Percy Bysshe Shelley and the pirate

One of the more notable books published by John Brooks was an edition of Shelley's Queen Mab. The rather unauthorised appearance of this volume, how it was obtained and Shelley's amendments to it have long intrigued scholars of the subject. The text below comes from two sources. The first first-hand account was written by Thomas Medwin and comes from 'The Life of Percy Bysshe Shelley' published in 1847. The second is from 'The complete poetry of Percy Bysshe Shelley' by Donald H. Reiman (2000). Reiman describes Queen Mab,

'...perhaps Shelley's most intellectually ambitious work, articulating his views of science, politics, history, religion, society, and individual human relations. Subtitled A Philosophical Poem: With Notes, it became his most influential -- and pirated -- poem during much of the nineteenth century, a favorite among reformers and radicals.'

"One evening he [Sir Thomas Lawrence] persuaded me to accompany him to the Owenite chapel, in Charlotte-street. In the ante-room, I observed a man at a table, on which were laid for sale, among many works on a small scale, this History of the Nairs, and Queen Mab, and after the discourse by Owen—a sort of doctrinal rather than moral essay, in which he promised his disciples a millennium of roast beef and fowls, and three or four days' recreation out of the seven, equal division of property, and an universality of knowledge by education,—we had an interview with the lecturer and reformer, whom I had met some years before at the house of a Northumberland lady. On finding that I was connected with Shelley, he made a long panegyric on him, and taking up one of the Queen Mabs from the table, read, premising that it was the basis of one of his chief tenets, the following passage:

"How long ought the sexual connection to last! What law ought to specify the extent of the grievance that should limit its duration! A husband and wife ought to continue so long united as they love one another. Any law that should bind them to cohabitation for one moment after the decay of their affection, would be a most intolerable tyranny, and most unworthy of toleration."

If Lord Melbourne did not hold similar opinions, he at least thought there was no harm in encouraging them, by presenting Mr. Owen to our Queen. The question is, whether, in the - present state of society, and with the want of education that characterises the sect of which Mr. Owen is the founder, the Socialists, their tenets are, or are not pregnant with danger. This philanthropist, however, certainly is sincere in believing the contrary; and up to this time experience seems to have confirmed his belief. He has spent his life, and expended his fortune in inculcating them; and a more thoroughly amiable and moral man does not exist. "He has had but one object in both hemispheres," (to use the words of Frederica Bremer,) "to help the mass of mankind to food and raiment, in order that the mass may make provision for their mental improvement; for when the necessary wants are satisfied, man turns to those of a more general and exalted kind. Hence, when the great day work of the earth is done with men, the Sabbath will begin, in which a generation of tranquil worshippers will spread over the earth, no longer striving after perishable treasures, but seeking those which are eternal; a people whose whole life will be devoted to the improvement of their mental powers, and to the worship of the Creator in spirit and in truth. Then the day will arrive in which the angels will say, 'Peace upon Earth!!!'"

This edition of Queen Mab, that has led to the above quotation, bore the name of Brooks as publisher. It contains a beautiful frontispiece illustrative of the death of Ianthe, and as a motto, the well-known line from some Greek dramatist —probably Eschylus—which may be rendered:

Give me whereon to stand, I’ll move the earth.

Brooks did, or does, live at the bottom of Oxford Street, and I paid him more than one visit. He had a correspondent at Marlow, who knew Shelley, but whose name I have forgotten, from whom he obtained a copy of Queen Mab, which, like the Wandering Jew, had probably been left by Shelley's inadvertence in his abode here. This copy was exceedingly interlined, very much curtailed and modified, as by a specimen given in a fragment entitled the "Demon of the World," appended to "Alastor;" and what is still more important and worthy of remark, with the Notes torn out. The copy had been revised with great care, and as though Shelley had an intention at the time of bringing out a new edition, an idea which his neglect of his labour shews he soon abandoned. This emendated work is a great curiosity, and has scattered about the pages rude pen-and-ink drawings of the most fantastic kind, proving the abstraction of his mind during this pursuit. It was a comment that led me to many speculations, suggesting a deep sense of the obloquy of which he had made himself the victim, and betokening a fluctuation of purpose, a hesitation and doubt of himself and of the truth or policy of his theories. That Mr. Brooks (he was the publisher if not the printer of the Owenites) did not make use of the refacciamenti or pentimate in his numerous reprints of Queen Mab, may easily be conceived, for these very alterations were the only objectionable parts to him, and he would have thought it a sacrilege to have struck out a word of the original text, much less the notes. Queen Mab is indeed the gospel of the sect, and one of them told me, that he had found a passage in Scripture that unquestionably applied to Shelley, and that the word Shiloh was pronounced in the Hebrew precisely in the same manner as his name.

It is much to be desired that Mrs. Shelley should endeavor to obtain this Queen Mab of Mr. Brooks. I have no doubt that he would estimate it at a price far beyond my means, nor have I made any overtures to him for the purchase, invaluable as its acquisition would be to me at this moment."

Donald H. Reiman;

"Brooks, an Owenite publisher, produced a “very handsome edition,” priced 9s. (see ad reproduced in Shelley Library, 55). Its engraved title page omits the subtitle and mention of the notes and includes only the epigraph from Archimedes. It does, however, contain a striking vignette depicting Queen Mab calling forth the sleeping Ianthe’s spirit, which was drawn by Charles Landseer (son of the engraver John Landseer) and engraved by Edward James Portbury (who did much engraving for the gift books of the 1820’s and 1830’s). Brooks, who includes the dedicatory poem to Harriet (in the copies we have seen) and does not provide translation of the notes, took his text directly from [the] 1813 [edition], a unique copy of which he had obtained from Robert Madocks, Shelley’s handyman and the agent for his landlord in Marlow who had confiscated it years earlier in addition to other of the Shelley’s belongings left behind along with an unpaid balance. This copy contains Shelley’s draft revisions of Queen mab into Demon and other shorter pieces, which are mentioned above and which ended up in the hands of Forman and ultimately Pforzheimer.

Brook’s edition follows 1813 closely but not uncritically: rarely emending the text of the poem proper, it is somewhat freer with the notes, especially in revising Shelley’s grammar and in correcting errors in the foreign language passages (once in Note 17 even “correcting” back to the orginal an intentional change Shelley made in Horace’s Latin). Several of these changes were transmitted through Ascham to Mary Shelley’s editions. Perhaps Brooks’s most significant textual gaffe in editing the poem comes in VIII.232-33, where, misunderstanding Shelley’s grammar, he initiates three misguided emendations (“extends / Its…wields” for “extend / Their wield”) that were also transmitted through Ascham to Mary Shelley. Beyond this textual important edition, Brooks’s influence on the transmission of Queen Mab extended in 1833 to his acquiring the stock and stereotyped plates of Mrs. Carlile’s 1832 piracy, which first printed the notes as footnotes to the poem, at the bottom of the page. Brooks published this pocket-sized edition under his own name for the price of 1s 6d., and from him the plates seem to have passed on to Hetherington and Watson, who continued to make Queen Mab widely available to the lower classes."

