Personal Papers of Mrs Bessie Le Cras, Parliamentary Agent for Lady Nancy Astor
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- Held At: Parliamentary Archives: GB-061
- Catalogue Reference: LCR
- Accession Number: 6291
- Date: 1918-1952
- Level: Fonds
- Extent: 1 folder
- Creator Name: Le Cras; Bessie (1876-1957); Counting Agent for Nancy Astor
- Administrative or Biographical History: Mrs Bessie Le Cras, wife of Philip Bisson Le Cras of 58 Ebrington Street, Plymouth, was one of Lady Astor's parliamentary agents under Christopher George Briggs. Bessie Le Cras continued working with Lady Astor until at least 1924.
Nancy Witcher [née Langhorne] Astor, Viscountess Astor (1879-1964) was born in Danville, Virgina, USA to Chiswell Dabney Langhorne (1843-1919) a veteran of the American Civil War and Nancy Whitcher [née Nanaire]. After a disastrous first marriage to Robert Gould Shaw (1871-1930), Nancy moved to England in 1904. 3 May 1906 Nancy married Waldorf Astor, later second Viscount Astor (1879-1952), son of millionaire William Waldorf Astor. Waldorf Astor became MP for Plymouth in 1910. In 1919, 1st Viscount Astor died, resulting in Waldorf Astor giving up his seat in the House of Commons. Lady Astor was encouraged to take up his place in the by-election at Plymouth Sutton. Lady Astor won with 51 per cent of the vote and was elected with a majority of 5000. When she took her seat on 1 December 1919 she was first female MP to sit in the House of Commons. - Acquisition: Bought by the Parliamentary Archives from Richard Ford Manuscripts in September 2017.
- Category: Personal/Political Papers
- Description: 38 items from Lady Nancy Astor's election agent Mrs Bessie Le Cras, including signed letters from Astor and her constituency secretary C.G. Briggs, circulars, newspaper cuttings, cards. Items from Astor's Plymouth address, 3 Elliot Terrace, The Hoe, and from the Plymouth Conservative and Unionist Association.
- Terms:
- Language: English
- System of Arrangement: These items were arranged in no particular order prior to being acquired by the Parliamentary Archives. Original order could not be established at point of cataloguing. All items were received by Mrs Bessie Le Cras and are in relation to the her support and work for Nancy and Waldorf Astor, her role as a Parliamentary Agent under C.G Briggs, treasurer and as a donor to the Conservative and Unionist Association. This collection was thus arranged by Letters from Nancy Astor (LCR/1), Elections (LCR/2), Letters from C. B. Briggs (LCR/3), Mrs Bessie Le Cras' role as treasurer (LCR/4), the Conservative and Unionist Association (LCR/5), Newspaper clippings of the Astors (LCR/6) and badges (LCR/7).
- Access Status: Open
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