| Description | Correspondence from Eleanor F. Rathbone [1872-1946, social reformer] including some items addressed to Miss Lodge and Mrs Lodge. Items numbered /1-23 are dated 1891-1929, items /24-43 are undated, item /44 addressed to Miss Lodge is dated 1892, and items /45-46 addressed to Mrs Lodge are also undated.
/1 Letter from Eleanor F. Rathbone to Oliver Lodge, written from Green Bank, Liverpool, dated 3 November 1891. Rathbone writes that she is unable to come tomorrow but she and her mother would love to see the telescope another time. She asks Lodge to send a photograph.
/2 Letter from Eleanor F. Rathbone to Oliver Lodge, written from Green Bank, Liverpool, dated 14 November 1891. Rathbone thanks Lodge for sending a book.
/3 Letter from Eleanor F. Rathbone to Oliver Lodge, written from 18 Princes Gardens, dated 6 March 1892. Rathbone writes that she has been to the Crystal Palace Exhibition and the Royal Institution lecture on the surface-film of water. She describes a stay in Torquay with her parents. She is reading 'Sandra Belloni' [by George Meredith], 'Vanity Fair' [by W. M. Thackeray], 'Nancy' by Rhoda Broughton, and Lodge's 'Modern Views'.
/4 Letter from Eleanor F. Rathbone to Oliver Lodge, written from 18 Princes Gardens, London, dated 24 March 1892. Rathbone writes about Du Maurier's recent lecture and his novel 'Peter Ibbetson'. She comments on her reading: 'Sandra [Belloni]' [by George Meredith], 'Vanity Fair' [by W. M. Thackeray] and Lodge's 'Modern Views'.
/5 Letter from Eleanor F. Rathbone to Oliver Lodge, written from Seymour Hotel, Totnes, with envelope postmarked 20 April 1892. Rathbone discusses the book of F. Myers' poems sent to her by Lodge. She has been reading about Astronomy according to Aristotle and trying to understand his Philosophy. She has read Meredith's 'Vittoria'. She writes about the journey to Totnes and mentions visiting her sick brother at Plymouth.
/6 Letter from Eleanor F. Rathbone to Oliver Lodge, written from 18 Princes Gardens, dated 5 May 1892. Rathbone writes about meetings of the Royal Society. She reflects on the work of female friends. She asks why Lodge says that scepticism is wholesome.
/7 Letter from Eleanor F. Rathbone to Oliver Lodge, written from 18 Princes Gardens, dated 13 June [1892]. Rathbone is looking forward to meeting Lodge tomorrow and invites him to dine with her and her mother.
/8 Letter from Eleanor F. Rathbone to Oliver Lodge, written from Green Bank, Liverpool, with envelope postmarked 15 July ?1892. Rathbone comments on Mr Myers' poem 'St Paul'. She is sending feedback on Lodge's book but feels she does not have sufficient scientific knowledge to understand it deeply. She is sorry Lodge is unable to visit.
/9 Letter from Eleanor F. Rathbone to Oliver Lodge, written from Ladywood, Sutton Coldfield, with envelope postmarked 27 July 1893. Rathbone discusses her plans to study Philosophy at Oxford or Cambridge. She considers the merits of each institution and asks for Lodge's opinion.
/10 Letter from Eleanor F. Rathbone to Oliver Lodge, written from Greenbank, Liverpool, dated 14 February 1898, on headed paper of the Liverpool Women's Suffrage Society. Rathbone sends a ticket to a lecture. She has not read Rendall's new translation but comments: 'When there are so many Greek philosophers lost for want of a translation [...] it does seem to me waste of time to have redone M. Aurelius, but of course he knows best.'
/11 Letter from Eleanor F. Rathbone to Oliver Lodge, written from Green Bank, Liverpool, dated 22 July [1902?]. Rathbone congratulates Lodge [on his knighthood]. She asks whether professorships and lectureships at Birmingham are open to women, as she is attempting to establish a research fellowship for former students of Somerville College and needs to prove that there are jobs for women who have such qualifications. She writes: 'My own impression is that in most cases a woman, however qualified, would have practically no chance for a professorship, but that for a lectureship or the smaller posts in a laboratory etc, she would stand a fair chance, provided that her qualifications were very decidedly superior to male competitors'.
/12 Letter from Eleanor Rathbone to Oliver Lodge, written from Green Bank, Liverpool, dated 6 August [1902]. Rathbone thanks Lodge for sending information [about the possibility of women being hired to academic posts at Birmingham]. She asks Lodge to send letters and recollections of her father as she and her mother are preparing a short memoir.
/13 Letter from Eleanor F. Rathbone to Oliver Lodge, written from Green Bank, Liverpool, dated 23 January 1904. Rathbone writes about making progress with the memoir of her father. She asks Lodge to send his reminiscences, especially relating to University College Liverpool.