Investigation on Illustration

The following adds a little more to a query made some time ago regarding a menu sporting the image of Wilfred Vincent Brooks. Don Grant of The London Sketch Club was kind enough to give some suggestions as to the identity of the artists and their artwork featured on this curious occasion which may, in time, provide the answer to Wilfred's connection.

Don points out that the pictures depicted behind Wilfred by artist John Hassall bear similarity to the work of other artists in the aforementioned London Sketch Club.

Top left has a resemblance with an illustration first printed in The Illustrated London News entitled "Deuced Funny" by Phil May. It apparently shows Melton Prior, a war correspondent, sharing a joke with the Punch cartoonist Alfred Chantrey Corbould.

Below this, two monkeys are depicted with their tails entwined. These are in the manner of Clarence Lawson Wood, also once an illustrator for the Illustrated London News. He is known for his ape and monkey drawings. I've not been able to locate an identical image but this is quite close.

Other proposed illustrators include William Heath Robinson. All pinned up follow this paired 'entre nous' theme.

Gerry was able to provide a photo of his illustration by John Hassall for which we are very grateful. His grandfather had connections with the 'Entre Nous Club Commitee', the role of which still remains a mystery. This picture is shown top middle, above Wilfred's head. Can anyone identify the other illustrators or illustrations?

Back to Baxter

A few months ago we were contacted by Mic Relf of the New George Baxter Society. He was keen to trace the missing 'George Baxter and his Methods' chapter from My Life's Medley. After some correspondence Mic asked if he could use some of the information on this site for a forthcoming presentation at the Society's AGM. Mic's knowledge of Baxter is superb and his work has filled in many a blank hole in our own knowledge. He was also kind enough to send us the illustrations that accompanied his presentation.


"The Printing company of Vincent Brooks is best known to ourselves for the ‘official’ republishing of Baxter’s prints in the mid 1860’s on presses that Baxter had lent them, managed by George Baxter Jr and under the supervision of George Baxter himself.

‘Vincent Brooks’ the company that we know was run by Vincent Robert Alfred Brooks (1815 – 1885) but we can’t overlook the influence of his son Fredrick Vincent Brooks (1848 – 1921) who joined the company during the company’s close association with George Baxter.

Vincent Brooks father was John Brooks a Bookseller and Stationer, who had set up business at 421 Oxford Street, London about 1813. He mixed in the literary circles publishing books by Shelley, Lamb, Coleridge and others. His wife, an amateur actress of some distinction and great beauty, was painted by the well-known artist Charles Hayter.

About 1820 John Brooks became interested in politics and was actively involved in the activities that bought about the Reform Bill in 1832 (giving voting rights to middle class-men over 21) and then the Chartist Movement, which demanded voting rights for all men over 21.

He was obviously an activist and one of his riskier activities was printing a poster, which was later held to be seditious (stirring up rebellion against the government) entitled:
STOP THE DUKE - GO FOR GOLD

The idea was to cause a run on the Bank of England and to stop the political efforts of the Duke of Wellington who was out to stop the Reform Bill being passed. A few years later he was approached to be a Constable but when being sworn in at Westminster Court he continually refused to swear on the bible and was fined £8.

His son, our Vincent Robert Alfred Brooks was born on October the 25th 1815.
After his schooling he worked for a short period with a firm of Artist Colourmans before joining and then taking over his father’s printing company about 1843 aged 28. Some time before 1851 his father had left the business and took his family to Jersey.

Vincent Brooks’s first colour efforts were on show at The Great Exhibition 1851. Interestingly Day & Son, who, we will see, Vincent Brooks would take over in 1867, were prize medal winners at the same Exhibition. A short while after he moved the business to 40, King Street, Covent Garden.

In 1855 he was conducting a Lithographic class for Ladies at Marlborough House, Prince Albert had arranged for it to be used as the National Art Training School later to become the Royal College of Art. Here he came to the attention of the Queen, Prince Consort and the Princess Royal and was entrusted to produce the Princess’ own picture “Dying Soldier on the Battle Field” in aid of the Patriotic Fund.


In 1857 Leighton Bros left Red Lion Square and Vincent Brooks took over part of their business. In 1859 the business moved again this time to 1, Chandos Street and in the 1862 Exhibition Vincent Brooks won a Gold medal for his Lithograph of Mulready’s ‘The Wedding Garment’.

In 1864 Vincent Brooks acquired plant and premises of Messrs J.S.Hodson & Son of High Street Lambeth and he embarked in letterpress and colour block printing. Hodson’s process was based on W. Dickes method and Hodson’s son was apprenticed to Leighton. One of Hodson’s principal customers was Mr Edward Whymper who, though by trade a Wood Engraver, was subsequently much better known as a Mountaineer and Lecturer. Mr Whymper’s work at the time chiefly consisted of coloured illustrations for the frontispieces of ‘The Leisure Hour’ and ‘Sunday at Home’.

At this stage shall I introduce you to the son, Frederick Vincent Brooks. Born on December 21st 1848 in the same room at, his Grandfathers house, 421 Oxford Street that his father had been born 33 years earlier, he was christened at the Parish Church, St. Ann’s, Soho, coincidentally the same church where up to only a few years ago the New Baxter Society held all their AGM’s in the Allen Room.

Frederick was schooled in various establishments but in 1862 we find him at the
High School at Bishop Stortford (only 20 odd miles from this AGM venue). A couple of stories came from his schooling with interesting colour printing connections.

In 1863 Frederick won a book as a school prize, it was entitled “Wild Sports of the World” with coloured plates by W. Dickes, one of George Baxter’s licensees. Frederick stated “I was very proud to be able to point out to the principal, Dr. Goodman, that the maps were engraved by my father”. Another book was won on Speech Day of 1864 entitled “A Chronicle of England” by Doyle, a well-known book illustrated with some of the best work by the colour printer Edmund Evans.

In 1865 he befriended Cecil Rhodes, who was only 12 years old at the time, later to be founder of the diamond company De Beers and the South African politician, his father being vicar and visitor of the school.

Frederick won a scholarship to Sidney Sussex College in Cambridge but he didn’t take this up as “my education was cut short in consequence of my father’s urgent need for help in his business”.

This must have been about 1866 and Fredrick states “Perhaps the most interesting work was going on at Lambeth as at the time my father was printing many of the ‘Baxter subjects”

Let me now take you back a couple of years to 26th & 27th July 1864 – George Baxter had held his 2nd unsuccessful auction of prints, plates and plant in 4 years which made him announce that “The entire series of these highly popular pictures are now in process of republishing by George Baxter, The inventor and Patentee, 12 Northampton Square London EC”. Within 6 months on 14th January 1865 he declared himself bankrupt so output of this series with labels on the reverse, where they can be found, must be small.


