| Description | <p>Letters to Pearson from Elisabeth Cobb, sister of Maria Sharpe Pearson, and member of the Men and Women's Club. The letters are principally personal, discussing the relationship between Pearson and herself, their beliefs and intellectual development; discussing Cobb's home and social life; literature and politics; and extending invitations to visit. Details of additional subjects covered are given below:</p>
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<p>Folder 1, 1881 to 1884. Letters dated 1881 regarding the exchange of books; Robert Hamerling; their respective views on Spinoza; <i>The New Werther</i>; <i>Der König von Sion</i>; her work on the reform of higher education for women; the nature of Man; Pearson's attitudes towards prostitution; relationships between men and women; Pearson's public lectures. Letters dated 1882 regarding her family; invitations for Pearson to visit; Pearson's Blackheath lecture; Hamerling; James Hinton; Pearson's belief that men and women should read the same books; invitations to join her in Scotland; concern over C de Castella; Pearson's passion play; his attitude towards modern radicals; comments on his lectures and papers; the role of the Church in England; the "woman's question"; the education of her stepson; political disagreements with Pearson; musings on the nature of their correspondence; [Robert?] Parker's marriage; Buddhism; religious discourse.</p>
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<p>Letters dated 1883 regarding the ethics of freethought; Pearson's views on Socialism; Spinoza; her feelings concerning Pearson's writings; her relationship with Pearson; the Social Purity Alliance [with enclosed circular]; invitations for Pearson to visit; comparisons between James Hinton and Pearson; mutual acquaintances; Caroline Haddon's letters concerning Hinton. Letters dated 1884 regarding Pearson's writings and lectures; Caroline Haddon; the Sharpe family; the role of women in higher education, and opportunities afforded them; Pearson's mathematical lectures at University College London; Robert Parker's marriage; Pearson's disagreement with James Hinton; religion and the nature of God; British party politics; the Fabian Society; Cobb's social and political activities; and Olive Schreiner. Enclosed cabinet card photograph of R W Mackay.</p>
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<p>Folder 2, letters dated 1885 regarding: her home and social life; the nature of the relationship between men and women; the nature of her relationship with Pearson; comments on Pearson's writings and lectures; the Men and Women's Club, with comments on the various members, meetings, and discussion of its activities; Ralph Thicknesse; Olive Schreiner, her potential to contribute to the Club, and comments on her character; "The Woman's Question", and Henrietta Müller's response "The Other Side of the Question"; the Pall Mall Gazette article on procuration, and Olive Schreiner's response; the controversy surrounding James Hinton.</p>
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<p>Folder 3, 1886 to June 1889. Letters dated 1886 regarding her relationship with Pearson; Pearson's writings; the James Hinton scandal; Hintonianism; the death of Henry Bradshaw; Pearson's historical research into the social position of women; marriage; papers read at the Men and Women's Club; discussion of the importance of the sex function in relationships and to mental health; Socialism; Buddhism; the Co-operative movement. Letters from September onwards primarily concern Olive Schreiner, her relationships within the Men and Women's Club, particularly her relationship with Pearson, and finally her reported nervous breakdown.</p>
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<p>Letters dated 1887 regarding Olive Schreiner, her behaviour towards Cobb, her relationship with Pearson and Brian Donkin, and their correspondence; Robert Parker; James Hinton; papers read at the Men and Women's Club, and its future role; the evolution of Pearson's socialist thought; and marriage. Letters dated 1888 regarding her relationship with Pearson, and the nature of their correspondence; Olive Schreiner's activities and health; papers read at the Men and Women's Club, and discussion over its future; political developments in England; the birth of her daughter; and debates concerning marriage. </p>
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<p>Letters dated March to 6 September 1889 regarding Maria Sharpe, and Pearson's proposal; her children; discussion of literature; Olive Schreiner; papers read at the Men and Women's Club, and its eventual disbanding; Pearson's trip to Norway.</p>
