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Manuscript items, 1838-[c. 1953], relating to various members of the Powys family, comprising: (i) a leaf from her diary for January [1838], three poems, 1846-1847, and a fragment of religious writing by Amelia Powys (née Moilliet); (ii) a fragment of a travel journal in [?India] by Major Littleton Albert Powys, [?1870s], and two copies, dated 1883, of his poem 'A day with the B.V. Foxhounds'; (iii) copies of two letters, 1937 and [c. 1953], in the hand of Littleton C. Powys; (iv) a poem entitled 'To a Dog Violet' by Eleanor Powys, [early 1890s]; (v) fragments, [?1930s], in the hand of Llewelyn Powys, including an annotated photograph, 1939; (vi) nine manuscript poems, 1908-1946 and [n.d.], and two other items by C. E. P. (Katie) Powys; (vii) papers of William Powys, including extracts from an old diary, a pencil copy of a series of poems written during World War I and a sketch map of part of Kenya; (viii) transcripts and notes, [1937]-[1982], in the hand of Lucy Penny (16 ff.); (ix) 'To JCP and the Soul of MAP. 8/10/40', a poem by Father Littleton Alfred Powys; together with (x) a group of other miscellaneous items, including a financial memorandum to Amelia Powys (nee Moilliet) from her mother, July 1853, a card for C. F. Powys and M. C. Powys on their silver wedding, 1896, [a copy of] a letter to Lucy Powys from residents of Montacute on the occasion of her wedding, 1911, and a draft by Faith Powys for the memorial tablet to her late husband, A. R. Powys, in the church at Winterbourne Tomson, [?late 1930s].

Five hundred and thirty-three letters, 1917-1978, to Mary Casey from John Cowper Powys (32), 1926-1960; Littleton C. Powys (5), 1940, 1953-1954; Theodore F. Powys (1), 20 March 1938; Gertrude Powys (43, mainly postcards), 1922-1952; Marian Powys Grey (28), 1945-1967; Llewelyn Powys (2), 1938 and [n.d.]; Katie Powys (175), 1923-1962; William Powys (179), 1917-1978; Rose Dyer (7), 1968-1978; Charles Powys (2), 1973; Eleanor (Nellie) Walton (née Powys) (3), 1956-1973; Alyse Gregory (14), 1944-1966; Sally Powys (1), 1970; Mabel Bennett, first wife of Littleton C. Powys (16), 1937-1942; Henrietta Cowper Johnson (Aunt Etta) (11), 1924-1933; Maria Theodora Johnson (Aunt Dora) (2), 1923; Catherine Cowper Donne (Aunt Kate) (1 note), [n.d.]; 'M.J.' (2 postcards), 1924-1928; Dorothy Powys, first wife of A. R. Powys (3 postcards), 1930-1934; Elizabeth Powys (née Cross), William Powys's wife (3), 1936; and Phyllis Playter (3), 1953-1956.
A letter from Gerard Casey is enclosed with William Powys's January 1978 letter. The letters of Gertrude Powys and William Powys occasionally contain thumbnail sketches or watercolour drawings.

Thirty-six letters, 1925-1936 and undated, from Llewelyn Powys to Phyllis Playter, relating mainly to Llewelyn Powys's relationship with Gamel Woolsey and with his wife, Alyse Gregory, with references also to Llewelyn's and John Cowper Powys's literary work.

Eighteen letters, 1928-1938, from Llewelyn Powys to his brother, John Cowper Powys, mainly concerning Llewelyn Powys's relationship with Gamel Woolsey and with his wife, Alyse Gregory, together with references to both Llewelyn's and John Cowper Powys's literary work.

