Letter to Joseph Moscrop
Beatrix Potter (London 1866 - Near Sawrey, Cumbria 1943)
Category
Manuscripts and documents
Date
15 Jan 1931
Materials
Ink, Paper
Measurements
95 x 123 mm; 2 sheets (Extent)
Place of origin
Carlisle
Collection
Beatrix Potter Gallery, Cumbria
NT 242603
Summary
Letter, with envelope, from Beatrix Potter to Joseph Moscrop, shepherd to Beatrix Potter at Troutbeck Park Farm from 1926. Dated 15 January 1931, the letter concerns The Fairy Caravan - Joseph having read it carefully, and enthusiastic criticism from an American reader mistakenly referring to the 'sleepy guinea-pig' (Xarifa the doormouse); a note about the story of Bonny Annot, illustrating Beatrix's interest in folktales and traditional stories (Chapter 11 of the published book) - 'Its funny that story of the wee wifie spinning - It occurs in German, Norwegian, etc and always the lazy daughter scores! bad moral.'; Beatrix's pet guinea-pig in good health; Joseph to come early to Troutbeck Park; sheep have wintered well; Tom Storey recommends Lassie, currently working at Hill Top, as a lambing dog; Lassie's merits as a working dog; hired Wedgewood, celebrated champion herdwick ram, which subsequently died; her mother's good health ('seems just the same at 91 as she did at 81 - but then she has never exerted herself to work, in her life. I would rather keep going till I drop - early or late - never mind what the work is, so long as it is useful and well done.'); drop in price of herdwick wool; fluke pills given to ewes. Part of a collection of letters, Beatrix Potter's Lake District Letters to Joseph Moscrop, edited and transcribed by Judy Taylor and published (1988) as 'Beatrix Potter's Farming Friendship, Lake District Letters to Joseph Moscrop 1926-1943'. See also HIL.R.454, an earlier letter to Joseph Moscrop which mentions The Fairy Caravan; HIL.R.252, a letter to Annie Nelson dated 22 December 1934, which also discusses The Fairy Caravan.
Provenance
Purchased from Sotheby's auction 10 July 2001.
Makers and roles
Beatrix Potter (London 1866 - Near Sawrey, Cumbria 1943), writer Joseph Moscrop (fl.1926-1943), recipient