Information on named entities in this file has been extracted from files in the Digital Mitford Archive.
Describes our editorial practice.
Homes and Haunts: Visting Writers’ Shrines and Countries.
Reassessing Romanticism. She is coding
1841-6: letters (34) fromElizabeth Barrett Browning .
a synthetic collection consisting of manuscripts, correspondence, and portraits of the author.10 letters in the Pforzheimer Collection, to
Book History in a Digital Age,she worked on a class project to edit the sonnets from Mitford’s Dramatic Scenes, Sonnets, and Other Poems (1827).
Book History in a Digital Age,she worked on a class project to edit the sonnets from Mitford’s Dramatic Scenes, Sonnets, and Other Poems (1827).
new seriesreprinted edition of
line ofthat is, the descendants ofJacob ,
Joliffeand
Jolliffe. Associated with
Newberyand
Newberry, although the first is preferred.
Society for promoting the Arts of Design,a society that would sponsor an annual exhibition (later the Summer Exhibition) as well as a School of Design (later the Royal Academy Schools.) Thirty-four founding members were elected; today, the society elects no more than eighty members at one time as Royal Academicians (Members of the Royal Academy, RA). During Mitford’s time, the Royal Academy was housed at
Scribleruspseudonyms.
A.R.W.
Mr. Abbott. In 1833, he opened the
Mr. Addison. Forename unknown. Dates unknown.
Mr. Aitken. Forename unknown. Dates unknown.
Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears.
is my countrywoman,, that is, a neighbor. Later in
the prettiest, silliest, most affected, husband-hunting butterfly she ever remembers, but that Jane was by the 1810s extremely quiet, which impressed Mitford:
tillSource:Pride and Prejudice showed what a precious gem was hidden in that unbending case, she was no more regarded in society than a poker or a fire-screen, or any other thin upright piece of wood or iron that fills its corner in peace and quietness. The case is very different now; she is still a poker--but a poker of whom every one is afraid. It must be confessed that this silent observation from such an observer is rather formidable. Most writers are good-humoured chatterers--neither very wise nor very witty:—but nine times out of ten (at least in the few that I have known) unaffected and pleasant, and quite removing by their conversation any awe that may have been excited by their works. But a wit, a delineator of character, who does not talk, is terrific indeed!
his catamite and bed-fellow.In 1845 (during Mitford's lifetime), this passage was published for the first time.
Mr. Baker. Forename unknown. Dates unknown.
Will no one rid me of this meddlestome priest?,thereby calling for Becket's assassination without literally ordering it. Becket was canonized by the Roman Catholic Church as a saint in 1173.
Mr. Bender. Forename unknown. Dates unknown.
for importuning a young male servant at Spa in August 1825Source: ODNB. He had been travelling in Italy after the deaths of a son and daughter from consumption in 1824, and remained in exile with his wife until his death in 1836.
Mrs. Bennettand sometimes catalogued as
Agnesrather than Anna. Mitford read her
Mr. Bennett. Retired from acting in 1862. Said to have inaugurated a new, more sympathetic and serious style of playing
Mr. Bennett. Forename unknown. Dates unknown.
Berghem.
a large family followed;
large familyis crossed out in pencil, and he has written
several children. In an attempt to establish the original for the story character,
And Did Those Feet..., which since the First World War has been popularized as a song. Until the mid-Victorian era, Blake's work was not widely known or was dismissed as the product of mental illness.
Mr. Bland. Forename unknown. Dates unknown.
farmerresiding in Wokingham, Shinfield parish; also listed as
gentlemanin Reading directories. Buried
the wife of John Brenton
a fit. Elsewhere among
little Eliza. On each occasion, she is noting her third and fourth birthdays. In the story from
shopkeeperoccupation.
Mrs. Disciplinein letters of
A Mother.
as obscure as one ofLord Castlereagh 's explanations.
The play is wretchedly constructed, with some powerful scenes, many passages of power and considerable effect in the sketch of Cromwell's character, which, deserving first-rate support, was consigned to the murderous Mr. Cathcart--a very poor pretender indeed.Source:
Mr. Cathcart. Forename unknown. Dates unknown.