Four hundred and thirteen family and other letters, [c. 1883]-1963, addressed to Lucy Penny's siblings, comprising: (i) sixty nine letters, 1890-1963, to John Cowper Powys from C. F. Powys (1), 1890, Littleton Powys (1), 1948, William Powys (36), 1943-1954, Lucy Penny (6), 1932-1948, Mary Casey (6), 1942-1954 (with 1 to Phyllis enclosed), Gerard Casey (14), 1944-1954, Frances Gregg (1), [1912x1914], H. E. Fanshawe (1), 1894 (letter of recommendation for JCP as a lecturer), and Frederick E. Davies (1), 1963; (ii) six letters, [c. 1886]-1954, to Littleton C. Powys from Theodore Powys (1), Gertrude Powys (2), Lucy Penny (1), [Hermione Justice Shirley], Countess Ferrers (1), and Patrick Bury (1); (iii) six letters, [c. 1883]-[1945], to Theodore Powys from John Cowper Powys (2), Gertrude Powys (1), Llewelyn Powys (1), Lucy Penny (1) and Mary Casey (1); (iv) one hundred and eighty-seven letters, [c. 1883]-1952, to Gertrude Powys from C. F. Powys (7), 1893-1918, Mary Cowper Powys (23), 1893-1914, John Cowper Powys (5), [c. 1883]-1949, Littleton Powys (2), 1945, Theodore Powys (2), [c. 1886], 1947, Eleanor Powys (1), 1891, Llewelyn Powys (2), 1937, Katie Powys (2), 1951-1952, William Powys (21), [1914]-1950, Lucy Penny (65), 1935-1951, Mary Casey (14), 1930-1950, various other relatives (20), 1913-1949, Alyse Gregory (11), 1939-1952, Phyllis Playter (4), 1939-1951, and Bernard O’Neill (6), 1942-1947; (v) six letters, [c. 1883]-[c. 1893], to Eleanor Powys from John Cowper Powys (3) and Gertrude Powys (3); (vi) six letters, [?1909]-[1915x1936], to Albert Reginald Powys from Katie Powys (1), William Powys (1) and Lucy Penny (4); (vii) three letters, 1893-1949, to Marian Powys from Llewelyn Powys (1) and others; (viii) seven letters, 1910-1936, to Llewelyn Powys mostly from his siblings; (viii) one hundred and four letters, [1880s/1890s]-1962, to Philippa (Katie) Powys from C. F. Powys (1), 1919, John Cowper Powys (2), [1880s/1890s], [c. 1934], Theodore Powys (5), 1901-1950, Gertrude Powys, (15), 1923-1951, Marian Powys (3), 1929-1960, Llewelyn Powys (4), 1937-1938, William Powys (18), [1910]-1962, Lucy Penny (23), 1915-1954, Mary Casey (20), 1943-1962, Phyllis Playter (4), 1954-1962, Alyse Gregory (1), 1962, Bernard O’Neill (3), 1930-1947, Valentine Ackland (1), 1954, and others; and (ix) nineteen letters, 1903-1949, to William Ernest Powys from Gertrude Powys (5), 1935-1949, Llewelyn Powys (8), 1917-1937, Katie Powys (2), [c. 1922], Lucy Penny (2), 1936, Alyse Gregory (1), 1939, and Bernard O’Neill (1), 1903.
The letters of Gertrude Powys and William Powys occasionally contain thumbnail sketches or watercolour drawings.

Three letters, [1935], 1938, from Phyllis Playter to John Cowper Powys's brother, Llewelyn (Lulu) Powys, which include Phyllis Playter's response to Llewelyn's work Damnable Opinions (1935). In 1938 Phyllis Playter is writing to Switzerland, where Llewelyn had removed for the sake of his health. Powys biographer Morine Krissdottir has added brief notes on ff. 1, 3.

Some one hundred and eight letters, 1917-1965, to John Cowper Powys and Phyllis Playter from various correspondents, including Theodore Dreiser (2), 1927; George Wilson Knight (31), 1956-1965; Edgar Lee Masters (1), 1944; Henry Miller (1), 1950; John Cowper Powys's brother, Llewelyn Powys (3), 1928-1931; Dr Enid Starkie (2), 1943-1946; and Gamel Woolsey (15), 1928-1961.

Five letters, 1927-[?1929], to John Cowper Powys from his brother, Llewelyn Powys, one of which includes Llewelyn's comments on a draft of the first ten chapters of the recipient's novel Wolf Solent (London, 1929). Also included are three letters, 1927-1942, from his sister-in-law, Alyse Gregory, and one letter, 1953, from Maria Vernie Pease, an admirer of his work, enclosing a pencil sketch of John Cowper Powys by her, [c. 1903].

Fifty letters, 1937-1961, from John Cowper Powys (ff. 6-49, 51-60 verso), one letter, 1959, from his companion, Phyllis Playter (f. 50), and six letters and two postcards, 1937-1939 (ff. 62-72), together with an inscribed photograph, 1937 (f. 61), from Llewelyn Powys, to Margaret Moon (afterwards Margaret Newton). Many of the letters contain reminiscences of Montacute, Somerset, childhood home of the Powys brothers, and birthplace of Margaret Moon. Two of the letters from John Cowper Powys (ff. 30-32 verso) are in the hand of Phyllis Playter, writing as his amanuensis. Also included are three letters, 1990, from Margaret Newton to Paul Roberts, editor of the Powys Society Newsletter (ff. 1-5).
The letters contain references to Thomas Hardy (ff. 13 verso, 40 recto-verso, 48), Theodore Dreiser (f. 44), W. B. Yeats (f. 29 verso) and Theodore Francis Powys (ff. 38 verso, 39 verso).

Some four hundred and seventy-one letters, 1897-1976, to Lucy Penny from her younger siblings, comprising five letters, 1905-1953, from Theodore F. Powys; eighty-two, 1897-1953, from Gertrude Powys; one, [c. 1890], from Eleanor Powys; six, 1903-1935, from A. R. Powys; nineteen, 1907-1971, from Marian Powys; sixty-seven, 1908-1939, from Llewelyn Powys; two hundred and forty-three, 1903-1963, from Philippa (Katie) Powys; and forty-eight, 1903-1976, from William Powys.
The letters of Gertrude Powys and William Powys occasionally contain thumbnail sketches or watercolour drawings.

A copy of John Ceiriog Hughes, Caneuon Ceiriog ([Newtown], 1925), a selection of Ceiriog’s poems presented to John Cowper Powys on his birthday, 8 October 1954, by Redwood and Gwyneth [Anderson], including a letter from Phyllis Playter, 1966, to Evan Roberts, giving the book to him. There is also a copy of Llewelyn Powys, The Cradle of God (London, 1949), presented by John Cowper Powys to his 'friend of many years' Evan Roberts, in 1949.