Emily Somerset essay book

Access and use

Location of collection:
University of Virginia, Special Collections Dept.
Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library
University of Virginia
P.O. Box 400110
160 McCormick Rd
Charlottesville, Virginia 22904-4110
Contact for questions and access:
POC: Brenda Gunn
Phone: (434) 924-1037
Phone: (434) 243-1776
Fax: (434) 924-4968
Restrictions:

This collection has been minimally processed and is open for research.

Preferred citation:

MSS 16962, Emily Somerset essay book, Small Special Collections Library, University of Virginia Library.

Summary

Extent:
0.03 Cubic Feet One letter-sized file folder.
Language:
English
Preferred citation:

MSS 16962, Emily Somerset essay book, Small Special Collections Library, University of Virginia Library.

Background

Scope and content:

This collection contains an essay book belonging to Emily Somerset, who lived in England. Bound in contemporary morocco with Essays of Emily Somerset embossed in gilt to front cover and has decorative endpapers. Adhered to front pastedown is a contemporary gift plate reading: "E. Somerset from her cousin, C. Somerset, 1867". A later gift inscription in pencil to verso of front endpaper, "Annie Usher from her Uncle. November 28th 1923." The essay entries began in 1867 when Emily was eighteen. The manuscript contains twelve essays with decorative calligraphic head and tail pieces written over forty-five pages, with an additional three pages of recipes at the back of the book. Some essays, such as the opening title "On self culture," reflect popular trends in education regarding women's physical and mental health (including the importance of balancing classroom time with exercise). Others suggest Emily's more individual interests or perceptions of the world conveyed in essays like "Art and its effect upon us" (August 1867), while others reveal her deep interest in literature like her February 17, 1868 essay "On Books" which argues for the importance of books and the consumption of literature. Entries end in 1873, leaving the latter half of the book blank. Emily became a Wesleyan schoolmistress and married schoolteacher William James Middleton in 1879. She died in 1921. The question remains whether Emily Somerset and the later owner, Annie Usher were related in some way, as Emily's death in 1921 is quite close to Annie's receipt of the manuscript as a gift in 1923.

Acquisition information:
This collection was purchased from Whitmore Rare Books by the Small Special Collections Library, University of Virginia on 18 July 2023.
Physical description:
Good.
Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard