Papers of Louie Burrows, 1904-1957, in the D.H. Lawrence Collection

The bulk of the collection consists of the pre-1912 correspondence from D.H. Lawrence to Louie Burrows, including his period as a teacher in Croydon and the time of his mother's illness and death. Other correspondents include Jessie Chambers, Ada Lawrence and Nina Stewart. Several original Lawrence literary manuscripts are present, together with a small number of letters addressed to Lawrence by various writers.

Louisa ('Louie') Burrows (1888-1962), who served as the prototype for Ursula in Lawrence's novel, 'The Rainbow', grew up in Ilkeston, Derbyshire. She knew Lawrence as a fellow student at the Pupil-Teacher Centre at Ilkeston and at the Day Training College of University College, Nottingham. They became close friends, and were engaged in 1910. After Lawrence broke off the engagement and eloped with Frieda Weekley in 1912, Louie Burrows continued her career as a teacher in Leicestershire. She married Frederick Heath in 1940, shortly before she retired.

The collection is arranged primarily by form, into literary manuscripts, correspondence and miscellaneous papers. The correspondence is listed chronologically, by correspondent.

Access to surrogate copies is available to all registered readers. Readers requiring access to the original papers must seek permission in advance.

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

In the Reading Room, King's Meadow Campus:

Typescript Catalogue, 21 pp

At the National Register of Archives, London:

Typescript Catalogue, 21 pp

On the World Wide Web:

Catalogue available through the website of Manuscripts and Special Collections, Manuscripts Online Catalogue. This electronic catalogue supersedes, and is more detailed than the typescript catalogues, and users are advised to refer to the online catalogue in preference to the printed versions.

Louisa Burrows retained her regard for Lawrence throughout her life, and collected material in preparation for a memorial. The papers were acquired by the University of Nottingham in 1966.