/14 Letter from Eleanor F. Rathbone to Oliver Lodge, written from Green Bank, Liverpool, dated Christmas 1910. Rathbone thanks Lodge for sending 'Work and Faith'. She hopes the Lodges will be able to visit on their way south.
/15 Letter from Eleanor F. Rathbone to Oliver Lodge, written from Green Bank, Liverpool, dated 22 February 1910. Rathbone asks Lodge to speak at the Annual Meeting of the Victoria Settlement. She hopes Lodge will come to Liverpool soon.
/16 Letter from Eleanor F. Rathbone to Oliver Lodge, written from Green Bank, Liverpool, dated 21 December 1913. Rathbone thanks Lodge for the copy of 'Continuity'. She sends family news.
/17 Letter from Eleanor F. Rathbone to Oliver Lodge, written from 50 Romney Street, Westminster, dated 8 August [1925], and marked 'Confidential'. With envelope addressed to Lodge at Maloja, Switzerland. Rathbone writes that her friend Elizabeth Macadam is anxious for more information about the recent death in Chiavenna of her brother-in-law, Ian Ross. Rathbone asks Lodge to make enquiries to Sir Henry Lunn, the Italian doctor or the hotel keeper in Chiavenna, and pass on any details that might comfort Macadam.
/18 Letter from Eleanor F. Rathbone to Oliver Lodge, written from 50 Romney Street, Westminster, with envelope postmarked 10 August 1925 and addressed to Lodge at Maloja, Switzerland. Rathbone writes about Elizabeth Macadam's distress at the 'inadequacy of the news about her brother-in-law's death' but asks Lodge to keep any enquiries about the matter private. She explains why Macadam has not tried to contact her brother-in-law through a medium. She thanks Lodge for his book 'Ether and Reality'.
/19 Letter from Elizabeth Macadam to Oliver Lodge, written from 50 Romney Street, Westminster, dated 15 July [1928], and marked 'Private'. Macadam asks Lodge to support the proposal of a group of graduates in Liverpool and Manchester that Eleanor Rathbone should stand for the Combined Universities constituency.
/20 Copy of letter from Oliver Lodge to Miss [Elizabeth] Macadam, dated 16 July 1928. Lodge agrees to support the candidature of Eleanor Rathbone for the Combined Universities constituency.
/21 Letter from Eleanor F. Rathbone to Oliver Lodge, written from 50 Romney Street, Westminster, dated 22 July [1928]. Rathbone thanks Lodge for supporting her in her attempt to represent the Combined Universities constituency in Parliament.
/22 Letter from Eleanor F. Rathbone to Oliver Lodge, written from Oakfield, Penny Lane, Liverpool, dated 1 March [1929]. Rathbone sends condolences on the death of Lodge's wife, Mary. She writes that Professor MacCunn is very ill. She sends a copy of her book on family endowment.
/23 Copy of letter from Oliver Lodge to Eleanor F. Rathbone, dated 2 March 1929. Lodge writes that Rathbone has already sent him a copy of her book, 'The Disinherited Family'.
/24 Letter from Eleanor F. Rathbone to Oliver Lodge, written from Green Bank, Liverpool, undated [pre-1902 as Lodge is addressed as Dr rather than Sir]. Rathbone thanks Lodge for tickets. She is not sure if she can come to Mr Watson's tomorrow evening.
/25 Letter from Eleanor F. Rathbone to Oliver Lodge, written from Green Bank, Liverpool, undated [pre-1902]. Rathbone thanks Lodge for 'the resplendent volume'. She comments on college events and the serious view Mr Thom took of the disturbances.
/26 Letter from Eleanor F. Rathbone to Oliver Lodge, written from Greenbank, dated 15 January [pre-1902]. Rathbone writes that she and her mother will attend Lodge's lecture on Wednesday. She comments on Watson's sermon regarding the body and the soul.
/27 Letter from Eleanor F. Rathbone to Oliver Lodge, written from Craigenveoch, Glenluce, Wigtownshire, undated [pre-1902]. Rathbone discusses Lodge's lectures on Newton, Kepler, Copernicus, Galileo, and Descartes.
/28 Letter from Eleanor F. Rathbone to Oliver Lodge, written from Craigenveoch, Glenluce, Wigtownshire, undated [pre-1902]. Rathbone returns Lodge's papers with annotations but feels she is unqualified to comment on his work.
/29 Letter from Eleanor F. Rathbone to Oliver Lodge, written from Craigenveoch, Glenluce, Wigtownshire, undated [pre-1902]. Rathbone writes that she and Lodge's sister have had some good walks in Scotland with a party including the MacCunns. She enjoyed Lodge's Gailieo lecture and hopes to do more reading.