Mr. Chalk. Forename unknown. Dates unknown.
the martyr of the people,was executed outside the Banqueting House at Whitehall that had been designed by Inigo Jones for James I. A week after his execution, he was quietly buried at Windsor and the monarchy was abolished. Charles I is the apocryphal author of the
Mr. Chippendale. Forename unknown. Dates unknown.
columns of musicalforgossip
the most prolific of all its reviewers,according to the ODNB. Reviewed
both men of headstrong passion--zealous partisans, vindictive enemies, fascinating companions--both great bullies--& as I suspect both great cowards.
talked of books with tasteand with that
wide range which is my delight--old books--odd books--rare boooks. The letter suggests she met Mrs. Coffin on a
little Collins. Acted under
Mr. Collins. According to 1806
died during the run of the comedy. An 1804 biographical sketch in the
Mr. Comer. orename unknown. Dates unknown.
Anna Matildawith
Della Crusca) and
Laura Maria, among others. Della Cruscan publisher
English Republican military leader, politician, and dictator. The effective protagonist of Mitford’s play
ecclesiastical tyranny and usurpation.During the
After the
The dandy
Culpepperin her journal and letters, the majority of legal documents spell the name as
Culpeper.
Culpepperin her journal and letters.
Carteretta Cornelia. Her date of death is unknown; more research needed.
a particularly ugly, noisy pug, that barked at every body that came into the house, and bit at most.
neighboring meadownear
Mr. Debar. Forename unknown. Dates unknown.
Mr. Doyne. Forename unknown. Dates unknown.
Lived with her family on
Drummond of Hawthornden, Drummond was a Scottish lyric poet with royalist sympathies. He is one of the sixteen poets and writers whose heads appear on the
Duckinfieldor
Dakinfield. name.
Miss Duncan from Edinburghat
Chard, is derived from her maternal lineage; Grace’s maternal grandmother was born Mary Chard. Grace Elford remained unmarried and later came to reside with her sister
rotten boroughwhose interest Lopes had purchased from
Waldron; however, she is not to be confused with the American Elizabeth Waldron (1780 to 21 July 1853). Her birthdate is not given in any standard nineteenth-century reference sources, but is likely to be before 1780.
Jane Mary. Additional research needed.
According to
Elford worked as a banker at Plymouth Bank (Elford, Tingcombe and Purchase)
in
He
married his first wife,
Mr. Emery.
Mrs. Faucit. Forename unknown. Dates unknown.
Mrs. Fisher. Forename unknown. Dates unknown.
protegeof Mitford's (279).
Mr. Fleming. Forename unknown. Dates unknown.
married(i.e., mated) to Mitford's dog
The English Aristophanes. He wrote
Mr. Forrester. Forename unknown. Dates unknown.
Mrs. Geesin. Forename unknown. Dates unknown.
Best known for writing
Mrs. Grahamand references her travel publications,
Mr. Green. Forename unknown. Dates unknown.
a very pleasant woman. Forename unknown. Dates unknown.
First Lieutenant of the late Venezuela Artillery Brigade. According to a University of Kansas cataloguer, he served in the British Army during the Napoleonic Wars and later in Venezuela. The archive contains a letter written from 55 Great Queen Street, Lincoln's Inn, in London, to a Mr. Walter. Dates unknown. Source: WorldCat.
He is the most delightful critic in the [world]-- puts all his taste, his wit, his deep thinking, his matchless acuteness into his subject, but he does not put his whole heart & soul into it [. . . ] What charms me most inMr. Haslitt is the beautiful candour which he bursts forth sometimes from his own prejudices [ . . . ] I admire him so ardently that when I begin to talk of him I never know how to stop. I could talk on for an hour in a see saw of praise and blame as he himself does ofBeaumont &Fletcher & some of his old [favourites].
Miss Henry. Forename unknown.
Lieutenant William Heude, of the Madras Military Establishment.
Mr. Horrebow. Forename unknown. Dates unknown.
the Apothecary,a radical M.P. who represented Aberdeen in the House of Commons from 1818 as part of a network of radical leadership over the next thirty years. Criticized the government's role in
An exceptionally well-educated and self-assured early modern woman whose literary achievements are extremely significant. Her works include the first complete English translation of Lucretius's controversial Epicurean poem
Born Lucy Apsley, the daughter of Sir Allen Apsley, Lieutenant of the Tower of London. In 1638 she fell mutually in love with and married Sir John Hutchinson. While he fought on the
As the critic
the droll boy who lived at. Possibly a young servant. Surname unknown. Dates unknown. Source: Journal.Mr. Body 's 2 years ago & then went toLondon
independent means;in the 1851 census, as
landholder;in the 1861 census, she as
railway shareholder.
one of those delightful old men that render age so charming--mild playful kind & wise--talking just asIsaac Walton would have talked if we were to [have] gone out fishing with him.
