Your kind & charming letter, my own kind & charming friend, gave me two pleasures^ that of hearing from you & that of not hearing from Miss NoothCharlotte Nooth | Born: 1780 in Ireland. Died: .
A friend of Dr. Richard Valpy, who resided at Kew, Surrey, but often visited Paris. She wrote a poem to Dr. Valpy and published volumes of poetry in 1815 & 1816, including a verse tragedy, as well as a novel, Eglantine, published by A.J. Valpy—scw, lmw

). "Humph" quoth I when LucyLucy Sweatser Hill | Born: 1790-05-02 in Stratfield Saye, Berkshire, England. Died: .
Beloved servant for twelve years in the Mitford household who, on 7 August 1820 married Charles Hill. She is the basis for the title character in the Our Village story. Source: Needham Papers, Reading Central Library. —scw gave it me "Here had I just got quit of my blue-stocking, just sent her a huge packet to ParisParis, France | Paris | Paris | France | 48.85661400000001 2.3522219000000177 Capital of France and important center of trade, banking, publishing, fashion, and artistic and scientific activity. Center of Enlightenment activity in the eighteenth century. A key site in the French Revolution and Napoleonic Wars; travel between London and Paris was much restricted during this period.—lmw—all the wit & learning I have to spare; & now have another letter to answer! I wish her pen & ink were Corked up. And down I plumped the letter. Meanwhile I read one from somebody else (you always contrive to come in a good company MaryMary 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) & then condescended to take it up again. Imagine my surprise & my pleasure to find dear Mary 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) in the place of Charlotte NoothCharlotte Nooth | Born: 1780 in Ireland. Died: .
A friend of Dr. Richard Valpy, who resided at Kew, Surrey, but often visited Paris. She wrote a poem to Dr. Valpy and published volumes of poetry in 1815 & 1816, including a verse tragedy, as well as a novel, Eglantine, published by A.J. Valpy—scw, lmw

so you see you were right as to the similarity of the handwriting for I had quite forgotten what you said on the subject & Miss N.Charlotte Nooth | Born: 1780 in Ireland. Died: .
A friend of Dr. Richard Valpy, who resided at Kew, Surrey, but often visited Paris. She wrote a poem to Dr. Valpy and published volumes of poetry in 1815 & 1816, including a verse tragedy, as well as a novel, Eglantine, published by A.J. Valpy—scw, lmw

was not at all in my head—You write like her in every way—only that you have a much greater knack of making people believe you love them—I suppose my dear because it happens to be true—& that it is which gives your letters that preference over hers which one gives to a living flower over a dead one—the principle of life.—You must not say that I would not come to page 2
WatlingtonWatlington | Oxfordshire | England | 51.584 -1.388 Small market town on the edge of the Chiltern Hills. By the late eighteenth century, it had six inns, all owned by the Hayward brewing family. Watlington Town Hall, built in 1665, is a Grade II listed building.—lmw —I was quite ready—packed—dressed—nothing wanting but the promised horse—ours never could have dragged me—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.
—lmwsays he walked half the way—& think of my weight. I was very much disappointed—for I wanted to see you all—particularly you & dear 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—no you must not say—you must not think I would not come—for really & truly I meant it (this it is to have a bad reputation—if I had not broken some 22 engagements this Spring to TwickenhamTwickenham, Richmond upon Thames, London, England | Twickenham | Richmond upon Thames | London | England | 51.44458100000001 -0.3352459999999837 Twickenham, a town on the Thames, now part of Greater London. In the eighteenth century, the home of Alexander Pope and Horace Walpole, who built a neo-Gothic mansion at Strawberry Hill. —lmw RichmondRichmond, London, England | Richmond upon Thames | Richmond | London | England | 51.46131099999999 -0.3037420000000566 Richmond upon Thames, now a borough of London, formerly part of Surrey. The Hoflands lived there and Thomas Hofland painted views of the area.—lmw, LondonLondon, England | London | England | 51.5073509 -0.12775829999998223 Capital city of England and the United Kingdom; one the oldest cities in Western Europe. Major seaport and global trading center at the mouth of the Thames. From 1831 to 1925, the largest city in the world.—lmw & ParisParis, France | Paris | Paris | France | 48.85661400000001 2.3522219000000177 Capital of France and important center of trade, banking, publishing, fashion, and artistic and scientific activity. Center of Enlightenment activity in the eighteenth century. A key site in the French Revolution and Napoleonic Wars; travel between London and Paris was much restricted during this period.—lmw I need not take so much pains to be dis-believed—take warning by my fate & keep all promises MaryMary 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 mine—but breaking engagements is a family fault—MamaMary Russell Mitford, or: Mrs. Mitford | Born: 1750 in Ashe, Hampshire, England. Died: 1830-01-02 in Three Mile Cross, parish of Shinfield, Berkshire, England.
