Diaries about spiritualism and other topics
Request this item
- Creator
- Rushout, Anne (d 1849) diarist
TitleDiaries about spiritualism and other topics
Reference codeMS682
Date1785-1852
Scope and ContentVolumes of a journal probably written between 1828-1852, possibly in the hand of Anne Rushout (though authorship of all volumes is unconfirmed). Many of the diary volumes are of a spiritual nature as well as domestic and international travel. Some volumes are indexed. Enclosed in volume 16 is an item entitled L'Entendard Britannique, the first of two volumes by Mary Bowles of French poetry. Volumes 11-14 may be by her brother, John Rushout (1770-1859) 2nd Baron Northwick.
The following was kindly compiled and provided by researcher Anne Strathie who was investigating who the true author of each volume was (06.12.2021).
"Background to visit:
I am one of several researchers and historians interested in journals and other archive/museum holdings related to the Rushout/Northwick/Bowles family, who variously owned/lived in properties including Northwick Park (near Blockley, Gloucestershire), Thirlestaine House (Cheltenham), Burford (Shropshire), Wanstead Grove (Essex), Harrow and London. There has been considerable discussion relating to the authorship of MS682 journals, https://archives.libraries.london.ac.uk/Details/archive/110018205, of which the main description is:
Volumes of a journal probably written between 1828-1852, chiefly in the hand of Anne Rushout. Many of the diary volumes are of a spiritual nature as well as domestic and international travel. Some volumes are indexed. Enclosed in volume 16 is an item entitled L'Entendard Britannique, the first of two volumes by Mary Bowles of French poetry. Volumes 11-14 may be by her brother, John Rushout (1770-1859) 2nd Baron Northwick.
Notes: Bought from The Square Orange. These volumes were bought by a dealer at the sale of the estate of Northwick Park in 1965 and were sold to the University of London Library the following year. Recent research has suggested that most of the diaries in this collection were not in fact written by Anne Rushout. The author is more likely to have been one of George Rushout's daughters, and was therefore Anne Rushout's niece. Volume 16 is though thought to have been written by Anne Rushout.
Item MS682/19 https://archives.libraries.london.ac.uk/Details/archive/110063170 is separately attributed to Anne Rushout.
Summary of findings
Without similar samples of Georgiana and Harriet Rushout-Bowles’ handwriting, any attribution must be tentative, but from my comparison and short examination of the volumes (c.3 hours, plus photographs studied at home) I felt that there is much to commend the suggestion that most (possibly as many as 17 or 18) of the journals are those of Georgiana and/or Harriet Rushout-Bowles of Burford (see list of family members below). The presence of some loose items (see below) and references to ‘Harriet’ suggest that Georgiana may be the more likely author, but as Harriet died the year of the last-dated journals, further examination of dates would be necessary. That said, my main reasons for agreeing with the suggested either/or authorship are as follows:
• The overall dates of the journals fit with their lifetimes (Anne Rushout’s journals would have started earlier and there is also a known transcript of her journals in existence).
• Many of the journal books are similar in size/design suggesting a common source or personal preference; several journals are also noted as sequential volumes; indices are in similar formats.
• The regular references to family members fit with the sisters’ position in the family: ‘Pappa’; ‘(dear) Uncle N(orthwick)’; ‘uncle Montgomery’ in Scotland (where their mother was from); ‘dear George’ (younger brother). The lack of reference to the authors’ mother also fits with the death of their mother, which predates the diaries. whose death pre-dates the journals.
• The regular references to Burford (including ‘returning to’) and its church and curate and to local travels in nearby counties.
• The references to visits to relatives, including at Northwick and Cheltenham (‘uncle Northwick’), Wanstead (aunt Anne Rushout), London (aunt Elizabath Grieve and husband); Scotland (references to an uncle).
• The fact that much of the content is very religious in nature, aligns with descriptions of the sisters in obituaries and tributes (found on British Newspaper Archives and St Mary’s Church, Burford).
• The aligning of dates during two tours (Scotland and Ireland) between journal entries and known paintings by the Rushout-Bowles sisters which also came from the 1965 auction, which combined inherited family property from many sources (due to lack of heirs and consolidation of assets).
Further details relating to the above is below, in sections on family members and the journals themselves."
Moreover, further discussions with Anne Strathie have indicated that several volumes have previously been wrongly attributed to Anne Rushout. Apart from volumes /16 and /19 (and possibly /17, the ‘household’ book), the journals are almost certainly by one or both of the Rushout-Bowles sisters, Georgiana and Harriet. Their is also some doubt as to whether the attributions to John Rushout are correct.