John Johnson, esq.and gives his date of death as 5 April 1821. See
[Died] April 5 . . . John Johnson, esq. of Seymour-court, near Great Marlow, a celebrated member of the Hampden Club, and author of various political letters, &c., under the signature of Timothy Trueman(381). The
author of various political letters and essays in Mr. B. Flower’s(314).Political Register and other periodical works, under the signature of Timothy Trueman
Jackor
IrishJohnstone. Performed at Smock Alley Theatre, Dublin; and
Mr. C. Jones. Forename unknown. Dates unknown.
Doraor
DollyJordan; she adopted the name
Mrs. Jordanin the 1780s as a stage name. Courtesan and longtime mistress of
Miss Josephine. Forename unknown. Dates unknown.
FannyKemble was a member of the Kemble acting clan, the daughter of
Mr. Kerridge. Forename unknown. Dates unknown.
,plain Ben
, orBen Emmery
. Source:Dick
Son of John and Sarah Kirby, and brother of
Captain of the [French] Royal Geographical Engineers, Ex-Officer of the Ordnance of Prince Eugene, Chevalier of the Legion of Honour, and of the Iron Crown. Mitford read his
Miss Lacy. Forename unknown. Dates unknown.
Lovejoy's Library.
Mr. Lee. Forename unknown. Dates unknown.
Mr. T. Lee. Forename unknown. Dates unknown.
Mr. Ley. Forename unknown. Dates unknown. Active 1810s to 1830s.
Mr. Liston.
Bluestocking,and the
Republican Virago.Her politics were Whig, reformist, and anti-Catholic, and they became increasingly radical in her later years, when she attacked the writings of
To William Charles Macready, Esq., with high esteem for those endowments which have cast new lustre on his art; with warm admiration for those powers which have inspired, and that taste which has fostered the tragic dramatists of his age; with heartfelt gratitude for the zeal with which he befriended the production of a stranger, for the judicious alterations which he suggested, and for the energy, the pathos, and the skill with which he more than emhodied its principal character; this tragedy is most respectfully dedicated by the author.
Maddison. Forename unknown. Dates unknown.
Mahometis also the spelling used by Voltaire in his 1735 play, with which Mitford may have been familiar.)
Meta. Paternal surname unknown. Dates unknown.
James May, attorney, Friar Street, Readingaccording to
the Magistrates’ Clerk. Dates unknown.
Mr. Mears. Forename unknown. Dates unknown.
Mr. Mildenhall. Forename unknown. Dates unknown.
blue all sprinkled with little white spots just like a starry nightin her
Father of 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 surgeon (medicine)
of
He married
Captain Osbaldeston. He was a talented amateur artist, and learned engraving from
pretty little Spaniel with long curling hair--so white & delicate & ladylike.
Patriotshoemaker,
Mr. and Mrs. M. and dear B.. (
Dear B.would be their son,
celebrated shoemakeris Mr. Warry, possibly Joseph Source:
Mr. and Mrs. M. and dear B.. (
Dear B.would be their son,
group of women following Montagu’s salon. In theBluestocking
Sunday Schoolsto teach reading.
Mossywas a nickname for
Moss Trooper.
authoress,and lists her as living at
Mr. Mude. Forename unknown. Dates unknown.
The Heart of Mid-Lothian
Jacob Newberry, attorney, of 35 Great Queen Street Lincoln’s Inn Fields [London] and Friar Street, Reading(#17, p. 109, note 32). Mentioned as a Reading solicitor of Mitford's acquaintance in John Mitchell's
Master Norman. Forename unknown. Dates unknown.
a great(Devonshire reformer, one of the bad epic poets and very pleasant men in which that country abounds
what a man! How loud & shrewd & full of himself & sharp all over from his eagle nose to his pointed hook toe! What a perpetual sky rocket bouncing starting & flaming! What a talker against time! Well might. Mitford may not have seen the poem, since it was published in Baltimore, MD. Northmore's poem was entitledMr. Hobhouse call himthe gentleman who came all the way from Devonshire to tell us that he was a great man at home.And he is a Poet too. Has written an Epic, which must have appeared incognito–for I never remember to have heard it mentioned in my life. An Epic Poem aboutWashington
O’Keeffeand
O’Keefe. In
O’Keefe, although the more accepted spelling is
O’Keeffe.