Mary Russell was the youngest child of the Rev. Dr. Richard Russell and his second wife, Mary Dicker; she was born about 1750 in Ashe, Hampshire. (Her birth date is as yet unverified; period sources indicate that she was ten years older than her husband George, born in 1760.) Through the Russells, she was a distant relation of the Dukes of Bedford (sixth creation, 1694). She had two siblings, Charles William and Frances; both predeceased her and their parents, which resulted in Mary Russell inheriting her family’s entire estate upon her mother’s death in 1785. Her father’s rectory in Ashe was only a short distance from Steventon, and so she was acquainted with the young Jane Austen. She married George Mitford or Midford on October 17, 1785 at New Alresford, Hampshire. On the marriage allegation papers, both gave their addresses as Old Alresford. Their only daughter, Mary Russell Mitford, was born two years later on December 16, 1787 at New Alresford, Hampshire. Mary Russell died on January 2, 1830 at Three Mile Cross in the parish of Shinfield, Berkshire. Her obituary in the 1830 New Monthly Magazine gives New Year’s day as the date of her death.—ajc, lmw
never makes one without meaning to break it—& my honoured FatherGeorge 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 has within one week promised to spend August at ParisParis, France | Paris | Paris | France | 48.85661400000001 2.3522219000000177 Capital of France and important center of trade, banking, publishing, fashion, and artistic and scientific activity. Center of Enlightenment activity in the eighteenth century. A key site in the French Revolution and Napoleonic Wars; travel between London and Paris was much restricted during this period.—lmw & August at BickhamBickham, Somerset, England | Bickham | Somerset | England | 51.163534 -3.506621999999993 Hamlet near Plymouth, and residence of Sir William Elford, who lived there until the failure of his finances in 1825 forced him eventually to sell his family’s estate. He sold his property in Bickham in 1831 and moved to The Priory, in Totnes, Devon the house of his daughter (Elizabeth) and son-in-law.—ebb, lmw—How he'll settle it I don't know. Perhaps he may quiet his conscience by breaking both promises & and bringing all his friends alike to come back to WatlingtonWatlington | Oxfordshire | England | 51.584 -1.388 Small market town on the edge of the Chiltern Hills. By the late eighteenth century, it had six inns, all owned by the Hayward brewing family. Watlington Town Hall, built in 1665, is a Grade II listed building.—lmw —I desire you will give my kindest love to the lovely Aunt MaryMary Webb, or: Aunt Mary
Friend ofMary Russell Mitford. Sister or sister-in-law of James Webb and aunt of Eliza, Jane and Mary Webb. Francis Needhamsuggests that she was the basis for the character of Aunt Martha in the Our Villagestory of that title. Sources: Francis Needham, Letter to William Roberts, 16 June 1953 . Needham Papers, Reading Central Library . Relationship to other Webbs and birth and death dates unknown. More research needed.—scw, lmw & condole with her from the on the bed-breaking calamity—Pray did you fair ladies "sleep in strata"[2] Refers to a footnote in Tom Crib: "The Germans sleep between two beds; and it is related that an Irish traveller, upon finding a feather bed thus laid over him, took it into his head that the people slept in strata, one upon the other, and said to the attendant, 'will you be good enough to tell the gentleman or lady, that is to lie over me, to make haste, as I want to go asleep?'."—lmw—this mis-fortune looks rather suspicious—she will understand this question—& so will you if you have read Tom CribTom Crib’s Memorial to Congress. Thomas Moore . London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme and Brown. 1819. —I am very glad you have read Les Memoires de page 3
Grammont—It's a book one should not quite to like to recommend to a jeune & gentille demoiselle—but being read there is no harm in saying how very much one admires it. Live for ever la blonde Blague & the Princess of Babylon—& above all live Count Anthony Hamilton their immortal Historian the unrivalled painter of manners & of men. DrydenJohn Dryden | Born: 1631-08-09 in Aldwincle, Northamptonshire, England. Died: 1700-05-01 in London, England.
