Two works in two separate hands, recording the orders and rules of a fictitious noble order created for ladies' amusement, presumably by someone well acquainted with the customs and using her knowledge to arrange a masque for the amusement of her circle of friends in the months leading to the coronation of George III, possibily at her home in Yorkshire. The first work entitled "The Order for the installation of one of the Ladies of the most noble Order of the Needle instituted in 1761" (pages 2-4) is followed by "The Rules of the most Noble Order of the Needle Instituted on July 25th 1761" (pages 4-8), both written in black ink
Description:
Miss Frankland remains unidentified but is likely a descendant of the family of Lady Elizabeth Russell Frankland (1666-1733), the granddaughter of Oliver Cromwell, and her husband Sir Thomas Frankland (1665-1726) of Thirkleby Park, North Yorkshire. Lady Frankland was the sister of John Russell (-1735), the stepfather of Mary Joanna Russell., Mary Joanna Cutts Revett Russell (1707-1764) was the daughter of Colonel Edmund Revett (-1709) and Joanna Thurlbarne Revett (-1764), the step-daughter of John Russell (-1735), and the wife of Lieutenant Colonel Charles Russell (1701-1754). The Russell family acquired Chequers, their family home in Buckinghamshire, through John Russell's 1715 marriage to Joanna Revett., In English., Titles from captions at the head of each of the two works., "By Miss F-nkl-d" on first page, upper right corner, suggests the author of the first manuscript, "The Order for the installation," as a member of the Frankland family., The second work is attributed to Mary Joanna Russell based on a manuscript also entitled "The rules of the most Noble Order of the Needle" in the British Library (Add MS 69390). The online record for that copy states that it was drawn up by Mrs. Russell for her daughter and nieces and their friends., One signature, sewn and unbound, with watermarked laid paper, horizontal chainlines; crowned watermark with lion rampant, countermark 'EH'. Pages with text are unnumbered; final 8 pages are blank., and For further information, consult library staff.
Subject (Geographic):
England.
Subject (Name):
George III, King of Great Britain, 1738-1820
Subject (Topic):
Coronation, Amateur theater, Masques, and Satire, English
