"John Bruce Glasier, he has done so much for the cause" Read the full letter
Constance Lytton
Lady Constance Lytton (1869 - 1923) was the daughter of Edward Robert Bulwer-Lytton, first Earl of Lytton and Viceroy of India from 1876 until 1880, and his wife Edith Lytton nee Villiers. Her political concerns included prison reform and animal welfare as well as women’s suffrage, with her conversion to support for the Women’s Social and Political Union approach described in her autobiography (1914), as is the occasion in Holloway prison when Emmeline Pethick Lawrence ‘told the tale’ of Schreiner’s allegory ‘Three Dreams in a Desert’ to an assembled group of spell-bound WSPU prisoners. Constance Lytton become an active militant suffragette and after arrest and imprisonment, the hasty termination of her being forcibly fed led to her feeling she received preferential treatment because of her title. She was later arrested and gave the name of Jane Warton; and as Jane Warton no account was taken of her heart condition and she was force fed. She subsequently suffered a stroke, which left her in a state of very bad health until she died in 1923.
Schreiner’s great love and admiration for Constance Lytton shrines through the eleven extant letters to her, the many loving comments about her in letters to other people and the warmth of the dedication of Woman and Labour to her. And while just this small number of letters survive there were most probably many more written. The letters are concentrated in 1893, commencing not long after Constance Lytton and her cousin Adela Villiers (later Smith) had arrived back in England from an extended visit to their aunt, Lady Loch and her husband Sir Henry Loch, at the Cape, where both of them had become good friends with her. They continue through Schreiner’s later 1893 visit to England and peter out after her marriage; however, the impression is of the friendship still flourishing and with future meetings in sight, again suggesting the likelihood of other letters having been written.
During 1893, Schreiner was experiencing much indecision about whether or not to marry Samuel ‘Cron’ Cronwright, indeed concerning whether she was, as she put it, a ‘marrying woman’ or not, and with her close friendship with Mary Sauer still looming large in her life. The letters allude to Schreiner having “found one very splendid & able young man in the Eastern Province; who when he enters political life may “stand” but the probability is he will fall.” (13 February 1893), with her attraction to Cronwright in significant part their at the time shared politics. And once a decision about this is more or less made, there is a concern with secrecy, that information about an engagement will get into the newspapers before the final decision was taken. The letters also cover what seems to have been a possible relationship between Adela Villiers and Schreiner’s ‘chum’ Seymour Fort, but implying that he was a seasoned flirt and not serious in his intentions and so Adela should forget him. There are more elusive comments in a letter of 3 February 1895 about Constance Lytton’s ‘friend’ going home, which concerns a man she wanted to marry but who was never financially able. On this, Schreiner comments “The sad thing which one has to face in the world is this that if people are separated for great lengths of time both go on developing on different lines, & therefore in the end may not be suited to each other as once they were.”, something which Lytton perhaps did not want to hear at just that point.
Schreiner’s letters to Lytton contain some political commentary and discussions about books (she can’t read ordinary novels) and also concerning her own writing; this provides a tantalising glimpse of the richness that a larger surviving set of them might have contained. What they do not convey, however, is why Schreiner held Constance Lytton in such high regard, but which seems to concern her perception of Lytton’s moral goodness and sense of duty.
For more information see:
Betty Balfour (ed, 1925) Letters of Constance Lytton London: Heinemann
Jose Harris (2004) ‘Lytton, Lady Constance Georgina Bulwer- (1869-1923)’ Oxford Dictionary of National Biography Oxford University Press http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/37705
Constance Lytton (Jane Warton) (2011 [1914]) Prisons and Prisoners: Some Personal Experiences Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
Recipient Of
- Lytton Family Papers: Schreiner’s letters to Constance Lytton are part of the extensive family papers of the Lytton family and are held in th... Show/Hide Collection Letters
- Lytton 01229/1:Middelburg, Feb 13 / 93, Dear Lady Constance,, I was so glad to hear you had such a good voyage home with “plenty of ro...