Named Poet Laureate in 1668 , Dryden authored Annus mirabilis: the Year of Wonders, MDCLXVI in 1667 , reflecting on climactic events of the previous year, the Great Fire of London and the second Anglo-Dutch War. Dryden supported a revival of drama in Restoration England, and in 1668 he wrote Of Dramatick Poesie , which contained critiques of William Shakespeare's and Ben Jonson's plays and reflection on English and French theater and playwrights from the Renaissance to the Restoration in England. Several of his plays were staged in London in the 1670s, including his treatment of the Antony and Cleopatra narrative, in All for Love, or, The World Well Lost, performed in December 1677 and published in 1678 . His satirical poem Absalom and Achitophel, published in 1681, presents Restoration politicians and government figures in Old Testament roles, casting King Charles II in flattering terms as a merciful and benevolent David.—ebb
's character of BuckinghamGeorge Villiers, 2nd Duke of Buckingham, 20th Baron de Ros of Helmsley, or: 2nd Duke of Buckingham , 20th Baron de Ros of Helmsley | Born: 1628-01-30 in England. Died: 1687-04-16 in Kirkbymoorside, Yorkshire, England.
Restoration-era poet, courtier, and rake, friend of Rochester. —lmw
is perhaps the finest passage in his works & PopeAlexander Pope | Born: 1688-05-21 in London, England. Died: 1744-05-30 in Twickenham, Middlesex, England.
Augustan-era Catholic poet whose achievements include the mock epics The Rape of the Lock and the Dunciad, as well as the Essay on Man, and a translation of the Illiad. He had a disfiguring disability, probably resulting from Pott's disease, and was an invalid for much of his life. He was known for his biting satire. Source: Britannica.—lmw, rnes
's rival lives though not quite equal are the best of his good—but do either of them give you half so vivid an idea of the "blest madman"[3] Quotation from Absalom and Achitophel describing the character of Zimri, identified with Buckingham—lmw as Count Hamilton's description of him dandling Lady Muskerry's dropped cushions & going to look for a wet nurse among the maids of Honour? I hope you read this delightful book in French—it is so untranslateable—the class of Memoires is the only one in which the French literature is richer than ours—there are perhaps a hundred publications of that sort (Most of them less witty & less licentious than the Memoires de Grammont) in the language. The very best are the Memoires de Sully—the pleasantest perhaps those ofM. Le Duke de St. Simon—a wit who hated every body. These Memoires—Fontaine's Fables—Madame de SevignéMarie de Sévigné de Rabutin-Chantal, Marquise de Sévigné, or: Marquise de Sévigné , Madame Sévigné | Born: 1626-02-05 in Paris, France. Died: 1696-04-17 in Grignan, France.
17th-century French aristocrat and salonniere, celebrated as a letter writer.—lmw
's letters—All MolièreJean-Baptiste Poquelin | Born: 1622-01-15 in Paris, France. Died: 1673-02-17 in Paris, France.
French actor, playwright, and writer of court entertainments; specialized in satirical comedies such as Tartuffe. —lmw
& all Regnard are the only things which console one for the page 4
trouble of learning French. (What a nice pen I have made!!) No! I never saw Strawberry HillStrawberry Hill House, Twickenham, England | Twickenham | England | 51.4382596 -0.3345635000000584 Horace Walpole’s house at Strawberry Hill, near Twickenham.—lmw though I have seen the famous Strawberry HillStrawberry Hill House, Twickenham, England | Twickenham | England | 51.4382596 -0.3345635000000584 Horace Walpole’s house at Strawberry Hill, near Twickenham.—lmw books—all I believe—especially the edition of Les Memoires de Grammont for which the pictures were collected. I never saw Strawberry HillStrawberry Hill House, Twickenham, England | Twickenham | England | 51.4382596 -0.3345635000000584 Horace Walpole’s house at Strawberry Hill, near Twickenham.—lmw —but I know exactly what it is—a gingerbread castle—Modern Gothic—all gilding & painted glass—smelling of courts all over—a very abomination of trumpery—I know all this—& yet I had rather see Strawberry HillStrawberry Hill House, Twickenham, England | Twickenham | England | 51.4382596 -0.3345635000000584 Horace Walpole’s house at Strawberry Hill, near Twickenham.—lmw than any place I know of. I should like to see Count Anthony's heroes & heroines—I should like to see the Kings & beauties of the white rose—my dear Edward the Fourth & Richard the ThirdRichard III of England King of England and Lord of Ireland Richard of Gloucester | Born: 1452-10-02 in Fotheringhay Castle, Northamptonshire, England. Died: 1485-08-22 in Bosworth Field, Leicestershire, England.
House of Plantaganet. King of England and Lord of Ireland from 1483 to 1485. After the death of his brother King Edward IV, Richard of Gloucester was appointed protector to his young sons, King Edward V and Richard of Shrewsbury, the Duke of York, and in preparation for Edward V's coronation, he lodged them at the Tower of London, and upon the mysterious disappearance of the boys, Richard took the throne. Richard is often accused, without proof, of having ordered the boys' execution to usurp the throne, a plot immortalized in Shakespeare's play, Richard III. His death at the Battle of Bosworth Field made him the last English king to die in battle, and effectively ended the dynastic Wars of the Roses between the Houses of York and Lancaster.—ebb
—I should like to see Madame de SevignéMarie de Sévigné de Rabutin-Chantal, Marquise de Sévigné, or: Marquise de Sévigné , Madame Sévigné | Born: 1626-02-05 in Paris, France. Died: 1696-04-17 in Grignan, France.
