The volumes contain letters to HLP from Marianne Francis, niece of Fanny Burney, with some letters from other members of the Francis family. Marianne Francis first met HLP in Bath in 1805 and they began to exchange letters. Marianne, Charlotte, and Clement Francis were the children of Clement Francis (d 1792), surgeon, of Aylsham, Norfolk, and of Charlotte, fourth daughter of Charles Burney (1726-1814), who later married Ralph Broom.
The material comprises:
- Volume 1 (Eng MS 582), numbers 1-64, c 1806-1810;
- Volume 2 (Eng MS 583), numbers 65-125, 1810-1814;
- Volume 3 (Eng MS 584), numbers 126-185, 1814-1820.
With both numbers 1 and 163 are notes from Charlotte Broome (Marianne's mother), and Charlotte Francis (her sister), and with number 126 is a note from Charlotte [Francis]. Several letters are franked by Wilberforce. Numbers 164-185 are from Clement Francis; number 162 is to Marianne from (Miss) S. Wesley.
See Diane Menagh, The life of Marianne Francis; with an account of her letters to Mrs. Piozzi, an old friend of the family, Bulletin of the New York Public Library, vol. 80, no. 3 (1977), pp. 318-44.
See also the letters from the Burney family to HLP (English MS 545 ).