urn:taro:rice.wrc.00071 Guide to the John Masefield papers, 1911-1931 Text converted by SPI Content Sciences Inc., June 2003. Finding aid written in English. 20030811 Edited with XMetal 3 by Mandy York, according to instructions in TARO 2 EAD 2002 Editing Instructions. Descriptive Summary Masefield, John, 1878-1967 John Masefield papers 1911-1931 41 items (0.25 linear ft.) MS 323 Woodson Research Center, Fondren Library, Rice University, Houston, TX Materials are in English. This collection is comprised of 41 items, most of which are letters or cards from English poet, playwright and novelist, John Masefield to Miss Mabel Cary Fogg. The recipient of most of the pieces in this collection, Miss Fogg, remains unidentified. The collection covers the years from 1911 to 1931, when the poet was in his most productive and well regarded years. Access Restrctions

No access restrictions; this material is open for research.

 Use Restrictions

Permission to publish material from the John Masefield papers must be obtained from the Woodson Research Center, Fondren Library.

 Related Material

Flyleaf article, v. 9:3, p. 10

 Preferred Citation

John Masefield papers, 1911-1931, MS 323, Woodson Research Center, Fondren Library, Rice University

 Acquisition Information

Purchase made possible by Whittington gift, 1953. Previously formed part of MS 18.

 Biographical Note

The English poet, playwright and novelist, John Masefield was born in 1878 in Ledbury. After running away to sea early (when he was thirteen) he settled in London from 1897 and devoted himself to writing. Later he moved to Oxford which was where he lived when most of the following collection was produced. Masefield became Poet Laureate in 1930 and was awarded the Order of Merit in 1935. Among his more notable works are, some early reflections of his maritime experiences in Salt Water Ballads (1902) and A Mainsail Haul (1905); The Tragedy of Pompey the Great (1910); The Widow in Bye Street (1912); Dauber (1913); Reynard the Fox (1919); Sard Harker (1924); Dead Ned (1938); and, Live and Kicking Ned (1939). The recipient of most of the pieces in this collection, Miss Mabel Cary Fogg, remains unidentified. John Masefield died in 1967.

 Scope and Contents

This collection is comprised of 41 items, most of which are letters or cards from Masefield to Miss Fogg. Only two items do not fall under this category; a newspaper clipping of a book review, and some notes made by Masefield for himself. The collection covers the years from 1911 to 1931, when the poet was in his most productive and well regarded years.

Items are identified mainly as ALS (handwritten, signed letters) and ACS (handwritten, signed cards).

 Index Terms Subjects (Persons) Fogg, Mabel Cary. Masefield, John, 1878-1967 Subjects Poets - English - 20th century - Correspondence. Poets - English - 20th century - Biography. Formats Correspondence. Arrangement

Materials are arranged in chronological order, in one folder.

