‘I feel like such a cad for writing like this…’

21st May 2026

A fascinating trove of letters written to British Conservative politician, statesman and man of letters, the Right Honourable George Wyndham (1863-1913), will appear in the upcoming Medals & Coins, Arms & Armour auction on Wednesday 10^th June (Lots 348-350), having been consigned from a private collection. The letters provide fascinating insights into fin-de-siècle political matters and offer collectors some important autograph signatures, including those of leading statesmen of the day; Sir Winston Churchill, Major General Pole-Carew, Lord Abercorn, Arthur James Balfour and others.

Battle lines

Written in the aftermath of the battles of the Modder River and Magersfontein during the 2nd Anglo Boer War 1899 and addressed to George Wyndham as Under Secretary of State for War, is the sensational reaction of Maj Gen Pole-Carew at the poor leadership shown by his superior, 3^rd Baron Methuen. Across six pages, Pole-Carew offers unabashed and excoriating criticism of Paul Methuen’s misguided leadership.

The letter begins,

‘My dear George,

...I am going to write you a private note of what is very near my heart, but which is in my present position a difficult matter to ventilate.....Methuen is stark raving mad…’

Although acknowledging he feels ‘like a cad’ for his honesty, he nonetheless continues,

‘…he launched us gaily across an open plain into a hell of fire.... if my Brigade had not disobeyed orders we should not have forced the position... at Magersfontein [there was] a frightful loss to that splendid Highland Brigade [and we] have absolutely lost confidence in P.M.... what a marvellously mad and idiotic performance he treated us to..."

This letter, Lot 348, Sold for £1,600 (incl. fees)

The Irish Crisis

The next group, Lot 349, consists of a fascinating archive of letters written to Wyndham on his resignation as Chief Secretary for Ireland amid Unionist hostility aroused by reports proposing devolved government for Ireland, during 1904-1905. This collection of approximately 127 letters gives a valuable insight into this chapter in the story of Irish independence. Sir Winston Churchill, at the time, offers both kindness and sage advice:

‘I do not think you will regret the step you have taken....the honest endeavours you have made for Ireland will be remembered & the Land Bill will be their monument....I do hope and trust you will not allow the vexations of the hour to darken your life."

Signed, "Believe me always your sincere friend Winston Churchill.’

Letters to George Wyndham, written between 1891 and 1912, by various political and social personalities of the day, and on a range of subjects, are divided across three lots; 348, 349, 350, the latter two lots sold for £3,200* and £3,500* (incl. fees)

Jacobite Rebellion

Separately, a small but remarkable group of documents pertaining to the Jacobite uprising in 1745 (Lot 347), includes a contemporary duplicate of a requisition order for military provisions for the rebels, and a list of Jacobite battalions: “a Computation of the Forces of the Rebels”. These documents were formerly in the collection of the eminent soldier, historian, author and researcher Lieutenant Colonel Desmond Doyne Vigors.

A link to the full sale catalogue can be found here.