Miss O'Neill. Later Lady Becher: married Mr., afterwards Sir William Wrixon Becher, an Irish Member of Parliament who was later created a baronet.
Mrs. Orger. Source: The Biography of the British Stage. 187-188.
M.A. [and] Chaplain to his Excellency the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, and Rector of Castlecromer. Dates uncertain.
Otto the Illustrious;historical figure who is the subject of
Charles Fyshe Palmer was the son of
A Whig politician, Palmer began running for Parliament elections as the
member for vastly
like a mop-stick, or, rather, a tall hop-pole, or an extremely long
fishing-rod, or anything that is all length and no substance.
Mitford also mentions Palmer in connection with a legal issue surrounding
Madelinaand
Madalina, although
Madelinaappears to be the more common and standard spellling of the name, as an anglicization of the French Madeline. For more on the Palmers, see note 2 in The Browning’s Correspondence rendering of
Miss Phillips. Forename unknown. Dates unknown.
Miss Pincott. The wife of actor Alfred Wigan, she later appeared as
Mrs. Wigan.
A Solider of the 71st, or Glasgow Regiment, Highland Light Infantry, 1806-1815. The regiment fought in the Peninsular Wars from the Battle of Rolica to Waterloo under General Francis Dundas. Dates unknown.
cousin, who offers her the position of companion, but she refuses to leave
an age of fine spiritsand
noble daring,when such men
must have purified the very air.(See
Golden Age. Best known for his portraits in oil, particularly his many self-portraits, he also painted landscapes and narratives, including biblical and mythological scenes. He was also a skilled printmaker, employing etching as well as dry point techniques. See The Met’s Rembrandt site at
Vicar of Kensington, and Christian Advocate in the University of Cambridge..
breechesparts, mentored by
styled herself Mrs. Rowden(1860: 148). Rowden wrote poetry, including
New Year’s dayas the date of her death.
Mr. Selby. Forename unknown. Dates unknown.
I had grown up--it is the privilege of English people to grow up--in the worship ofShakespeare , and many of his favourite scenes I literally knew by heart.
The Heart of Mid-Lothian
Mrs. Siddons. Her most famous role was
cousins of the tragedian's [(7th ser., 6, 28 July 1888: 76). Henrietta is likely to be theWilliam Macready 's] mother.
Hettamentioned in Macready's diaries. Source: Letter from
Downton, WilliamDNB. Forename unknown. Dates unknown.
L.A.C. Bombet.
Bricklayer and beer retailer of
Sacharissaby poet
On the 17th, convicted of bribery at an election for the borough of Penrhyn, in Cornwall, was sentenced to be confined in the King's Bench Prison for one year.See
The eldest daughter of
Thomas and Rachel had five children: Francis, Mary, Katharine, Thomas Noon
[II], and William Wordsworth. In 1832, the family lived at 26 Henrietta
Street, St Andrew, Holborn and St George the Martyr, Bloomsbury. In 1837,
they lived at 56 Russell Square, St. George, Bloomsbury. On May 1, 1843,
Rachael and the five children were all baptized into the Church of England.
After the death of her husband, she lived at Margate, Kent, where she died
on
Close friend, literary mentor, and frequent correspondent of
Talfourd’s literary works include his plays
clerk in holy orders.Since he disappears from English census records after 1861, reappearing in 1891, and gives his son Arthur Harry Edmund’s birthplace as Isipingo, Natal, South Africa (then a British colony), it seems possible that he emigrated to South Africa between those dates, then returned to England. Further research needed.
Mr. Thomas. Forename unknown. Dates unknown.
Mr. Thompson. Forename unknown. Dates unknown.
Tuckermann.
his Brittanic Majesty’s Counsul at the Court of Tripoly,who edited her correspondence.
bound apprentice to a freeman of London, Humphrey Gregory Pridden,a printer. He was admitted a Liveryman of the Stationer’s Company in London in
Richard Valpy (the fourth of that name) was the eldest son of Richard Valpy
[III] and Catherine Chevalier. He was a friend and literary mentor to
Richard Valpy was married twice and had twelve children, eleven of whom
lived to adulthood. His first wife was
Mr. Warde. Tragedian who appeared at
our celebrated shoemaker & Patriotin a
gentlemanin the
Aunt Mary
Uncle John,uncle to Eliza and Mary Webb and younger brother to James Webb.
