Shelfmark
MS 254
Author
Title
Two autograph letters signed from Mary Shelley to her aunt Everina Wollstonecraft, an anonymous poem about Lord Byron and related correspondence.
Publication, distribution, etc.
London ; Florence, c.1840.
Physical description
8 items.
Note
Devised title.
Note
[1]: Autograph letter signed from Mary Shelley to Everina Wollstonecraft ("My dear Aunt"), dated "Florence. 24 Nov". Single leaf with Shelley's holograph on both sides. Shelley describes her and P. B. Shelley's life in Italy and her health.
Note
[2]: Autograph letter signed from Mary Shelley to Everina Wollstonecraft, signed "Putney - 1st March" at the bottom.
Note
[3]: Anonymous ms. poem entitled "On the lamented death of Lord Byron". 1 leaf, folded, and dated "May 25, 1824" at bottom. A note in the same anonymous hand on the verso reads "[...] I thank you Mrs [?] Larkin for this seeming kind remembrance [...]" and the poem is addressed to Mrs Coste, Hoxton, London. A "Mrs Larkin" is also mentioned in the second autograph letter from Shelley to Everina: "The name of Mrs Larkin with 4 friends - 5 in all - is [...] on the free list for Tuesday night 3d March".
Note
With typed transcript of the first autograph letter.
Provenance
With two letters from J. H. Coste to the librarian at Eton College in 1953 asking whether the College would like to have the collection. Coste writes that Everina Wollstonecraft gave the letters and poem to his grandfather "many years ago", that they then belonged to his mother and that the anonymous poem about Byron had always been kept with the letters.
Provenance
With two earlier letters between Mrs Coste and Fred James about the letters and poem.
Subject
Subject
Added entry--name
Added entry--name
Coste, J. H. (John Henry), 1871 - ? former owner.
Added entry--place
England London.
Identifier
B38919