Vincent Brooks then purchased many of Baxter’s plates and printed them using Baxter’s presses which he had lent him on the understanding that George Baxter Jr took up the management of them and that George Baxter himself supervised the work. Everyone counts these Vincent Brooks printings as genuine George Baxter prints.

There are two known Vincent Brooks adverts stating “Republication of Baxter’s Celebrated Oil Prints”. The first states published by Vincent Brooks so must have been issued somewhere between the date of purchase of the plates and March 1867 i.e. the date Vincent Brooks took over Day & Son. Then the second slightly shorter list stating published by Vincent Brooks Day & Son, which would date it between March 1867 and Aug 1868 when the plates were sold.



Labels can be found on the back of these Vincent Brooks printings but they are very rare and only seem to be found on a few different subjects. By the time Vincent Brooks Day & Son were republishing Baxter prints after March 1867 it was without the benefit of George Baxter senior who had died in Jan of that year, after having an accident the previous November.


On both these lists are two interesting prints – new items not previously published by Baxter himself, “Miniature designs - The New Ten” showing the Princess Helena and Prince Christian, Courtney Lewes says this dates the printing to before June 1866 as they were married in July 1866 and would then have been described as Prince and Princess Christian. Prince of Wales and Queen Alexandre were married in 1863 so possibly could have been designed anytime between 1863 and June 1866. Was George Baxter involved in the original design?

The second item is the “soon to be published, The Tired Soldier”, interestingly the copy at Lewes Town Hall that we saw at the summer meeting is noted in pencil “printed (or presented) by my nephew Mr G Baxter 1867' (that would be George Baxter Jr).


So when did Vincent Brooks buy the plates? Courtney Lewes states it must have been by 1866 but he also states these plates were “thought to be stock held back from Bankruptcy (January 1865) OR sold before” so it could have been as early as late 1864, just a few months after Baxter’s own republishing. This is also ties in with George Baxter Jr who, in a letter in 1875 states “at the end of four years Vincent Brooks found the business did not pay… and I should have to leave and obtain a buyer for the plant” Le Blond bought the plates and blocks about August 1868 which could again date the purchase of the plates to 1864.

When Vincent Brooks purchased the “celebrated business of Day & Son Limited” that had gone into liquidation in 1867 it is interesting to note that he was financially assisted by Mr Henry Graves the Printseller of Pall Mall. This Mr Graves is also directly connected to George Baxter as at some stage he acquired and printed in monochrome the plates of ‘The Opening of Parliament’ and ‘The Coronation of Queen Victoria’. It has always been presumed he purchased them from George Baxter but perhaps he received them via Vincent Brooks who might have decided not to republish them himself, they were not included on either of his republishing lists and it has always been assumed he never had them.

At this stage I mention Day & Son, a celebrated company in their own right. William Day, senior, was a lithographer as early as 1823 and by 1825 was at 59 Great Queen Street. Interestingly he described himself as 'Successor to Rowney Forster', a firm of artists' colourmen who are today known as Daler–Rowney the major manufacturer of artist mount board.

By 1829, they had moved to 17 Gate Street, Lincoln's Inn Fields, where they remained until Vincent Brooks moved into the premises in 1867, coincidentally this is only 100 yards from where the Society holds its committee meetings, we must have walked right past it so many times.

From 1833, the firm was frequently referred to as 'Day and Haghe' due to the popularity of the work that Louis Haghe, the Belgian draughtsman and watercolourist, did for William Day. It is not certain whether this was an official nomenclature or not.

They were “Lithographers to the King” and shortly after 'Lithographers to Queen Victoria and to the Queen Dowager, Queen Adelaide' as early as 1837 and when
William Day died in 1845, his son, William junior, carried on the business changing the name to Day and Son. They were awarded one of only four 'prize medals' for their display of colour lithography at the Great Exhibition of 1851.

It is not noted why Day & Son went into liquidation. They were the largest and most prominent lithographic firms especially known for the quality of their work and in many ways had a better standing than Vincent Brooks themselves.

On 3rd August 1868 Vincent Brooks, through George Baxter Jr, sold all Baxter’s plates and blocks to Le Blond, George Baxter Jr then Vincent Brooks’s employment.

Between 1869 and 1906 Vincent Brooks printed their well-known ‘Vanity Fair’ caricatures starting with Benjamin Disraeli.

By 1871 it is noted in records that Vincent Brooks employed 168 men and 40 boys.

There is a further Baxter connection when in 1885 Vincent Brooks acquired the remaining part of Leighton Bros. On the 29th Sept 1885 Vincent Brooks died and was buried at Wandsworth Cemetery but the business which had been successfully run by Frederick for many years went on to further successes.
In the early 1920’s they can be found at Parker Street, Kingsway as this interesting photograph illustrates.

1923 saw the centenary of this successful Lithographic house and one of the speakers was the then, Baxter Society President, Courtney Lewes who “responded in amusing an interesting fashion, recalling many facts connected with the introduction of Lithography into London and referred especially to the work of George Baxter in regard to which Mr Lewes is an authority.”

They were successful printers throughout the 20th century and appear to have printed many Railway and travel posters which are greatly sought after. Vincent Brooks Day & Son were taken over by Banyard Press in 1960.

So where did all this information come from? Courtney Lewes’ The Picture Printer, Baxter Society Journals, Baxter Times and The Centenary Baxter Book and also a new source a website I recently stumbled across.

www.vincentbrooks.blogspot.com

Simon Vincent Brooks (Vincent Brooks’ great, great, great grand son) had recently discovered an old manuscript in his grandfathers house, he soon discovered that it was the autobiography of Frederick Brooks and promptly published it on the Internet. Chapter V was titled George Baxter and his Methods – I thought - this is going to be the only known account of how George Baxter produced his prints. Unfortunately, although Frederick knew enough about the subject and felt it important enough to warrant its own chapter it doesn’t appear that he ever got round to writing it. All the same I greatly appreciate Frederick’s and then Simon’s [and Laura’s] hard work to give us much new information."

Jennie Jots her Borman History

"This is a copy of some notes written by my mother [Mary Jane Elizabeth Brooks, wife of F. Vincent Brooks] and found after her death":-

27 Hornsey Rise Gdns
London N.

I don’t know if any of my children care about family history, but it has always been a matter of interest to me to know that my father’s people were old country Gentlepeople. The Bormans originally were Reading (Berkshire) people. Early in the 1700 my grandfather William Borman, settled at Tetney Lincolnshire where he built Tetney House and married at Kingston-on-Hull Elizabeth Burnett, a niece of a Bishop. Grandfather had some rights in the Chancel of Tetney Church, for all his people are buried in the chancel and till the church was restored [1861-2] the stones were there, but have been removed to the Vestry. The Bormans took great interest in the Church matters and Shepherd [Sheppard] College at Bromley, Kent was built by the widow of Dr. Shepherd [Sheppard] who was a Borman [or was she not Sophia Routh?!] and she also left a good deal of money towards the endowment of Magdalen School Oxford.