Mr. J. Webster. Forename unknown. Dates unknown.
Mrs. Webster. Forename unknown. Dates unknown.
Mr. G. Williams. Forename unknown. Dates unknown.
Blacksmith recorded by no place,
and his name does not appear in the 1854
edition of the Directory. Source:
The Heart of Mid-Lothian
Windsor paper man.Presumably the editor or proprietor of the
Mr. Yarnold. Forename unknown. Dates unknown.
Miss Yates. Forename unknown. Possibly the daughter of
Mr. Young. Rival of
Mr. Younge. Forename unknown. Dates unknown. Not identical with well-known lead actor
half a dozen ragged urchins,including
paintedcosmetics: hence, the phrase,
a painted Jezebel.
traitor.
adversary.
respectable tradesman.Surname not given.
a follower of Erizzo.played by
, as reported in theold Cook 's misconduct
a lover, or sectator, of shadows.
character in
Mrs., she is unmarried. Surname not given.
Character in
the very name is as stiff as poker,in a letter to Elford from
female Sir Charles Grandison.
pretty white cottage.His son,
hedge schoolmasterin
blind Robert. Full name not given.
opposite neighbour,suggesting a proximity of residence to the family. Proper name not given.
Hollandgradually become colloquial for
the Netherlands,and today the two geographic entities are frequently conflated.
new churchin 1827.
Whitehall,used without specific reference to the palace, refers metonymically to the centers of power of the English government, including the monarchy and parliament. Literally, Whitehall is a road in
cross adderfor the diamond patterns on its back, although melanated individuals may appear entirely brown-black with no visible patterning. One of three snakes native to the UK; the other two are nonvenmous: the barred grass snake and the smooth snake. They have adapted to a wide range of land habitats such as meadows, rough commons and hedgerows, and the edges of woodlands, although they require complex habitats to support basking, hunting for small mammals, amphibians, and insects; protection from predators, and hibernation. The name is derived from the generic word for
serpentin Germanic languages, the same term used for snakes and the Devil in the Old Testament. The myth of the
deaf adderhas its source in Psalms 58: 4 and became proverbial for someone willfully refusing to hear by the early 17th century.
Cowis the term for female cattle and
bullfor males, although both are commonly referred to as
cows. Also used as draught animals (called oxen) to pull carts or plows. One of the earliest domesticated animals, descended from two separate areas, one in the Near East (Turkey and northern Syria) and one in modern-day Pakistan. Many modern-day breeds are descended from cattle exported from the UK to the rest of the world between the l7th and early 20th century, including: Aberdeen Angus, Ayrshire, Belted Galloway, Blue Grey, Devon, Dexter, British White, British Friesian, English Longhorn, Gloucester, Guernsey, Hereford, Jersey, Kerry, and Shorthorn.
cricket.
buckand the female a
doe. Hunted and farmed for meat (venison), hair, hide, and antlers, they may also be kept in deer parks. An adaptable species that can survive on smaller tracts of woodland, they are now found even within urban greenspace, such as parks and cemeteries. Scottish red and roe deer are both native to the UK.
stagor
hartand the female a
hind. Hunted and farmed for meat (venison), hair, hide, and antlers, they may also be found in deer parks. Scottish red and roe deer are both native to the UK, and European fallow deer are believed to the have been introduced by the Normans--all three species would have been extant in Mitford's time.
buckand the female a
doe. Hunted and farmed for meat (venison), hair, hide, and antlers, they may also be kept in deer parks. An adaptable species that can survive on smaller tracts of woodland, they are now found even within urban greenspace, such as parks and cemeteries. Scottish red and roe deer are both native to the UK.
asses; the term may have changed to avoid vulgar connotations with similar-sounding terms like
arse.
wild duckrather than
billygoatsand females
nannygoats.
grasshopper.
sighthoundoriginally bred for coursing game using their acute vision, agility, and speed. Later employed as a sporting dog for racing. A tall, shorted-haired slender dog with long muzzle, legs and tail, and a characteristic
S-shapedbody. May have a variety of coat colors including blue (grey), white, black, red, light tan (fawn) or black; and may also have patterned markings such as spots or brindle coats. Traditionally leashed in pairs for coursing and in groups of three for other types of hunting. English greyhouds may have been imported into Europe and the UK with the Romans. The
roostersand females are called
hens.
