The Creevey Papers
Thomas Creevey, Journal entry, 10 November 1809
“Friday, Nov. 10th.—Lord
Kensington and Sir Philip
Francis dine with us. Wardle’s motion for a new trial against Mr. Clarke and the
Wrights had taken place the day before in the
King’s Bench, and rule nisi
granted. . . . Wardle shews me a correspondence between
him and Lord Folkestone upon the subject of
a communication made to Folkestone by Sir Rd. Philips for
Wardle’s use in his legal proceedings against
Mrs. Clarke, which Folkestone had
withheld from Wardle and shewn to Mrs.
Clarke. Folkestone appears to have acted
wrong under some blind attachment to Mrs. Clarke.
Wardle had thought at one time of calling him out, but
now means to subpoena him on the approaching trial. I must prevent this if
possible: it will produce a quarrel between the two, and do great mischief with
the publick to have these two quarrel who have hitherto been so well together
in the same pursuit.
William Pleydell- Bouverie, third earl of Radnor (1779-1869)
Son of the second earl (d. 1828); educated at Brasenose College, Oxford, he was Whig MP
for Downton (1801) and Salisbury (1802-28), and an associate of Sir Francis Burdett and
Samuel Whitbread.
Mary Anne Clarke (1776 c.-1852)
Having married a Joseph Clarke, she was mistress to the Duke of York (1803-06) and
involved with selling government offices, as came to light in an 1809 House of Commons
investigation. She spent her later years living in Paris.
Sir Philip Francis (1740-1818)
Son of the translator of the same name, and the likely author of the Junius letters; he
was first clerk at the war office (1762-72), made a fortune in India, and served in
Parliament as a Whig MP.
Sir Richard Phillips (1767-1840)
London bookseller, vegetarian, and political reformer; he published
The
Monthly Magazine, originally edited by John Aikin (1747-1822). John Wolcot was a
friend and neighbor.
Gwyllym Lloyd Wardle (1762-1833)
Military officer and MP for Okehampton (1807-1811); with the assistance of the courtesan
Mary Anne Clarke he forced the resignation of the Duke of York as commander-in-chief. She
later turned on Wardle, who retired to Italy where he died.
