The enclosed document is .133261.

On responsibility for the engine house.

Re Telegraph House: the cottage water supply.

Enclosed with document .133260.

Crompton originally enclosed both a letter from Wontner & Renwick, as well as his reply, but requested that Dora return the letter from Wontner & Renwick.

Enclosed with document .133262.

On enlarging the water supply.

Re Telegraph House's water supply.

Enclosed with document .133266. Also enclosed is a list of insurance warranties, document .133267.

Re Telegraph House.

Enclosed with document .133266.

Dora sends a cheque for £200 to be invested in water stocks.

"... with regard to the investment of the £200 for your children, the stockbrokers have found it possible to buy a holding of the Colne Valley Water Company's preference stock, and to invest the balance in Metropolitan Water stock." She should reinvest the dividends for the children.

Crompton received a letter from Withers regarding Telegraph House's water supply saying, "... we have now communicated with Lord Russell with regard to your letter of the 29th ultimo and we understand his Lordship is making arrangements for a separate water supply for the cottage."

On the storage of petrol away from the (engine) house, whose fireplaces servants use in the winter.

The enclosed document is .133276.

Re electrical installation at Telegraph House.

"This memorandum refers to the observations in the letters from the Tudor Accumulator Co. of October 15, Mr. Lummas of October 17, and Messers. Coward, Chance of October 29."

The enclosure is titled "Electrical Installation at Telegraph House" and is signed "Russell" [Frank Russell] and is dated 1 Nov. 1930; 3 pages. He says: "I have been engaged for over 30 years in the electrical industry...."

BR has decided to have the battery renewed.

Davies encloses a letter (not present) received from Wontner and Renwick. There is a notation that the documents were returned 11/12/30.

Re Battine House and the income tax inspector.

BR confesses he is "liable to insult him [the income tax inspector] more than he likes."

Re Telegraph House. Crompton has received BR's cheque for £100 for the quarter's rent. A notation on the letter states the receipt was sent 12/1/31.

Re Battine House—income tax assessment.

"I have now received from Messers. Wontner & Renwick the certificate in respect of £120 5% preference stock (1922 Act) Colne Valley Water Company registered in your name."

Re subletting Telegraph House.

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".