We have written previously about the books from Clouds Hill library, many of which contain the posthumous bookplate placed in the books when they were dispersed following TE’s death by his brother A.W. Lawrence assisted by J. G. Wilson of Bumpus, London booksellers.
Here is the account of a particularly interesting example with a double connection, to the Lawrence brothers. It is recorded in the catalogue of the library contained within, T.E. Lawrence by His Friends, the 1937 edition. This records the bibliographical details of the volume, A. C. Swinburne, A Century of Roundels, (2nd ed.) London, Chatto & Windus. 1883. There is the extra note “Ex-Libris W.G.L” in pencil in what appears to be TE’s hand. This indicates that the volume previously belonged to TE’s elder brother Will, who was killed in whilst in the Royal Flying Corps, serving as an Observer during WWI.
There were in total six Swinburne books recorded in the catalogue of the Clouds Hill library.
The notes at the base of the page are by A.W. Lawrence recording omissions from the printed catalogue.
Algernon Charles Swinburne (1837-1909) was an English poet, playwright, novelist, and critic. He was a major contributor in poetry to the Pre-Raphaelite movement, along with Gabriel Dante Rossetti and William Morris. This, in line with the Lawrence brothers’ early interest in the works of William Morris and his circle, for TE an interest and admiration that was to persist, writing to Charlotte Shaw in March of 1927 he stated, “I’d rather have written The Well at the World’s End or The Roots of the Mountain or John Bull or The Hollow Land [all by Morris] than anything of the 19th century except, War &Peace or Moby Dick”. Swinburne also greatly admired the The Well at the World’s End, although these titles are now perhaps rather less to 21st century tastes?
Some of the letters of W.G. Lawrence (Will) are recorded in heavily edited form in The Home Letters of T.E. Lawrence and His Brothers, published by Basil Blackwell in 1954.
TE had four poems by Swinburne included in Minorities his manuscript commonplace book, containing favourite poems, this was not to be published in a printed form until 1971, edited by Jeremy Wilson. TE defined this his very personal collection as, “Good Poems by Small Poets and Small Poems by Good Poets”.
In the Swinburne volume, as might be expected as well as the pencil note the volume has the “Clouds Hill” bookplate in its correct form. It is bound in a quarter vellum and for a Clouds Hill book is in surprisingly good condition, might this be linked to its association? It is now contained for preservation in a fine, cream cloth Solander box with pastel green edges matched to the binding and with a leather and gilt recreation of the “Clouds Hill” bookplate to the front.
So here we have a poignant volume from the Lawrence brothers’ earlier days retained, by TE in his own library. A time traveller from the past bringing us closer to those that we are interested in, surely the task of any association copy. For further information on Clouds Hill books see other blogs on this site.
