Bisshopp family correspondence
In addition to Cecil Bisshopp’s letters from the frontline, the Parham family correspondence for the years 1812 and 1813 is also a rich source of information on Cecil’s experiences during the War of 1812, with the close-knit family members discussing the topic amongst themselves as well as corresponding with Cecil himself.
Several letters written prior to Cecil’s departure for Canada in August 1812 reveal the
family’s hopes that Cecil’s commission to North America might be avoided, and being well connected, opportunities arise. A letter from Harriett Bisshopp (Cecil’s mother) to her husband in May of 1812 reveals a conversation between Cecil and none other than the British Prime Minister, Spencer Perceval, who tells him,
‘…that in case he should have directions to go to Canada, he would ask it as a personal favour to himself of the Duke of York, that Cecil should not go.’
In an ironic twist, only shortly after the meeting with Cecil, Spencer Perceval was assassinated by John Bellingham, a Liverpool merchant with a grievance against the government – the only British Prime Minister to suffer such a fate. A further attempt to have Cecil exchange commissions with ‘a Captain in the Guards’ is also unsuccessful.
In addition to the letters from within the military camps, Cecil’s letters home to England are also hugely revealing, often providing a more direct and linear narrative of events in the conflict as he relays them in full for his family members. Outside of the guise of his professional role, Cecil shares his impressions of the country, his opinions on the politics of the war and hopes for his return to England.
Click on the images below to view selected letters from the Bisshopp family correspondence:
Parham 2/3/2/2: Correspondence with Lady Bishop (Harriett Anne)
Parham 2/3/2/14: Letters from Grosvenor family to Hon. Elizabeth Curzon, daughter of 1st Viscount Curzon
Parham 2/3/2/16: Letters (some undated) from Hon. Robert Curzon to his wife Harriett Curzon, 13th Baroness Zouche
Parham 2/3/2/5: Letters from Lt. Col Cecil Bisshopp to Sir Cecil Bisshopp, 8th Bt. and family
Parham 2/3/2/15: Letters (some undated) from Harriett Anne, 13th Baroness Zouche to Cecil Bisshopp (son)
Parham 2/3/2/18: General family correspondence
