Ashley MS 3854

Letters from various correspondents mainly concerning relations between Dante Gabriel Rossetti and his model, Fanny Cornforth; 1872-1923. Ashley Library Catalogue, x, p. 169. As follows:―

1. Three letters from Rossetti to his brother W. M. Rossetti, chiefly concerning the transfer to the latter of ownership of the furniture at Fanny's house, 36 Royal Avenue, Chelsea, in order to defeat her first husband's creditors; 27 June (two letters), [25 Nov.?] 1872. Printed in Doughty and Wahl, op. cit., iii, 1967, pp. 1049-1050. ff. 1-6b.

2. Letter from Fanny to Rossetti written after her removal to 96 Jermyn Street, complaining of her treatment at the hands of himself and his friends; [Sept.?] 1877. Printed in O. Doughty and J. R. Wahl, op. cit., iv, 1967, p. 1504. ff. 7-8b.

3. Seven letters from Rossetti to W. T. Watts[-Dunton], as follows:―

a. Letter chiefly discussing Dr. Thomas Gordon Hake's poems printed in New Symbols, 1876 [1875]; 21 Nov. 1875. ff. 9-10.

b. Two letters concerning Fanny's departure from Royal Avenue to 96 Jermyn Street; [Sept.?], [25 Sept.?] 1877. ff. 11-14b.

c. Two letters describing Rossetti's holiday in the Lake District with Fanny and Hall Caine; [23-26?] Sept., [beg. Oct.?] 1881. ff. 15-18.

d. Letter discussing the suggestion that Rossetti's mother and sister Christina might share his house with him; [Sept. 1877?]. ff. 19-20.

e. Letter inviting Watts[-Dunton] to call at Cheyne Walk; [1878?]. f. 21.

The letters are printed in Doughty and Wahl, op. cit., 1967, iii, p. 1375; iv, pp. 1499-1500, 1503, 1504, 1595, 1926-1927, 1929-1930.

4. Three letters from W. M. Rossetti to W. T. Watts[-Dunton], concerning his duties as Dante Gabriel Rossetti's executor, and in particular the question of payment of an I.O.U. for £300 supposedly made out by Dante Gabriel Rossetti in favour of Fanny, and finally settled for £65; 13, 18 June 1883, 13 March 1884. The first two are printed in Roger W. Peattie, Selected Letters of Wiiliam Michael Rossetti, 1990, pp. 449-451. ff. 22-28b.

5. Letter from H. Treffry Dunn to W. T. Watts[-Dunton], announcing that he has tracked down Fanny to 96 Jermyn Street; 24 Sept. 1877. ff. 29, 29b.

6. Letter from Edmund Gosse to T. J. Wise, pleading with him not to include the letters concerning Fanny in Ashley Library Catalogue, iv (?), the volume principally concerning Dante Gabriel Rossetti. They were, of course, in the end included in Ashley Library Catalogue, x; 2 Oct. 1923. f. 30.

7. Photograph of Fanny. f. 31.

8. Biographical notes on Fanny by T. J. Wise (ff. 33 and 34 are pages torn from a diary for 1924); [1924?]. ff. 32-34.

Octavo; ff. ii+34.

includes:

• ff. 1-6b William Michael Rossetti, author and art critic: Dante Gabriel Rossetti, poet and painter: Letters to William Michael Rossetti from Dante Gabriel Rossetti: 1872.
• ff. 7-8b Fanny Schott, alias Cornforth; artist's model; wife of J B Schott: Dante Gabriel Rossetti, poet and painter: Letter to Dante Gabriel Rossetti from Fanny Schott: 1877.
• ff. 9-21 Walter Theodore Watts-Dunton, formerly Watts; critic, novelist and poet: Dante Gabriel Rossetti, poet and painter: Letters to Walter Theodore Watts-Dunton from Dante Gabriel Rossetti: 1875-1881.
• ff. 22-28b William Michael Rossetti, author and art critic: Walter Theodore Watts-Dunton, formerly Watts; critic, novelist and poet: Letters to Walter Theodore Watts-Dunton from William Michael Rossetti: 1883, 1884.
• ff. 29, 29b Henry Treffry Dunn, studio assistant to D G Rossetti: Walter Theodore Watts-Dunton, formerly Watts; critic, novelist and poet: Letter to Walter Theodore Watts-Dunton from Henry Treffry Dunn: 1877.
• f. 30 Sir Edmund William Gosse, writer: Thomas James Wise, book collector: Letter to Thomas James Wise from Sir Edmund William Gosse: 1923.
• f. 31 Fanny Schott, alias Cornforth; artist's model; wife of J B Schott: Photograph of Fanny Schott: n.d.
• ff. 32-34 Fanny Schott, alias Cornforth; artist's model; wife of J B Schott: Thomas James Wise, book collector: Biographical notes by Thomas James Wise on F. Schott: [1924?].