Grandfather’s sisters were [Mary] married to the Revd Charles Wildbore [1801-1876], vicar of Humberstone & head master of the Grammar School since divided into separate positions, Mrs. [Mary, not actually William's sister] Hutchins, wife of the vicar of Bridgemouth nr. Nottingham [East Bridgford, John D'Oyly Hutchins], Mrs Atkins wife of a sheep farmer at Oldhill (Lincs) and Mrs. Heath [actually Sabina, Mary Borman's daughter] wife of a Banker [William Hawkins Heath] at Andover. As far as I know all these had family. Great Uncle Wildbore’s son Charles was rector of Old Hunstanton. My father Allan Borman was the 2nd son and by profession a surgeon. He settled in Derby & married my mother [Fanny Borman Redhead nee Tipping abt. 1831-1898] coming from Chelmill [Chilwell] near Nottingham. Of my father’s 3 sisters one married a Mr. Henry Morley [1822-1882] the leading partner in the firm of Morley & Boden the Lace Mills Derby. They had one son [Henry d. 1880] who died at birth. The two Aunts Borman put up the stained glass window in the church at Cleethorpes in the memory of Mrs. [Ann] Morley, her husband & son and they with the other two aunts [Maria Sabina and Mary Jane Borman] are buried in Cleethorpes Cemetery. My father had 2 brothers the elder Richard came in for Tetney House and all the land. The youngest Fred Borman went to South Africa early in 1800 and has not been heard of for sixty years- he was then a widower without children. My father never kept in touch with his relations so only knew them by name but the 2 Aunts who lived at Cleethorpes said they had many relations in different parts & that the Bormans at one time were very wealthy and grandfather had a great deal of property in Louth.

Your father’s people were said to come from Doncaster. The Grandfather John Brooks married a Miss Elizabeth Steggall. He was a man who travelled a great deal and at one time owned a lot of land in America. He finally settled in Jersey where he is buried. He had three sons Vincent, Thomas & Frederick and one daughter who married a Jerseyman named Buttfield. She had three sons & 2 daughters. Vincent Brooks married a Miss Rhoda Wybrow. They had two sons Alfred William & Frederick Vincent. Frederick Vincent & myself were married at St.Saviours Church, Eastbourne on December 15, 1888. Of our 5 children Edith, my only girl married Edward Jarrett June 1908 at Christ Church, Crouch End, Hornsey. My boys are Frederick Allan, Arthur Reginald, Wilfred Vincent and Herbert Cecil. All my children were born at 22 Santos Road West Hill, Wandsworth and were christened at St. Stephens Church with the exception of Herbert Cecil who was christened at St. Andrews, Shepherds Hill, now pulled down and Christ church enlarged to take its place

Jennie Brooks

Notes:
Rev Charles Wildbore, b. 22 November 1801 Tilton-on-the-Hill, d. 14 November 1876 Humberstone, Lincs.
Son of Charles Wildbore and Frances Stimson. Married Mary Borman 25th June 1829 at Great Grimsby, Lincs.
Children: Rev. Charles Wildbore, b. 25 March 1830. d. 2 November 1912.
Source: Family history of Roger williams Link

HUMBERSTONE or Humberston, is a near and well-built village, finely interspersed with trees, and pleasantly situated nearly two miles from the river Humber and Waltham Station; and 4½ miles SSE of Grimsby.
It’s parish contains 259 souls, and about 2930 acres of land, mostly the property of Lord Carrington, who is lord of the manor, and patron of the vicarage, which is valued in KB at £5 18s 4d and now at 63, in the incumbency of the Rev Charles Wildbore, who is also headmaster of the free school.
Source: White’s Directory 1856

Henry Morley's Lace Mill:
The History of the County of Derby: Drawn Up from Actual Observation, and from the Best Authorities; Containing a Variety of Geological, Mineralogical, Commercial, and Statistical Information
By Stephen Glover, Thomas Noble
Published by Printed for the publisher by H. Mozley and son, 1829

The photo of St. Peter's is taken from this marvellous site.

A description of the Morley stained glass in St.Peter's Chapel of Ease, Cleethorpes
Found in: A History of Clee and the Thorpes of Clee ...: being a brief account of the townships of Clee, Hoole, Itterby, Thrunscoe, Weelsby, Holm, Cleethorpes, New Clee, Beaconthorpe, and New Cleethorpes
By Charles Ernest Watson. Published by Grimsby News Co., 1901

Dusty Diary Delivers Dates

The following is a transcription of papers which appear to be from the diary of Elizabeth Brooks nee Steggall 1790-:

Copy of notes from a diary found at 27 Hornsey Rise Gdns, & lent to us by Edith.

I met Madame de Rausman at Mr Morgan’s 1834 Jan 6th. [poss. John Minter Morgan]
Mrs. Robinson was married to Mr. Taylor Jan 17th, 1834. [Rev. Robert Taylor 1784-1844]
Mr. Julian Hibbert died Jan 22nd, 1834. [Born 1801, atheist]

[from The Gentleman's Magazine Published by F. Jefferies, 1834]

