Letter from Lord Munster, Brighton, to Mary Georgiana Dawson-Damer, 1837 August 1 : autograph manuscript signed.

Concerning his position as Keeper of the Round Tower; saying "Your letter of the morning respecting the Round Tower surprises me - I never resigned it - or thought of resigning it - and had & have, the late Kings belief & conviction that it was to be for Life - But is only held for pleasure & requires renewing on the demise of each Sovereign and I was therefore obliged to tender its resignation tho fully expecting to be reappointed & never was more surprized in my Life than on the Keys being withheld - Perhaps it is a mistake throughout and Melbourne will regret it, as well as all my Friends - but differing with him in Politicks I dont know how to explain it - I thought the Duke of Sussex would have explained, the whole, to the Queen & He can vouch for my astonishment at its being taken from me, for I wrote to him the same or next day on the subject;" adding, in a postscript, "I had heard, before, that Melbourne said, he thought & still thought, I wished to resign - if so - the whole is a mistake & if not too late, could not an intermediate Friend of yours & Melbourne let the latter know of it - Your quick mind, will suggest some means of my note to you, or its purport reaching her Ears - I send a note (with the Seal) for you to close it - if you approve, to the Duke of Sussex & for you to kindly send it - this Evening, as He may perhaps aid me - for if it be a mistake and Melbourne does not wish to take it away it is never too late to do me justice. Do you know any Friend of Melbourne who could - in consequence of the talk about it - go & explain the matter to him as I cannot trust the Duke of Sussex, alone."