| Description | Manuscript. These letters to Arthur's mother Fanny Pearson were found divided into six bundles covering date periods. The letters have been described below in these groups.
Letters covering the period December 1863 - July 1870, and comprises a letter from Arthur written at Christmas 1863, a letter dated May 1866 enclosing "heart's-ease" (Viola tricolor, now dried), letters from September 1869 on his first impressions of the town of Rugby, a letter recounting all that happened after Fanny left him at Rugby Station, about his early days at Rugby School and his hopes to get on academically and socially, on his admittance to the choir and success in a Latin composition test, thanks for packages and money received, about football at Rugby being compulsory and "like a fight", on being excused from football following a letter from his parents, his general success in classes, on experience of the "hall-scrummage" and winning the "Macbeth Prize" (award of a Shakespeare in two volumes with the school crest), on December examinations, on returning to school at the end of January 1870, on resolving to "do what is kind and right for the future" with Karl and suggesting a photograph album for Karl's birthday, writing from the sanatorium where he is treated for measles, on starting music lessons at begining of the summer term in May 1870, letter on 21 June 1870 after staying with his parents at "The George", on summer examinations, and on coming second in his form at the end of the year.
Letters covering the period September 1870 - December 1871, and comprises letters from September 1870 on his return to Rugby School, on getting a "double-remove" (promoted two years), detailing his term accounts, becoming an associate of the Natural History Society, on taking up botany and mathematics as extra subjects, informs that he is tenth in his form in November 1870, on settling back in to his room after the Christmas holiday, on the comfort of receiving the family's letters, on his first experience of calling "fag" in February 1871, encloses as diagram of his study, on his confirmation, on their respective trips to the International Exhibition in London, letter from 4 June 1871 on coming out fourth in his form, on working at examinations, a letter from 8 September 1871 on his trip to France, on concerns about exercising the authority of a sixth former, on writing a history of Rugby and sending it to the Routledge Annual competition, on his examinations and extra subjects chosen in November 1871, about length of time to stay in the sixth form and best chances of getting an exhibition, letter in December on Prizes he might get, on examinations and cancellation of the end of term concert.
Letters covering the period February 1872 - July 1873, on getting through his "calling over" week, on his troubles with most of the other older sixth-formers, on being "one of the few hard workers" in the school and being "snubbed and despised for 'swotting'", on visiting Richard Rowland Bloxam's home and the many prize antiques there, on the number and difficulty of the midsummer exams, on returning to school in September 1872 and hopes to try for an exhibition that academic year, on being elected a full member of the Natural History Society for work in the meteorological department, on a sermon at the school chapel to commemorate Founder's Day, about controversy surrounding publication of letters by the Headmaster Dr Henry Hayman in <i>The Times</i> and <i>Daily News</i>, on concerns that he is not learning well under Hayman, on trying for the Medal Examination in Spring 1873, hoping to holiday with Fanny and Amy in Easter, on spending a week at Newmarket with Mr Gee in May, on the Shah's progress through Rugby, his participation in "speech day", and on his preparation for and achievement of an Exhibition.
Letters covering the period August 1873 - January 1882, on a trip to Scotland with Karl in August 1873, outburst at his father (William Pearson) in defence of Fanny whilst they were on holiday with Karl at Whitby, on a summer visit to Cambridge with his father, on seeing Karl (who was studying in Hitchin with Mr Hensley) and his depressed demeanour, on his first few days at Trinity Hall, Cambridge, meeting other lodgers and describing his room, enclosing details of his expenditure and hopes for a scholarship, describing his average day comprising lectures, rowing, chapel, study and mealtimes, the impressive union building, on hoping for a first class mark in his Classical Tripos, his matriculation, walked to Girton College "a desolate, forsaken looking place", letter in January 1874 on his room in Trinity Hall and furniture valuation, exchanging photos with his mother, Amy and Karl, on desire to stay with Classics and then be eligible for a Law Studentship, on Karl's need for society outside college, on starting the new year in September and "meanness" of scholarships, his view that there is more to the nocturnal alarms at Merton Hall than "rats" (see W Pearson's letters in PEARSON/11/1/16/65), news of his trip to Ely with Karl and of Merton Hall, describing the conferment of degrees at the "knave-house", letter in March 1875 on fears that Karl is exhausting himself under Charles Taylor at Merton and will go "stale" before his Tripos begins the following year, congratulating his mother on arranging their move to a new house, on his training for rowing, letter in November 1876 with thanks for birthday gifts and on feeling little change at turning 21, letters in August 1877 describing his travels from Lucerne to Venice, letter dated 24 December 1881 describing Christmas in Naples and further travel itinerary, postcards from Messina and Palermo, and effusive praise of Rome.
Letters covering the period October 1885 - December 1889, and comprises letters from Arthur and Amy's (his wife) cottage in Northwold, on their trips to Norfolk, Cornwall, Aldeburgh, on concern in autumn 1887 for Fanny's physical and mental well-being suggesting a holiday together in the Riviera, letters from Italy in April - June 1888 mainly from the San-Remo Riviera, letters dated December 1888 to May 1889 describe Arthur and Amy's sea voyages through the Mediterranean and details of their sojourns in various countries, particularly in Egypt where they stopped from 29 December 1888 to April 1889, a letter in the summer 1889 on the death of Aunt Thies, and reassuring Fanny about his kidneys.
Letters covering the period January 1890 - November 1895, and comprises letters in January 1890 giving his postal address in Tenerife over the winter, on the rough voyage from Plymouth to Tenerife, desribing the scene at Puerto Orotara, Tenerife, describing how their days are spent, a letter in April on getting flu enclosing a message from Amy about holy week in Tenerife, letters from Eastbourne (undated but probably 1891 or 1892), letters in the summer of 1892 on his trip to Norway, letters from "The British Club" in Biarritz in March 1893 including thanks to Fanny for a letter congratulating Arthur and Amy on their eighth anniversary, on looking at Sandleford Priory as a potential home, on preparing a law book with notes on the Sale of Goods Act (published as A Commentary on the Sale of Goods Act, 1893: With Illustrative Cases and..., London: Sweet and Maxwell, 1894), on possible new information about his grandfather Thomas Pearson, letters in 1895 about family visits, entertaining guests, on letting Mrs Gee's house at Dewhurst, and a trip to Scotland. |