My first visit to Jersey with Harriet Aug 20th, 1834. [Harriet Brooks,b.1832, Elizabeth's daughter]
My second visit to Jersey & called at the Isle of Wight Aug 18th, 1836.
Mr. Thomber first attendance on Harriet Oct 11th 1837, and continued his visits twice a week till April 1st 1839.
Began to strengthen Feb 15th, 1839. Began to walk Aug 1st, 1839.
Frederic returned to Jersey Nov 15th, 1837. [Frederic Brooks, Elizabeth's son]
J. Brooks at Mr. Greenfells April 21st, 1838. [John Brooks, Husband]
J. Brooks set off to Bologne May 1838.
J. Brooks Guernsey July 6th, 1838.
Paid a visit to Mr. Watts at Ditton July 29th, 1838.
Mr. & Mrs. Hooper came to London the same week.
J.B set off to Jersey Aug 10th, 1838. [John Brooks]
J.B returned home Nov 24th, 1838.
Fred Brooks sailed in the Iris to Newfoundland Sept 22nd, 1838.
Returned home Jan 21st, 1839.
J.B set off to Jersey Feb 11th, 1839 and returned to London Feb 23rd, 1839.
We arrived in Jersey May 19th, 1839.
Mr. M & Mrs. Broomfield came Sept 21st, 1839.
Mr, & Mrs. Barlow came Nov 1st, 1839.
Left about the end of the year 1840.
My beloved sister Fanny married Feb 27th, 1820.
Elizabeth Matilda Clara born Dec 30th, 1820, her only child.
On the 10th of January 1826 my dear sister with her husband & child were lost off the Texel coming from Bolivia to Amsterdam. [Texel= island on Dutch coast]
Frederic came home Feb, 1840, left March 30th, 1841.
Mr. & Mrs. V.B. May 1841. [Vincent Brooks]
Fred left May 4th, 1841.
Harriet christened at St. Aubins Church May 13th, 1841. [Jersey]
Miss [Elizabeth] Beard came June 6th, 1841.
Miss Rogers came June 7th, 1841.
Mrs. V.B. returned July 30th, 1841.
Mrs. V.B returned to Jersey Feb 28th, 1842.
Myself and Harriet left for France April 24th, 1842.
Miss Rogers returned to London May 27th, 1842.
Left Tours for Jersey June 4th, 1842, got home the 7th, found Vincent who had come to take home poor Mary, they set off June 10th, 1842, and my poor girl died August 3rd, 1842. [Death of Mary Ann Brooks nee Wybrow]
Harriet left Jersey for the convent at Valonges July 7th, 1843. [Benedictine convent]
Left Jersey with Mr. Harrison for London March 1844.
Set off from Tower for Valonges April 21st, 1844. Via Le Havre.
My second visit to Tour June 7th, 1844. Mr. Taylor died about 7th June 1844. [Rev R Taylor]
Brought Harriet home for holidays from convent August 17th, 1845.
Harriet returned for good in September 1846.
Left St. Aubins Xmas 1845. Took Millbrook Cottage Xmas 1845.
Left Millbrook Cottage Xmas 1849.
Visited London May 1850 with Harriet and took my Alfred home. [Alfred Brooks, her Grandson, aged 3?]
Harriet set off for London May 17th, 1851.
H. Brooks left Jersey for London September 12th, 1851 and returned with Harriet Oct 11th, 1851.[poss. mistake? J. Brooks]
I paid a visit to Mrs. Taylor in Cumberland and returned October 11th, 1851.
M.S. died June 1851.
Fred’s children:
Harriet Brooks born Sept 9th, 1847.
Margaret Jane Brooks, Aug 19th, 1849.
Frederic 29th April 1853 in Quebec.

Mustard Pot on the Trot

"Coming down Tottenham Court Road I was much struck by the Omnibuses, yellow then as now: they certainly appeared of a size not less than a tram-car would appear to me at the present time and I was amused to hear them described as “mustard pots” a name for these yellow vehicles that has not quite disappeared."

Frederick Vincent Brooks' childhood experience of a London Omnibus from the 1850's.

The first horse dawn omnibus services were started in London by George Shillingbeer in 1829. Apparently, despite problems with dishonest conductors and various lawsuits the service proved a success and George soon had several competitors.

The vehicle pictured was built in 1885 by Patsy Hearn a famous wheelwright, London Bus and Hansom Cab operator. It's home is now the West Runton Shire Horse Centre in Norfolk.

Schooling Sexologists

It is always gratifying when a description or name mentioned by our author can be corroborated with the account of another. Such an example is given by Henry Havelock Ellis. In his colourful and controversial adult life he spent time as a sexologist, psychologist, philosopher, critic, author and editor, teacher, a man of medicine, long-time virgin and husband of a lesbian. At least some of his childhood time at the school near Tooting Station must responsible for influencing published ideas.

Frederick attended The Poplars, Mitcham from the age of 8 in 1856. It is surprising that, 16 years later, Havelock Ellis did the same under the notable Albert Grover. This teacher had at least 25 years of experience to develop his eccentric method and although Frederick is largely complementary, Havelock Ellis is exasperated by his poetry and it is a fellow teacher that inspires him on his path within philosophy and medicine.

Havelock describes Albert Grover as

...an oddity, a tall middle-aged man, looking much older than his years, with a long grey beard, a bald head and a blind eye. He had some resemblance to Darwin but he cherished much contempt for that great man's doctrines...

Havelock Ellis developed his interest in literature, reading Keats, Shelley, Carlyle and Elliot, the kind of people Frederick's grandfather would have had dealings with. As a man, he too mixed with the men of ideas and reformers of his age.











Sources:
Havelock Ellis
Australian Dictionary of Biography Online Edition Henry Havelock Ellis
Havelock Ellis, Henry et al. (1967) My Life
Brome, Vincent (1979) Havelock Ellis, Philosopher of Sex: A Biography

Frederick's Figge's Marsh Military Mates

Following his banishment to boarding school, Frederick was fortunate to come to know the brother's McRae, MacRae or M'Rae.

The 1861 census lists both brothers, their widowed mother and teacher Albert Grover boarding at the schoolhouse in Mitcham, Surrey. Archibald is roughly Frederick's age and Henry around three years younger. The boys' inevitable journey into the military would have made their Surgeon father, James and their mother, Emma Caroline proud.

My understanding of army rank and regiment is sketchy but first record found of Archibald attests that he became an Ensign on 11th January 1867 at the age of 19. His career starts with the 36th (The Herefordshire) Regt. Of Foot. Quickly he rises to Lieutenant by 1871 as part of the Punjab Frontier Force. Wing Subaltern, Quarter Master, Wing Officer, Adjutant and Wing Commander by 1883, he served in the '22nd (Punjab) Bengal Native Infantry (late 11th Punjab Infantry)'. The 22nd had their headquarters at Peshawur. We can speculate that Archibald felt somewhat at home in this part of the world as Emma's children were born and christened in India, Dr McRae had belonged to the Bengal Medical Service.

Archibald eventually becomes a Major but it is Henry Napier McRae CBE who becomes the subject of many a story of war gallantry and heroics...

Sources:
The New Army Lists of 1867, 1874, 1875, 1878 and 1883
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Family Search Index
Richard Cannon Historical record of the Thirty-sixth, or the Herefordshire regiment of foot

Henry Napier McRae

Younger brother of Archibald Spiers M'Rae, Henry, appears to have surpassed him in terms of fame, through the saving of lives, winning medals and contributing to favourable outcomes in famous battles.

Linley and Jim Hooper neatly summarise Henry's military career and further relations. An extract is below:

Henry Napier MacRae CBE
b. 27 January 1851, d. 18 January 1915

Henry Napier MacRae CBE was born on 27 January 1851 at Ferozepore/Firozpur, Lahore, Punjab, India. He was the son of Surgeon Major James McRae (b. 1803 Edinburgh), Indian Army. He was educated privately.

Henry Napier MacRae CBE appeared on the 1861 census at 'The Poplars', Figs Marsh, Mitcham, Surrey. Archibald S McRae, 14, born Benares, India & Henry N McRae, 10, born Ferzapor, scholars, were boarders with Albert Grover, schoolmaster.

Henry Napier MacRae CBE appeared on the 1871 census at Royal Engineers & Royal Engineer Dept, Aldershot, Hampshire. Henry Napier McRae, visitor, unmarried, 20, Ensign 8th Regt Infantry, born India.

