Manuscript, in a single hand, of a collection of excerpts of letters, in four volumes, from Mary Berry to Damer, transcribed and edited by Damer. The notes refer primarily to their passionate friendship and confidence in each other; their ill health, both mental and physical; and introspective commentary upon the reasons for their melancholy moods. Few of the entries are dated, and mutual acquaintances are left unnamed or else mentioned by initials only. Berry describes their friendship as having "become such a part of myself, or rather of something much dearer than myself, that I can neither live without it, nor dissatisfied with it, nor with the idea of ever being deprived of it." In Vol. 2, she mentions she has waited all day for her correspondent to visit her, having hoped that each carriage passing by will stop at her door. Elsewhere, she complains that her friend is leaving for Tours without her and of feeling "continual pains in my head, restless nights & miserable feels of weakness & langour." Other excerpts address Berry's thoughts on William Fawkener, Damer's suitor; Damer's persecution by the press; a crisis in their friendship at the end of July 1794 resulting in Berry's desire to distance herself from Damer socially, and then her decision to weather out the public attacks on their relationship; and Berry's secret courtship by General Charles O'Hara and its disintegration
Description:
Anne Seymour (Conway) Damer (1749-1828), sculptor and author, was born on 8 November 1749, the only child of Field-Marshal Hon. Henry Seymour Conway (1719-1795), and his wife, Caroline Bruce, Lady Ailesbury (1721-1803), the daughter of John, fourth duke of Argyll. In 1767 she married John Damer, the son of Lord Milton, later the 1st Earl of Dorchester. They separated after seven years, and he died by suicide in 1776. Her artistic career developed during her widowhood, though the development of her youthful interest in sculpture is credited to her father's secretary, David Hume, and to the encouragement of Horace Walpole, who was her guardian during her parent's frequent trips abroad; in 1789, Walpole introduced Damer to Mary Berry (1763-1852), with whom she developed a passionate and lasting friendship. At his death, Walpole bequeathed her Strawberry Hill as his executor and residuary legatee. Damer exhibited 32 works at the Royal Academy and produced keystone sculptures for the bridge at Henley-on-Thames, a 10-foot statue of Apollo, now destroyed, for the frontage of Drury Lane theatre, and two bas-reliefs for the Boydell Shakespeare Gallery. Damer also wrote one published novel, Belmour (1801)., In English., Available on microfilm, Available as pdfs, The original letters, from which these excerpts are transcribed, have apparently not survived., Notebooks are numbered on the front covers and dated on the inside front covers., Vol. 1 includes a sketch of a tree., and Binding: cardboard covers.
Subject (Geographic):
Great Britain. and Great Britain
Subject (Name):
Berry, Agnes, 1764-1852., Berry, Mary, 1763-1852., Damer, Anne Seymour, 1748 or 1749-1828., Fawkener, William., and O'Hara, Charles, 1740-1802.
Subject (Topic):
Female friendship, Nobility, Social life and customs, Women, and Conduct of life
Manuscript, in a single hand, of twelve letters written during a tour of London and addressed to "dear Elvira." In the letters, the author (Mrs. Percivall or Percival?) describes the social sights of London, including parties and dinners she attends, music she hears, and nobility she sees, including a masquerade at Somerset House where her friend dresses up as an Indian princess; a dinner which the Queen gave to the Ambassador; a military show by soldiers in Hyde Park; and, at the end of the volume, a masquerade ball in which she meets "a very agreeable gentleman." In addition, "being almost smothered with the thick air of London," she and her acquaintances take a trip into the country, where they visit Hatfield and attend a concert of music hosted by Italian marquis, where "there was an eunuch who sang." Throughout, she provides detailed descriptions of paintings, furniture, silverware, food, equipages, and the dress of the nobility
Description:
In English., Title from first page., Leaves are numbered and written on the rectos only, except for pages 6, 8, and 44 which are numbered and written on versos., Binding: half morocco over machine-grain morocco boards., and An unvetted transcript is available in the object file. For further information, consult library staff.
Subject (Geographic):
England, London., England., Great Britain., Great Britain, and London
Subject (Name):
Percivall, Mrs.
