A COLLECTION of historic documents detailing Margaret Thatcher’s rise to power has been discovered – in a cardboard box in a Somerset garage.

On what would have been her 100th birthday (October 13), a treasure trove of materials has been revealed that tells the story of her political ascent, including the nomination paper signed by the future PM that led to her becoming leader of the Conservative Party and more.

The cache of documents belonged to Tory grandee Sir Edward du Cann KBE, who was chairman of the party’s influential 1922 Committee during the leadership race in 1975, and MP for Taunton between 1956 and 1987.

The former party chairman had been encouraged to stand for the top job himself, but stepped aside, helping clear the way for Mrs Thatcher – who went on to famously become Britain’s first female Prime Minister.

Another document discovered in Sir Edward’s collection is the document confirming Thatcher as party leader, headed: ‘Election of a leader of the Conservative Party’ and dated February 11, 1975.

It carries the signatures of the scrutineers and that of Thatcher herself after a poll saw her win the position with 146 votes, beating William Whitelaw into second, with 79, and is printed on House of Commons notepaper.

Thatcher was proposed by Keith Joseph – who had also stood aside – and his note confirming the nomination was seconded by Airey Neave, who was later killed by the IRA.

Thatcher wrote underneath, “I consent to be nominated” and signed it “Margaret H [Hilda] Thatcher” on January 27, 1975.

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However, there is more.

Another document is a letter to du Cann the month before Thatcher agreed to be nominated, imploring him to stand.

Signed by some of the party’s big beasts, it stated: “For some time it has been increasingly obvious to a number of us that you have the qualities which are required in a new Leader: your warmth, your ability to present our case forcefully and sympathetically, your skill as Chairman, and, above all, the affection in which you are held by your colleagues, make it essential, as we see it, that you should offer yourself for the Leadership of our Party. Indeed, we consider it is your duty to do so.”

However, the pleas proved futile, and within weeks 49-year-old Thatcher headed to the first round of voting.

Eventually, she led the country for 11 years and passed away in 2013 at the age of 87.

Now, in a sale sure to get Conservative pulses racing, the recently-found documents are to go up for auction at Duke’s of Dorchester on January 29 next year.

Other treasures from the archive include notes and records from du Cann, as well as correspondence relating to the leadership election with people including the former Prime Minister Edward Heath and the Prime Minister of the day, Harold Wilson.

Also included is the nomination paper for the second round of voting and a folio of Thatcher’s signed nomination papers for Conservative party leadership ballots from later years.

Nominations from the first and second ballots of the Tory leadership election that saw Margaret Thatcher take on the role. Pictures: Duke’s of Dorchester

Guy Schwinge, of art consultants Hanover Forbes, said: “This cache of papers is of great historical importance. Margaret Thatcher was a trailblazer in every sense.

“Her philosophy – Thatcherism – changed the United Kingdom forever and the great personal ‘chemistry’ she enjoyed with Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev contributed to the collapse of the Berlin Wall and the end of the Cold War.

“Interest in the papers is expected from collectors and institutions in the UK and globally.

“It is 100 years since her birth and 50 since she became leader of the Conservative party.

“The cache contains the signed nominations of all candidates in both ballots for the party leadership.

“Leading American institutions, such as the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, are expected to keep a close eye on the sale but will need an export licence to take the archive out of the country.

“The files and documents were discovered in a garage in Somerset.”

Edward du Cann passed away in 2017, and as well as being MP for Taunton, served as Conservative party chairman from 1965 to 1967 and chaired the 1922 committee from 1972 to 1984.

Auction watchers expect the archive could significantly outstrip the pre-sale auction estimate of £100,000.

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