He served in the Indian Army from 1871 to 1914. He received his first commission in the 8th Foot on 25 March 1871; Lieutenant 28 October 1871; Bengal Staff Corps 15 August 1874 with the 45th Bengal Infantry; Captain 25 March 1883; Major 7 December 1888; Lt Col 25 March 1897; Commandant of 45th Regt 19 April 1899; CB 20 May 1898. Served in Afghanistan 1787-80, North West Frontier 1884, Hazara 1888, North West Frontier 1897-8 (dispatches twice, medal with two clasps, CB); ADC to Queen Victoria and Edward VII; North West Frontier 1901-2 (despatches).

Frederick neglects to tell us of this in favour of fond memory concerning Archibald who was nearer his age. It is out of character for Frederick's pride not to make use of such association and so it is left to us and others including Winston Churchill to document these daring escapades. The Strand magazine documents the gripping account that persuaded The Royal Humane Society to provide the silver medal:

Follow the links for some more smashing pictures of Henry at the Siege of Malakand and Churchill's account, himself a second Lieutenant in the relief force.

Sources:
The Strand Magazine, Volume V, Issue 28, April 1893, An Illustrated Monthly The Medal of the Royal Humane Society
Jim & Linley's family pages

In Good Company

Frederick attends an evening at the Oxford Music Hall with a partner in the firm of John Weiss & Son, a man by the name of Foveaux. A preliminary search reveals that the once cutlers and now surgical instrument makers had their premises at 62 Strand at the time of Frederick's meeting.

"John’s son Frederick Foveaux Weiss also joined the company in 1831, which became John Weiss & Son for the first time. John Weiss died on December 25th, 1843, and was buried by his wishes in St. Nicholas churchyard, Brighton. His large fortune took care of his widow, son, daughter, sister, stepsister, porter and coach man. Frederick Foveaux Weiss then managed the company."

It is credit to Frederick's namesake that the business became noted for its quality in manufacture and success, even when the market for surgical instruments changed with the growth in the modern hospital. Despite the bright future in store for the partner, it is gratifying to know that 'Foveaux' still took pleasure in mixing with the common folk at the music hall.

Sources:
History - John Weiss International
Snowden & Brother (1860) Surgical and Dental Instruments Catalogues from the Civil War Era

York Regatta

Another visit from the parents and another surprise from Grandad's attic.


Object: Silver cup.
Inscription: York Regatta, 1874, Won by F. Vincent Brooks

Frederick's associations with the old West London Rowing club are well known and are documented in the posts below. Unknown until now have been his exploits further a field. The river Ouse still sports a York City Rowing Club with their own regatta but whether this is the same historic event we do not know.

If you have any information please let us know using the comments facility below.

Obituary from Times of Old

THE DRAWING OFFICE MATERIAL MANUFACTURERES’ & DEALERS ASSOCIATION

26/27 Farringdon Street,
London. E.C.4

27th September, 1921.
Dear Sirs,

I have pleasure in quoting a copy of the Obituary Notice which appeared in “The Times” on the 11th August, which will be of interest to you.

Yours faithfully,
ALFRED W. FOSTER,
Secretary.

A Master Lithographer.

A correspondent writes:-
Frederick Vincent Brooks, who died on Sunday, was the hereditary head of the old lithographic firm of Vincent Brooks, Day & Son Ltd, and a leading authority on all the subjects connected with lithography and sun-copying, on which matter he wrote the articles in the latest edition of “The Encyclopaedia Britannica.” He was also chairman of the G.W. Bacon & Co, Ltd., Map Publishers, official printer to the Senefelder Club, and was a personal friend of Charles Dickens.

Born to a Chartist father 72 years ago, Brooks was educated at Bishops Stortford, where he became personally known to Cecil Rhodes. He obtained a scholarship for Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge, but was called early to business. As a young man he distinguished himself on the river. For years he was the popular captain of the old West London Rowing Club, and became well know as “Daddy” Brooks. An excellent swimmer and a good boxer, he was also much more than an average amateur actor. Succeeding his father early as head of the business, he reproduced the first VANITY FAIR cartoon for Sir Gibson Bowles in 1869 – that of Benjamin Disraeli – and continued his connection with that journal almost without break until the end of its cartoon series. He was not only a master-craftsman, but a real artist in his own line, as may be judged generally by the work of the firm ever since it won the gold medal at the Great Exhibition of 1862 for a reproduction of Mulready’s picture, “The Wedding Garment.” He was also a very active Churchman. Well known and greatly respected as he was for his integrity and quick grasp of detail, he was in great demand as an arbitrator in business disputes. Brooks was a very kind-hearted and unselfish man, and was regarded with affection by his employees. Probably his last kindly action was to arrange for a service to be held at Holy Trinity Church, Kingsway, (close to his company’s works in Parker Street), to-day, at 12.30 before the funeral at the Wandsworth Cemetery, for the convenience of all the members of the staff.

Two sons are left to carry on the business after the hereditary manner. Both are ex-soldiers, and one of them, Captain W. Vincent Brooks, who gained the Military Cross, was wounded and taken prisoner by the Germans in May 1916.

Rowing, Sculling and Am-dram

Frederick Vincent Brooks intriguingly entitles chapter 11 of his autobiography 'Theatrical memories'. Sadly we do not have this entry and cannot shed light on whether a humble 'first dramatic venture', on an occasion of the West London Rowing Club, led to further board-treading by our author.

The occasion referred to is documented in a programme we have found and records an address penned and presented by Frederick at St. George’s Hall, Langham Place, Regent Street. This venue originally opened as a concert hall for the New Philharmonic Society on April the 24th 1867 and in 1878 was being leased to amateurs for theatre productions.

F.V Brooks was for many years Captain of the West London Rowing Club and as the column in Vanity Fair attests, helped win the Thames Cup at Henley in 1876.

Dickens Dictionary of the Thames states that "Wandsworth is the head-quarters of the West London, a club which has the credit of having originated many years ago the athletic sports which are now so interesting a feature in London life."

Birley confirms that such rowing clubs popularised out of season activities such as the boxing, high jump and even the tug-of-war to maintain their competitors fitness and raise funds.

Dickens continues that "West London Rowing Club, founded in 1856, and consequently one of the oldest clubs on the river. Election by ballot of members, one black ball in five excludes. Entrance fee, £1 1s. Subscription £2 2s. for active, £1 1s. for non-active members. Members are permitted to take up life membership on certain conditions. Colours, scarlet and white stripes. Boat-house, Putney."

Programme of the Amateur Dramatic Entertainment, given at St. George’s Hall, Langham Place, by the West London Rowing Club, Saturday Evening, March 23rd 1878

An Address written and delivered by F.V. Brooks, (Captain W.L.R.C.) on the occasion of the West London Rowing Club

“ Brief words while actions wait are well,
The prompter’s hand is now upon the bell.”
And yet I must, although I gain your censure,
Just speak of this, our First Dramatic venture.
An old friend said ; who, it matters not,
Let’s show the world how many friends we’ve got.
Agreed ! Agreed ! ! Let us not lose a day,
But you, of course, must show to us the way.
Boxing ! Fencing ! ! Bayonet and Sabre ! ! !
Or “ Tug of War,” to show how we could labour
At pulling guns in front of hostile forces,
If England’s army should be short of horses.
No! there are competitions without end,
And competitions, Ladies can’t attend.
Ah ! That’s your weakness ; Well, you may laugh,
But of all our friends, they form the better half,
Who never fail to cheer us with their faces,
Whene’er a steamboat follows with our races.

