MS 433 02

Reference code

MS 433 02

Title

Letters from Wilfred P. Thesiger

Level

Series

Administrative / Biographical history

Wilfred Thesiger’s mother, Kathleen Mary (1880–1973), was the elder daughter of Thomas Mercer Cliffe Vigors, of Burgage, co. Carlow. She married Wilfred Gilbert Thesiger in 1909 and after her first husband’s early death in 1920 she married Reginald Astley in 1931.

Date

1920-1973

Extent & medium

4 boxes containing a total of 71 files

Content description

This series contains letters Wilfred Thesiger wrote to his mother and his brothers. Thesiger’s mother played an important role in her son’s life after the death of Wilfred Gilbert Thesiger and mother and son remained very close until her death in 1973.

The letters cover Thesiger’s life and his experiences from when he was at school to his expeditions. As Thesiger left school, the letters become much more detailed and provide a very personal insight into Thesiger and his life.

Arrangement

Thesiger kept these letters separate from the rest of his correspondence and so it has been catalogued as a separate series to reflect this. The original chronological arrangement has been maintained