| Description | Letters are addressed to 'my darling Tom', and signed 'ever loving mother'. Many focus on Mosley's political career, and contain information about his mother's opinions about his changing party allegiances, and about her active role within the Women's Section of the B.U.F during the 1930s. The letters also discuss family and domestic affairs, and include details about Mosley's children, and Maud Mosley's concern for them, and for her son, following the death of his first wife, Cynthia. Letters include:
/1 written to mark Mosley's birthday in Nov 1923, discussing his politics as an Independent MP and his views on Free Trade. She urges that he 'be as wise in your eventual choice of a party dear old Independent as you were in your choice of a wife!'
/2 telegram commiserating Mosley on his election defeat as Labour party candidate at Ladywood, Birmingham, in 1924
/3 praises Mosley's efforts to ensure that his children spent a happy Christmas in 1933, the year that Cynthia had died.
/8and /9 dated 1935 and express Maud Mosley's feelings of hurt at her son's apparent lack of support and confidence in her as leader of the Women's Section, and the threat to her position that she perceives from other female members of the B.U.F. They contain details about the structure and organisation of the movement.
/9 is typed and obviously intended to be a formal letter, rather than a personal one. Maud Mosley describes some of the recent intrigue and tensions between members of the B.U.F at Headquarters, and offers to step down from her work for the movement in order to preserve her relationship with her son.
/11 written at the end of 1936 and refers to attempts by Maud Mosley's sister Dorothy to contact the spirit of Cynthia Mosley on behalf of Oswald that year
/14 written in 1937 mentions that Oswald Mosley's daughter Vivien has made a good impression in Munich, largely thanks to the influence of Cynthia's sister Irene Curzon, who was responsible for her care. This letter also refers to a recent march that Mosley took part in, presumably connected to his B.U.F activities.
/15 is dated Nov 1945 and discusses Maud's plans for moving house
/16 is written from Aylsham, Norfolk in 1948 and discusses social arrangements to see Mosley and his son Alexander.
/17-/22 are undated, but were probably written during the 1930s.
/20 refers to Maud Mosley's work at B.U.F regional branches, and a forthcoming rally. |