Cryptid 1990. I agree with your comments about Snow claimed to have purchased it from a "New York Dealer" c. 1940, who said it came from the manuscript collection of Henry Bentinck, 1st Duke of Portland. This seems very unlikely, and its provenance was never verified beyond c. 1940. Snow was a bit of a showman, writing books. It is easy to falsely attribute a provenance of map to some long dead Duke. On the Life magazine map, no signature of William Kidd, which speaks volumes.
The papers of Henry Bentinck, 1st Duke of Portland (1682–1726), are primarily housed within the Portland (Welbeck) Collection at the University of Nottingham Manuscripts and Special Collections, cataloged as Pw B. They cover his career as a politician and his time as Governor of Jamaica, with significant materials regarding his 1720 South Sea Stock losses.
Henry was the second, but oldest surviving son of the 1st Earl of Portland and his wife Anne Villiers, and was styled Viscount Woodstock from 1689. Though his father accompanied William III to England in 1688, Henry did not follow, in order 'that he might not learn debauchery in that country'. In 1701, to complete his education, he was sent on the 'Grand Tour' of Europe, accompanied by the historian, Thoyras Rapin.
In 1716 Henry was created 1st Duke of Portland and Marquess of Titchfield, largely in memory of his illustrious father. Having inherited vast estates, he should have been extremely prosperous, but suffered heavy losses when the South Sea Bubble burst in 1720. As a result of this financial disaster, he accepted the post of Governor of Jamaica where he dealt, amongst other things, with the aftermath of a hurricane and with constitutional problems - all apparently with great success. Unfortunately, his tenure of the governorship was not to be a long one. He died in Jamaica in 1726 at the relatively young age of 44.
His family
In 1704 he married Lady Elizabeth Noel (d 1737), eldest daughter of the 2nd Earl of Gainsborough. They had five children:
William (1709-1762), later 2nd Duke of Portland
George (1715-1759)
Anne (d 1749) m Colonel Daniel Paul
Isabella (d 1783) m Henry Monck of Charleville, County Wicklow in 1739
Amelia (d 1756) m Jacob Arend, Baron de Wassenaer
1st Duke of Portland Papers
The 1st Duke's papers (Pw B) are part of the Portland (Welbeck) Collection held in Manuscripts and Special Collections at The University of Nottingham and include a large proportion of papers relating to South Sea Stock. The Portland (London) Collection (Pl C), also held in Manuscripts and Special Collections at The University of Nottingham, contains some papers relating to the family and estate business of the 1st Duke The Portland Estate Papers held at Nottinghamshire Archives also contain items relating to the 1st Duke's properties Details of collections held elsewhere are available through the National Register of Archives.
The Portland (Welbeck) Collection of papers was largely deposited at the University of Nottingham in 1949 by the 7th Duke of Portland, with a second major deposit arriving in 1968. The collection, featuring political and family correspondence, was formally accepted by the nation in lieu of tax in 1986, confirming its home at the university. So Edward Snow claimed in a copyright map 1946
It's highly unlikely that this alleged William Kidd treasure map, copyrighted in 1946, document 3 years before The 1st Duke's papers (Pw B) are part of the Portland (Welbeck) Collection in 1949 was donated to the University of Nottingham by the 7th Duke of Portland. Initial Deposits: The 7th Duke of Portland initiated the transfer from Welbeck Abbey in 1949, with additional materials added in 1968. Divided Archive: The archive was split by the 7th Duke, with other sections going to the British Library (Harley family papers), Nottinghamshire Archives Office (estate papers), the Bodleian Library, and Hampshire Record Office.
The title of Duke of Portland became extinct upon the death of the 9th Duke, Victor Cavendish-Bentinck, in 1990. I very much doubt his ancestors' papers were sold off in 1940, to some antique dealer in New York. In all the silliness of the absurd claims by Snow. If,
on a remote chance, a map ever existed that a broke Henry Bentinck, 1st Duke of Portland. never tried to recover treasure or left the map, go to antique dealer. His descendants and personal papers still exist.
While the Dukedom died out, the earldom of Portland continued and is currently held by Timothy Charles Robert Noel Bentinck, the 12th Earl of Portland, who is a descendant of the 1st Earl. Better known as an actor on the Archer TV series.
Crow
Do you want to call me or fold?
good luck on that.
. I will answer your post Randawg72 but maybe not those of the critical gentlemen who have insulted me. The theorized link between Captain Kidd and Captain Every will not be disclosed at this time but their theorised combined treasure is I believe relevant to your topic. I am happy to share some information with you.