17th-century French aristocrat and salonniere, celebrated as a letter writer.—lmw
& Madame de Grignan I should like even to see the old China—but chiefly I should like to see the abode of Horace WalpoleHorace Walpole, or: 4th Earl of Orford (second creation) | Born: 1745-12-10 in London, England. Died: 1797-03-02 in Berkeley Square, London, England.
English politician, antiquarian, and author. Youngest son of Sir Robert Walpole, British Prime Minister and Catherine, his wife. Built Strawberry Hill in Twickenham. Mitford admired Walpole's letter-writing style in a April 8, 1819 letter to Elford. His correspondence was published after his death.—lmw
—the man of the last Century who pleases the best. Did you never read any of his letters? His unrivalled letters? I shall always consider it as one of the misfortunes of my life to have been born too late to be his Correspondent—Unless you have seen some of his letters there is no giving you any idea of them, the perfection of lightness, elegance, sarcasm & humour as picturesque as old Tapestry—as vivid as page 5
stained glass—as graceful as a Grecian scroll. There is no giving you any notion of Horace WalpoleHorace Walpole, or: 4th Earl of Orford (second creation) | Born: 1745-12-10 in London, England. Died: 1797-03-02 in Berkeley Square, London, England.
English politician, antiquarian, and author. Youngest son of Sir Robert Walpole, British Prime Minister and Catherine, his wife. Built Strawberry Hill in Twickenham. Mitford admired Walpole's letter-writing style in a April 8, 1819 letter to Elford. His correspondence was published after his death.—lmw
—except perhaps by negatives. He is never wise—never good—very seldom right—& never dull. He is just become the fashion—to my great annoyance—I have loved him—all my days & am quite provoked that EdinburghEdinburgh Review, second series. Edinburgh: Constable.
Quarterly political and literary review founded by Francis Jeffrey, Sydney Smith, Henry Brougham, and Francis Horner in 1802 and published by Archibald Constable in Edinburgh. It supported Whig and reformist politics and opposed its Tory and conservative rival, The Quarterly Review. Ceased publication in 1929.—lmw & QuarterlyQuarterly Review. 1809-1967.
Tory periodical founded by George Canning in 1809, published by John Murray. William Gifford edited the Quarterly Review from its founding in 1809 until 1824, was succeeded briefly by John Taylor Coleridge in 1825, until John Gibson Lockhart took over as editor from 1826 through 1853. Archived at Romantic Circles, Quarterly Review Archive —lmw Reviews should step in & make him common.—The only consolation that I have in being born some fifty or sixty years too late to rival his old blind Correspondent Madame du Deffand—is that I have much such another myself—not quite so good—but almost—incredibly good for a living man—very like him at all points—pleasant, humourous, graceful & as courtly as HoraceHorace Walpole, or: 4th Earl of Orford (second creation) | Born: 1745-12-10 in London, England. Died: 1797-03-02 in Berkeley Square, London, England.
English politician, antiquarian, and author. Youngest son of Sir Robert Walpole, British Prime Minister and Catherine, his wife. Built Strawberry Hill in Twickenham. Mitford admired Walpole's letter-writing style in a April 8, 1819 letter to Elford. His correspondence was published after his death.—lmw
himself—only rather to apt to be right. This Correspondent you know is Sir William ElfordWilliam Elford, Sir, baronet, Recorder for Plymouth, Recorder for Totnes, Member of Parliament | Born: 1749-08 in Kingsbridge, Devon, England. Died: 1837-11-30 in Totnes, Devon, England.
According to L’Estrange, Sir William was first a friend of Mitford’s father, and Mitford met him for the first time in the spring of 1810 when he was a widower nearing the age of 64. They carried on a lively correspondence until his death in 1837.