- Lytton 01229/2:New College,, Eastbourne., Wednesday, Tuesday, Dear Con, Any time after 9.30 I shall be at Morley’s Hotel. If you could...
- Lytton 01229/3:Dear Con, Thank you for your letter. I shall write tomorrow. I send you my friends photo-graphs to see Please return them., Y...
- Lytton 01229/4:New College,, Eastbourne., Monday, Dear Con,, Your letter was very sweet. Did you get the two photographs I sent you. Please ...
- Lytton 01229/5:Dear Conny I send you a letter which I want you to read. I got it last night. Show it to Adela or not, as you think best. It...
- Lytton 01229/6:66 Marina, St Leonards-on-Sea, July 28 / 93, Thank you so much for giving that picture to Alice Corthorn. I value so much eve...
- Lytton 01229/7:Millthorpe, Holmsfield, nr Sheffield, Dear Conny, I thank you so much for your letter. I am sorry I’ve been ill, & ...
- Lytton 01229/8:New College, Eastbourne, Sep 23 / 93, Dear Con,, I shall be coming up to see Adela if possible some day after the second of O...
- Lytton 01229/10:The Homestead, Nr Kimberley, Feb 3 / 95, Dear Con, I could not help a great feeling of joy for you when I saw in the paper th...
- Lytton 01229/11:It’s one of the first stories I made for myself when I was a child. OS.,
- Lytton 01229/12:Dear Con, We are leaving for England next month, so I won't answer your letter as fully as I other wise would. We shall not a...
Mentioned In
- Humanities Research Center, University of Texas at Austin: The HRC, Austin, is one of the world leading locations for archival papers pertaining to literary life and manuscripts across... Show/Hide Collection Letters
- HRC/OliveSchreinerLetters/OS-JOANHodgson/8:9 Porchester Place, Edgware Rd, Aug 29th 1919, Dear Joan, I hope you are not doing too much. Exercise is very good but you mu...
- HRC/OliveSchreinerLetters/OS-JohnHodgson/81:Palace Hotel , & New-York , Lung’arno , Florence, March 16th 1914, Dear Mr Hodgson, Thanks for your letter. I wonde...
- Lytton Family Papers: Schreiner’s letters to Constance Lytton are part of the extensive family papers of the Lytton family and are held in th... Show/Hide Collection Letters
- Lytton 01229/1:Middelburg, Feb 13 / 93, Dear Lady Constance,, I was so glad to hear you had such a good voyage home with “plenty of ro...
- Lytton 01229/2:New College,, Eastbourne., Wednesday, Tuesday, Dear Con, Any time after 9.30 I shall be at Morley’s Hotel. If you could...
- Lytton 01229/3:Dear Con, Thank you for your letter. I shall write tomorrow. I send you my friends photo-graphs to see Please return them., Y...
- Lytton 01229/4:New College,, Eastbourne., Monday, Dear Con,, Your letter was very sweet. Did you get the two photographs I sent you. Please ...
- Lytton 01229/5:Dear Conny I send you a letter which I want you to read. I got it last night. Show it to Adela or not, as you think best. It...
- Lytton 01229/7:Millthorpe, Holmsfield, nr Sheffield, Dear Conny, I thank you so much for your letter. I am sorry I’ve been ill, & ...
- Lytton 01229/8:New College, Eastbourne, Sep 23 / 93, Dear Con,, I shall be coming up to see Adela if possible some day after the second of O...
- Lytton 01229/9:Thomson’s Hotel, Middelburg., Oct 31 / 93., Dearest Lady Loch, Today you will get back to Cape Town. I wish so much I c...
- Lytton 01229/10:The Homestead, Nr Kimberley, Feb 3 / 95, Dear Con, I could not help a great feeling of joy for you when I saw in the paper th...
- Lytton 01229/12:Dear Con, We are leaving for England next month, so I won't answer your letter as fully as I other wise would. We shall not a...
