can you help?
Diaries and letters belonging to the Smiths, Goslings and their relatives reside in places as diverse as Duke University and the Hampshire Record Office. I have also tracked down several private collectors. Have you come across these people? Do you own a diary or a letter (or letterbook) or a portrait which once belonged to the family. If so, I want to hear from you!
Are you familiar with former residences associated with them:
- Suttons (Romford, Essex), Hassobury (Farnham, Essex); also Albyns, Clayberry, Dagnams, Hill Hall, Kelvedon, Skreens, etc. (all: Essex)
- Tring Park (Herts.)
- Mapledurham House, Speen, or Newbury (Oxon.)
- Kinwarton (Warks.)
- Castle Ashby; Preston Deanery (Northants.)
- Erle Stoke Park (Wilts.)
- The Vyne (near Basingstoke); Stanlake (near Twyford); Blendworth; Brooklands (all: Hants.)
- Purley Hall (Berks.)
- Coolhurst (West Sussex)
- Roehampton Grove; Botleys (near Chertsey); Cobham Place (all: Surrey)
- the London borough (now Newham and future site of the Olympics…) once known as Stratford
- the London townhouses: No. 5 & No. 6 Portland Place; No. 144 Piccadilly (home of the (Sir) Drummond Smiths); No. 145 Piccadilly (home of the Smith-Burgeses [sometimes spelled Smith-Burgess]; later purchased by Lord Northampton); the Le Marchant residence at 84 (or No. 7) Harley Street; the residence of the Curries, (No. 12?) Cavendish Square; the Christies lived in 1833 somewhere on Park Crescent.
- two Ramsgate ‘vacation’ residences are mentioned in letters: No. 7 Albion Place (the Christies; 1840) and No. 3 Nelson’s Crescent (Lady Smith; 1841)
Or familiar with some of the Essex families the Smiths of Suttons had as neighbors
- Abdy
- Beadon
- Bonham
- Bosanquet
- Bramston
- Cure
- Deedes
- Edridge
- Linzee
- Lockwood
- Mildmay
- (Comyns) Parker
- Round
- Smijth
- Tower
Or those whom they employed:
- the two Miss Ashleys (one or both were governesses to the Smiths, over two generations; one identified as Sarah Ashley, the other as yet has no first name)
- Miss Helen McDougall or Miss Ramsay or Miss Manley (Smith governesses prior to Miss Ashley)
- Mrs Sandoz (Mary’s governess) and her daughter
- Mary Adams; Barlow; Sarah Batch; Bowen; Conybeare (spelling?), the new Butler in 1832; Davis; Martha Finch; Foster; Godfrey; Hinds, possibly the departing Butler in 1832; Ketcham (a maid); Marshall (who may be Catherine ‘Kitty’ Marshall); Reeves, new Butler in 1840; Betsey Thomas = all predominately at Suttons
- Mr Sendall (tutor to Charles Cunliffe Smith); Mr Wyatt (another tutor, 1839)
If you’re researching any of the family, friends, or employees — I’d love to hear from you.
* * *
Of course, there are items that I know exist – I just don’t know where they are. Paintings & miniatures are going to be the hardest to track down. But there are also several books, for instance:
- Charlotte Brookes, Christie of Glyndebourne (privately printed, 1919). This book is referenced in the biography ‘John Christie of Glyndebourne’ by Wilfred Blunt (1968).
- William Compton (Lord Northampton), History of the Comptons of Compton Wynyates (1940).
- Peter Weston, From Roehampton Great House to Grove House to Froebel College.
- Malcolm Sutherland, Sola bona quae honesta: The Colebrooke Family, 1650-1950.
- (Eliza and Drummond Smith), Scenes from Life at Suttons, 1825-1827 (Spottiswoode, 1925). This is described in May Lamberton Becker’s book ‘Presenting Miss Jane Austen’ (pp. 203-4) as: Written by Eliza and Drummond Smith and first published one hundred years later for the descendants of that family as “a clever and graphic picture of life in a country house” of that period. These lively scenes, in rhymed verse, use the actual words spoken on these occasions, in the manner–characteristic of large and happy families–of seldom getting to the end of a sentence uninterrupted. Written without thought of publication, it carries on the tradition in families like those of the Austens, of providing their own home entertainment before wireless or motor cars. The portraits are sketches from life by Augusta Smith. Emma Smith (1801-1876) married Rev. James Austen–subsequently Austen-Leigh.
Anyone who can let me borrow a copy, make a xerox copy for me, or otherwise help, please contact me.
