Papers of the Weekley Family, 1865-1985, in the D.H. Lawrence Collection

The Collection contains papers and photographs of Professor Ernest Weekley and his family, collected and preserved because of their relevance to Frieda Lawrence's life, her children and grandchildren.

Most of the correspondence is post-1939, well after the death of Lawrence, and is concerned with the affairs of the Weekley family and their von Richthofen relatives, including her sister, Else Jaffe. There are also a number of letters between Frieda and her children, and photographs of Frieda and Ernest Weekley and his parents.

The group is in part an artificial gathering, which brings together material acquired by the University of Nottingham from different Weekley family members.

Ernest Weekley (1865-1954) was Professor of Modern Languages at University College, Nottingham and met D.H. Lawrence when the latter was a student. It was through this relationship that Lawrence met Weekley's wife, Frieda, with whom he eloped in 1912. They were married in 1914.

Although the elopement meant separation from her children, Frieda always had a deep concern for them, and as adults they visited the Lawrences and corresponded with them.

The material is arranged in series, reflecting the acquisition of different groups. Correspondence is ordered chronologically within these groups.

Accessible to all registered readers.

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

On the World Wide Web:

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

The main series were acquired by the University of Nottingham in 1984 and 1991, directly from members of the Weekley family.