Letters

A small number of letters from Peter's large collection are reproduced here, either as transcriptions or as scans of the original. The writers are Jane Meynell, George Richard Mackarness, 'Ouida', Dr Frank Godfrey, Grace Milford and Torla Mackarness.

​This PDF document (click to view) lists all the letters and telegrams catalogued so far, in chronological order where possible The earliest was written in about 1847, the latest in 1944. 

Contact us if you would like to consult a document, or add a  new one to the archive.

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1847-8 'We have a cruise in prospect - to Tenerife. The Royalties are all going except the Queen' - selections by Eleanor Booker from George Richard Mackarness' Madeira letters

'such a queer man ...with a red wig, a still redder nose and black SPLODSHES on his face' - letter from Jane Meynell (sister-in-law of George Richard Mackarness), probably written in the 1850s

'Who can reconcile the tiger & the dog?' Hard-hitting letter from novelist 'Ouida' to Frederic Mackarness, around 1900, concerning the South Africa Reconciliation Committee

January 1915 - 'She is one in a thousand and is just full of heart, of sympathy, of love and unselfishness' - letter from Dr. Frank Godfrey to his son-in-law Cuthbert Mackarness in Calcutta. See Grace Mackarness' diary from 1915 for the context of this letter.

February 1915 - 'He is a good fellow - sound & straight & clean - he will make her happy' - extracts from Dr. Frank Godfrey's letter to his sister Frederica, who was was en route to Australia

1918 - 'A wonderful bit of news, viz. that dear old Guy is engaged to be married!' - letter from Grace Mackarness to her second son Cuthbert

1920 - 'As I write by the fire in my room, that small Peter of yours is making hay on the floor with my instrument bag and its contents, chuckling and roaring with laughter' - letter from Dr. Frank Godfrey to his son-in-law Cuthbert

1944 - Letter from Torla Mackarness to her mother Muriel Tidman, about crossing to Belgium with the ATS