Digital Mitford: Letter View

Letter to Mary Elizabeth WebbMary Elizabeth Webb | Born: 1796-04-15 in Wokingham, Berkshire, England. Died: .
Close friend and frequent correspondent of Mary Russell Mitford. Mary Webb was the daughter of James Webb. and Jane Elizabeth Ogbourn. Baptized on April 15, 1796 in Wokingham, Berkshire. Sister of Elizabeth (called Eliza) and Jane Eleanor Webb and niece of the elder Mary Webb, Aunt Mary. In Needham’s papers, he notes from the Berkshire Directorythat she lived on Broad street, presumably in Wokingham, Berkshire. She was the wife of Thomas Hawkins as she is referred to thus in probate papers of 1858 regarding the wills of her sister Eliza Webb Walter and her husband Henry Walter. Date of death unknown. Dates unknown.—scw, lmw, February 11, 1820

Edited by Samantha WebbSamantha Webb, Ph.D, Professor of English, Founding Editor, Fiction, University of Montevallo
Samantha Webb is Professor of English, specializing in British Romantic literature, with a particular focus on the intersection of food, agricultural politics, and ecology. She has published in The European Romantic Review, Romanticism, Essays in Romanticism, and elsewhere. At the University of Montevallo, she taught courses in British Romantic literature, children’s literature, folk and fairy tales, and global literature. She is a Founding Editor and Fiction Section Editor for Digital Mitford..

Sponsored by:

Mary Russell Mitford Society: Digital Mitford Project

Penn State Erie, The Behrend College

First digital edition in TEI, date: February 8, 2017. P5.Edition made with help from photos taken by Digital Mitford editors. Digital Mitford photo files: .

Digital Mitford Letters: The Mary Russell Mitford Archive

Repository: Reading Central Library. Shelf mark: No shelfmark identified

Hands other than Mitford's noted on this manuscript:

Someone, apparently other than Mitford, perhaps cataloging letters and describing them, who left grey pencil marks and numbered her letters now in the Reading Central Library's collection. This letter is dated "11 Feb. 1820" in square brackets in the top left of the first leaf.

Our default is the Diplomatic view.
Click to toggle the Normalized view (shows conventional spellings;
hides pagebreaks, insertion marks, and deletions):

Maintained by: Elisa E. Beshero-Bondar (eeb4 at psu.edu)

