Henry Herron Beauchamp Papers, 1870-1942

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Summary

Creators:
Beauchamp, Henry Herron, 1825-1907.
Abstract:
This collection consists of the journals of English businessman H.H. Beauchamp (1825-1907), for the years 1870-1907, in which he wrote extensively about family matters and travels, as well letters written by Beauchamp, mainly to his wife, Elizabeth Lassetter Beauchamp, and other family members. A second major part of the collection is some papers by Beauchamp's daughter English novelist Countess Elizabeth Russell (1866-1941).
Extent:
121 pieces in 7 boxes.
Language:
English.

Background

Scope and content:

The collection consists of H.H. Beauchamp's Journals with typewritten transcriptions for the years 1870-1907, in which he wrote extensively about family matters, as well as, his travels, often pasting in photos, newspaper clippings and other printed material about the places he visited; the collection also includes letters written by Beauchamp, mainly to his wife, Elizabeth Lassetter Beauchamp, and other family members. A second major part of the collection is the Elizabeth Mary, Countess Russell, Address book, correspondence, with one letter by George Moore, ephemera and manuscripts, which consist of two typewritten copies and printed proof sheets of her novel, "Mr. Skeffington."

The papers consist of the following series:

1. Journals (Box 1) are arranged chronologically and cover the years 1870-1907. Beauchamp wrote extensively about his world travels from 1870 until 1890, often pasting in photos, newspaper clippings and other printed material about the places he visited. After 1890, the journals mainly focus on family life and concerns, especially the health of his large extended family. Elizabeth Russell (as “May”) is only mentioned briefly in the earlier journals but becomes more important after 1888, during her courtship with von Arnim.

2. Journal Transcriptions (Boxes 2-3) are arranged chronologically. These transcriptions are photocopies of the typewritten originals; because the journals are somewhat fragile it is best to read the transcriptions for detailed content of the journals.

3. H. H. Beauchamp Correspondence & Ephemera (Boxes 4-5) is arranged alphabetically by author and addressee. The majority of the letters were written by Beauchamp to his wife “Louey” and cover the years 1870 to 1905. These letters can be read alongside the journals as they provide some further travel details but are mainly concerned with family matters. There are a small number of letters to other family members, including one letter to Elizabeth, Countess Russell. This material also includes a copy of Beauchamp’s death certificate and the padded folder which originally held the letters.

4. Elizabeth Mary, Countess Russell Address book, Correspondence, Ephemera & Manuscripts (Boxes 6-7) is arranged by format and then alphabetically by author. This material includes Elizabeth’s address book, and the letters, cards, and ephemera removed from the address book and cataloged separately. There is also one letter from George Moore to Elizabeth, originally with the Beauchamp letters. The manuscripts are two carbon copy, typewritten copies, and the printed proof sheets of Mr. Skeffington; the printed proof sheets have been removed to a long, flat folder for storage.

Biographical / historical:

Henry Herron Beauchamp was born in London, England, in 1825. In 1838, he went to work for the merchant and shipping firm of Messrs. Samuel Baker, Philpotts & Co., after ten years in London was sent to Mauritius; and after a further two years, he decided to go into the trading and shipping business on his own. He relocated to Australia for 20 years where he became a successful businessman but then semi-retired and returned to England in 1870. After his return to Europe, Beauchamp travelled extensively throughout the world until about 1890; he died at Bexley, Kent on Oct. 6, 1907. In January 1855, Beauchamp married Elizabeth Weiss Lassetter, and together they had six children, the youngest of whom was Mary Annette Beauchamp.

Mary Annette Beauchamp was born in Australia, at the family’s holiday home, in 1866. She became known to the world in 1898 as “Elizabeth” after the publication of her first novel, Elizabeth and Her German Garden. She was a very popular writer during her lifetime and wrote some twenty works, mainly semi-autobiographical novels between 1897 and 1940; two of her novels have been made into films, Mr. Skeffington and The Enchanted April. She married Count Henning von Arnim-Schlagenthin in 1891, and after his death in 1910, she married John Francis Stanley Russell, 2nd Earl, in 1916, though they separated in 1919. Elizabeth died in Charleston, South Carolina, in 1941.

Acquisition information:

Chiefly the gift of Ann E. Hardham, January 15, 2012.

The two typewritten copies and printed proof sheets of the Russell novel, Mr. Skeffington, were the gift of Ann E. Hardham, John C. Hardham and Virginia B. Hardham, January 15, 2012.

Processing information:

1. Elizabeth was born Mary Annette Beauchamp (but known in the family as “May”), then after her first marriage in 1891, she became Elizabeth von Arnim, and after her second marriage in 1916, she became Elizabeth, Countess Russell; Russell was the name she preferred to use until her death in 1941. Her authorized name in the Huntington Online Catalogue is Elizabeth Von Arnim, 1866-1941, but it was decided to catalog the material in this collection with the form of her name used in other Huntington manuscript collections.

2. Elizabeth’s address book contained a number of loose letters, cards, and ephemera laid into the volume; these loose items were removed and cataloged separately with the original location noted on the front of the folder.

3. Henry Herron Beauchamp was in the habit of writing long letters to his family while he travelled; some of the letters were written over the course of several weeks. These “general” letters were meant to be read and shared amongst his entire family; at the same time, Beauchamp was in the habit of writing short, personal letters to his wife “Louey,” (Elizabeth Lassetter Beauchamp). Therefore, the dates of all of these letters overlap in a way that can be confusing to a researcher; the letters have been arranged chronologically by the first date of each letter.

Arrangement:

Organized in the following manner:

  • 1. Journals (Box 1)
  • 2. Journal Transcriptions (Boxes 2-3)
  • 3. H.H. Beauchamp Correspondence & Ephemera (Boxes 4-5)
  • 4. Elizabeth Mary, Countess Russell, Address book, Correspondence, Ephemera & Manuscripts (Boxes 6-7)
Arranged chronologically and alphabetically within series.

Note: Elizabeth was born Mary Annette Beauchamp (but known in the family as "May"), then after her first marriage in 1891, she became Elizabeth von Arnim, and after her second marriage in 1916, she became Elizabeth, Countess Russell; Russell was the name she preferred to use until her death in 1941. Her authorized name in the Huntington Online Catalog is Elizabeth Von Arnim, 1866-1941, but it was decided to catalog the material in this collection with the form of her name used in other Huntington manuscript collections.

Rules or conventions:
Finding aid prepared using Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Access and use

Restrictions:

Open to qualified researchers by prior application through the Reader Services Department. For more information, contact Reader Services.

Location of this collection:
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, CA 91108, US
Contact:
(626) 405-2191
reference@huntington.org
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