Dora Lewis Letters

This material is held atRichmond upon Thames Local Studies Library and Archive

  • Reference
    • GB 358 DC15
  • Dates of Creation
    • 1897 - 1901
  • Name of Creator
  • Language of Material
    • English
  • Physical Description
    • 1 folder

Scope and Content

Letters about Dora Lewis's claim against Charles Tween for financial support for their daughter Marion.

Administrative / Biographical History

Dora was born in Gilling, near Richmond, Yorkshire in 1874. By 1891, most of the family had moved to Gateshead, County Durham. An elder sister, Hannah, had married a tea merchant, Grant Scott and was living in Bloomsbury, central London. They may have later moved to Richmond (Surrey). Dora is also known as 'Dolly'. Charles Frederick Tween was born in Ware in Hertfordshire around 1860. He had moved to Paddington by 1871 and then to Richmond (Surrey) by 1881. According to the 1891 census he was a Corn Factor, still single and living in St James Villas, Kings Road, Richmond with his mother, brother, and 2 servants. In 1896, Dora became pregnant by Charles. She returned to Gateshead where their baby was born in early 1897 and named Marion. However, in late 1898 she was in Liverpool where she married an engineer called Talbot Cheesman. She did not mention this to Charles and continued to use her maiden name throughout the correspondence. By September 1900 she was living in Putney with her husband and Marion. Dora and Talbot both died in 1939, in Chelsea and Hammersmith respectively. The fate of Marion is not known. Charles Tween married Mary Harrison in September 1904 in Richmond.

Arrangement

The Dora Lewis Letter collection is arranged in three series:

  • DC15/1 Letters from Dora to Charles Tween, c1897-1901
  • DC15/2 Letters from WH Matthews and Co. to Charles Tween, 1901
  • DC15/3 Letters from Alice Tintton to Charles Tween, 1901

Access Information

This collection is open for access and can be viewed at Richmond upon Thames Local Studies Library and Archive.
The opening times and address for Richmond upon Thames Local Studies Library and Archive can be found online at: http://www.richmond.gov.uk/localstudies
If you would like further information about accessing this collection or have any other queries, please contact Richmond upon Thames Local Studies Library and Archive through any of the contact methods listed at: http://www.richmond.gov.uk/localstudies

Other Finding Aids

A more detailed catalogue of this collection can be found online at https://richmond.spydus.co.uk/spydus.html