Elford worked as a banker at Plymouth Bank (Elford, Tingcombe and Purchase) in Plymouth, Devon, from its founding in 1782. He was elected a member of Parliament for Plymouth as a supporter of the government and Tory William Pitt, and served from 1796 to 1806. After his election defeat in Plymouth in 1806, he was elected member of Parliament for Rye and served from July 1807 until his resignation in July 1808. For his service in Parliament as a supporter of Pitt, he was made a baronet in 1800. After his son Jonathan came of age, he tried to secure a stable government post for him but never succeeded. Mayor of Plymouth in 1796 and Recorder for Plymouth from 1797 to 1833, he was also Recorder for Totnes from 1832 to 1834. Sir William served as an officer in the South Devon militia from 1788, eventually attaining the rank of Lieutenant Colonel; the unit saw active service in Ireland during the Peninsular Wars. Sir William was a talented amateur painter in oils and watercolors who exhibited at the Royal Society from 1774 to 1837; he exhibited still lifes and portraits but preferred landscapes. He was elected to the Royal Society Academy in 1790. He was also a talented amateur naturalist and was elected to the Royal Linnaean Society in 1790; late in life, he published his findings on an alternative to yeast.
He married his first wife, Mary Davies of Plympton, on January 20, 1776 and they had one son, Jonathan, and two daughters, Grace Chard and Elizabeth. After the death of his first wife, he married Elizabeth Hall Walrond, widow of Lieutenant-Colonel Maine Swete Walrond of the Coldstream Guards. His only son Jonathan died in 1823, leaving him without an heir.
—ebb, lmw

—He has been here while you were away & gave me a long account of the Exhibition—the picture of the year Madam, is he says the Post Office,the judges prefer it to Wilkie's[4] Refers to Penny Wedding—lmw—& being by a new man, the wonder & pleasure go hand in hand.—Then I have a long account of pictures from Mrs. HoflandBarbara Wreaks Hofland | Born: 1770 in Yorkshire, England. Died: 1844-11-04 in Richmond-on-Thames.
Frequent correspondent of Mitford's, mentioned often in her Journal of 1819-1823. Novelist and writer of children’s books popular in England and America, Barbara Hofland was a native of Sheffield, Yorkshire, where she published poems from July 1794 in the local newspaper, The Sheffield Iris. Her first marriage to Thomas Bradshawe Hoole left her widowed and in poverty, raising a son, Frederic, on her own, and she supported herself by publishing poems and children’s books, and by running a girl’s school in Harrogate. Her second marriage was to the artist Thomas Christopher Hofland. (Source: ODNB)—ebb, hjb who says the hanging Committee ought to be hanged—a short one from HaydonBenjamin Robert Haydon | Born: 1786-01-26 in Plymouth, England. Died: 1846-06-22 in London.
Benjamin Robert Haydon was a painter educated at the Royal Academy, who was famous for contemporary, historical, classical, biblical, and mythological scenes, though tormented by financial difficulties and incarceration. He painted William Wordsworth's portrait in 1842 and painted a cameo of Keats in his epic canvas Christ's Entry into Jerusalem(1814-20). MRM was introduced to him at his London studio in the spring of 1817, and Sir William Elford was a mutual friend, and Haydon’s own acquaintances included several prominent British Romantic literary figures. He completed The Raising of Lazarus in 1823 . He wrote a diary and an autobiography, both of which were published only posthumously, and he committed suicide in 1846. George Paston's Little Memoirs of the Nineteenth Century (1893) contends that Mitford was asked to edit Haydon's memoir, but declined.—rnes, ebb. (today) who except this Post Office, Wilkie's Picture—& Cooper's Battle of Marston & Alstons' Jacob['s]Dream—says of all the  Exhibitors AcademyRoyal Academy of Arts
The private arts institution The Royal Academy of Arts was founded by George III on 10 December 1768, at the behest of architect Sir William Chambers. Chambers and other artists and architects sought to establish a British national 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 Somerset House, a building designed and built by Chambers beginning in 1776 and likely not completed until after 1819. The institution moved to Trafalgar Square in the 1830s, to share space with the newly-founded National Gallery, and remained there until 1867. Mitford’s friend and correspondent Benjamin Robert Haydon, was a Member of the Royal Academy.—lmw
— "Heaven help them! Instead of having over their door in Greek Let no one unskilled in Art enter here, They should put "lasciete ogni Speranza voi ch' entrate"[5] Dante's Inferno, Canto 3—>—lmw—which lovely line you must know Mr. HaydonBenjamin Robert Haydon | Born: 1786-01-26 in Plymouth, England. Died: 1846-06-22 in London.
Benjamin Robert Haydon was a painter educated at the Royal Academy, who was famous for contemporary, historical, classical, biblical, and mythological scenes, though tormented by financial difficulties and incarceration. He painted William Wordsworth's portrait in 1842 and painted a cameo of Keats in his epic canvas Christ's Entry into Jerusalem(1814-20). MRM was introduced to him at his London studio in the spring of 1817, and Sir William Elford was a mutual friend, and Haydon’s own acquaintances included several prominent British Romantic literary figures. He completed The Raising of Lazarus in 1823 . He wrote a diary and an autobiography, both of which were published only posthumously, and he committed suicide in 1846. George Paston's Little Memoirs of the Nineteenth Century (1893) contends that Mitford was asked to edit Haydon's memoir, but declined.—rnes, ebb has taken from from the Inscription over the Gate of Hell in Dante's InfernoInferno. Dante . Foligno, Italy: 1472.
