Briggs, Julia, 1943-2007

Originally sent to Doris Langley Moore. Handwriting at the top (possibly Moore's) indicates that the letter should be forwarded to Julia Briggs.

Contents refer to Margaret Ostler, to whom Nesbit dedicated "The Enchanted Castle" in 1907. She was the daughter of Alice Hoatson's sister Annie. Simpson notes that Margaret may have had an illegitimate child with Hubert Bland in 1913.

"Dear Mrs Briggs, I do apologise for not answering your letter of 8th February before now, but I have been waiting for an opportunity to see an Ostler in the north of England before doing so. I journeyed that way last week, and I am sorry to say that there are no Hoatson details, papers, or memorabilia left at all. In fact, there wasn't as much information about them in the family as you have included in your book! Annie clearly had no contact with Alice in later years..."

"Dear Mrs Briggs, Very many thanks for your letter. Doris Langley Moore told me of your book and I have ordered a copy. My local library tell me they have what they refer to as an "astounding" list of 58 requests for it in the county - and only three copies! They say they will certainly be ordering more. I hope the book is meeting with similar success in the bookshops..."

"Dear Miss Rbiggs I am no longer on the Committee of the Orhampton Historical Society, and as I have been unable to contact our Secretary I spoke with our President who confirmed my belief that the Society does not hold photographs of any sort..."

"Dear Mrs. Briggs, Many thanks for your letter of early January. I write this for 3 reasons. (1) Please write to me wishing me luck and telling me that you think I can do it. I'm superstitious and childish in the extreme, I know but please... (2) You are attempting to see into EN's life a little. - Of course, interpreting her books of fiction Freudianly is out, but there is an obvious self-portrait "type" in EN..."

"Dear Mrs Briggs, Thank you very much for your extremely kind letter. 1. Wolff, Robert Lee, "Some Erring Children in Children's Literature: The World of Victorian Religious Strife in Miniature" in Jerome Buckley, ed, The Worlds of Victorian Fiction, Harvard English Studies 6, Harvard U.P., 1975..."