The Female Spectator CHAWTON HOUSE LIBRARY VOL.15 No.1, Winter 2011 ISSN1746-8604 CHAWTON HOUSE LIBRARY VISITING FELLOWSHIPS in partnership with the Faculty of HUManities at the University of SouthaMpton In October 2007, our first Visiting Fellows arrived We are now inviting applications for the forthcom- at Chawton House Library to take up their fellow- ing academic year. This year, we have taken the ships. We can now count over sixty ‘alumni’ from decision to offer fellowships of no more than one Europe, North America, Japan, Australia and, month. This seems to be the best way of dealing soon, India: our first Visiting Fellow from the coun- with an increasing volume of applications, as the try takes up her position later this year. Readers programme goes from strength to strength. To of The Female Spectator will have read many ac- help us with the administration of the scheme, we counts of the varied and innovative research our are inviting hard copy applications only, and they Fellows have undertaken in recent years. This is- must reach me at the University of Southampton sue is no exception: Meghan Parker, a Visiting Fel- (along with a confidential letter of reference, to be low in 2010, demonstrates the importance of the sent separately) by 9 May 2011. Chawton House Library collection in her article As ever, the aim of our Fellowships is to enable in- about a ‘mysterious note-writer’ in the edition of dividuals to undertake significant research in the Aphra Behn’s Love Letters Between a Nobleman long eighteenth century. In keeping with the mis- and His Sister she consulted whilst in residence sion of the CHL and the special qualities of the Li- here. brary’s collection, projects that focus on women’s As the doctoral dissertations and books start to writing or lives during the period are warmly wel- come in to the collection, acknowledging the sup- comed. Any proposal, however, that promises sig- port offered by the Chawton House Library Visit- nificant research on the long eighteenth century ing Fellowship scheme, it is clear that former Fel- will be given careful consideration. We would also lows found their time in the library invaluable. As welcome applications from groups of up to four the programme grows, it is a particular pleasure scholars who wish to pursue a joint project while in to see friendships forged at Chawton continuing to residence – this is a new move for 2011-12, and one provide mutual support as colleagues meet again at suggested by the wonderfully collegiate atmosphere international conferences such as the British and that most of our Fellows find when they are on site. North American Societies for Eighteenth-Century For further details about the Fellowships, and how Studies. to apply, please see our website: http://www.chaw- For the past two years, the Visiting Fellowships ton.org/education/fellowship.html More informa- have been run in partnership with the Faculty of tion about the University of Southampton Centre Humanities at the University of Southampton. Vis- for Eighteenth-Century Studies can be found here: iting Fellows have benefited enormously from the http://www.soton.ac.uk/scecs/index.html electronic resources offered by Gillian Dow the Hartley Library at the Uni- versity. Unfortunately, Chaw- ton House Library is unable to subscribe to expensive, yet essential, resources for eight- eenth-century scholars such as Eighteenth-Century Collections Online. Accessing the Hartley Library resources means that Visiting Fellows can consult dig- ital editions of works that the library does not (yet!) hold a copy of. We are therefore de- lighted that this support will continue for 2011-12. The Stables, Chawton House The John RocQue Map of The Female Spectator LonDon Winter 2011 Editors: By Jacqui Grainger, Librarian Academic: Gillian Dow The Map Room at Chawton House Library is domi- nated by a massive map of London which has been General: Helen Cole, Sandy White mounted onto a folding screen. It captivates visi- tors, who compare its record to their own knowl- edge of London – even the locations of the homes of eighteenth-century writers and publishers get Chawton House Library Visiting 1 identified. It is one of the collection of maps from Fellowships programme the long eighteenth century at the library that fo- cus on London and Hampshire, found in the ap- Gillian Dow propriately named Map Room, but also in other locations around the house. The John Rocque map of London 2 The map is one of John Rocque’s ‘Plan of the Cit- Jacqui Grainger ies of London and Westminster and borough of Southwark’ and it measures six-and-a-half