The Inferno is the first part of Dante Alighieri’s 14th-century epic poem %h3 Divine Comedy. Scholars believe the Divine Comedy was completed in 1420; it was first printed in .—lmw, & means literally all ye who enter leave all hope behind. So you find he is growing saucy again—& well enough to paint thank Heaven.—When you come & see me I write tell you all the little things which prevented my sending you to see his picture—the greatest was my intention to come to TownLondon, England | London | England | 51.5073509 -0.12775829999998223 Capital city of England and the United Kingdom; one the oldest cities in Western Europe. Major seaport and global trading center at the mouth of the Thames. From 1831 to 1925, the largest city in the world.—lmw & take you myself—I do hope however before the summer is over to show you to him here which will be better every way.—I want most dismally to see you my own dear MaryMary 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—when can you come? 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 & MamaMary Russell Mitford, or: Mrs. Mitford | Born: 1750 in Ashe, Hampshire, England. Died: 1830-01-02 in Three Mile Cross, parish of Shinfield, Berkshire, England.
Mary Russell was the youngest child of the Rev. Dr. Richard Russell and his second wife, Mary Dicker; she was born about 1750 in Ashe, Hampshire. (Her birth date is as yet unverified; period sources indicate that she was ten years older than her husband George, born in 1760.) Through the Russells, she was a distant relation of the Dukes of Bedford (sixth creation, 1694). She had two siblings, Charles William and Frances; both predeceased her and their parents, which resulted in Mary Russell inheriting her family’s entire estate upon her mother’s death in 1785. Her father’s rectory in Ashe was only a short distance from Steventon, and so she was acquainted with the young Jane Austen. She married George Mitford or Midford on October 17, 1785 at New Alresford, Hampshire. On the marriage allegation papers, both gave their addresses as Old Alresford. Their only daughter, Mary Russell Mitford, was born two years later on December 16, 1787 at New Alresford, Hampshire. Mary Russell died on January 2, 1830 at Three Mile Cross in the parish of Shinfield, Berkshire. Her obituary in the 1830 New Monthly Magazine gives New Year’s day as the date of her death.—ajc, lmw
are going into HampshireHampshire, England | Hampshire England | 51.05769480000001 -1.3080628999999817 County on the southern coast of England, known historically as the County of Southampton. The county town is Winchester. Abbreviated Hants. —lmw on Sunday or Monday for the week—Now the now in your unbounded hospitality. page 6
that full or empty you will will be asking me to come to you. But I can't our people are all crazed with love—MamaMary Russell Mitford, or: Mrs. Mitford | Born: 1750 in Ashe, Hampshire, England. Died: 1830-01-02 in Three Mile Cross, parish of Shinfield, Berkshire, England.
Mary Russell was the youngest child of the Rev. Dr. Richard Russell and his second wife, Mary Dicker; she was born about 1750 in Ashe, Hampshire. (Her birth date is as yet unverified; period sources indicate that she was ten years older than her husband George, born in 1760.) Through the Russells, she was a distant relation of the Dukes of Bedford (sixth creation, 1694). She had two siblings, Charles William and Frances; both predeceased her and their parents, which resulted in Mary Russell inheriting her family’s entire estate upon her mother’s death in 1785. Her father’s rectory in Ashe was only a short distance from Steventon, and so she was acquainted with the young Jane Austen. She married George Mitford or Midford on October 17, 1785 at New Alresford, Hampshire. On the marriage allegation papers, both gave their addresses as Old Alresford. Their only daughter, Mary Russell Mitford, was born two years later on December 16, 1787 at New Alresford, Hampshire. Mary Russell died on January 2, 1830 at Three Mile Cross in the parish of Shinfield, Berkshire. Her obituary in the 1830 New Monthly Magazine gives New Year’s day as the date of her death.—ajc, lmw
would not go till I had promised her not to leave the house—so you must come & see me that is certain. Cannot you come on Tuesday you & our dear 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—or dear Aunt MaryMary Webb, or: Aunt Mary
Friend ofMary Russell Mitford. Sister or sister-in-law of James Webb and aunt of Eliza, Jane and Mary Webb. Francis Needhamsuggests that she was the basis for the character of Aunt Martha in the Our Villagestory of that title. Sources: Francis Needham, Letter to William Roberts, 16 June 1953 . Needham Papers, Reading Central Library . Relationship to other Webbs and birth and death dates unknown. More research needed.—scw, lmw or dear Kate 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—or even you alone? Pray do if possible & let me know—or any other day that will suit you better—only let me know for fear of my prime minister LucyLucy Sweatser Hill | Born: 1790-05-02 in Stratfield Saye, Berkshire, England. Died: .
