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Ida Hyett

Ida Hyett was Edward Carpenter's niece, the daughter of his sister Ellen and her husband Francis Adams Hyett. According to Rowbotham, she 'inclined towards the bohemian and literary circles in which he [Carpenter] moved' (Rowbotham 2008: 11). Hyett went to South Africa in the late 1900s, teaching music at a girls' school in Pretoria. As Schreiner's comments in her letters indicate, she introduced Hyett to several of her friends, including by arranging for her to stay at Mimmie and Haldane Murray's farm at Graaff-Reinet over Christmas in 1911 (which arrangement Hyett later somewhat ungraciously reneged on). Hyett was also involved in women's suffrage activities, as secretary of the Johannesburg and Transvaal section of the Women's Enfranchisement League, and also the Secretary of the National Committee of the combined WEL organisations that attempted to exert control over the Cape and Natal WELs as well as those in the Free State and Transvaal. This suggests that Hyett would have been one of the leading supporters of women's enfranchisement 'on the same terms as men' and therefore having a racial basis. Schreiner totally opposed this racial, indeed racist, policy; she also objected very strongly to the usurpation of power by the unelected cabal that formed the National Cmmittee and their gerrymandering activities in attempting to overturn the non-racial platform initially adopted by the Cape WEL in line with the Cape Colony's franchise for men. It is likely that some letters were exchanged between Schreiner and Hyett during the early period of Hyett living in South Africa, although none have been traced.

For further information see:
Sheila Rowbotham (2008) Edward Carpenter: A Life of Liberty and Love London: Verso

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 Mentioned In

 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/j:De Aar, July 4th 1911, Dear E.C., I wrote you a longish letter to go off by this week's mail but I must have put it into an e...

 Olive Schreiner: Edward Carpenter SMD 30/32/p:Le Grand Hotel et d'Alassio, Alassio, Dear Ed, I feel I want to write to you this evening. I wonder what you think of our Cap...

 Olive Schreiner: Edward Carpenter SMD 30/32/rii:Kensington Palace Mansions & Hotel, De Vere Gardens, W., My dear old Edward, I think you think I am a horrid person, but ...

 Olive Schreiner: Mimmie Murray 2001.24/9:De Aar, April 25th 1912, Dear Friend, Thank you for your letter. You can't think how pretty the children beautiful karross lo...

 Olive Schreiner: Mimmie Murray 2001.24/19:Dear Mrs Murray, I was so glad to get your letter this morning. , I've not sent your letter to Miss Hyett waiting to write to...

 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 2001.24/39:June 27th 1911, Dear Mrs Murray, My trip to the Falls was too splendid, but I've been in bed ever since I came back with bron...

 Olive Schreiner: Mimmie Murray 2001.24/40:De Aar, July 23rd 1911, Dear Mrs Murray, I am sending you Ruth Alexander's speech at Kimberley. Please when you've read it se...

 Olive Schreiner: Mimmie Murray 2001.24/59:De Aar, I did send on your letter on to Miss Hyett & am glad I did, as she will be delighted to come to you at Xmas time....

 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 359/97:De Aar, April 28th 1911, Dear Edward , No I like my long sentences – when they come! There are things you want to prese...

 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/Box4/Fold1/1908/13:Matjesfontein, March 21st 1908, My dear Laddie, I wonder how things are going with you. I had a long letter from Naude this w...

 Olive Schreiner BC16/Box4/Fold2/1909/18:Matjesfontein, Wednesday, My dear old sister, I hope you get your glasses all right. I couldn’t anywhere find a good bo...