An original Victorian era Government dispatch box belonging to Churchill’s uncle – an original Government dispatch box, bearing the Royal Crest of Queen Victoria to lid, and the name ‘The Rt Hon E Majoribanks, MP’ in gild embossed to edge of lid. Covered in black morocco, some scuffing, some marks where what appears to be adhesive tape has been removed in the past, hinge slightly defective, and blue cloth covering to base in need of conservation. Rare. Original dispatch boxes from this era rarely appear on the market. Edward Marjoribanks (1849-1909) was a leading Liberal Party statesman who sat in the Commons from 1880-1894 when he inherited the title of Lord Tweedmouth. He was an uncle by marriage of Sir Winston Churchill, and Tweedmouth paid for Churchill’s electoral expenses when he famously crossed the floor of the House to become a Liberal and successfully fought the Manchester North West seat. Tweedmouth had several important posts in Gladstone’s Governments, and became a Privy Councillor in 1886 – the fact that this box refers to him as ‘Rt Hon’ indicates that it must date from after this appointment. When the Liberals were returned to power under Campbell-Bannerman in 1905 he was appointed First Lord of the Admiralty, but became embroiled in controversy three years later when he was accused of giving information on the British naval programme to the Kaiser. He suffered a nervous breakdown which ended his political career.