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An Episode in Anglo-Russian Relations during the War of the Austrian Succession
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 12 February 2009
Extract
[At a meeting of the Royal Historical Society on 22 April, 1926, I gave a summary of a paper entitled “A Derelict Diplomatist in the Eighteenth Century,” in which I narrated the misadventures of a certain Friedrich Lorentz, or Frederick Laurence (as he was called in English State Papers), a born subject of the Elector of Hanover, who was employed by our Foreign Office in a rather indeterminate capacity, first at Berlin and later at Dresden. Lord Hyndford, ignorant, like so many of our diplomatists, of the German language, had employed him as a private secretary to deal with German documents. In the autumn of 1744, when Frederick II re-entered the war against Maria Theresa, Hyndford was transferred from Berlin to St. Petersburg, and was allowed by Carteret to leave the representation of Great Britain, with the necessary cyphers, in the hands of Laurence. In view of public and parliamentary opinion it was rather reckless to entrust such responsibility to a Hanoverian, and it was to disguise this that Hyndford laid stress upon the English form and sound that could be given to the name. Laurence himself was exultant at his unexpected elevation, and did his best to earn by zeal and industry the approval of his employers.
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References
page 65 note 1 This suspicion has been generally accepted by historians, largely owing to the persistent assertions of Frederick the Great, who was only too willing to offer bribes to the Roman Chancellor, but held that he had no chance against English profusion (Pol. Corr., V, pp. 294, 416). The Hyndford Papers throw some light upon the question. Hyndford informed Harrington that Sir Cyril Wych had authority to offer a present to Bestuzhev, but had never drawn any money for the purpose (Add. MSS., 11, 381, fo. 295). He himself urged on Chesterfield the necessity of securing the firm support of the Chancellor, especially during the intricate negotiations of 1747 as to a subsidy in return for Russian auxiliary troops. Bestuzhev himself asked for a loan of £10,000 (without interest) on a mortgage of his house. The English Exchequer would not rise to this sum, but at last Chesterfield authorised the ambassador to offer £5,000 on the signing of the Convention (Chesterfield to Hyndford, 28 April, 1747, in Add. MSS., 11,383, fo. 339). Hyndford replied that the Chancellor had scruples about this, that any present on the signing of a Convention must be given to Voronzov as well as to himself, and that if any extra gift be made to him, it must take the form of a gift of plate or a snuff-box set in diamonds, but not money, the acceptance of which would ruin him. What he had asked for was a loan and not a gift (Hyndford to Chesterfield, secret, 2 June, 1747, in ibid., fo. 428).
page 65 note 2 June, 1747, in Ibid., fo. 428).
page 67 note 1 Hyndford to Harrington, 22 October, 1745, in Add. MSS., 11,380, fo. 141.
page 67 note 2 Finckenstein reported from Stockholm on 24 Sept. 1745, the fear that the Chancellor would profit by Voronzov's absence to bring the Tsaritsa to accept his system. Frederick replied on 11 October that he would as soon have news from Ispahan of the diet at Frankfort as news about Russia from Stockholm (Pol. Corr., IV, 308).
page 69 note 1 Hyndford's letter is in Add. MSS., 11,381, fo. 97. It is rather curious, in view of Hyndford's testimonial as to Laurence's command of English, that he always writes to him in French, and Laurence replies in the same language.
page 70 note 1 Hyndford to Harrington, 24 May, 1746, in Add. MSS., 11,381, fo. 209.
page 71 note 1 Hyndford to Harrington, 20 September, 1746, in Add. MSS., 11,382, fo. 110.
page 71 note 2 Laurence to Harrington, 18 October, 1746, in S.P. For. Prussia, 62.
page 72 note 1 Add. MSS., 11,382, fo. 178.
page 73 note 1 Hyndford to Harrington, 18 October (O.S.), 1746, in Add. MSS., 11,382, fo. 170.
page 74 note 1 Hyndford to Harrington, 15 November (O.S.), 1746, in Add. MSS., 11,382, fo. 238.
page 75 note 1 Hyndford to Harrington, 18 November (O.S.), 1746, in Add. MSS., 11,382, fo. 248.
page 75 note 2 This was true at the time, but before Laurence arrived in Dresden Sir Charles Hanbury Williams had been sent there as Minister Plenipotentiary. From that moment there was nothing for Laurence to do at the Saxon Court, and it was sheer waste of public money to send him there. This partially explains why so little attention was paid to his piteous appeals, and why his claims for repayment of postages were persistently refused.
page 75 note 3 Hyndford to Harrington, 22 November (O.S.), 1746, in Add. MSS., 11,382, fo. 255.
page 76 note 1 Chesterfield to Hyndford (in cypher), 4/15 November, 1746 (Add. MSS., 11,382, fo. 201).
page 77 note 1 Chesterfield to Hyndford (in cypher), 23 December, 1746 (O.S.), in Ibid., fo. 354.
page 77 note 2 Chesterfield to Hyndford, 30 December, 1746 (O.S.), in Ibid., fo. 369.
page 78 note 1 Hyndford to Chesterfield, 31 January, 1747 (O.S.) in Add. MSS., 11,383, fo. 113.
page 79 note 1 Chesterfield to Hyndford (in cypher), 23 Jan., 3 Feb., 1747, in Add. MSS., 11,383, fo. 103.
page 79 note 2 Hyndford to Chesterfield 7/14 Feb. 1747, in Ibid., fo. 127.
page 80 note 1 Hyndford to Chesterfield, 14/21 Feb. 1747, in Add. MSS., 11,383, fo. 146.
page 80 note 2 Hyndford to Chesterfield, in Ibid., fo. 334.
page 81 note 1 Hyndford to Chesterfield, 13/24 June, 1747, in Add. MSS., 11,383, fo. 486.