Briggs, Julia, 1943-2007

Scope and Contents From the Collection:

Consists of a mixture of materials that belonged to Edith Nesbit, her biographers (Doris Langley Moore and Julia Briggs), her daughter-in-law Gertrude Bland, and others. Includes correspondence, work product, original manuscripts, artifacts, photographs, clipping albums, oversized artwork, and a wooden writing case.

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"I was too quick! Have now discovered that our Borough's Local History Library "Woodlands" 90, Mycenae Rd., S.E. 3 (in Blackheath's N.E. corner) Tel. 01-858-4631 has recently purchased from an antiquarian book and letter seller a collection including some letters of E. Nesbit, T. Tucker, and notes and letters of H. Bland in very poor h'writing because they are late ones and his eyesight was going or gone..."

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"Dear Julia, Hope these help a little! re. houses Blackheath and Le... Are we meaning 2, Birch Grove; 8, Dorville Road - by either of these? And are you certain? Older houses of the same type remain in both roads, but not, I think, the originals. They have a nasty habit of re-numbering streets to confuse the unwary user of old directories..."

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"Dear Julia, By an odd coincidence I was driving around the Oxford Ring Road on Wednesday afternoon, and arrived home to find your enquiry on the doormat. I'd not passed that way since last October. Yes, I think the reference you want was mine. As I recall, I spent a rushed morning in Oxford when I was supposed to be at an ex-students reunion function at Lady Spencer-Churchill, Wehatley..."

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Letter itself is 1 page; the other 2 pages are handwritten notes by Briggs.

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"Dear Julia, News from Lindfield - Mrs Nixon! I enclose Mrs Nixon's letter rather than re-writing it all again. Please return it and don't say I lent it to you. Gives you the general idea. Read it next and then continue with this epistle!..."

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"Dear Julia, I have recently received from the Secretary of the Eltham Society and interesting paper on E. Nesbit to be 'filed' in our Society's existing records of that author..."

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"Dear Miss Briggs, One brief - telegraphic reply. The booklet must tell most of the story - Yes - keep the exhibition list and also the EN photo of 1913. I was at Bletchley Park, which was Wheatley's ancestor, where Miss Hodgson had charge of the library: the names you mention there meant little to me. Anno Domini is showing!..."

Scope and Contents "Dear Miss Briggs, Thank you for your enquiry re 'Nesbitiana'......what a lovely word! My bedroom bookshelves are one repository in this area and the Local History Library of our Borought, at Blackheath, has other items, both of the Borough's own and on loan from 'The Eltham Society'. Our method of working in this ten-year-old enthusiastic Society is to make one member, suitably qualified and interested, in sole charge of a particular research-and-publish project. Mine was 'E. Nesbit' from...

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"Dear Julia, Herewith the photocopies re. E. Nesbit. The £2 was more than adequate. I was awaiting the new address. I've given your address to an American college-tutor Mr. Tom Murray of Green St. Cambridge, Mass. and he will be writing shortly..."