feet by thirteen. It is the result of the first thorough On-site accommodation at 3 survey since William Morgan’s ‘London survey’d’ Chawton House Library which had probably first been issued in 1692, and was followed by three reprints up to 1732. As Lon- Gillian Dow don had grown rapidly because of its expanding population, and the development of the West End, A mysterious note-writer and 4 there was a need for a new and more thorough map. Aphra Behn’s Love Letters Between a Nobleman and His Sister John Rocque was born of Huguenot par- Meghan Parker ents and had arrived in England, via Gene- House and Estate News 6 va, at some point be- fore 1734. He worked Paul Dearn as a garden surveyor for the London élite before taking on the Chawton Chronicles: a letter from 7 challenge of survey- the CEO ing what was the larg- Stephen Lawrence est city in the world. He began the work on the survey in 1739 ‘What signifies a theatre?’ Private 8 and, with the engrav- Detail from the John Rocque Theatricals, 1780-1820 er John Pine, sought map, 1746, in the collections at the patronage of the Chawton House Library. Judith Hawley and Elaine McGirr Corporation of Lon- don. Seven years later in 1746 the 24-sheet map was advertised in the General Advertiser and the Sensational Stories: Crime and 10 map’s subscribers had all received their copies by Passion November 1747. The map then became available Helen Cole to non-subscribers. Contemporary advice to pur- chasers was to join the twenty-four sheets togeth- er as one map, either backed on canvas for a roller Dates for your diary 12 and pulley that may be let down for examination, or made into a beautiful and useful screen, such as we have at Chawton. Far more details of the map’s history can be found in The A-Z of Georgian London, with introductory notes by Ralph Hyde (London, Harry Margary, 1981). 2 The Female Spectator Vol. 15 No. 1 Winter 2011 ON-site AccoMMODation at Chawton House Library Now Available One never thinks of the south of England as be- ing an isolated part of the world, and yet, on a cold and dark winter evening, the walk from Chawton to the train station in Alton does not seem like a very easy distance. I often feel myself that Chawton may have claims to being the darkest village in Hamp- shire, eschewing street lights for the most part. And although this adds to the charm, it can be an in- convenience for the visitor reliant on public transport. We are delighted, therefore, to announce that we are now able to offer on-site accommodation for those A bedroom in the Stables who would like to come and Whatever your reason for a visit, we can assure visit the library. Perhaps you need to consult one you of a very warm welcome. And we can offer bed of the texts in our library collection, but you can- and a self-service breakfast accommodation in a not apply for a visiting fellowship for a longer stay. room with a private bathroom at the rate of £50 Perhaps you would like to come and hear one of per room per night; £65 for a couple. our evening lectures, but you live too far away to do the return trip in a day. Perhaps you would like This accommodation will be available Monday to to explore the estate, and see the snowdrops, or Thursday, with the possibility of some weekends the roses, in full glory. too. For evening meals, you will share kitchen facilities with our Visiting Fellows, and with other guests in residence. Or you may pre- fer to eat in the local pub, The Greyfriars (torch pro- vided!) To enquire about avail- ability, and to book, please contact Paul Dearn, Operations Manager: [email protected] We look forward to see- ing you at Chawton House Library. Gillian Dow The Stables kitchen The Female Spectator Vol. 15 No. 1 Winter 2011 3 A Mysterious note-writer anD Aphra Behn’S Love Letters Between A NobleMan anD His Sister By Meghan Parker On the first and second flyleaves are the following notes, written in the same hand: I arrived at Chawton House Library to examine the paratextual materials several female authors, The only work besides the present * of this au- particularly Aphra Behn, used in their publica- thor, is ‘The Secret History of the Rye-house tions printed during the latter half of the seven- Plot and of Monmouth’s Rebellion, written by teenth century. Since my project focuses upon Ford, Lord Grey, in 1685.x Now first published paratextual materials, I concentrated upon the from a Manuscript signed by himself, before the writings that preface the text proper. I was pri- Earl of Sunderland.” 1754. — * Which may ad- marily interested in any differences I might find mit of much doubt.