Letters to Charles Kent from various members of the Lytton family of Knebworth House,...

This extensive series of letters ranges over more than twenty years and covers many aspects of Lytton's domestic life, political and literary career, character, and interests. One letter (dated 6 October 1882; see DE/Z118/C2/132) details at length Robert's unsuitability and dislike for 'public life', another (dated 25 December 1881; see DE/Z118/C2/97) lightheartedly explains Robert's unfavourable feelings towards Christmas. The letters also display much advice and support, both moral and practical, given to Kent in times of ill-luck and ill-health.

Kent was a frequent visitor to the family home at Knebworth and knew all the family well. The letters to Kent from Edith, Robert's wife, run to over 80, both during her husband's life and after his death [see DE/Z118/C3]. Also included are many letters from their children (Betty, Constance, Emily, Victor and Neville) sending thanks for birthday gifts and news of family holidays, always with expressions of warm friendship for Kent.

Edward Bulwer Lytton's letters to Kent cover a period of ten years towards the end of Edward's life [see DE/Z118/C1]. They include political discussion, critique of Kent's poetry, domestic matters and enthusiastic support for Kent's club membership (1866) as well as a request for a barrel of oysters! [see DE/Z118/C1/18].

In addition the collection includes letters from Sir William Henry Lytton Earle Bulwer, Lord Dalling (1801-1872), Edward's brother, and Edward and Henry Gascoyne Bulwer, Edward's nephews [see DE/Z118/C9-C11].

A large family and estate archive from Knebworth House has been on deposit at Hertfordshire Archives and Local Studies since the 1940s [Document Refs: 21833-23591 and D/EK]. This contains the manuscripts of many of the literary works of both Edward and his son Robert Bulwer Lytton together with a prolific correspondence. However the correspondence includes only one copy letter from Robert to Charles Kent [Ref D/EK/C39/7] and only 28 written by Kent to Edward [Refs D/EK/C10/85-95; C18/87-92 and C24/10] and 15 to Robert [Ref D/EK/C36/149]. The letters now purchased testify to the friendship and lengthy correspondence between the two families hitherto not represented at Hertfordshire Archives and Local Studies.

In this catalogue the principal correspondents and family members are referred to in the editorial text as follows:

Kent: William Charles Mark Kent (1823-1902); married Ann Young

EBL: Edward George Earle Lytton Bulwer Lytton, 1st Baron Lytton (1803-1872); in 1827 married Rosina Doyle Wheeler (d 1882); father of Robert

Robert: Edward Robert Lytton, 1st Earl of Lytton (1831-1891); in 1864 married Edith Villiers; father of Betty, Constance, Emily, Victor and Neville

Edith: Edith Lytton [nee Villiers]; (d 1936); wife of Robert, 1st Earl of Lytton; Lady of the Bedchamber to Queen Victoria

Children of Robert and Edith:

Betty: Elizabeth Edith Lytton (1867-1942); in 1887 married Gerald William 2nd Earl of Balfour

Constance: Constance Georgina Lytton (1869-1923); suffragette; died unmarried

Emily: Emily Lytton (1874-1964); in 1897 married Sir Edwin Landseer Lutyens, architect

Victor: Victor Alexander George Robert Lytton, 2nd Earl of Lytton (1876-1947); in 1902 married Pamela Chichele-Plowden

Neville: Neville Stephen Bulwer Lytton, 3rd Earl of Lytton (1879-1951); in 1899 married Judith Anne Dorothea Baroness Wentworth

Where possible biographical details of people mentioned in the editorial text are given in square brackets.

* An asterisk beside the date of a letter indicates that the date is taken from the envelope only and not verified by the letter.

<p>Other correspondence, writings and personal papers concerning Charles Kent's professional and literary careers are to be found as the Charles Kent Papers, James Marshall and Marie-Louise Osborne Collection, Beinecke Rare Book and Rare Manuscript Library, Yale University</p>

• <persname>Kent, William Charles Mark, 1823-1902, author</persname>
• <persname>Kent, Charles Mark, 1823-1902, author</persname>

[Acc 3457]

Purchased 1999

William Charles Mark Kent (1823-1902), was a Roman Catholic author and journalist, and a contributor to the Dictionary of National Biography. He was editor, and later also owner, of The Sun, an evening newspaper and one of the first daily newspapers to review books, until it folded in 1871. He was a friend of the Lytton family and corresponded with them from the 1850s until his death in 1902. Over 260 of the letters to Kent are from Robert, first Earl of Lytton, poet and statesman (1831 - 1891) [see DE/Z118/C2]. The two men worked closely together on the publication of a biography of Edward Bulwer Lytton, first Baron Lytton (1803 - 1873), Robert's father - The Life, Letters and Literary Remains of Edward Bulwer, Lord Lytton - published in 1883. Theirs was a close and prolonged friendship, stated by Robert to have been 'inherited' from his father