/30 Letter from Eleanor F. Rathbone to Oliver Lodge, written from Dunvegan Castle, Isle of Skye, undated [pre-1902]. She writes that Ashton is very unwell and is only expected to live for a few days.
/31 Letter from Eleanor F. Rathbone to Oliver Lodge, written from Dunvegan Castle, Isle of Skye, undated [pre-1902]. Rathbone sends news regarding Ashton's poor state of health.
/32 Letter from Eleanor F. Rathbone to Oliver Lodge, undated [pre-1902]. Rathbone acknowledges receipt of Lodge's paper on Descartes. She writes about visiting Scotland. The address has been cut from the top right of the page.
/33 Letter from Eleanor F. Rathbone to Oliver Lodge, written from Green Bank, Liverpool, undated [pre-1902]. Rathbone writes about signing up for lectures. She returns the papers and lecture sent by Lodge.
/34 Letter from Eleanor F. Rathbone to Oliver Lodge, written from 18 Princes Gardens, undated [pre-1902]. Rathbone thanks Lodge for sending autographs for her collection. She writes about attending a lecture on the Physiology of Dreams at the Royal Institution. She asks how Lodge got on with Professor Ray Lankester. She has been reading ?Fellyer.
/35 Letter from Eleanor F. Rathbone to Oliver Lodge, written from Green Bank, Liverpool, undated [pre-1902]. Rathbone invites Lodge to lunch with Ashton and Christabel. She thanks Lodge for the copy of Mr MacCunn's sermon.
/36 Letter from Eleanor F. Rathbone to Oliver Lodge, written from Craigenveoch, Glenluce, Wigtownshire, undated [pre-1902]. Rathbone returns Lodge's book chapters. She refers to a visit from his sister [Eleanor Lodge].
/37 Letter from Eleanor F. Rathbone to Oliver Lodge, written from Green Bank, Liverpool, undated [pre-1902]. With envelope. Rathbone returns a book as she already has a copy. She has not been able to see Jupiter and Venus. She is glad to hear that Lodge is recovering.
/38 Letter from Eleanor F. Rathbone to Oliver Lodge, written from Somerville Hall, Oxford, undated [c1893]. Rathbone writes that she is unable to attend a private view. She sends belated thanks for Lodge's advice about Oxford and Cambridge. She writes that she is enjoying life at Oxford and sends news of Nellie [Eleanor Lodge].
/39 Letter from Eleanor F. Rathbone to Oliver Lodge, written from Greenbank, dated 23 October [pre-1902]. Rathbone and her mother expect two of Lodge's party to stay to dinner tomorrow.
/40 Letter from Eleanor F. Rathbone to Oliver Lodge, written from Green Bank, Liverpool, dated 26 November [pre-1902]. Rathbone encloses 'the Gladstone letter' (enclosure not included). She writes about a disturbance at a meeting: 'The medical students got up in a body & left the room having been outvoted I am glad to say, in the matter of carrying out the Principal's directions'. She fears there will be rowdiness at the opening unless matters settle down.
/41 Letter from Eleanor F. Rathbone to Oliver Lodge, written from Green Bank, Liverpool, dated 26 March [pre-1902]. Rathbone sends a petition about self-government from Mr Sidney Ball of St John's College Oxford. She comments: 'I cannot say I admire the wording much myself [...] Also I think they ask too little'.
/42 Letter from Eleanor F. Rathbone to Oliver Lodge, written from Green Bank, Liverpool, undated [pre-1902]. Rathbone thanks Lodge for sending the lecture on 'Matter'. She regrets that her opportunities of hearing Lodge lecture will be very few once he moves elsewhere.
/43 Letter from Eleanor F. Rathbone to Oliver Lodge, written from Green Bank, Liverpool, undated [pre-1902]. Rathbone discusses F. W.'s poor performance in exams, his character and his reasons for studying at Oxford.
/44 Letter from Eleanor F. Rathbone to Miss Lodge, written from Craigenveoch, Glenluce, Wigtownshire, dated 16 August 1892. Rathbone describes her activities in Scotland particularly her 'Craigenputtock and Dalry expedition'. She writes that Miss Lodge would be welcome to visit her mother at Green Bank.
/45 Postcard from Eleanor F. Rathbone to Mrs Lodge, written from Green Bank, Liverpool, dated 6 July [----]. Rathbone accepts an invitation to tea.
/46 Letter from Eleanor F. Rathbone to Mrs Lodge, written from Green Bank, Liverpool, dated 10 September [----]. Rathbone asks when Mrs Lodge plans to travel to Craigenveoch. She writes that she is expecting the boys to lunch at one and invites Mrs Lodge for a drive in the afternoon. |