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<p>Folder 4, September 1889 to 1931. Letters dated 23 September 1889 to 26 February 1890 which document the period following the break in Karl and Maria's engagement, describing Maria's unhappiness and struggle to overcome her strong feelings which prompted her depression, and urging Karl to be patient. Elisabeth informs Karl she destroyed his letters during this period for reasons of confidentiality. Letters from 8 November no longer discuss the issue of Maria and Karl, apparently at Karl's request, and only occasionally describe Maria's well-being whilst away in Manchester.</p>
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<p>Letters dated 26 March 1890 to 8 September 1894, regarding Maria and Karl's reconciliation; birth of Sigrid; fondness for Mr Carthy (part of Co-operative movement); concern about her son Humphrey, his UCL lectures, and possible summer engineering placement; and generally on her vocation as a mother.</p>
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<p>Letters dated August 1895 to August 1896, regarding birth of Egon; on Alys Pearsall Smith's knowledge of Karl's work; and books read (mainly on the woman's question).</p>
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<p>Letters dated 1897 to 1900, regarding reading proofs of <i>The Chances of Death and Other Studies in Evolution</i>; enclosing letter from Mrs Walters and notice of meeting of The Legitimation League; death of her brother-in-law, Tom Cobb; enclosing two press cuttings containing letters by Cobb on labour issues; on her husband's illness; refers to the Pearson children's various illnesses; and doctor's advice regarding her husband's "stupor".</p>
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<p>Letters dated 1901, regarding her sympathy with Schreiner's view on the Boer War, and how she might phrase a letter to friend mathematicians promoting the Biometrika Fund.</p>
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<p>Letters dated 1902 to 1920. Letter from 1902 regarding her daughter Maggie's recent depression and future prospects; letters from 1910 on her husband's fading health and Will; Cobb family history; letters from 1914 drawing attention to favourable caricature of Karl in <i>Punch</i>; and from Jodelütte in Switzerland; letter in 1915 congratulating Karl on demeanour of Helga and Sigrid; death of her son Kenneth [at Galipoli?]; letters in 1916 on desire for influence of free-thought in the church; reading old Cobb family letters; Humphrey working on telegraph poles and wires, not soldiering; letter in 1917 on possible end of war after the February Revolution in Russia; letters in 1919 on feeling cast aside by Karl, and socialism; work on Parish Council; anti-Bolshevik bias in English press; letters in 1920 on emerging consciousness of working classes and need to share wealth; and reminiscing on meeting her husband Henry at an event designed to bring her close to William Edwin Price, and wish to visit his son, William Robert Price, a supporter of the Russians.</p>
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<p>Letters dated 1921-1931. Letter from 1921 on her influence in sisters' marriages and enclosing letter to Cobb from Bhupendranak Basu regarding Pearson's lecture; letter from 1922 on new Wealdstone friends and not seeing family; letter from 1926 enclosing article featuring a portrait photo of Karl; obituary of Walter Seton in <i>The Times</i>; letters from 1927 on Sigrid's appendicitis; Maria's illness; civil unrest in China; the Hamilton pedigree; history of her involvement in Karl and Maria's marriage; letter in 1928 condoles Karl over Maria's death; talk of lost family members; letters in 1929 on trip to Glastonbury; news of grand-children; letters in 1930 about Indian uprisings; second volume of the Galton book; caring for her son Humphrey; and letters in 1931 reminiscing, particularly on Maria as a baby; missing old confidants; trip to House of Commons to see Mr Lansbury about saving the Foundling [Hospital?] site.</p> |
| CustodialHistory | Each folder of letters is accompanied by a manuscript precis of its contents, written by Helga Hacker. Many of the letters have been annotated by Hacker, and several appear in typescript as part of the Hacker Papers; see reference HACKER. In addition, it appears as though letters from Cobb regarding Olive Schreiner and James Hinton have been placed with letters of those respectively. |