European Continental Typedogs with black and white coats, named for the English artist, also exist, and may be a separate breed. Sweet-tempered and loyal, they good with children and became known as
nanny dogs.
Nana, from Barrie's
oxand
oxenwhen trained as draught animals to pull carts or plows. Usually yoked to work in pairs.
peacocksand females as
peahens, although both are commonly referred to as
peacocks.
a particularly ugly, noisy pug, that barked at every body that came into the house, and bit at most.
Norway rator the
Hanover ratfrom erroneous beliefs about their origin outside the UK. Written evidence exists of their presence in Europe by the 1550s and in the UK by the early eighteenth century, becoming widespread by the early 19th century. Fancy (pet) rats and laboratory rats are domesticated subspecies of this wild rat.
bobbies.
springgame birds. They were also used to hunt rabbits, sometimes alongside greyhounds. They may have solid or parti-colored coats in black, liver, red, or golden, with tan masking and trim, roan patching, or
tickedspots. The most common color is liver (dark brown/chocolate) and white. The Sussex spaniel, first recorded in 1795, is a stocky spaniel with a distinctive golden-brown colored coat and hazel eyes. The spaniel,
Flush, with his paws on the front of the box, his large earnest eyes fixed on the actors, and his long silky ears brought forward on either side of his face, as is the custom of those intelligent dogs on great occasions, looked and listened all through the piece with a sedate fixity of attention, which greatly endangered the gravity of the persons on the stage.
swan of Avon.
golden rennetor Golden Reinette also known as the
russettingtypes, apples whose smooth skin is covered all or in part by rougher brown skin, thought to have more nutty and aromatic flavors than non-russeting types and used in cider making; and a
crumplingtype; an underdeveloped or deformed apple that shrivels on the tree.
I myself have seen the ungodly in great power; and flourishing like a green bay-tree.
weeping birchto refer to a pendulous variety of the
wild hyacinthas well as
bluebellfor this plant. She uses the term
The Wild Hyacinth, my dear Mrs. Hoare, differs much from the flower which we call the harebell in England: a small campanula, bearing two or three exquisite, thin, bell-like papery flowers (you can hear them rustle when shaken) on a very thin and fragile stalk, growing among wild thyme, and under heather, in the month of August. There is a white variety cultivated in gardens, but no pink one. I have heard both the harebell and the wild hyacinth called blue-bells.
moorland scrub. Traditionally gathered for use in leather tanning, soap- and glass-making, and for use as livestock bedding. Today, it may be seen as a threat to biodiversity, as its spread can elbow out other ground-cover plants upon which animals and other plants depend, and decrease the size of open moorlands.
cherry-cheekedor
cherry-lipped.
Perhaps the self-same song that found a path./Through the sad heart of Ruth when, sick for home,/She stood in tears amid the alien corn(stanza 7, lines 5-7; Ruth chapter 2, lines 2-3). This is also the sense of the term
Corn Lawsdebated in the early 19th century, which concerned trade restrictions and tariffs on foodstuffs, including cereal grains.
pink stars, so she likely uses this term for bloody or cut-leafed crane's bill, which bears flowers ranging from pale pink to magenta.
filberds, and distinguishing them from the
cobnut, or nut of the common hazel.
fir topping. Mitford would likely have been familiar with the European silver fir, which was brought to England in the 17th century. Other types of firs such as Douglas firs and noble firs, native to North America and used as Christmas trees, were introduced to the UK in the nineteenth century.
wild hyacinthand
bluebellfor the member of the Hyacinch family. In a letter to
The Wild Hyacinth, my dear Mrs. Hoare, differs much from the flower which we call the harebell in England: a small campanula, bearing two or three exquisite, thin, bell-like papery flowers (you can hear them rustle when shaken) on a very thin and fragile stalk, growing among wild thyme, and under heather, in the month of August. There is a white variety cultivated in gardens, but no pink one. I have heard both the harebell and the wild hyacinth called blue-bells. In the UK, the harbell may flower from July to November.
cobnutand distinguishes it from the
filberd. The shrubby trees form an important component of hedgerows, particularly in the English lowlands. The trees may also be managed by coppicing, a practice that produces the thin, curved poles traditionally used in making withy and wattle fencing, in wattle-and-daub building, and in framing coracle boats.
woodbine.