* * *
Funding opportunities are exceptionally difficult to track down, never mind secure. For the research trip to England which took place May-July 2007, I applied for a National Endowment for the Humanities Summer Stipend, and also JASNA’s International Visitor Program (IVP); both went unfunded. If anyone knows of programs designed (or willing) to help fund research done by independent scholars, I would be grateful.
Mike Ellingham said,
July 16, 2008 at 4:26 am
I have copy of photo of old Hassobury (circa 1865) before it was rebuilt in its current form. Also copy of photo of Robert Gosling & family at Botleys Park around the same time. Happy to share but not sure of copyright position. I know a fair bit about the Gosling family and have picked up the Austen link
Janeite Kelly said,
July 16, 2008 at 12:53 pm
Hi, Mike. Terrific to hear from you. I would appreciate any help, and must say that I am not looking to publish photographs, unless as illustration to a book (far, far down the road). In that case, of course, I would contact you for permission.
I have seen the photo that is held at the Essex Record Office, and presume this a later, post reconstructed Hassobury; Robert and family I have never yet seen! Is Georgina in the photo as well? She comes across in Mary’s diaries as such a sweet and helpful woman.
If the photos are digital scans and you can email them, please use the email jasna-vt [at] hotmail [dot] com. If they are photographs that you are willing to copy and mail to me, I will get you my mailing address.
You say you know ‘a fair bit about the Gosling family’ – more than just dates, marriages, deaths and children? I love good stories! I am especially interested in news of Thomas and Charlotte; these two are the hardest of William’s children to track down.
Dinah Bott said,
September 16, 2008 at 8:24 am
What a nice site! At the Priaulx Library we have some information about Gaspard Le Marchant Tupper, who is scion of an important miltary family from here in Guernsey. Now we have something about his marriage thanks to you! To read about the Le Marchants – http://www.priaulxlibrary.co.uk/priaulx-library-services-case-study.asp.
Regards!
Janeite Kelly said,
September 16, 2008 at 6:27 pm
Just a quick message to say, ‘Wow! Thanks!!’ This is an informative article, and exceptionally useful for my research. (How did I overlook this when it’s cited on the website that has Gaspard Le Marchant Tupper’s photo?? I know I visited the Priaulx Library site at that time…)
The Le Marchants, as a family, cross-cross with the Smiths in a couple generations. (Sir) Denis Le Marchant married Eliza Smith, Emma’s sister; and Gaspard Le Marchant Tupper married Mary’s elder daughter ‘Mimi’ (Mary Charlotte Smith) – but Helen Le Marchant, Denis’ sister, also married into a branch of the Smith family when she married the son of Charles Shaw.
I am in the midst of working on a ‘joint biography’ of Eliza’s sister and brother-in-law, Fanny and Rev. Richard Seymour (working title: The Seymours of Kinwarton; written with Alan Godfrey). The connection to the Shaw Lefevres I used as illustration there is as follows:
“Siblings Judith, John, and Magdalen Lefevre were, respectively, grandparents of Charles Joshua Smith, Charles Shaw Lefevre, and Arthur Currie.”
Charles Joshua Smith married Mary Gosling; Arthur Currie married Charlotte Smith (Charles Joshua’s sister). Charles Shaw Lefevre married Emma Laura Whitbread and his brother Henry Francis married Helen Le Marchant. Helen and Denis’ sister, Maria, is listed in Gentleman’s Magazine in 1823: ‘Sept. 1. At Guernsey, Dan. Tupper, esq. to Maria, dau. of late Major-gen. J. Gaspard Le Marchant.’
I assume these are the parents of Gaspard Le Marchant Tupper (correct me if I’m wrong); and wonder if the Mr Tupper who attends to several Goslings is this man or a relation:
Mary’s half-sister Charlotte in a December 1829 illness – ‘Charlotte much the same. Mr Keith & Tupper came to see her…’
Mary’s sister Elizabeth in May 1830 – ‘I went at three o’clock to my Sister Mr Tupper came at 5 o’clock & bled her…’ (Elizabeth was expecting her first child, William Langham Christie, born 31 May 1830).
And Mary’s eldest brother, William Ellis in December 1833 – ‘…on Monday morning Mr Tupper pronounced it to be Scarletina, but said he was going on well…’ (poor William Ellis died in January 1834).
I will be in touch once I’ve had a chance to digest the info on your website (how I would love to read the letters between John Gaspard and Katherine!); I may have questions, and you may be interested in some of the books &c I’ve come across. The primary sources you mention are VERY good to know about.
I have travelled to the UK several times, and once to France; at least twice I tried to get to the Channel Islands — but just never made it. The Le Marchants give me a good excuse to someday finally get to Guernsey!
Thank you so much, Dinah, for writing!
