RUNNERS

See Astley's entry in the History of Parliament (he was created a baronet at the end of the year in which this letter was written). The ‘Lavender’ mentioned in the letter is Bow Street Runner Stephen Lavender (fictionalized in a series of books by Karen Charlton), who was leaving to take up the position of Deputy Chief Constable at Manchester.1p, 4to. On recto of first leaf of bifolium. Verso of second docketed: ‘Chas. Humphreys / recomn to be an Officer’ and in another hand ‘Dugdale Asteley [sic]’. In good condition, lightly aged, with reverse of second leaf slightly grubby.

For information regarding the conspiracy to murder Lord Liverpool and his entire cabinet, see Thistlewood's entry in the Oxford DNB. A rare item, with no other copy found either on OCLC WorldCat or on COPAC, and intended for distribution in the streets of the North-East of England as the sensational news of the Conspiracy broke. In small print apart from the heading (which is in the usual mixture for the period of typefaces and point sizes, with fancy rules), on one side of a 42 x 13 cm strip of laid paper.

For the context of this letter see David J. Cox, 'A Certain Share of Low Cunning: A History of the Bow Street Runners, 1792-1839' (2010): 'From 1792 at least two Principal Officers were also permanently stationed at Windsor after the King had received several death threats.

The subject of the letter is clearly a seditious communication found in the Windsor area and brought to Greville's attention, which he is forwarding for the attention of the Home Secretary, the Duke of Portland. David J. Cox casts light on the context in his 'A Certain Share of Low Cunning: A History of the Bow Street Runners, 1792-1839' (2010), stating that from 1792 'at least two Principal Officers were also permanently stationed at Windsor after the King had received several death threats'.