Those fierce and warlike flowers the tiger~lilies. OED cites Mitford's
farewell. In 1820,
Royal Oakbecame a popular pub name, as well as the name of several Royal Navy warships. The symbolic association between Britain's military strength and the strength of its men is encapsulated in the song
Heart of oak are our ships,/Hearts of oak are our men. Oak leaves, like laurel, were used as ceremonial wreaths and crowns, and both oak leaves and acorns appeared as neoclassical ornaments. The proverb
great oaks from little acorns grow, dates from at least the 16th century, and the concept appears in Chaucer's
bergamot pear, which is another name for the domestic pear.
Scottish fir; in the 19th century and earlier, no firm distinction was made between types of evergreen conifers such as pines and firs. Source: OED.
Muscosa
wild strawberriesand
wood strawberries.
lilacand
dogwoodelsewhere, and so likely refers to the
field tulips, presumably a naturalized population in Berkshire.
violaand
violetare used for small-flowered annuals or perennials, including the species. Mentioned in the
To wear the willowis proverbial for mourning, and weeping willow imagery was common on gravestones and other funerary art, and in mourning jewelry and arts, where, during Mitford's lifetime, willows appear with urns, broken plinths, and drooping human figures.
Blackwood’s Magazine, The London Magazine, and the Scott-Christie Duel.
the Literature, History, Politics, Arts, Manners, and Amusements of the Age. Early publisher of Wordsworth.
for the proprietors.Between 1823 and 1829, published as
for the proprietorsby G. & W. B. Whittaker & Co. In the 1820s the magazine increasingly focused on fashion and domestic concerns and included less material on politics and travel.
A popular and influential monthly magazine for women that ran
new series(series two), volumes 1 through 10,
improved series.In
Sources:
new series(series two), volumes 1 through 10,
new series(series two), volumes 1 through 3,
new series(second series) begun in 1820 by publisher
new series,published
from a traveller.
Founded on
M,contributed three stories to the first three issues of its short run. Source:
sad uncandid military book
pretty tale. Source: Journal
very amusing. Source: Journal.
interesting. Source: Journal.
not better, that is too vain a word, but less bad than the rest.
famous.
a catch penny thing.
pretty good.
sad turncoat. Source: Journal.
humdrum.
famous. Mitford may have read the later reprint published by T. Davies.
not good.
famous;
very goodand
very good indeed.
The Heart of Mid-Lothian
The Heart of Mid-Lothian: published from the original record, with a prefatory notice, including some particulars of the life of Capt. John Porteous.
in boards,others in
half morocco.An auction catalog for Richard Valpy’s library indicates that there were
only 12 copies, printed by the author himself, who presented this to me (ie, Richard Valpy);another presentation copy appears in an auction catalogs for Samuel Rogers’s library. Periodicals and their reviewers from 1796 do not appear to have had access to the complete work in 66 cantos but instead review partial editions of cantos 41-60 (Edinburgh Magazine); canto 38 only (Analytical Review); Cantos 38-60 (British Critic); Cantos 38 and 40 only (Monthly Review). WorldCat lists an edition of cantos 37 to 60 only from 1795. Separate listings for a two-page mock title-page for the work, attributed to Horne-Took, appear as
Speedily will be published, price 3l.6s. in boards, The travels of Cyllenius: a poem. In sixty-six cantos.
not goodand
much too dismal.
not good.
Corruption itself.
famous.
good but wicked. In journal entry
My name is Norvalbecame a favorite among amateur reciters.
Miss O'Keeffe.
good.
neither seen nor sought for it.
Galicis Macpherson’s spelling.
very much amused by it. Later, she writes that she
liked it better than the first, perhaps comparing the last volume to the first. Source: Journal entry
Galicis Macpherson’s spelling.
M.
tolerablein journal entry
very stupid & dismal.
famous.
very good.
very good.
bad.
A satirical version of
The Literary Anecdotes
very amusingand
amusing enough, perhaps referring to different volumes.
He Fondly Trusted his Name Would Descend with Honor to Posterity.
stupid and frantical.
M.
Samuel Shaw, Esq.Mitford rated it
very learned & curious.
stupid enough.
famous pepperingand says that there is
nothing so good now.
written in his seventy-sixth year,rediscovered and published for the first time by John Murray in 1818.
pretty little thing.
Surryon title page.
famous.
very good though vulgar.
interesting. In journal entry
very good.
pretty good.