Eileen Hogan said,
November 20, 2008 at 5:25 pm
Hi,
I work in Rare Books & Special Collections at the University of British Columbia. We’re processing thousands of bookplates at the moment and I came across Denis Le Marchant’s. Probably not very helpful. Just thought I’d let you know.
Janeite Kelly said,
November 20, 2008 at 9:23 pm
Hi, Eileen. The amazing thing is that this book from England could find its way not only across the Atlantic but also the entire North American continent! Please let me know the book title and publication date. Denis was a published author, and very active in politics. Family members’ interests were diverse, so it is of great use to find what any of them subscribed to or read or owned. If possible could you scan the book plate and email it to me?
Eliza O'Driscoll said,
May 21, 2009 at 5:49 am
Hi
Dinah Bott sent me a link for this site, as I am researching Daniel William Tupper and his brother Gaspard Le Marchant Tupper. The family interconnections are amazing – Daniel was married to Elizabeth Christie, daughter of Langham Christie and sister of William Langham Christie. In the next generation Daniel and Gaspard’s nephew Edward Le Marchant (son of their sister Eliza and her husband (and cousin) Robert Le Marchant) married William’s daughter Mary Christie.
The rate of intermarriage between cousins was astonishing.
I am working on a book (I hope!) about Daniel and Gaspard based on Daniel’s Crimean War diaries which my husband (a distant relative) has inherited.
I will share any relevant info I come across.
Janeite Kelly said,
May 27, 2009 at 10:40 pm
This is truly wonderous news, Eliza!
I, too, have been amazed at all the inter-marriages. And worse: all the similar names in the generations…
You are in a period far later than mine (to marshall all the information I chose the cut-off of 1842, the year Mary Gosling/Lady Smith dies), as I have been concentrating on the period of 1815-35 recently. Should you come across any mentions of the cousins ‘Mimi’ and ‘Lizzy’, yes, do let me know! I will have to pay some special attention to the childhoods of the two, for you.
I have a special love of diaries and look forward to your book, when the time comes.
I have come across a Mr Tupper who seems a doctor; do you know much about Daniel Tupper, the father?
I have a Daniel Tupper marring Maria (or Anna Maria) Le Marchant – Denis’ sister – but is this man the same as the above, for there seems at least THREE generations of Daniel Tuppers — there is a death notice of a ‘Catherine, widow of Daniel Tupper, esq. of Haute Ville’ (aged 74 in 1846).
I will email you.
I must apologize for the delay in getting to your message – put it down to the holiday weekend (Memorial Day) and a long week at work. I cannot tell you HOW exciting it is to hear of your set of diaries and your work on them and the family (never mind that your husband is distantly related!). How great is the internet, huh??
Eliza O'Driscoll said,
May 28, 2009 at 5:42 am
The Daniel Tupper who married Anna Maria is the father of my Daniel William and his brother Gaspard. He is known as Daniel Tupper II and his son Daniel William is Daniel III. Catherine was probably the widow of Daniel I, Daniel II’s father.
The doctor you mention could well be Martin Tupper FRS, my husband’s great great great grandfather. He was born on Guernsey but practised in London. His dates are 1780-1844, which would fit. His son, Martin Farquhar Tupper was a well-known Victorian poet and friend of Gladstone (although his rather rubbish poetry had fallen decidedly out of fashion before his death in 1889).
Janeite Kelly said,
May 28, 2009 at 9:39 am
Great to have a first name; will have to look for more on MARTIN Tupper; all I had was “Mr Tupper” — not a big help that!! He was visiting the bedside of Elizabeth Christie and also William Ellis Gosling in the period 1829-1830. So, yes: fits!
Eliza O'Driscoll said,
July 6, 2009 at 4:55 pm
One other little piece of information I gleaned from the family papers is that Martin Tupper had a large practice among the fashionable ladies of the day, so I think he is very likely to be your Mr Tupper.
v manning said,
August 16, 2009 at 11:05 am
I am interested in the history of the hassobury mansion and have an 1881 census of the goslings and a picture of the school as I was once a pupil at Hassobury in the 1960s I t was a lovely house.I dont know if this of interest to you. vicki
Janeite Kelly said,
August 17, 2009 at 9:09 am
Hi, Vicki! Great to hear from you. Amazing to hear about the Hassobury school. Hassobury, in Mary Gosling’s youth, seems a bit of a secondary estate. There are letters of her parents (William and Margaret Elizabeth ‘Eliza’ Gosling) visiting the estate – but, as Eliza once wrote, he was no sportsman and unenthusiastic about shooting!
I’d love also to hear about your school days; and you must know the area well and many tales to tell.
Will be in touch!
k