This is such a theatre-going age,
For one short night we’ll try to walk the stage.
What shall we play ? Gilbert ? Farnie ? Reece ?
No ; we’ve a Member who has writ a piece.
This we can have, if we’ll but engage
To put it fairly on the stage.
Whose can it be ? Are you bewitched of Nemesis ?
A Comedy Drama is really Dilley-ightful.
Now, there’s the name, and here my mystery ends,
May “ Auld Acquaintance” bring to us new friends.
As to our Company, who shall create the parts ?
We’ve willing heads, I know we’ve willing hearts ;
Now flushed with pleasure, now pale with fright,
Just our Club colours, alternate Red and White.
We’ve Macklin and Hall, Simpson, yes and Strong ;
They’ll ply their sculls, and push the boat along ;
And should they meet with over much resistance,
We’ve other friends who’ll come to their assistance.
West Londoners have never yet been craven,
And should they hap’ly reach the looked of haven ;
Then shall this night, recalled o’er and o’er
“ In memory’s sweet, but brief encore.”
Bring back to us, though endless seasons run,
Your hearty, welcome plaudit, of Well Done !

Sources:
www.arthurlloyd.co.uk St. Georges Hall, Langham Place, Regent Street, London
The Rowers of Vanity Fair/Brooks FV
Dickens Dictionary of the London/the Thames (1871 & 1881)
Birley, D (1993) Sport and the making of Britain

John Hassall Draws W. Vincent Brooks

This piece, from the trunk of ephemera, is a menu for an occasion on January 12th 1937. It is illustrated with the unmistakable figure of Wilfred Vincent Brooks. The circumstances of the meal remain a mystery, although, like many of the conferences and celebrations documented before, the inclusion of cheese, biscuits and celery is comfortably replicated. The menu itself is in French and headed with the handshake logo of 'Entre Nous 1910'. The plot thickens. Who was or is 'Entre Nous'? A terribly difficult title to search for on the Internet and does the illustration give us any clues?

Entre Nous or 'between us' is captured in the illustrations of folk engaged intimately behind Wilfred. Wilfred clutches, with his partially drawn hand, what appears to be printed matter and written correspondence is in evidence but tantalisingly less than legible. Was he part of Entre Nous or working with this company?

The only positive connection I can make at this time is the signature on the bottom right.

'Hassall' refers to the illustrator John Hassall (and not the bassist with the Libertines). He designed a number of posters for the Underground Group 1908-1913 but might be most readily identified with the poster entitled 'Skegness is So Bracing'. He set up an Art school which later amalgamated with that founded by Frank Brangwyn, a name mentioned by Wilfred in one of his speeches. Vincent Brooks, Day & Son may have been associated with Hassall in the later years before the company's final demise when seemingly incorporated by the Baynard Press in 1960.

Some more investigation is needed to pin this one down.

The Duke of Wellington

The 'Iron Duke' believed in strong government and his opposition to parliamentary reform earned him his metallic title for reasons of a more domestic than constitutional nature; his unpopularity forced him to beef up security at Apsley House against the window-smashers. Despite this, his passing drew the crowds and the spectacle of a lavish state funeral had enormous repercussions on the arts, journalism and everyday consciousness of the general public. Although the irresponsible nature of Frederick's baby-sitting had arguably profounder impact on the boy who had not observed the procession himself, an account of the time would not be fitting without a mention of this occasion.

Frederick begins his autobiography with mention of his grandfather's return at the Waterloo celebrations and his subsequent agitation with regard to Arthur Wellesley. Scarcely had the Duke been 'stopped' in the 1820s, when, in the second chapter, his parents attend his funeral on Thursday November 18th 1852.

It is worth noting that the Duke had died on the 14th September. We can speculate on the reason for the delay in his interment. It may be that the preparation required for the ceremony, coupled with a macabre level of Victorian superstitious fear of burying a living icon meant that it was not until two months later, that Wellington was finally laid to rest.

For a taste of the experience Frederick's parents may have had, we can quote the New York Times, which followed the procession from Constitution Hill, Piccadilly, St. James's Street, Pall Mall, Cockspur Street, Charing Cross, Trafalgar Square to the Strand towards Fleet Street, Ludgate Hill and St. Paul's.

"Amid the rise, and perhaps the fall, of empires, amid “fear of change perplexing the nations,” amid earthquake and flood, a trembling earth and a weeping sky, Wellington was conveyed..."

"Most of the houses along the line of the route exhibited half-mast flags or other symptoms of mourning. Temple Bar was completely enveloped in drapery of black silken velvet, with fringe of silver, and turned aside at the top so as to display an under lining of cloth of gold."

Despite Frederick's fleeting reference to the funeral and his grandfather's apparent preference to rock cakes and drinking, we should not underestimate the occasion for a significant proportion of Londoners and those from further a field.

W. Liebknecht neatly illustrates the frenzy of the procession as observed and as joined from the opposite side of Temple Bar to that of Frederick's parents.

"I had made my plan. We had no money to hire seats at a window, or on a stand. The funeral procession was to pass along the Strand, parallel with the Thames. We must get into one of the streets entering the Strand from the north, and running towards the river.

Holding one little girl by each hand, our pockets filled with provender I steered towards the coign of vantage which I had chosen, just by Temple Bar – the old City gates that divided Westminister from the City. The streets from earliest morning had been unusually animated, and were thronged with people. The procession, however, having to pass through many quarters of the giant town the millions of sight-seers divided up, and without any crush, we reached the chosen places. It was just what we wanted. I stood on some steps, the two little ones clasping one another, and each holding me by the hand, stood on a higher step. Hush! A movement in the sea of people; a distant, growing roar, like the roaring of the ocean, drawing nearer and nearer! An “Ah!” from thousands upon thousands of throats! The procession is there, and, from our position, we can see it as beautifully as if we were at the theatre. The children are delighted. No crush. All my fears are gone.

A long, long time. The golden procession wends its way with the gorgeous catafalue that is taking the “Conqueror of Napoleon” to his tomb, One new sight after the other until nothing more came. The last gold-laced rider has gone.