Beloved servant for twelve years in the Mitford household who, on 7 August 1820 married Charles Hill. She is the basis for the title character in the Our Village story. Source: Needham Papers, Reading Central Library. —scw hopping out. Do come & spend a long day with me & tell me all about the James's & a thousand things that I wish to hear. I will be very charming & amusing in my turn I promise you.—You shall then chusechoose some books. BurnsRobert Burns | Born: 1759-01-25 in Alloway, Ayrshire, Scotland. Died: 1796-07-21 in Dumfries, Dumfriesshire, Scotland.
Scottish poet, author of Poems, Chiefly in the Scottish Dialect (1786). Rented and farmed the 170-acre Ellisand Farm, where he built a house and collected and rewrote local songs and ballads from his neighbors. Burns's poems and songs were mostly published in posthumous collections between 1799 and 1808 .—ebb, esh
though you may have seen it here was not mine—I have only a trumpery small edition—Dr. Currie's Life I had from ColeyColey Park, Berkshire, England | Coley | Coley Park | Berkshire | England | 51.4432268 -0.9902848000000404 An estate just south west of Reading. The Moncks owned Coley Park from 1810 and Mitford occasionally posted franked letters from there when J. B Monck was a Member of Parliament. Also referred to as Coley, although this name also refers to a nearby district of Reading proper.—lmw —If Dr. ValpyRichard Valpy, Doctor of Divinity, or: Dr. Valpy | Born: 1754-12-07 in St. John’s, Jersey, Channel Islands. Died: 1836-03-28 in Reading, Berkshire, England.
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 Mary Russell Mitford. He matriculated at Pembroke College, Oxford University on April 1, 1773, aged eighteen, as a Morley scholar. He received from Oxford a B.A. (1776), M.A. (1784), B.D. & D.D. (1792). He took orders in the Church of England in 1777. Richard Valpy served as Second Master at Bury School, Bury, Huntindonshire from 1771 to 1781, and was also collated to the rectory of Stradishall, Suffolk, in 1787. He became the Headmaster at Reading School, Reading, Berkshire, in 1781 and served until 1830, at which time he turned the Headmastership over to his youngest son Francis E. J. Valpy and continued in semi-retirement until his death in 1836. During his tenure as Headmaster of Reading Grammar School for boys over the course of fifty years, he expanded the boarding school and added new buildings. He is the author of numerous published works, including Greek and Latin textbooks, sermons, volumes of poetry, and adaptations of plays such as Shakespeare’s King John and Sheridan’s The Critic. His Elements of Greek Grammar, Elements of Latin Grammar,,Greek Delectus and Latin Delectus, printed and published by his son A. J. Valpy, were all much used as school texts throughout the nineteenth century. Valpy’s students performed his own adaptations of Greek, Latin, and English plays for the triennial visitations and the play receipts went to charitable organizations. Valpy enlisted Mitford to write reviews of the productions for the Reading Mercury. In 1803, his adaptation of Shakespeare’s King John was performed at Covent Garden Theatre.
Richard Valpy was married twice and had twelve children, eleven of whom lived to adulthood. His first wife was Martha Cornelia de Cartaret; Richard and Martha were married about 1778 and they had one daughter, Martha Cartaretta Cornelia. His first wife Martha died about 1780 and he married Mary Benwell of Caversham, Oxfordshire on May 30, 1782. Together they had six sons and five daughters and ten of their eleven children survived to adulthood. Richard Valpy and Mary Benwell’s sons were Richard Valpy (the fifth of that name), Abraham John Valpy, called John; Gabriel Valpy, Anthony Blagrove Valpy; and Francis Edward Jackson Valpy. His daughters were Mary Ann Catherine Valpy; Sarah Frances Valpy, called Frances or Fanny; Catherine Elizabeth Blanch Valpy; Penelope Arabella Valpy; and Elizabeth Charlotte Valpy, who died as an infant.
Richard Valpy died on March 28, 1836 in Reading, Berkshire, and is buried in All Souls cemetery, Kensal Green, London. Dr. Valpy’s students placed a marble bust of him in St. Lawrence’s church, Reading, Berkshire, after his death. John Opie painted Dr. Valpy’s portrait. See .—ebb, lmw
has it I will borrow it for you—No book can be more charming.—I am delighted to hear so favorable an account of your dear FatherJames Webb | Born: 1769 in Wokingham, Berkshire, England. Died: 1822-01-11 in Wokingham, Berkshire, England.