 Detailed Description of the Collection Letters, 1911-1920, and undated Undated ALS John Masefield to Mabel Cary Fogg. Explaining that he is not sure about the Unicornian, but it may have appeared in the Academy in April, May or June, 1903. Undated ALS John Masefield to Mabel Cary Fogg. Thanking her for some clippings. 6 October 1911 ALS John Masefield to Mabel Cary Fogg Answering questions about `critical estimates' and about a portrait called `The Explorer'. 7 October 1911 ALS John Masefield to Mabel Cary Fogg Reiterating that personal details are unimportant when trying to trace `whatever it may be that the man's mind groped for and got.' 24 November 1919 ACS John Masefield to Mabel Cary Fogg Asking her to tea at the Midland Hotel. 5 December 1919 ACS John Masefield to Mabel Cary Fogg Observations about hawthorns and their colours; poetic uses by Arnold. 14 December 1919 ACS John Masefield to Mabel Cary Fogg Explaining why men have regarded hawthorns with superstition in the past. 29 December 1919 ACS John Masefield to Mabel Cary Fogg Thanking her for a Rodin study and warning her not to get carried away. 24 April 1920 ALS John Masefield to Mabel Cary Fogg Letter about getting tickets to see the `Locked Chest production'. ? ALS John Masefield to Mabel Cary Fogg. Sending autographs for a bazzaar. Letters, 1921-1931, and undated 8 May 1921 ALS John Masefield to Mabel Cary Fogg. Thanking her for some Naval books and saying how valuable they are. He mentions meeting Edward Arlington Robinson and expresses his opinion that `the Americans are best of all at short stories'. 26 May 1921 ALS John Masefield to Mabel Cary Fogg. Thanking her for sme books and sending one to her. Undated ALS John Masefield to Mabel Cary Fogg. `One begins to feel about Ireland what that man in the French Revolution felt about Robespierre's new God, the Être Superiêre'. Undated ALS John Masefield to Mabel Cary Fogg. Thanking her for her congratulations, for some lines she sent and suggesting some reading for her. Undated ACS John Masefield to Mabel Cary Fogg. Thanks for the interesting press cuttings. 12 May ? ALS John Masefield to Mabel Cary Fogg. Thanks for a gift and sending a book and a photograph. Undated ALS John Masefield to Mabel Cary Fogg. About getting some tickets for her to attend a public award. Undated ALS John Masefield to Mabel Cary Fogg. Thanking her for some Manchester Guardians he had received - if she had sent them. Undated ALS John Masefield to Mabel Cary Fogg. Thanks for sending a list of words for his perusal. Undated ALS John Masefield to Mabel Cary Fogg. Asking her to look up an article on Verdun which he had contributed to Harper's Magazine sometime in 1917. Undated ALS John Masefield to Mabel Cary Fogg. Thanking her for some cuttings and saying never mind about the Harper's business. Undated ALS John Masefield to Mabel Cary Fogg. Thanking her for some cuttings and saying that, according to him, both sides had the story wrong. Undated ALS John Masefield to Mabel Cary Fogg. Thanking her for the Guardian and Professor Herford's lecture. Undated ALS John Masefield to Mabel Cary Fogg. Sending her a book and mentioning that he had just received a piece of a ship from the Spanish Armada. Undated ALS John Masefield to Mabel Gary Fogg Thanking her, sending books, and telling her what he has read recently. Undated ALS John Masefield to Mabel Cary Fogg Saying how useful to him her book of maritime disasters had been to him. He had consulted it twice in one day. 20 April 1923 ALS John Masefield to Mabel Cary Fogg. Thanks for the clipping she had sent. ?, 1923 ALS John Masefield to Mabel Cary Fogg/ Thanks for the cuttings she had sent, and suggests that next year she try to attend the Recitations. Undated ALS John Masefield to Mabel Cary Fogg. Thanks for some cuttings she'd sent to him. 21 April 1924 ALS John Masefield to Mabel Cary Fogg. Saying he would like to meet up with Mabel et al soon, but it may not be possible owing to the unreliability of the trains. Undated ACS John Masefield to Mabel Cary Fogg. Undated TMs A newspaper cutting of a review of Masefield's novel, Sard Harker. Undated ALS John Masefield to Mabel Cary Fogg. Sending autographs for the bazaar and apologising for his tardiness. Undated ALS John Masefield to Mabel Cary Fogg. Saying he knows nothing about it. Undated ALS John Masefield to Mabel Cary Fogg. Saying he will be lecturing in Stockport and perhaps they could arrange to meet in Didsbury. Undated ALS John Masefield to Mabel Cary Fogg Thanks for the cuttings she had sent him and saying not to send him M. Legouis' Spenser. He does not think the French mind would be at ease with Spenser. 24 December 1925 ALS John Masefield to Mabel Cary Fogg Happy Christmas and New Year greetings. Undated AMS Some notes and jottings in the hand of John Masefield. 14 May 1930 ALS John Masefield to Mabel Cary Fogg. Thanking her for her letter and talking about The Witch. 7 November 1930 ALS John Masefield to Mabel Cary Fogg. `So many thanks for your very kind and charming letter'. ?, 1931 ACS John Masefield to Mabel Cary Fogg. Thanking her for the gift she had sent to him.