davies' accounts. The account re Barry is discussed, as is Miss Otter's good disposition towards BR.

Re the Telegraph House lease.

Davies has returned the accounts with a receipt. "You are quite unlike other clients. They are all afraid to acknowledge that any work has been done properly or has been fairly charged, for fear of being taken advantage of and overcharged next time."

Re the House of Lords and possible "sprouts in Elizabeth's garden", i.e. waiting to see if she is pregnant.

BR has asked that his secretary send Davies the enclosed passports and applications (not present), and that baby Harriet is included on Dora's passport.

Re the cottage, Telegraph House.

The enclosed document is .133353.

Re Telegraph House.

Re the House of Lords and Snowden's land values scheme.

This is a typed copy of document .200007, record 19044.

"Monday night late...." This version omits two lines about Gladys Rinder as well as the postscript.

This is a typed copy of document .200004, record 19041.

The typed date is "Sunday morning, 23rd September, 1916". The date is not accurate; in 1916 Saturday was September 23. This version annotated "Committee" as "the Executive Committee of the No Conscription Fellowship".

This is a typed copy of document .200006, record 19043.

"Sunday night late."

This is a typed copy of document .200008, record 19045.

This copy was originally numbered "3a", which was replaced with "4" in pencil.

"This morning my brother came".

This is a typed copy of document .200009, record 19046.

This typed version contains the added information that the poem "L'Infinito" was enclosed, document .200933, record 107339. The first line of the poem is typed after the closing.

A literary version of this letter was also prepared: document .007052ey, record 93466.

This is a typed copy of document .200019, record 19054.

"Sat. mg. ... I was happy".

This copy was originally numbered "6"; it has been crossed out and replaced with "7" in pencil.

Re the cottage, Telegraph House.

Enclosed with document .133355.

The letter concerns the cottage at Telegraph House as "this cottage was let to the late Earl Russell under an agreement dated the 31st August 1924 on a yearly tenancy", and the tenancy does not expire until June 24, 1931. Withers will contact Frank Russell's executrix regarding the matter.

Re the cottage, Telegraph House: "At the moment I do not wish to come to a definite decision either way, but I will let you know in a few days. In the meantime I should like to keep the negotiations pending."

"I am amused about Elizabeth."

BR's decision concerning the cottage is: "It is now definite that we want to lease the cottage for the period of our lease of Telegraph House, with the option on our side, though not on Withers's, of terminating our tenancy at the end of the first twelve months."

The Russells will keep Beacon Hill School going.

Davies has written Withers regarding BR's letter of yesterday's date (document .133358), "... to keep the negotiations going."

Re passports.

Re the cottage at Telegraph House.

Enclosed with document .133362.

Re the tenancy of the cottage, Davies informs Withers that, "What I have heard from Bertrand this morning is that he wishes for a tenancy of the cottage for the period of the lease of Telegraph House, with the option on his side only of terminating the tenancy at the end of the first twelve months...." He also informs Withers that BR would like £10 off the first year's rent, which he will put towards repairs for the cottage.

Re excess furniture belonging to Withers and stored by the Russells.

Re the cottage, Telegraph House.

There is a notation that the letter was acknowledged 18 May 1931. Davies informs BR that Withers is willing to adhere to BR's requests for the cottage, but that he must get Miss Otter's consent on the matter, as Frank Russell's tenancy goes on until June 1932.

Davies encloses four passports (not present), requesting that their receipt be acknowledged.

The letter was acknowledged 18/5/31.

Re furniture and whether it belongs to Mollie or Miss Otter.

Re the cottage, Telegraph House.

Davies has received a response to his letter of the 15th from Withers, who states, "I must be guided in these matters to a great extent by what Miss Otter wants, so I am forwarding your letter on to Mr. Buckland."

Re Telegraph House's assessment.

Re Telegraph House and furniture.

"Tell him [Withers] that otherwise I shall agitate against university representation in parliament." [Withers, a Conservative, represented Cambridge University, 1926-39.]

Miss Otter proposes ultimately to leave Telegraph House to BR through a complicated sale or loan involving Mollie.

Re House of Lords.

Enclosed with document .133371.

Re BR's admission to the House of Lords.

Davies has some matters he wishes to discuss with BR, which may be urgent as BR apparently intends to go to France and America shortly.

Re Telegraph House's assessment.

Re Earl Russell deceased.

Enclosed with document .133375, the letter sets out the financial arrangements with Mollie and Miss Otter for Telegraph House.

Re Earl Russell.

Enclosed with document .133375.

BR returns a list Davies sent with his letter of June 11th (list not present).

On the "loan" to Miss Otter.

Withers has written Davies concerning the cottage and Telegraph House.

The tenancy of Telegraph House expires in 1937, and Withers does not see any reason why he would not renew the lease when the time comes. He is also willing to include the cottage in the Telegraph House lease, without increasing the rent, so long as BR keeps it in good condition.

Withers needs to be involved as a trustee, Vandercom Stanton have informed Davies.

