Reference
X21/753
Title
Commonplace book marked on first page 'Eliza Thomson'.
Date free text
1800 - 1850
Production date
From: 1800 To: 1850
Scope and Content
Underneath in pencil '(My Gt-Aunt, sister of my Grandmother, Mrs Thompson) C.R.A.D.'
The volume, though, appears in the first place to have been kept by Elizabeth Finch, wife of the Rev Robert Finch (1783 - 1830) while living in Rome in about the 1820s.[See DNB]. It includes some contributions from him.
Later Mrs Thompson seems to have continued it.
It contains verses, letters, autographs, in Italian, French, English and Dutch, mostly stuck in the volume.
Autographs (and sometimes signed letters) are included from various prominent people of the time, including:
J M W Turner (page 27 and 93)
Charles Dickens (page 29)
Madame D'Arblay (Fanny Burney) (page 35)
The Duke of Wellington (page 37)
Fenimore Cooper (in 3rd person) (page 37)
Bertel Thorvaldson (Danish Sculptor) (page 41)
Sir Thomas Lawrence (page 45)
Lord Byron (visiting card) (page 45)
Prince Musignano - 1st born son of Prince Canino, eldest brother of Napoleon I (3rd person) (page 47)
Queen Victoria (3rd person) (loose at page 59)
Lord John Russell (loose at page 59)
R Southey (page 60)
Duke of Kent, father of Queen Victoria, to Dr Thomson (page 93)
I K Brunel (page 94)
Ugo Fascolo (page 103)
handwriting of Principessa Carlotta Buonaparte, 1836 (page 115)
Mrs Garrick (page 119)
Lord Byron's daughter, Ada (page 128)
Princess Charlotte, the Princess Royal of England (Dowager Queen of Wurtenburg)
Princess Augusta, Princess Alice and Princess Charlotte (page 131)
J M Murray, 1900 (towards end of volume)
George, Bishop of Bath and Wells (frank on letter), 1838 (at back of volume)
other subjects:
Letter found on the field of Waterloo in 1816 (page 83)
Part of the velvet and ermine of robe worn by Duke of Northumberland's brother at George IV's coronation, 1820 (loose page 100)
Verses by the Rev R Finch on the occasion of a splendid masquerade given by Miss Thompson .. in which the Court of Elizabeth was most successfully represented (page 113)
Letter regarding a trip to Bristol, Chepstow, Wales, etc sent by H R Yorke to Harry Thompson, Esq (page 137)
Plan of walls and seven hills of Rome [drawn by Eliza Thomson] (towards end of volume)
Programme for the Theatre Royal, James Street, n.d.
Level of description
item