- National Archives Depot, Pretoria: The National Archives Depot is Pretoria is a leading location for archival papers across a wide time-period, organisations an... Show/Hide Collection Letters
- Smuts A1/190/43A:Matjesfontein , My dear Isie , I think there must be unseen telepathic wires between Matjesfontein & Pretoria for today t...
- National English Literary Museum, Grahamstown: The National English Literary Museum is the leading location for collections pertaining to the imaginative and creative writi... Show/Hide Collection Letters
- Olive Schreiner: Edward Carpenter SMD 30/32/gii:De Aar, Feb 6th 1908, Dear Edward, Months ago I began the enclosed letter. I haven't written because I wanted to go on with i...
- Olive Schreiner: Mimmie Murray 2001.24/8:Matjiesfontein, Feb 28th 1909 , My dear Mrs Murray, Thank you much for your letter. I have sent it to Mrs Brown who will send...
- Olive Schreiner: Mimmie Murray 2001.24/10:Hotel Milner, Matjiesfontein, Cape Colony, Jan 19/09, Dear Mrs Murray, I was so glad to get your letter with its valuable new...
- Olive Schreiner: Mimmie Murray 2001.24/11:Matjiesfontein, Feb 7th 1909, Dear Mrs Murray, Yes, make any use you like of Lady Constance Lytton's letter that you think wi...
- Olive Schreiner: Mimmie Murray 2001.24/26:De Aar, April 28th 1911, Dear Mrs Murray, I was so disappointed that I did not know you were coming. I still had hopes you wo...
- Olive Schreiner: Mimmie Murray 2001.24/33:De Aar, July 6th 1912 , Dear Mrs Murray, It seems so long since I had any news of you all., My sister Ettie passed away after...
- Olive Schreiner: Mimmie Murray 2001.24/34:De Aar , Friday , Dear Friend, Thank you so much for your letter. I have a very lovely rose in my garden & want to order ...
- Olive Schreiner: Mimmie Murray 2001.24/47:I am sending you Lady Constance's little paper. I don't know if I sent it you before. There is a splendid article by her brot...
- Olive Schreiner: Mimmie Murray 2001.24/63:De Aar, Tuesday , Darling Friend, How sweet of you to think of me so. The reason why I have not written is that I wanted to w...
- SCCS Edited Extracts: Four groups of edited extracts from Olive Schreiner's letters can be accessed from here, made by her estranged husband Cronwr... Show/Hide Collection Letters
- Olive Schreiner: Extracts of Letters to Cronwright-Schreiner MSC 26/2.16/386:…Con Lytton went to see Miss Molteno, who is very much impressed with her, says she’s like a goddess and “m...
- National Library of South Africa, Cape Town: Special Collections at the NLSA provide one of the leading locations for archival papers across many periods, organisations a... Show/Hide Collection Letters
- John X. Merriman MSC 15/1906:214:Matjesfontein, Nov 13th 1906, Dear Mr Merriman, I am just reading a book that fascinates & pleases me greatly - the lette...
- John X. Merriman MSC 15/1912:132:De Aar, Aug 11th 1912, Dear Mr Merriman., Re. your letter. No, I do not take a sorrowful view of life generally; nor above al...
- Olive Schreiner: Ruth Alexander MSC 26/2.1.7:Llandrindod Wells, Wales, Sunday., My dear Ruth, Yes send me any poems you write & I'll tell you really what I think of t...
- Sheffield City Libraries, Archives & Local Studies: Edward Carpenter Collection, Archives & Local Studies, Sheffield City Libraries: The Edward Carpenter Collection is held ... Show/Hide Collection Letters
- Edward Carpenter 359/94:Matjesfontein, Cape Colony, Feb 19 / 09, Dear Edward , You are an absolutely wicked boy! I did send those two photographs to ...
- Edward Carpenter 359/98:De Aar, June 17th 1912, Dear Edward , Thank you much for your book. I would have written sooner but I’ve been through a...
- Edward Carpenter 359/101:30 St. Mary Abbott’s Terrace, Kensington, London, Sunday , Dear Edward , I wonder when you are coming to London? I have...