Madame Panache. Mitford rated it
a pretty thing.
by the Author of Pride and Prejudice.
liked it very much; she also says that it
made me laugh. In journal entry
liked it very much.
by the Author of Headlong Hall.
not very goodand
stupid enough. Source: Journal.
stupid.
very bad.
Sylva,&c. &c.: comprising his diary, from the year 1641 to 1705-6, and a selection of his familiar letters: to which is subjoined, the private correspondence between King Charles I and his Secretary of State, Sir Edward Nicholas, whilst his majesty was in Scotland, 1641, and at other times during the Civil War: also between Sir Edward Hyde, afterwards Earl of Clarendon, and Sir Richard Browne, ambassador to the Court of France, in the time of King Charles I and the usurpation: the whole now first published from the original mss. in two volumes
very entertaining.
very entertaining. Source: Journal.
a very great man & great poet!.
rather dullbut then also called it
a most interesting book.
very good.
stupid.
very good.
clever thing.
dull.
not very good,
not so good as some of his Novelsand then, presumably as she reads the final volume,
pretty good too. In journal entry
an excellent old Novel.
not very good.
good.
good.
horrible.
by the Author of Headlong Hall.
sad methodistical stuff.
farewellto the last position appears to be a common practice with editors of selected editions.
large paperedition in red cloth as well as a
small paperquarto edition bound in green cloth, some with gilt-stamped covers. The
small papergreen cloth editions featured illustrated covers and spines heavily stamped in gold, and followed a book design strategy that had been established by
stupid old Novel. Source: Journal.
very much. Source: Journal.
second editionon the title page, although it was actually the first edition. Published anonymously.
very good. In journal entry
stupid. Unsigned, author unknown.
very good. In journal entry
famous.
famous. Mitford may have read the later reprint published by T. Davies.
charmed with itin her journal entry of
famous.
not good.
an elegant Poem.
Printed for the proprietor by S.G. Fairbrother, Lyceum Print Office.The Lyceum refers to the New Theatre Royal, Lyceum and English Opera House, London.
by a Lady. Mitford rated it
very good.
good materials badly used. In journal entry
sad Methodistical stuff.
English Prairie. A second edition of Sketches appeared in 1819. In his preface, Fearon claims to be an unbiased observer and reporter and implicitly contrasts himself with other writers on the topic:
My Reports were originally composed neither with a view to fame nor profit,--neither to exalt a country, to support a party, nor to promote a settlement. I have had every motive to speak what I thought the truth, and none to conceal or pervert it.The volume is dedicated to
The Friends of Civil and Religious Liberty, and the dedication is dated
. AsPlaistow, Essex .October 2, 1818
Such [claims afford] Fearon room for statements that seem to emerge from differing, often contradictory ideological predilections. Sometimes he presents himself as an ardent convert to republicanism. At other times he is so fastidious in manners and appearance that he seems to the guardian of an older English probity Americans have recklessly abandoned
very good.In journal entry
very muchand that it is
very good.
goodand
very good.
not better, that is too vain a word, but less bad than the rest.
at the request of a near relation who wished me to compose a Tale adapted to the picturesque and enchanting scenery of the ancient domains of our family, now in the possession of Bertram Mitford, Esq. The Lord de Bertram, (one of the followers of William the Conqueror) married Sybille, the heiress of Sir Johannes de Mitford, and died, I believe, in the Holy Land.This title also published in
famous;
very goodand
very good indeed.
very amusing.
Galicis Macpherson’s spelling.
very entertaining indeed. In journal entry
good politics but middling writing.
Ex-m-n-r
Pretenderon Sonnet-writing and Sonnet-writers in general, including A
Sonnet on Myself,attributed to the Editor of the
Examiner,and preceded by Proofs of their Authenticity, founded upon the authority of internal evidence
good.
liked it very well.
not better, that is too vain a word, but less bad than the rest.
delightful.
charming. In journal entry
old & bad.
new editionpublished in
middling. In journal entry
too dismal.
a great deal too wise to deal in books printed upon drawing paper in Atlas quarto--books merely meant to make a show.It is unknown how many copies were sold.
don't like it much--too dismal.In Journal
Madame Panache. Mitford rates it
pretty enough but too dismal. Source: Journal.
pretty but too dismal. Source: Journal.
The Winter's Taleof Shakespeare
very good.
stupid.