A folder of c.54 letters sent by Lady Clive to her niece, Margaret Maskelyne, her brother Nevil Maskelyne, and other family members. Topics include astronomy, the great comet of 1811, and family or domestic matters, including the death of Nevil Maskelyne (see letter dated 16 Feb. 1811), her opinion of his successor as Astronomer Royal [John Pond; see letter dated 28 Sep. 1811], biographical information about her brother Edward Maskelyne who had invited her to Madras where she met Lord Clive (letter of June 1812), and news of her son Edward Clive (Earl of Powis). Each letter is preceded by a later note on its content. The letter of 1 July 1810 refers to Captain James Cook; that of 22 Dec. 1810 and several after mention 'the illustrious fugitive Lucien Bonaparte and his wife' [who stayed at Dinham House, a residence of the Earl of Powis].
The volume also includes a number of loose notes, a family tree, a letter dated 1918 concerning family history, and a letter from Rob Wiles to [Derek Howse] dated 1986.
All items have been numbered according to their original order in the file.