Last modified: 2024-04-24T14:43:59.131281Z

Will Mr. James WheelerJames Wheeler
A friend of Mitford in 1819-1823. Mitford visited him in Wokingham, along with the Webb family and Miss Jeremy. May be either James Wheeler (1766-1850), spouse of Catherine Bird Rogers Wheeler (1771-1852) or their son, James Wheeler (1792-1866), spouse of Harriet Horne, all of whom lived in Wokingham. James Wheeler, father and son, were both surgeons.—lmw think me the greatest encroacher on his kindness that ever lived, if I venture to ask him to extend the gratifiation he has afforded me by the perusal of Mr. LawrenceMr. Lawrence Lawrence Mr.
An associate of the Webb family in 1819. May be a relative of Jane Ogbourn Webb, whose mother's paternal name was Lawrence. Dates unknown.—lmw's book to one much more worthy of it—to Mr. SherwoodThomas Sherwood
Practiced medicine in Reading. He was a friend of John Berkeley Monck, and likely others in the Reading political scene. Sources: Needham Papers, Reading Central Library ; History of Parliament Online. ReadingBorough http://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1820-1832/constituencies/reading. —scw?—I met him yesterday at Mrs. JolliffeMrs. Jolliffe Jolliffe Mrs.
Likely the spouse of Mr. JolliffeForename unknown. Dates unknown.—lmw's & in course of talk Mr. LawrenceMr. Lawrence Lawrence Mr.
An associate of the Webb family in 1819. May be a relative of Jane Ogbourn Webb, whose mother's paternal name was Lawrence. Dates unknown.—lmw came on the carpet—I found Mr. SherwoodThomas Sherwood
Practiced medicine in Reading. He was a friend of John Berkeley Monck, and likely others in the Reading political scene. Sources: Needham Papers, Reading Central Library ; History of Parliament Online. ReadingBorough http://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1820-1832/constituencies/reading. —scw a great admirer of his [del: .] very indignant at his ill usage page 2
& above all ^Is very desirous to read this uncomeatable book that I even ventured to say I thought I could procure him that pleasure. Will you tell this to Mr. James WheelerJames Wheeler
A friend of Mitford in 1819-1823. Mitford visited him in Wokingham, along with the Webb family and Miss Jeremy. May be either James Wheeler (1766-1850), spouse of Catherine Bird Rogers Wheeler (1771-1852) or their son, James Wheeler (1792-1866), spouse of Harriet Horne, all of whom lived in Wokingham. James Wheeler, father and son, were both surgeons.—lmw & if he is so very very good as to gratify Mr. S.Thomas Sherwood
Practiced medicine in Reading. He was a friend of John Berkeley Monck, and likely others in the Reading political scene. Sources: Needham Papers, Reading Central Library ; History of Parliament Online. ReadingBorough http://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1820-1832/constituencies/reading. —scw's desire tell him that it will be best I think to send it directed to Mr. Sherwood EsqreThomas Sherwood
Practiced medicine in Reading. He was a friend of John Berkeley Monck, and likely others in the Reading political scene. Sources: Needham Papers, Reading Central Library ; History of Parliament Online. ReadingBorough http://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1820-1832/constituencies/reading. —scw Church Lane, ReadingReading, Berkshire, England | Reading | Berkshire | England | 51.4542645 -0.9781302999999753 County town in Berkshire, in the Thames valley at the confluence of the Thames and the River Kennet. The town developed as a river port and in Mitford’s time served as a staging point on the Bath Road and was developing into a center of manufacturing. Mitford lived here with her parents from 1791 to 1795, on Coley Avenue in the parish of St. Mary’s and attended the Abbey School. The family returned to Reading from 1797 to about 1804, after which they relocated to Bertram House. They frequently visited Reading thereafter from their homes at nearby Bertram House, Three Mile Cross and Swallowfield. Mitford later used scenes from Reading as the basis for Belford Regis; or Sketches of a Country Town.—lmw—I would not give him this additional trouble but as I don't know when I should myself be able to fetch it from WokinghamWokingham, Berkshire, England | Wokingham | Berkshire | England | 51.410457 -0.8338610000000699 A market town in south east England in Berkshire, near Reading. The Mitfords sometimes travelled to Wokingham on their way to London, or to visit the home of their friends, the Webbs.—lmw, err, I think it the best way of avoiding a certain round-about & a possible [risk]. Mr. SherwoodThomas Sherwood
Practiced medicine in Reading. He was a friend of John Berkeley Monck, and likely others in the Reading political scene. Sources: Needham Papers, Reading Central Library ; History of Parliament Online. ReadingBorough http://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1820-1832/constituencies/reading. —scw promises page 3
& above all to be very expeditious & careful, & [grateful] all his life—so do I.

