Introduction

The Sutherland Papers contain thousands of documents relating to the lives of the Leveson-Gower family, from the marriage of Richard Leveson of Willenhall in the thirteenth century to the personal papers of Millicent Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, fourth Duchess of Sutherland, who died in 1955. The family were influential in social, cultural and political life in Staffordshire and beyond for over six hundred years.

The Papers contain much more than this. The wealth and influence of the Leveson-Gower family meant that many ordinary people interacted with them as employees in their households or as tenants on their estates. As the family’s wealth and position in society grew, so did appeals for financial assistance or for help in obtaining employment sent by people from all over the British Isles. The Sutherland Papers contain thousands of letters written to the Leveson-Gower family providing a fascinating insight into the lives of ordinary people who lived between the sixteenth and the twentieth centuries.

Click here to learn more about the Leveson-Gower Family Personalities

Click here to learn more about the lives of ordinary people in the Sutherland Papers