And now suddenly a rush – a rush forward of the mass piled up behind us. Everyone wants to follow the “procession”. I struggle with all my might to protect the children so that the stream may pass without hurting them. In vain. Against the elemental force of the masses no single human force can stand. It was as easy for a small fragile boat, after a hard winter, to resist an icefloe. I must give way, and, pressing the children tightly to me, I try to get out of the main street. I seem to be succeeding, and I breathe again, when suddenly from the right a new and more mighty wave of people bears in upon us; we are thrown into the Strand, the thousands and hundreds of thousands who have gathered into this street-artery want to hurry after the procession in order to see the sight once again. I set my teeth, try to lift the children on to my shoulders, but am too hemmed in. I convulsively seize the children’s arms; the vortex carries us away, and I suddenly feel a force pressing between me and the children. I grasp their wrists in either hand, but the force that has pushed its way between me and the children still presses forward like a wedge – the children are torn from me, resistance is hopeless. I must let them, go, or I shall break their arms. It was a hideous moment."

"...the funeral procession, comprised of more than ten thousand marchers, encompassed central London, enjoying an audience numbering more than one and a half million people. Queen Victoria and virtually every major and minor national figure in politics or the arts viewed either the procession or the ceremony at St. Paul’s."

Sources:
Bloy, M Arthur Wellesley, first Duke of Wellington (1769-1852)
December 3, 1852 New York Times The Wellington Funeral
March 1895 W. Liebknecht A Bad Quarter of an Hour translated by Eleanor Marx Aveling
Illustrated London News November 20th 1852 The Duke's Funeral
Pearsall C.D.J (1999) Burying the duke: Victorian mourning and the funeral of the Duke of Wellington Victorian Literature and Culture 27: 365-393 Cambridge University Press

Come let us cut the cackle

Yet another speech written by W. Vincent Brooks has been transcribed addressing those in the company of a certain Douglas Cockerell of bookbinding fame. It can be found here.

The speech is clearly written in anticipation of great and somewhat unsettling changes within lithography, the print industry and the wider world. Despite this, Wilfred remains defiantly optimistic in this between war era of considerable uncertainty.

Nerves are the Devil

1889 saw the birth of Frederick's first child, a girl named Edith Mary Brooks. The photograph here dates from around the turn of the last century.

At the age of nineteen, on the 3rd June 1908, Edith married Edward W L Jarrett. We currently know little of their early time together other than they had soon produced both a son and a daughter.

By the mid 1920's Frederick's old school acquaintance Cecil Rhodes had moved up in the world and Edith's youngest brother Herbert Cecil Brooks was working as a Assistant Native Commissioner in what was then Northern Rhodesia. Although far removed from the luxuries of London, while the kids boarded at school, Edith and Edward Jarrett decided on a little holiday.

On Christmas day 1927 Edith wrote to her brother in Solwezi. She and Ted would be sailing on the Arundel Castle out of Southampton on Jan 27th bound for Cape Town. She had booked directly with Union Castle as, "I know someone there and got 10% back off the passage money". Ted had problems with depression but on this Christmas morning at 33 Wilbury Gardens he had managed to get himself out of bed.

Ted's health also prolonged their stay once they had reached Cape Town. Whilst staying at the Mount Nelson Hotel Edith took the time to finalise the details of the trip. The Walmer Castle would take them on the six day voyage to Durban. From the 11th to the 15th of April they would be staying at the Marine Hotel before heading for the Carlton in Johannesburg. After a further stay in Bulawayo they would be staying at Victoria Falls for a week before making the final leg of their journey to Elisabethville (modern day Lubumbashi) and Solwezi.We see from Edith's letters that she arranged with Thomas Cook to have supplies for their stay sent straight up to Solwezi. As well as extra food and camp kit, a collection of gramophone records was also dispatched. Unfortunately Thomas Cook had trouble with this request, the road between Elisabethville and Solwezi "is at present impassable the bridge having been carried away". Another request for a car to take Edith and Ted on the final leg of the journey from Sakania was also in doubt as the car due to collect them was, "apparently held up at Kasenga; we understand there are five lorries bogged on the Kasenga road and the position at present does not appear hopeful".

While still in Cape Town Ted visited a Doctor recommended by a friend. Whilst waiting Edith pencilled another letter to Solwezi. "Friday, Saturday and Sunday Ted seemed much better and took quite an interest in everything but hasn't been to grand since. Nerves are the devil. I'm only hoping it will be such an immense change with you it will make him forget there is such a person as E. Jarrett for a bit". They had some luck at the horse races and attended a dance at Sea Point but Edith ends her letter, "Ted hasn't brought a gun as he said he should shoot himself if he had one so I dropped the question quietly".

The next letter we have dates from 19th April 1928, two weeks after Edith and Ted arrived in Solwezi. Herbert wrote to Thomas Cook in Elisabethville asking for arrangements to be made for their return to Cape Town via Durban. It is only in a letter from the following day that a clearer picture starts to emerge. Herbert wrote to a friend in Elisabethville, "the visit of my sister and brother-in-law, Mr & Mrs Jarrett, has unfortunately been a failure and Jarrett is now suffering with a bad type of nervous breakdown. The Doctor has ordered him home and they will leave Elisabethville for Durban on the 28th April".
He goes on to ask if a travelling companion can be found for Edith for the journey as, "my sister is nervous of the journey down to Durban, without anyone on the train that she knows, as Jarrett is at times very difficult to handle".

On the 16th May Edith once again writes to Herbert's wife Hilda. Having arrived back in Cape Town she is now at the Cape of Good Hope. "Dear Hilda, Many thanks for forwarding letters and sending home address book. I got your letter the day of Ted's funeral. He died on board the Edinburgh Castle on May 12th and was buried at Maitland cemetery on Monday...I am now staying with Miss Fairbridge till Friday when I am going on on the Edinburgh. I am very sorry I created such a disturbance in your household. Lots of love to you & Bill, Edith [p.s] Ted especially wanted to be remembered to Kinross whom he said he felt liked & was sorry for him".

The events in Solwezi and the cause of Edward's death are not covered by any of our present documents. The story told by 'Bill', now in his eighties, is that Ted tried to attack his brother-in-law with a knife. The death on the Edinburgh Castle while officially being recorded as malaria, again according to Bill, was in fact suicide.

Back in the UK their son Jack Jarrett went on to marry Molly (maiden name unknown) who apparently was a pioneer in the flower business, being the first to grow carnations under glass and establishing a very early floral mail order service. Jack and Molly had two boys together, one of which being David Allan Robert Jarrett born at Puncharden, Willian, Hertfordshire on 6th December 1936. Edith's daughter Kathleen, or Kay as she is better know, married Alfred Wall. They had two children Judith and Robert.

Following the unexpected end to her first marriage, Edith later tied the knot with Herbert Edward Newsum. Herbert was nearly twenty years her senior and was the fourth child of Henry Newsum the famous timber merchant of Lincoln. In his younger days Herbert made an appearance for Lincoln City FC in an FA Cup match against Hull. Both him and his brother Clement scored in the 5-1 victory. Later, as a Captain, he headed the Lincolnshire Volunteer Company during the Boer war. Later still, in 1913, he followed in his brothers foot steps and became mayor of Lincoln.