Subject (Topic):
Amusements, Country homes, Courts and courtiers, Nobility, Social life and customs, and Description and travel
Manuscript, in several different hands, of a compilation of grants of arms, pedigrees registered by the College of Arms, rules of precedence and orders of ceremonies, and related documents. Thought to have been largely compiled by John Philipot, Somerset Herald of Arms (1589?-1645), the volume contains copies of documents originally created between 1563 and 1688
Description:
In English, with a small amount of Latin., Contents preceded by "A Table of the Graunts of Armes contained in this booke" and "A Callender of what is contained in this Booke.", Title transcribed from front cover., Printed bookseller's description pasted on inside front cover., and Binding: contemporary limp parchment; remains of ties.
Subject (Geographic):
Great Britain, Connecticut, and New Haven.
Subject (Name):
Philipot, John, 1589?-1645. and College of Arms (Great Britain)
Subject (Topic):
Gentry, Heraldry, Manuscripts, Renaissance, Nobility, Precedence, and Kings and rulers
"Portrait of Robert Devereux, Earl of Essex, bust directed to right but looking at the viewer, with square beard, wearing a ruff and lace collar, a column beyond; in an architectural oval with pedestal and urn below; a putto holding a torch and weeping over the sitter's decapitated head which lies next to an axe."--British Museum online catalogue
Description:
Title from text in image., Plate from: Birch, T. The heads of illustrious persons of Great Britain. London : John and Paul Knapton, MDCCXLIII-MDCCLI [1743-1751]., "In the collection of Sr. Robert Worsley Bart."--Below image., Engraved after the minature later acquired by Horace Walpole and kept in the rosewood cabinet in the Tribune at Strawberry Hill., Mounted on page 133 of Horace Walpole's extra-illustrated copy of his: A description of the villa of Mr. Horace Walpole. Strawberry Hill : Printed by Thomas Kirgate, 1784. See Hazen, A.T. Bibliography of the Strawberry Hill Press (1973 ed.), no. 30, copy 12., 1 print : engraving and etching on laid paper ; sheet 36.7 x 23 cm., and Sheet trimmed to plate mark.
Publisher:
Impensis I. & P. Knapton Londini
Subject (Geographic):
Great Britain.
Subject (Name):
Essex, Robert Devereux, Earl of, 1565-1601, and Strawberry Hill (Twickenham, London, England)
"Portrait of Robert Devereux, Earl of Essex, bust directed to right but looking at the viewer, with square beard, wearing a ruff and lace collar, a column beyond; in an architectural oval with pedestal and urn below; a putto holding a torch and weeping over the sitter's decapitated head which lies next to an axe."--British Museum online catalogue
Description:
Title from text in image., Plate from: Birch, T. The heads of illustrious persons of Great Britain. London : John and Paul Knapton, MDCCXLIII-MDCCLI [1743-1751]., "In the collection of Sr. Robert Worsley Bart."--Below image., and Engraved after the minature later acquired by Horace Walpole and kept in the rosewood cabinet in the Tribune at Strawberry Hill.
Publisher:
Impensis I. & P. Knapton Londini
Subject (Geographic):
Great Britain.
Subject (Name):
Essex, Robert Devereux, Earl of, 1565-1601, and Strawberry Hill (Twickenham, London, England)
Scrapbook kept by Anne Scafe, containing clippings from London newspapers and magazines, with some clippings from regional and Scottish publications as well as manuscripts and letters from the Spencer and Devonshire family members, including a letter from Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire; from Lady Sarah Lyttelton announcing her marriage; a manuscript poem written by "Caroline Lamb's page" with a watercolor portrait, dated 1807 at Holywell House; a letter recounting the visit of the Grand Duke Nicholas to Chatsworth in December 1816; an account of the death of Lady Charlotte Finch. Many of the clippings center around the announcements of births, marriages, deaths, and the settlement of the estates of these two families and their circle as well as announcements of their social engagements, political activities, scandals, etc. The clippings include references to Horace Walpole; the theatrical world; new inventions; style; foreign travel; domestic and foreign politics, especially the revolution in France and reports on the French royal family and later the Bonaparte family. Also included are autographs of prominent British nobility, including the King, and foreign dignitaries and royalty, In addition to the clippings, the scrapbook includes a variety of ephermal items given to Scafe by members of the extended family such as as well as ephemeral items from their travels, political, and social activities; calling cards and letters of introduction given to Sir William Ponsonby by members of the Russian aristocracy in 1805 and similar items from his trip to Spain in 1809; autographs of foreign royalty; invitations