Prominent manufacturer in the Wokinghambrewing industry, and community leader in Wokingham and the county of Berkshire. Father of Eliza, Jane, and Mary Webb. Francis Needham suggested that he was the original of the gentleman in the Our Villagesketch Aunt Martha. Sources: Francis Needham, Letter to William Roberts, 16 June 1953 . Needham Papers, Reading Central Library . —scw, lmw—I hope he has been very prudent this week & not suffered from his hospitality—The puppies arrived very late & are the greatest beauties ever seen—I have scarcely room for my kindest love to All & God bless you.

To prove that my Correspondent is at least as courtly as HoraceHorace Walpole, or: 4th Earl of Orford (second creation) | Born: 1745-12-10 in London, England. Died: 1797-03-02 in Berkeley Square, London, England.
English politician, antiquarian, and author. Youngest son of Sir Robert Walpole, British Prime Minister and Catherine, his wife. Built Strawberry Hill in Twickenham. Mitford admired Walpole's letter-writing style in a April 8, 1819 letter to Elford. His correspondence was published after his death.—lmw
the well-beloved, his very fine landscape in the Exhibition this year is intended for Carlton House—The RegentGeorge Augustus Frederick , King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Prince Regent, or: Prince Regent | Born: 1762-08-12 in St James's Palace, London, England. Died: 1830-06-26 in Windsor Castle, London, England.
King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and King of Hanover. House of Hanover. Reigned as Prince Regent during the long final illness of his father from 1811 to 1820. Formerly Prince of Wales and a supporter of the Foxite Whigs. He commissioned the Royal Pavilion in Brighton and supervised the large-scale remodeling of Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle.—ebb, lmw
asked for it—imagine the lecture I read the luckless painter—Sir WilliamWilliam Elford, Sir, baronet, Recorder for Plymouth, Recorder for Totnes, Member of Parliament | Born: 1749-08 in Kingsbridge, Devon, England. Died: 1837-11-30 in Totnes, Devon, England.
According to L’Estrange, Sir William was first a friend of Mitford’s father, and Mitford met him for the first time in the spring of 1810 when he was a widower nearing the age of 64. They carried on a lively correspondence until his death in 1837.
Elford worked as a banker at Plymouth Bank (Elford, Tingcombe and Purchase) in Plymouth, Devon, from its founding in 1782. He was elected a member of Parliament for Plymouth as a supporter of the government and Tory William Pitt, and served from 1796 to 1806. After his election defeat in Plymouth in 1806, he was elected member of Parliament for Rye and served from July 1807 until his resignation in July 1808. For his service in Parliament as a supporter of Pitt, he was made a baronet in 1800. After his son Jonathan came of age, he tried to secure a stable government post for him but never succeeded. Mayor of Plymouth in 1796 and Recorder for Plymouth from 1797 to 1833, he was also Recorder for Totnes from 1832 to 1834. Sir William served as an officer in the South Devon militia from 1788, eventually attaining the rank of Lieutenant Colonel; the unit saw active service in Ireland during the Peninsular Wars. Sir William was a talented amateur painter in oils and watercolors who exhibited at the Royal Society from 1774 to 1837; he exhibited still lifes and portraits but preferred landscapes. He was elected to the Royal Society Academy in 1790. He was also a talented amateur naturalist and was elected to the Royal Linnaean Society in 1790; late in life, he published his findings on an alternative to yeast.
He married his first wife, Mary Davies of Plympton, on January 20, 1776 and they had one son, Jonathan, and two daughters, Grace Chard and Elizabeth. After the death of his first wife, he married Elizabeth Hall Walrond, widow of Lieutenant-Colonel Maine Swete Walrond of the Coldstream Guards. His only son Jonathan died in 1823, leaving him without an heir.
—ebb, lmw

put me in mind of Mr. WebbJames Webb | Born: 1769 in Wokingham, Berkshire, England. Died: 1822-01-11 in Wokingham, Berkshire, England.
Prominent manufacturer in the Wokinghambrewing industry, and community leader in Wokingham and the county of Berkshire. Father of Eliza, Jane, and Mary Webb. Francis Needham suggested that he was the original of the gentleman in the Our Villagesketch Aunt Martha. Sources: Francis Needham, Letter to William Roberts, 16 June 1953 . Needham Papers, Reading Central Library . —scw, lmw—he said I should certainly come to be hanged. Are you forgiven do you think my own love? page 7
Let me have just one line on Saturday to say you will come.