The following was kindly compiled and provided by researcher Anne Strathie who was investigating who the true author of each volume was (06.12.2021).
"Background to visit:
I am one of several researchers and historians interested in journals and other archive/museum holdings related to the Rushout/Northwick/Bowles family, who variously owned/lived in properties including Northwick Park (near Blockley, Gloucestershire), Thirlestaine House (Cheltenham), Burford (Shropshire), Wanstead Grove (Essex), Harrow and London. There has been considerable discussion relating to the authorship of MS682 journals, https://archives.libraries.london.ac.uk/Details/archive/110018205, of which the main description is:
Volumes of a journal probably written between 1828-1852, chiefly in the hand of Anne Rushout. Many of the diary volumes are of a spiritual nature as well as domestic and international travel. Some volumes are indexed. Enclosed in volume 16 is an item entitled L'Entendard Britannique, the first of two volumes by Mary Bowles of French poetry. Volumes 11-14 may be by her brother, John Rushout (1770-1859) 2nd Baron Northwick.
Notes: Bought from The Square Orange. These volumes were bought by a dealer at the sale of the estate of Northwick Park in 1965 and were sold to the University of London Library the following year. Recent research has suggested that most of the diaries in this collection were not in fact written by Anne Rushout. The author is more likely to have been one of George Rushout's daughters, and was therefore Anne Rushout's niece. Volume 16 is though thought to have been written by Anne Rushout.
Item MS682/19 https://archives.libraries.london.ac.uk/Details/archive/110063170 is separately attributed to Anne Rushout.
Summary of findings
Without similar samples of Georgiana and Harriet Rushout-Bowles’ handwriting, any attribution must be tentative, but from my comparison and short examination of the volumes (c.3 hours, plus photographs studied at home) I felt that there is much to commend the suggestion that most (possibly as many as 17 or 18) of the journals are those of Georgiana and/or Harriet Rushout-Bowles of Burford (see list of family members below). The presence of some loose items (see below) and references to ‘Harriet’ suggest that Georgiana may be the more likely author, but as Harriet died the year of the last-dated journals, further examination of dates would be necessary. That said, my main reasons for agreeing with the suggested either/or authorship are as follows:
• The overall dates of the journals fit with their lifetimes (Anne Rushout’s journals would have started earlier and there is also a known transcript of her journals in existence).
• Many of the journal books are similar in size/design suggesting a common source or personal preference; several journals are also noted as sequential volumes; indices are in similar formats.
• The regular references to family members fit with the sisters’ position in the family: ‘Pappa’; ‘(dear) Uncle N(orthwick)’; ‘uncle Montgomery’ in Scotland (where their mother was from); ‘dear George’ (younger brother). The lack of reference to the authors’ mother also fits with the death of their mother, which predates the diaries. whose death pre-dates the journals.
• The regular references to Burford (including ‘returning to’) and its church and curate and to local travels in nearby counties.
• The references to visits to relatives, including at Northwick and Cheltenham (‘uncle Northwick’), Wanstead (aunt Anne Rushout), London (aunt Elizabath Grieve and husband); Scotland (references to an uncle).
• The fact that much of the content is very religious in nature, aligns with descriptions of the sisters in obituaries and tributes (found on British Newspaper Archives and St Mary’s Church, Burford).
• The aligning of dates during two tours (Scotland and Ireland) between journal entries and known paintings by the Rushout-Bowles sisters which also came from the 1965 auction, which combined inherited family property from many sources (due to lack of heirs and consolidation of assets).
Further details relating to the above is below, in sections on family members and the journals themselves."
Moreover, further discussions with Anne Strathie have indicated that several volumes have previously been wrongly attributed to Anne Rushout. Apart from volumes /16 and /19 (and possibly /17, the ‘household’ book), the journals are almost certainly by one or both of the Rushout-Bowles sisters, Georgiana and Harriet. Their is also some doubt as to whether the attributions to John Rushout are correct.
NotesBought from The Square Orange. These volumes were bought by a dealer at the sale of the estate of Northwick Park in 1965 and were sold to the University of London Library the following year.Recent research has suggested that most of the diaries in this collection were not in fact written by Anne Rushout. The author is more likely to have been one of George Rushout's daughters, and was therefore Anne Rushout's niece. Volume 16 is though thought to have been written by Anne Rushout.
Conditions governing accessOpen for research. At least 24 hours notice is required for research visits.
Extent19 volumes
Level of descriptionfonds