to the funeral of William Pitt a memorial to Lord Nelson, and the trial of Lord Viscount Melville (1805)., Scafe also includes clippings and ephemera of a more general nature: humorous anecdotes, reports on curious events, jokes, odd behaviors; epitaphs, poems, epigrams; advertisements for employment as well advertisements by tradespeople; announcements and broadsides of events such as lottery drawings; several promissary notes; and etchings, Scafe includes two lengthy test: one from The Morning Post's account of the writing of "Modern characters by Shakespear" (published later the same year); and, a transcription of "The butterfy's ball and The grasshopper's feast"., and An engraving entitled "Sunday's amusement" is mounted on a leaf tipped in opposite the front paste-down, a note in pencil indicating that it was formerly pasted over the material on the lining of the front cover (but moved by bookbinder G. Bissell in 1966). Depicted in this satirical print is a family (man, woman, and boy) riding to the left in a carriage in the countryside, a mile marker seen in the lower right; verses are etched on either side of title, beginning "The wealthy cit grown rich by trade ...". Pasted on the following leaf, which is tipped in before the front free endpaper, are trimmed portions of various plates, including plate III (page 805) from Gentleman's magazine, v. 59 (September 1789), which depicts coins and other antiquarian items. Several additional prints are pasted on the verso of the front free endpaper, including four plates (plates 1, 3, 6, and 16) from "The talking bird: or, Dame Trudge and her parrot" which show an old woman's pet parrot being mischievous in various situations; the first plate has the title "The talking bird" at top and the imprint "Publish'd August 20, 1806, by J. Harris, corner of St. Pauls Church Yard, London" at bottom
Description:
Anne Scafe, maidservant of Georgiana Spencer Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire (1757-1806)., Signed by "A. Scafe" on last leaf with a note stating that the volume had been given to her by "the Marquis of Hartingdon", i.e., William George Spencer Cavendish (1790-1858), 6th duke of Devonshire, who also signed and dated the first leaf: "Hartington 1803.", and For further information, consult library staff.
Subject (Geographic):
Great Britain and France
Subject (Name):
George III, King of Great Britain, 1738-1820., Bessborough, Henrietta Frances Spencer Ponsonby, Countess of, 1761-1821., Lamb, Caroline, Lady, 1785-1828., Finch, Charlotte, Lady, 1725-1813., Cavendish, Georgiana Spencer, Duchess of Devonshire, 1757-1806., Devonshire, Margaret Georgiana Poyntz, Duchess of, 1736-1814., Devonshire, William Spencer Cavendish, Duke of, 1790-1858., Lyttelton, William Henry Lyttelton, Baron, 1782-1837., Lyttelton, Sarah Spencer, Lady, 1787-1870., Melville, Robert Saunders Dundas, Viscount, 1771-1851., Nelson, Horatio Nelson, Viscount, 1758-1805., Ponsonby, Frederick Cavendish, 1783-1838., Ponsonby, William, Sir, 1772-1815., Scafe, Anne., Bonaparte family., and Roscoe, William, 1753-1831.
Subject (Topic):
Nobility, Social life and customs, and Politics and government
Manuscript, in Walpole's hand, of a brief autobiography from the date of his birth to his activities in 1779. He begins with information about his childhood, including his godparents, the date of his innoculation against smallpox, and his education; and continues with biographical information about his college years; his first employment; his travels with Thomas Gray; and his Parliamentary activities. Much of the manuscript concerns the pieces he wrote, both published and unpublished, and those he published with the Strawberry Hill Press, as well as his reactions to the reviews he received. He also includes anecdotes concerning his attack by highwaymen in 1749; the family quarrel with his uncle Horace Walpole; and his disagreements with David Hume and Voltaire
Description:
In English., Title from first page., Typed transcript available., and Leaves are contained in a paper cover, unstitched.
Subject (Geographic):
Great Britain
Subject (Name):
Gray, Thomas, 1716-1771., Hume, David, 1711-1776., Voltaire, 1694-1778., Walpole family., Walpole, Horace, 1717-1797., Walpole, Robert, Earl of Orford, 1676-1745., Great Britain. Parliament., and Strawberry Hill Press (Twickenham, London, England)
Subject (Topic):
Autobiographies (literary genre), English literature, English poetry, Nobility, and Social life and customs
Coat of arms of The Right Honourable George Walpole, with motto "Fari que sentiat."
Description:
Title from item., Plate engraved for volume 1 of: Segar, William. Baronagium genealogicum. London, 1764., Plate numbered '240' in upper right corner of plate., and Plates numbered '240', '241', and '243' attached to one another. Plate '242' is separate, remounted on later paper. For further information, consult library staff.
