Attwater Papers, acc. 76, Angus Library

Calendar of the Attwater Papers, Acc. 76, Angus Library

2 Boxes (formerly Reeves Collection, 12/1-27)

I. Box 1

A. In plastic sleeves: Jane Attwater’s Diary, 1767-99, with portions from 1829-33 (other portions of her diary c. 1809 and an undated portion are in II.A.6, and portions from 1800-1806 and 1814-1830 are in folders II.B.4-5)

  1. 1767-69

  2. 1770-73

  3. 1773-74 (one part dated 1776)

  4. 1775

  5. 1776 (blue volume)

  6. 1776 (loose)

  7. 1777

  8. 1778

  9. 1779 (2 portions in different sleeves) 9.a. and 9.b.

  10. 1780-81

  11. 1782

  12. 1783

  13. 1784

  14. 1785

  15. 1786

  16. 1787-89

  17. 1788 (new portion found)

  18. 1788 (another portion found)

  19. 1789

  20. 1790

  21. 1790 (new portion found)

  22. 1791-June 1795

  23. July 1795-1799

  24. Jane Attwater Diary: a portion of 1800, then all of 1801-May 1806 [in a separate folder]

  25. 1807-13

  26. Portion of Jane Attwater’s diary from 28 July 1809, the day her daughter, Anna Jane, died; another portion from 8 December-29 December ?

  27. Jane Attwater Diary: 1814-1830. In one bound volume is 1814-18; in another is 1819-21. The remaining portions are loose, and many of the years are not complete.

  28. 1829-32 (new portion found)

  29. 1833 (new portion found)

II. Box 2

A. Clear Plastic Sleeves:

  1. A small bound MS. volume (formerly Reeves 12/16) in Jane’s hand of some poems by Mary Steele, c. 1772-73 (the little volume is titled ‘2nd volume poems compos’d by my dear friend Silvia’), including ‘To Myrtila written in 1772 Jany’, ‘To Myra 1772’, ‘To Myrtilla written in 1773’, and an excerpt of a sermon by Samuel Davies of Princeton, ‘Jesus Christ the Only Foundation,’ which probably belonged to the Steeles and was borrowed by Jane at some point. Also here are two other poems attached together, ‘Taken from Mrs Jones Miscellanies’: one poem is ‘Of Desire, An Epistle to the Hon: Miss Lovelace’ and the other ‘In Memory of the Rt Hon: Lord Aubrey.’

  2. A small MS. volume of Maria Saffery’s poems from 1795-1803, many of which were published in the Baptist Annual Register and the Biblical Magazine. Why this is in Jane Attwater’s materials is a mystery, but it does show the connection that developed between the two women.

  3. A small MS. notebook, ‘Jane Attwater her book gave to me by my dear Mama 1767’ which is a commonplace book consisting of one long poem, ‘Verses on the death of Capt. Gardiner,’ by the Rev. Mr. Benjamin Lowdon.

  4. A number of ‘Reflections’ on various topics, mostly spiritual, by Jane Attwater, c. 1780s and early 1790s.

  5. In a plastic sleeve is Jane Attwater’s copy of Danebury, inscribed ‘The Gift from the beloved Author [Mary Steele] to J. Attwater.’ Along with the poem are three MS. notes: one a copy of ‘Extempore by Miss H. More’ to Mary Steele,’ after a visit to Danebury with Mary Steele c. 1780s; a copy (in Attwater’s hand) of a portion of the review from the Monthly Review (1779) of Danebury; and a note by Mary Steele (in her hand) to Jane Attwater (from ‘Sylvia’ to ‘Myrtilla’) about Danebury.

  6. 4 Letters by Jane Attwater to Mary Steele: 31 May 1773; 17 February 1783; 21 February 1785; 11 October 1785.

  7. Miscellaneous pieces by Jane Attwater, including a poem dated January 1786 to her cousin Philip.

  8. Letter by Jane Attwater to her nephew, Philip Whitaker, 5 May 1786.

  9. Letter by Jane Attwater, to her sister, either Marianna or Caroline, undated.

  10. 4 Letters by Jane Attwater Blatch to her niece and nephew: 31 January 1825; 15 May 1833; and two undated letters.

  11. 4 letters, all undated, by Jane Attwater Blatch to various friends.

  12. MS. list by Jane Attwater Blatch of her relations, including Anne and Mary Steele.

  13. Notice of the death of Henry Philips, pastor of the Baptist church at Salisbury, dated 21 August 1789, in Jane Attwater’s hand, with a poem by Anne Steele.

  14. Letter by Anne Steele to Mary Wakeford, her half-sister, 6 February 1760.

  15. Envelope marking a letter from Anne Steele to Jane Attwater, 22 May 1771.

  16. Letter by Anne Steele to her cousin, Miss Whitaker, at Bratton, 13 April 1767.

  17. Letter by Anne Steele to her cousin, Anna Attwater, at Britford, near Sarum, 30 March 1741.

  18. Jane Attwater’s self-written obituary, with a note to the Steele’s to examine it.

  19. Letter by Jane Attwater Blatch to her cousin, a Miss Attwater, Bratton, undated.

  20. Letter by Marianna Attwater Head to Jane Attwater Blatch, 22 June 1818.


B. Folders:

1. Illegible Letters: One letter by Joshua Rowe, Serampore, to John Saffery, Salisbury, 22 May 1806; one letter from William Moore, India, to John Saffery, received 6 December 1821; Ann Randall, Calcutta, to John Saffery (‘my dear Pastor’), postmark October 1819; John Coultart, Paternoster Row, London, to John Saffery, 11 December 1818.

2. 11 Letters: 9 letters from Jane Attwater (‘Myrtilla’) to Mary Steele (‘Sylvia’).

a. 27 May 1771

b. 5 May 1773

c. 18 July 1774

d. undated (c. 1774)

e. 27 October 1774

f. 14 February 1775

g. 20 February 1775

h. 13 November 1775

i. 7 February 1785.

3. 2 letters from Gay Thomas Attwater to his sister, Caroline.

a. 29 March 1780

b. 24 April 1788.

4. 4 Letters: Jane Attwater Blatch to her sister Caroline Whitaker.

l. 4 December 1773

m. 15 October 1776

n. 27 May ?

o. 16 July 1801.