Dora is requesting the inventory of furniture made my Messrs. Chinneck at Battine House.

Davies sends Dora a copy of the inventory of furniture at Battine House (not present).

BR sends Davies an autobiography he has just completed (not present), which is not to be published until his death. It is like life insurance.

BR encloses a typescript of his recently completed Autobiography covering the first fifty years of his life, which is not to be published until after he is dead. BR does not mind if only the Nortons and Aannestad read it. "... I may easily live another twenty years and one cannot tell what may happen in that time." [BR lived 39 more years.]

BR's instructions concerning his Autobiography. Enclosed with document .133384. Any passages omitted on behalf of persons still living "ought, however, to be preserved with a view to unmutilated publication at a later date."

BR finds Withers's proposal regarding the cottage, Telegraph House "... entirely satisfactory...."

Dora would like Messrs. Chinneck's inventory of all of Frank Russell's furniture that is in her possession.

Davies will get Withers to prepare necessary documents as BR is satisfied with Withers's proposal regarding the cottage, Telegraph House.

Re inventory of furniture.

Re Telegraph House.

A demand note is enclosed (not present) for £100 rent payable June 24th, 1931. A notation on the letter says the demand note was returned 25/6/31.

Secretary encloses cheque for £100 for quarter's rent at Telegraph House.

Davies has received BR's letter of the 19th regarding Telegraph House, as well as BR's Autobiography and instructions for publication. Davies has put the Autobiography and instructions in Coward, Chance & Co.'s strong room along with BR's will.

Davies has received BR's cheque for the quarter's rent and posted it to Withers.

In response to Davies' second letter of 26 June 1931: "As regards Miss Otter, I am only concerned to help her out of a hole...." Frank Russell's estate was "practically bankrupt".

Re BR's Autobiography, which Davies asks to read. He encourages its early publication.

Enclosed are documents .133399, .133400.

Re Earl Russell deceased.

Miss Otter is anxious that negotiations with BR "... should be brought to a swift conclusion, both because she is very anxious to obtain cash for her estate and also because your client is understood to be leaving England on 4th July."

Enclosed with document .133398.

Re Earl Russell.

"Lord Russell, we have every reason to believe, is anxious to assist Miss Otter and will enter into any agreement which is equitable to both sides, but we do not want to agree with you that any definite scheme has been put forward whereby Lord Russell can securely purchase for a considerable sum of cash down the reversionary interest in the war stock included in the settlement."

Enclosed with document .133398.

Enclosed is document .133402.

Re Lord Russell [and] the executrix of the late Lord Russell.

Davies quotes BR's letter of 27 June 1931, document .133396, in regards to helping Miss Otter: "I am prepared to lend Miss Otter £3,500 on any security that is in your opinion adequate, provided that she either pays me interest or an adequately increased lump sum after Mollie's death...."

Enclosed with document .133401.

Re House of Lords.

Davies is going to the House of Lords office to try to come to an agreement on the form of declaration. The enclosed document, .133404, is the declaration form Davies settled with the House of Lords. Agatha Russell is to declare that Elizabeth did not give birth as a result of her marriage to Frank Russell.

[The declaration is an important source of ancestral facts, including Mabel Edith's death date.]

Re Telegraph House.

BR responds to Davies' various letters sent 29 June 1931. "I am on quite good terms with her [Elizabeth], and the only thing I did not like asking her was whether she was over 58." There is no point "in troubling my poor Aunt Agatha".

Davies encloses a copy (not present) of the signed inventory of the furniture, etc., in the lease.

Re the furniture removed by Miss Otter.

Re Aunt Agatha, who is apparently blind.

Even if Aunt Agatha were dead, "there must be some method of establishing my claim" to the earldom.

Enclosed is document .133412.

Re the furniture removed by Miss Otter.

Enclosed with document .133411.

Re the estate arrangement with Miss Otter.

Re Frank Russell and BR.

Enclosed with document .133413.

Re Earl Russell.

Enclosed with document .133413.

Also enclosed is document .133416, which is a proposed financial agreement between Earl Russell and Miss Otter.

Re Mollie Countess Russell's trust. Withers agrees the furniture in question should be sold.

Enclosed with document .133417.

Re Miss Otter.

Enclosed document, .133420, is the returned (and altered in red ink), "proposed arrangement between Earl Russell and Miss Otter", sent by Vandercom Stanton & Co.

Also enclosed is a copy of the draft Johnston refers to in his letter (record 115325).

Aunt Agatha continues to be involved in the declaration.

Regarding the draft of declaration.

Enclosed with document .133422.

Also enclosed is document .133423, which is a copy of the draft declaration Johnston refers to in his letter.

Re Earl Russell and the executrix of the late Earl Russell.

Davies cites a letter just received from BR, who wishes to be protected in the event that he himself becomes poor. £400 a year for Telegraph House is "a fancy price to which he agreed out of consideration for his brother."

Re the Telegraph House lease, the cottage, and financial aid to Miss Otter.