69 autograph letters and notes signed to W.S. Lindsay, with interleaved notes by Lindsay. The volume contains correspondence from Cobden’s French counterpart, Chevalier. In addition, Lindsay, as a supporter of the Confederacy during the American Civil War, there is great interest in his correspondence with leading US political figures.

Other subjects of discussion include Lindsay’s ongoing interest in the law of the sea (interesting given Lindsay’s support for the Confederates and their notorious British built raiders) and the state of British overseas trade under Palmerston.

Administrative / biographical background
Lindsay was a key figure in the development of British shipping policy and legislation in the mid nineteenth century, and Cobden, a fellow reforming MP was heavily involved in the commercial treaty with France in 1860. During his seafaring career Lindsay survived a shipwreck in which he broke both legs, and a pirate attack when he was wounded by a sabre before seeing off the assailants with his trusty pistol, he returned to land and became one of the leading shipowners of his age. He used his wealth and connections to obtain a seat in the House of Commons as a Liberal MP, sitting for two North Eastern seats between 1854-65, when a stroke forced him to retire. After this, he settled down to a writing career, producing the classic “History of Shipping and Ancient Commerce”. In Parliament, as well as supporting the cause of reform, he was a strong advocate of the shipping interest overseas trade – the letters in this collection are an important addition to our understanding of his role. Cobden, a fellow reforming MP, had turned down Palmerston’s offer of the president of the Board of Trade, but was heavily involved in successful negotiations with the French which led to the signing of the so-called Cobden-Chevalier Treaty in 1860 that produced a boom in Anglo-French trade.