Boston College Collection of Alice Meynell 1875-1938, undated MS.1986.061 http://hdl.handle.net/2345/1140

Archives and Manuscripts Department John J. Burns Library Boston College 140 Commonwealth Avenue Chestnut Hill 02467 library.bc.edu/burns/contact URL: http://www.bc.edu/burns Table of Contents

Summary Information ...... 3 Administrative Information ...... 4 Related Materials ...... 4 Biographical note ...... 5 Scope and Contents ...... 5 Arrangement ...... 6 Collection Inventory ...... 7 I: Correspondence ...... 7 II: Writings ...... 8 III: Illuminated manuscript of The Poems of Alice Meynell ...... 9 IV: Illustrations for Preludes ...... 9 V: Portraits ...... 9 VI: Scrapbook ...... 9

Boston College Collection of Alice Meynell MS.1986.061

- Page 2 - Summary Information

Creator: Meynell, Alice, 1847-1922 Title: Boston College collection of Alice Meynell ID: MS.1986.061 Date [inclusive]: 1875-1938, undated Physical Description 6.5 Linear feet (5 boxes) Language of the English Material: Abstract: The collection consists of materials related to the writer, editor, and art critic Alice Meynell. It includes correspondence of Meynell and her family; manuscripts and proofs of her writings; illustrations for her Preludes; portraits of Meynell; an illuminated manuscript of her poems; and a scrapbook of articles and reviews both by and about Meynell. Preferred Citation

Identification of item, Box number, Folder number, Boston College collection of Alice Meynell, MS.1986.061, John J. Burns Library, Boston College.

Boston College Collection of Alice Meynell MS.1986.061

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Publication Information Processed by Stephanie Hall in January 2019. This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace.

Restrictions on access Collection is open for research.

Restrictions on use These materials are made available for use in research, teaching and private study, pursuant to U.S. Copyright Law. The user must assume full responsibility for any use of the materials, including but not limited to, infringement of copyright and publication rights of reproduced materials. Any materials used for academic research or otherwise should be fully credited with the source. The original authors may retain copyright to the materials.

Provenance Because the current accessioning system was not used until January 1986, it is not possible to know exactly the dates of acquisition of materials received before that time. Additional materials were purchased from David J. Holmes in 1989, as well as from Kelmscott Bookshop in November 2015 and July 2016.

Processing Information The scrapbook contained both loose correspondence by Meynell and adhered correpsondence to Meynell. The loose correspondence was moved to the correspondence series, since these letters were also authored by her.

Related Materials

Related Materials J. Randolph Sasnett papers, MS.1989.017, John J. Burns Library, Boston College.

Viola Meynell letters, MS.1986.035, John J. Burns Library, Boston College.

Wilfrid Meynell collection, MS.1986.042, John J. Burns Library, Boston College.

Boston College Collection of Alice Meynell MS.1986.061

- Page 4 - Biographical note

Alice Meynell was born in England on October 11, 1847 to Thomas James and Christiana Weller Thompson. Her mother was introduced to her father by his friend, author . Alice and her sister Elizabeth received their education from their father and were brought up primarily in the English countryside and Italy. Alice was encouraged to write poetry by Alfred, Lord Tennyson, to whom she was introduced by family friend Aubrey de Vere. Alice became a poet, and Elizabeth became a painter.

In 1868, Alice was received into the Catholic Church at St. George's, Worcester. Her mother had converted, and her sister and father eventually did as well. A devout Catholic, Meynell's faith was of central importance to her life and work.

Meynell's first book of poetry, Preludes (1875) featured illustrations by Elizabeth. The work was well- received by such literary figures as Tennyson, de Vere, Christina Rosetti, and . Shortly thereafter, she met and married , a journalist and admirer of her work. With Wilfrid, she had eight children; one died infancy. While raising their family, Meynell continued to write and to assist Wilfrid with the editorial responsibilities of the Weekly Register and Merry England.

Meynell contributed to the Pall Mall Gazette, National Observer, Spectator, and Tablet as a reviewer, critic, essayist, and columnist. An accomplished art critic, she also wrote for the Magazine of Art and Art Journal. She was the author of seven collections of essays, including The Rhythm of Life (1893), and numerous prefaces to works by noted literary figures, including William Blake and William Wordsworth.

Meynell died on November 27, 1922.

Sources:

Badeni, June. "Meynell [née Thompson], Alice Christiana Gertrude (1847-1922), Poet and Journalist." Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, 2004, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.

Scope and Contents

The collection consists of correspondence; writings by Meynell; illustrations for Meynell's Preludes by her sister, Elizabeth Butler (Elizabeth Southerden Thompson); portraits; an illuminated manuscript of The Poems of Alice Meynell; and a scrapbook of articles, reviews, and correspondence.

Correspondence consists primarily of letters from Meynell, although letters written by members of her family are also included. Of particular note are letters written to publisher John Lane, as well as correspondence by various Meynell family members to Meynell's daughter, Madeline, whom the family calling "Dimpling."

