Papers and Correspondence of Coventry Patmore (1823-1896), poet and writer

The collection consists of correspondence and literary papers. There are letters between Patmore and his friends, 1850-1895. Correspondence concerning research into Patmore's life and career includes letters between Frederick Page and Professor Hewitt to Patmore's widow Harriet, Alice Maynell, Basil Champneys, Edmund Gosse, Gordon Bottomley, Walter de la Mare and others. Only one literary autograph is present in the initial accessions to the collection: Patmore's last book, 'The Rod, the Root and the Flower'. Other works by him are in printed form, and papers about him include the original manuscript for Page's biography 'Patmore: A Study' as well as published extracts from periodicals and journals. A late photograph of Patmore is also present.

Further correspondence between Patmore and his friends and colleagues have been added to the collection as Pt C 106-108.

Autograph working notes of Coventry Patmore, including papers concerning 'The Angel in the House' and other poems, and further printed works have been added to the collection as Pt L 52-73.

Coventry Patmore (1823-1896) began writing at an early age and his first poems were published in 1844.

In 1847 Patmore married Emily Andrews (1824-1862) who bore him six children. In 1864 he became a Roman Catholic, and in the same year married his second wife, Mary Byles (1822-1880). He began his friendship with the architect Basil Champneys, who subsequently edited Patmore's 'Memoirs and Correspondence' (1900).

In 1865 Patmore resigned his post in the printed book department at the British Museum and bought the Heron's Ghyll estate in Sussex. From 1878 onwards he wrote little poetry, concentrating instead on prose.

Patmore's second wife died in 1880, and the following year he married Harriet Robson by whom he had a son, Francis. Patmore sold Heron's Ghyll and moved to The Lodge in Lymington, Hampshire where he spent his final years. His last book, 'The Rod, the Root and the Flower' appeared in 1895.

The collection is divided into three sections: correspondence, literary papers and miscellaneous.

Accessible to all readers.

Copyright in all Finding Aids belongs to the University of Nottingham.

In the Reading Room, King's Meadow Campus:

Typescript Catalogue, 49 pp

At the National Register of Archives, The National Archives, Kew:

Old Typescript Catalogue, 5 pp [superseded by the online version and the copy at King's Meadow Campus]

Online:

Catalogue available from the website of Manuscripts and Special Collections, Manuscripts Online Catalogue.

Identification of copyright holders of unpublished material is often difficult. Permission to make any published use of any material from the collection must be sought in advance in writing from the Keeper of Manuscripts and Special Collections (email mss-library@nottingham.ac.uk).

Photocopies and photographic copies can be supplied for educational use and private study purposes only, depending on the condition of the documents.

The Patmore Collection is in part an artificial gathering of material concerning the author. The majority of the papers (Pt C 1-105 and Pt L 1-51) concern the research of the Patmore enthusiast Frederick Page, editor of 'Notes and Queries' and his collaboration with R.M. Hewitt, Professor of English at University College, Nottingham and were received by the University between 1934 and 1953, some from Page's widow after his death.

The letters from and to Coventry Patmore (Pt C 6-19) were purchased in 1953.

Further material (Pt C 106-108 and Pt L 52-73) was purchased or donated to the collection from 1995 to 2018. Items purchased at auction in 1995 benefited from grant aid from the V&A and National Heritage Memorial Fund. A notebook from 1879 (Pt L 55) was purchased at auction in 2001 with grant aid from the V&A Purchase Grant Fund and the Friends of the National Libraries.

Coventry Patmore Collection (printed books) (CPC)

Related material is found at a number of repositories, details available through The National Archives Discovery catalogue