An Account of Lexington in the Rockingham Mss. at Sheffield

Abstract

A MONG letters and papers of second Marquis of Rockingham now deposited in City Library at Sheffield, are manuscript copies of two letters sent from Boston in I775.1 The first is dated April 23 and describes march to Lexington and Concord; second is undated, though it was probably written soon after first. Both were from same correspondent, and both were copied onto same piece of paper. At some time, this appears to have been placed in a sealed paper wrapper, along with other documents relating to American affairs in I775. It was probably marquis's wife who did this, since endorsement on wrapper, listing contents, is in her handwriting; she did not, however, 'actually make copies in question.2 On wrapper, she described this document as the acct: of first action wrote to Ad: Keppel's Secretary and paper itself as copy of letter that Ad: Keppel brought to For some years, Lord Rockingham held lease of a small house at Wimbledon. This he seems to have used as a more or less rural retreat from noise and bustle of London. It was conveniently accessible from his town-house in Grosvenor Square and yet could give him good air in which his consistently poor health made him a firm believer. It was at this house that he died, on July I, I782, shortly after formation of his second administration.