Boston College Collection of Alice Meynell MS.1986.061

- Page 5 - Writings by Meynell include both proofs of her poetry and essay collections, as well as manuscript copies of her poetry.

The illuminated manuscript was a memorial gift to Wilfrid Meynell from Dorothy Maclean Rawcliffe in 1924 and includes a letter from her to Wilfrid. The manuscript was designed, scribed, and illuminated by Alberto Sangorski.

The scrapbook, which was possibly created by a family member, contains articles, reviews, and other writings, both by and about Meynell, as well as correspondence written to her from family and friends. Additionally, it contains obituaries for Meynell.

Arrangement

The collection is arranged into six series: I. Correspondence; II. Writings; III. Illuminated manuscript of The Poems of Alice Meynell; IV. Illustrations for Preludes; V. Portraits; and VI. Scrapbook.

Series I. Correspondence is divided into two subseries: A. By Alice Meynell and B. By Alice Meynell's family members.

Boston College Collection of Alice Meynell MS.1986.061

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Series I: Correspondence, 1885-1938 Scope and Contents

Some folders also include correspondence with the Boston College librarian, Terence Connolly, SJ.

Arrangement

Alphabetical by correspondent.

Subseries A: By Alice Meynell, 1885-1919, undated

Baddeley, Welbore St. Clair, 1893-1896 box 1 folder 1

Barton, Mr., undated box 1 folder 2

Brannon, Mrs., 1910, undated box 1 folder 3

Chilton, Mrs. Carroll Brent, 1911 June 3 box 1 folder 4

Cockerell, Sidney, 1900 June 16, 1914 December 24 box 1 folder 5

Craies, Mrs., 1919 December 12 box 1 folder 6

Day, Holland, undated box 1 folder 7

Dennis, John, undated box 1 folder 8

Dunn, Mr., undated box 1 folder 9

Farjeon, Mr., possibly, undated box 1 folder 10

Lane, John, 1892-1898, undated box 1 folder 11

Maas, William, 1916-1918 box 1 folder 12

Meynell, Madeline, 1902-1913 box 1 folder 13

Patmore, Coventry, 1892 October 7 box 1 folder 14

Patmore, Harriet, undated box 1 folder 15

Richards, Grant, undated box 1 folder 16

Stephens, Emily H., 1906-1912 box 1 folder 17

Tead, possibly, undated box 1 folder 18

Tuell, Anne Kimball, 1921, 1938 box 1 folder 19

Tuir, Mrs., undated box 1 folder 20

Warren, undated box 1 folder 21

Unidentified correspondents, 1885-1886

Boston College Collection of Alice Meynell MS.1986.061

- Page 7 - box 1 folder 22

Subseries B: By Alice Meynell's family members, 1923-1938

Meynell, Francis to Wilfrid Meynell, 1930 August 26 box 1 folder 23

Meynell, Prue to Lobbie, possibly, undated box 1 folder 24

Meynell, Viola to Madeline Meynell, undated box 1 folder 25

Meynell, Wilfrid to Madeline Meynell, 1923 April 15, undated box 1 folder 26

Series II: Writings, 1896-1930, undated Scope and Contents

Writings are manuscript drafts of poems, except where otherwise noted.

Arrangement

Alphabetical by title.

"Christ in Portugal", 1911 December box 1 folder 28

The Colour of Life and Other Essays on Things Seen and Heard, box 1 folder 29 proof, circa 1896

"The Divinity of Mary", undated box 1 folder 30

"The English Metres", undated box 1 folder 31

Essays, "Women and Books" section, proof, circa 1914 box 1 folder 32

"Free Will", undated box 1 folder 33

Hearts of Controversy proofs, circa 1917 box shared box shared

Hearts of Controversy, "Swinburne," draft, before 1917 box 1 folder 34

A Father of Women and Other Poems proof, circa 1917 box shared

"The Poet to the Birds", undated box 1 folder 35

Preface to Poems by Elizabeth Barrett Browning, circa 1903 box 1 folder 36

"Reflexions", 1920 April box 1 folder 37

"Renouncement", undated box 1 folder 38

Selected Poems of Alice Meynell, proof, 1930 August box 1 folder 39

"The Shepherdess", undated box 1 folder 40

The Spirit of the Place and Other Essays, "The Lady of the box 1 folder 41 Lyrics," proof, circa 1899

"Summer in England 1914", circa 1917 box 1 folder 42

"The Watershed", undated Boston College Collection of Alice Meynell MS.1986.061

- Page 8 - box 1 folder 43

"The Wind is Blind", circa 1900 box 1 folder 44

Series III: Illuminated manuscript of The box 2 Poems of Alice Meynell, 1924

Series IV: Illustrations for Preludes, 1875, box 1 folder 45 undated

Series V: Portraits, 1910, undated box 1 folder 46 Scope and Contents box shared folder 3

Contains a photograph of Alice Meynell and Agnes Tobin, as well as a copy of 's portrait of Meynell.

Series VI: Scrapbook, 1876-1920 box 1 folder 47-58 Processing Information box 3

Loose materials from the scrapbook have been foldered separately.

Boston College Collection of Alice Meynell MS.1986.061

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