- University of Cape Town, Historical Manuscripts: Manuscripts & Archives at the University of Cape Town is a leading location for accessing archival papers across many per... Show/Hide Collection Letters
- Olive Schreiner BC16/Box1/Fold1/1892/15:Matjesfontein, Sunday , Oct 9 / 92, Dear Boy,, I’m writing on the chance of catching you in England. I was so glad of y...
- Olive Schreiner BC16/Box1/Fold1/1892/16:Matjesfontein, Saturday , Darling Fan, Expect me down on the morning of the 9th or evening of the 8 the eighteenth of Nov. I’...
- Olive Schreiner BC16/Box1/Fold1/1892/17:Darling Fan, Would you do me a great favour & send down at once to Mrs Frazer top of Plein Street the blue stuff & gr...
- Olive Schreiner BC16/Box1/Fold3/1896/11:Dear Jessie, Only yesterday I received a New Year’s wire that you sent me to Port Elizabeth? Thanks for it dear. , It w...
- Olive Schreiner BC16/Box3/Fold4/1905/1:Hanover, Jan 11 / 05, My darling Friend, I got your beautiful long letter today, also the one from London. Isn’t it rat...
- Olive Schreiner BC16/Box3/Fold4/1905/5:Hanover , Feb 8 / 05, Darling Friend, I am sitting alone in the new room, that wasn’t finished when you were here. Cron...
- Olive Schreiner BC16/Box3/Fold4/1905/18:Eastbergholt, Tamboer’s Kloof Rd, Tamboer’s Kloof, May 10 / 05, My dear Friend, Your beautiful long letter about ...
- Olive Schreiner BC16/Box3/Fold4/1905/38:Hanover, Sep 15 / 05, Another post has come & not a word from you. I can’t help feeling anxious but perhaps you hav...
- Olive Schreiner BC16/Box3/Fold5/1906/31:Hotel Milner,, Matjesfontein, Dec 30th 1906, Dear Friend, I am going to try addressing this letter to Switzerland straight. I...
- Olive Schreiner BC16/Box3/Fold6/1907/7:Dear Laddy, Please post the enclosed to Con Lytton read it. My sweet girl Adela was so terribly disappointed at not seeing yo...
- Olive Schreiner BC16/Box3/Fold6/1907/14:Hanover, May 20th 1907, My dear old Laddie , Welcome back to the land of our birth. I hope you had a restful, good voyage out...
- Olive Schreiner BC16/Box3/Fold6/1907/20:Cape Town, Sea Point, July 28th 1907, Darling Alice, Please send the news paper I send you with this on to Dot at Newnham whe...
- Olive Schreiner BC16/Box3/Fold6/1907/25:Rossyvera, Norfolk Rd, Sunday, My old Laddie, It was beautiful to see you looking so well, with something of the freshness &...
- Olive Schreiner BC16/Box4/Fold1/1908/33:Tuesday night, Dear Laddie, I enclose a note Con Lytton enclosed in her’s to me of this week. You & my dear little ...
- Olive Schreiner BC16/Box4/Fold2/1909/9:Matjesfontein, Feb 8th 1909, Dear Friend, I wonder if you are coming out you will have to make a close & hard bargain wit...
- Olive Schreiner BC16/Box4/Fold2/1909/12:Matjesfontein, Saturday, Theo doing splendidly. Adela Villiers has lost her beautiful little baby boy of 13 months old. , It ...
- Olive Schreiner BC16/Box4/Fold2/1909/15:Matjesfontein, 26 February 1909, Beloved Friend, I have your long letter on the native question to-day. Why do you not rather...
- Olive Schreiner BC16/Box4/Fold2/1909/34:De Aar, July 12th 1909, Dear Laddie, My thoughts are always with you I am only so sorry that being so busy you won’t ha...
- Olive Schreiner BC16/Box4/Fold3/1910/26:Portlock, nr. Graaff Reinet, Nov 30 / 10, Dear Laddie , Adela little baby was born abo some months ago. She was very nearly d...
