Thomas Vernon, author of _Vernon's Reports_, was in early life private
secretary to the Duke of Monouth, and is supposed to have had a pretty
large collection of Monmouth's correspondence. Vernon settled himself at
Hanbury Hall, in Worcestershire, where he built a fine house, and left a
large estate. In course of time this passed to an heiress, who married
Mr. Cecil (the Earl of Exeter of Alfred Tennyson), and was divorced from
him. Lord Exeter sold or carried away the fine library, family plate,
and nearly everything curious or valuable that was not an heirloom in
the Vernon family. He laid waste the extensive gardens, and sold the
elaborate iron gates, which now adorn the avenue to Mere Hall in the
immediate neighbourhood. The divorcée married a Mr. Phillips, and dying
without surviving issue, the estates passed to a distant branch of her
family. About ten years ago I made a careful search (by permission) at
Hanbury Hall for the supposed Monmouth MSS., but found none; and I
ascertained by inquiry that there were none at Enstone Hall, the seat of
Mr. Phillips's second wife and widow. The MSS. might have been carried
to Burleigh, and a friend obtained for me a promise from the Marquis of
Exeter that search should be made for them there, but I have reason to
believe that the matter was forgotten. Perhaps some of your
correspondents may have the means of ascertaining whether there are such
MSS. in Lord Exeter's library. I confess my doubt whether so cautious a
man as Thomas Vernon would have retained in his possession a mass of
correspondence that might have been fraught with danger to himself
personally; and, had it been in the Burleigh library, whether it could
have escaped notice. This, however, is to be noted. After Vernon's death
there was a dispute whether his MSS. were to pass to his heir-at-law or
to his personal representatives, and the court ordered the MSS.
(Reports) to be printed. This was done very incorrectly, and Lord Kenyon
seems to have hinted that private reasons have been assigned for that,
but these could hardly have related to the Monmouth MSS.