Fonds consists of selected private papers of Lord Dufferin, Governor General of Canada consisting of correspondence with the colonial secretaries, the Canadian prime ministers, general and family correspondence of Lord and Lady Dufferin, their children and Frederick Rowan Hamilton, addresses concerning the Red River Rebellion, 1873 and 1875, and Dufferin's departure from Canada, 1878; documents relating to British Columbia, the "Pacific Scandal", the Letellier case, Louis Riel, the preservation of the walls of Quebec City, the curling rink at Rideau Hall, the official and social functions of Lord Dufferin and other matters. This material is available on microfilm reels A-406 to A-421. Furthermore, the fonds contains personal letters written by Lord Dufferin, mostly to Baring Bros. banker Russell Sturgis and his wife. The majority of these letters were written while serving as the Governor General of Canada. Subjects in these letters include his views of Canada and its citizens, the Pacific Scandal, and his efforts to bring prestige to his role. The fonds contains prints of proposed improvements to the gates and walls of Quebec; and an album of drawings and plans with an inscription from Lord Dufferin containing proposed improvements for gates including Kent Gate and St. Louis Gate, including reproductions copied from original drawings at the Public Records Office, Northern Ireland. There is an album of drawings by the Marchioness of Dufferin and Ava, consisting mainly of portraits of females and several outdoor views in England and Canada. The fonds also contains a 3-volume collection of 410 addresses or petitions presented to His Excellency the Right Honourable the Earl of Dufferin, while governor general of Canada from 1872-1878. In the Addresses are expresses the sentiments of Canadians during Dufferin's tenure. Represented are provinces, municipalities, communities, societies, associations, universities, schools, etc., from all parts of the country. The collection is detailed as follows: 171 addresses with script only, no illumination; 184 addresses with some illumination, script set with a pre-printed border; 47 addresses with considerable illumination, with vignettes and hand-decorated border; 8 addresses with elaborate illumination and decoration. The fonds includes watercolours of Nanaimo and Metlah Catlah, B. C. and of Indians who welcomed the Dufferins during their tour of British Columbia in 1876. Works by the Marchioness of Dufferin and Ava (1843-1936). In addition, there is an album of photographs documenting the stay of the Earl and Countess of Dufferin in Canada during his tenure as Governor-General, including visits to the United States in 1874 and to British Columbia in 1876; social activities at Rideau Hall, Ottawa, Ont.; views of Quebec, Montreal, Sherbrooke, Quebec; Ottawa, Niagara Falls, Fort William, Ont., Winnipeg, Man., Victoria, B.C.; and portraits of members of the Dufferin family. Photographs are by Topley, Notman, Frederick Dally, and other photographers.
Dufferin and Ava, Frederick Temple Hamilton-Temple-Blackwood, Marquess of, 1826-1902 : A member of the House of Lords and lord-in-waiting to Queen Victoria, Lord Dufferin became a diplomatic attaché during the Vienna Conference following the Crimean War. After numerous diplomatic postings, he entered William Gladstone's government as chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. In June 1872, Lord Dufferin was appointed governor general of Canada, a position which he retained until November of 1878. In 1876, he made plans to preserve the wall of Quebec. Until his retirement from public life in 1895, he was in turn the British ambassador at St. Petersburg, administrator of Egypt, viceroy of India (1884-1888), ambassador to Rome and ambassador to Paris.