- Olive Schreiner BC16/Box4/Fold3/1910/28:Portlock, nr. Graaff Reinet, Dec 20 / 10, Dear old Man, I hope you are getting away for a real holiday somewhere; but perhaps...
- Olive Schreiner BC16/Box4/Fold4/1911/39:De Aar, August 26th 1911, Dear old Man, It was a disappointment to me to see from Adelas letter that you had not spoken at th...
- Olive Schreiner BC16/Box4/Fold4/1911/41:Tuesday, My dear old sister, I hope you are not feeling the least bit anxious about Ursula. I’m sure it was just the he...
- Olive Schreiner BC16/Box4/Fold4/1911/54:Wednesday morning, Dear Laddie, Just got your wire. Don’t trouble to come & meet me, dear if it breaks up your only...
- Olive Schreiner BC16/Box5/Fold1/1912/22:De Aar, May 31st 1912, My beloved Friend, I have no no news of you. I suppose Alice came & you went together to Natal, bu...
- Olive Schreiner BC16/Box5/Fold1/1912/53:Dear Laddie , I shall have to come down to Cape Town soon – as soon as I’m able to get my packing done. I’v...
- Olive Schreiner BC16/Box5/Fold2/1913/56:Edinburgh Castle, Friday , Dear Laddie, We passed Madeira this morning & I got a great pile of English letters from my de...
- Olive Schreiner BC16/Box5/Fold3/1914/11:Le Grand Hotel et D’Alassio, Alassio, Riviera, Italie, 21st 1914, Dear old Man, I have just got your letter. I’d ...
- Olive Schreiner BC16/Box5/Fold3/1914/79:Telephone: 3675 Kensington., Telegrams: Apartment, London., Kensington Palace Mansions & Hotel, De Vere Gardens, W., My d...
- Olive Schreiner BC16/Box5/Fold3/1914/83:Telephone: 3675 Kensington., Telegrams: Apartment, London., Kensington Palace Mansions & Hotel, De Vere Gardens, W., My d...
- Olive Schreiner BC16/Box7/Fold2/Aug-Dec1919/32:Dear, Eva has just spent the afternoon with me. It is most interesting to hear all her news. , I have not yet heard from that...
- Olive Schreiner BC16/Box11/Fold1/Dated/23:My dear Mrs Murray, I shall be so glad if you do see your way to stand as president of the W. E. League. Anna Purcell gives m...
- Olive Schreiner BC16/Box11/Fold1/Dated/24:Matjesfontein, March 6 / 09, My darling friend, Do please address your letters to Matjesfontein always in future. Even if I g...
- Olive Schreiner BC16/Box11/Fold2/Undated/26:Dear Fan, I’m sending you Will’s to me, in case it should have any news he’s not had time to give you., I’...
- Olive Schreiner BC16/Box11/Fold2/Undated/76:9 Porchester Place, Edgware Rd, Tuesday, My Betty, I am very anxious about both you & Alice. You said perhaps you would b...
- Olive Schreiner BC16/Box11/Fold3/ToBe/6:De Aar, Tuesday 24th Nov, Dear old Sister, Please send me back Miss Colenso’s letter, as I haven’t answered it. H...
- Olive Schreiner BC16/Box 12/Fold1/Undated/41:My darling Friend, No card from you again this mail. I see my darling Con is in prison once more. I am very anxious about her...
- Olive Schreiner BC16/Box8/Fold4/MMPr/AssortedCorres/FredPL/6:Eastbergholt , Tamboers Kloof , June 28th, 1908 , We had but a very short wire about the demonstration last Sunday but one ca...
- Olive Schreiner BC16/Box8/Fold4/MMPr/AssortedCorres/FredPL/7:Matjesfontein , March 4th, 1909 , Dear Fred, I see from the papers that your beloved wife and Connie Lytton and other of my f...
- Olive Schreiner BC16/Box8/Fold4/MMPr/AssortedCorres/FredPL/15:de Aar, August 1910 , Yours is most valuable as giving as outlook over the whole position in England, very clear and very int...