William Blathwayt letter to Col. Morgan(1702 May 21)

• MS 2003.5.2

A retained copy, entirely in Blathwayt’s hand, to a Col. Morgan. Blathwayt says he hopes tents have arrived in the West Indies, that the Fusiliers are at Spithead, and reports that the Duke of Ormonde will command the expedition about to be launched against Spain.

William Blathwayt was a civil servant and politician who established the War Office as a department of the British Government and played an important part in administering the Thirteen Colonies of North America. Born in the parish of St Martin-in-the-Fields in London, Blathwayt was born to a well-to-do family of Protestant merchants and lawyers. In 1683, Blathwayt obtained by purchase the office of Secretary at War. This was originally merely the role of secretary to the Commander-in-Chief of the British Army but under Blathwayt the remit of the Secretary was greatly expanded to encompass all areas of Army administration. He effectively established the War Office as a department of the government, although he had very little input into the actual conduct of wars. Issues of strategic policy during wartime were managed by the Northern and Southern Departments (the predecessors of today’s Foreign Office and Home Office respectively). From 1692–1702, Blathwayt served as the Secretary of State to King William III. He became a Whig Member of Parliament for Bath in 1693 (a post which he retained until 1710) and built a large mansion house for himself at Dyrham Park near Bristol, which he decorated with numerous Dutch Old Masters and sumptuous fabrics and furnishings. Blathwayt retired to Dyrham in 1710 (his wife had died in 1691). He remained there until his death in 1717.

• View Virginia Heritage Project finding aid