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These papers pertain to the interrelated Burnet, West, and Williams families descended from Gilbert Burnet, Bishop of Salisbury, England. Among the papers are the personal correspondence of Richard West (1716-1742), poet; of his sister, Mary West Williams (1715-1800); of her son, the Rev. John Henry Williams (b. 1747); and of her father, Richard West, Sr. (d. 1726), lawyer, playwright and statesman; family genealogies; legal papers; and other material. Included are two letters from doctors discussing various physical ailments in the light of medical knowledge of the time; letters (1724-1726) to Richard West, Sr. (when he was Chancellor of Ireland) from several Government officials, including Granville, Newcastle, and Walpole discussing various affairs of state; a collection of poetry written by Richard West, Jr., and Daniel Gaches; and information on the Dutch estate of Bishop Gilbert Burnet (1643-1715), and especially on the claims of the Rev. John Henry Burnet to the inheritance of that estate.