PapaGeorge Mitford, Esq., or: George Midford | Born: . Died: .
Father of Mary Rusell Mitford, George Mitford was the son of Francis Midford, surgeon, and Jane Graham. The family name is sometimes recorded as Midford. Immediate family called him by nicknames including Drum, Tod, and Dodo. He was a member of a minor branch of the Mitfords of Mitford Castle in Northumberland. Although later sources would suggest that he was a graduate of the University of Edinburgh medical school, there is no evidence that he obtained a medical degree and he did not generally refer to himself as Dr. Mitford, preferring to style himself Esq.. In 1784, he is listed in a Hampshire directory as surgeon (medicine) of Alresford. His father and grandfather worked as apothecary-surgeons and it seems likely that he served a medical apprenticeship with family members.
He married Mary Russell on October 17, 1785 at New Alresford, Hampshire. On the marriage allegation papers, both gave their addresses as Old Alresford; they later came to live at Broad Street in New Alresford. Their only child to live to adulthood, Mary Russell Mitford, was born two years later on December 16, 1787 at New Alresford, Hampshire. He assisted Mitford's literary career by representing her interests in London and elsewhere with theater owners and publishers. He was active in Whig politics and later served as a local magistrate. He coursed greyhounds with his friend James Webb.
—lmw got home quite late the other night—or rather the other morning—sad man to keep you all up so! I dare say it was his fault—(I brought him in excellent time from Mrs. JolliffeMrs. Jolliffe Jolliffe Mrs.
Likely the spouse of Mr. JolliffeForename unknown. Dates unknown.—lmw's)—he was quite full of a new lover which you or Miss ElizaElizabeth Eliza Webb | Born: 1797-03-03 in Wokingham, Berkshire, England. Died: 1851-03-24 in Sandgate, Kent, England.
Elizabeth Webb, called Eliza, was a neighbor and friend of Mary Russell Mitford. Eliza Webb was the youngest daughter of James Webb and Jane Elizabeth Ogbourn. She was baptized privately on March 3, 1797, and publicly on June 8, 1797 in Wokingham, Berkshire. She is the sister of Mary Elizabeth and Jane Eleanor Webb. In 1837 she married Henry Walters, Esq., in Wokingham, Berkshire. In Needham’s papers, he notes from the Berkshire Directorythat she lived on Broad street, presumably in Wokingham. Source: See Needham’s letter to Roberts on November 27, 1953 . —scw, lmw (he has ^not quite settled which) has gotten—he says he won't give his consent—& boasts that Miss WheelerKate Wheeler, or: Miss Wheeler
Friend of Miss James. Mitford refers to her as providing home remedies and advice. See 29 January 1821 letter to Mary Webb. More research needed.—lmw was of his opinion—for my part I scarcely know the gentleman—so I say nothing.—Mrs. DickinsonCatherine Dickinson Allingham | Born: 1787 in Middlesex, England. Died: 1861-09-02 in St. Marylebone, Middlesex, England.
Catherine Allingham was the daughter of Thomas Allingham. She married Charles Dickinson on August 2, 1807 at St. Giles, South Mimms, Middlesex. They lived in Swallowfield, where their daughter Frances was born, and where they were visited by the Mitford family. According to Mitford, Catherine Dickinson was fond of match-making among her friends and acquaintances. (See Mitford's February 8th, 1821 letter to Elford . Her husband Charles died in 1827, when her daughter was seven. Source: L'Estrange). —ajc, lmw is not in bed yet—very tiresome—Molly's in page 4
the same way—very tiresome too!—PapaGeorge Mitford, Esq., or: George Midford | Born: . Died: .
Father of Mary Rusell Mitford, George Mitford was the son of Francis Midford, surgeon, and Jane Graham. The family name is sometimes recorded as Midford. Immediate family called him by nicknames including Drum, Tod, and Dodo. He was a member of a minor branch of the Mitfords of Mitford Castle in Northumberland. Although later sources would suggest that he was a graduate of the University of Edinburgh medical school, there is no evidence that he obtained a medical degree and he did not generally refer to himself as Dr. Mitford, preferring to style himself Esq.. In 1784, he is listed in a Hampshire directory as surgeon (medicine) of Alresford. His father and grandfather worked as apothecary-surgeons and it seems likely that he served a medical apprenticeship with family members.
He married Mary Russell on October 17, 1785 at New Alresford, Hampshire. On the marriage allegation papers, both gave their addresses as Old Alresford; they later came to live at Broad Street in New Alresford. Their only child to live to adulthood, Mary Russell Mitford, was born two years later on December 16, 1787 at New Alresford, Hampshire. He assisted Mitford's literary career by representing her interests in London and elsewhere with theater owners and publishers. He was active in Whig politics and later served as a local magistrate. He coursed greyhounds with his friend James Webb.
—lmw & Captain [Tappen/Taffer] were out for 6 hours today on Mortimer CommonMortimer Common, Berkshire, England | Mortimer Common | Berkshire | England | 51.3770005 -1.0629936999999927 Village east of Swallowfield. George Mitford and his friends go coursing there.—lmw & never saw hare or rabbit! Think of that!—There is no place like the dear Heath after all.