Plan your visit. 225 Madison Avenue at 36th Street, New York, NY 10016.

Plan your visit. 225 Madison Avenue at 36th Street, New York, NY 10016.

Letters from Maria Tunno, various places, to Charlotte Raikes, 1816 December 25-1823 March 6 : autograph manuscripts signed.

BIB_ID
188846
Accession number
MA 14344.1-51
Creator
Tunno, Maria, 1783-1853, sender.
Display Date
Various places, 1816 December 25-1823 March 6.
Credit line
Bequest of Gordon N. Ray, 1987.
Description
51 items (191 pages) ; (8vo, 12mo and 32mo)
Notes
Letters from Maria Rose Tunno of Buckinghamshire, England, to Charlotte Susannah Raikes, wife of Job Matthew Raikes.
The majority of the letters with address panels, postmarks, and seals.
Letters 1-30 addressed to Mrs. Charlotte Susannah Raikes; letter 31-51 are addressed to Miss Charlotte Sarah Raikes, following Mrs. Charlotte Susannah's death and burial (5 March, 1821).
One letter, dated 7 February 1822, is from Maria Tunno's sister, Augusta Tunno.
Provenance
Bequest of Gordon N. Ray, 1987.
Summary
Letters written from Maria Tunno to Mrs. Charlotte Susannah Raikes, and to Miss Charlotte Sarah Raikes. The letters describe family life in England and document their domestic affairs, social engagements, and travels; she writes about local news and gossip, caring for sick family members, her own health and that of her mother, father, sisters, and other members of the family. She documents the death of her father, John Tunno, and the death of her sister, Rosa Tunno. She asks after the health of the Raikes family members and offers words of comfort and condolences when they experience illness and death. There are numerous mentions of Maria's mother, Margaret Rose Tunno, and Maria's sisters, Augusta, Rosa, and Caroline Tunno, and she frequently asks after her nephews, William and Charles. Illnesses such as gout, measles, scarlet fever, and quinsy are discussed, as is grief and bereavement. She describes the customs of the places she travels to following the death of her father, including France, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, and the Scottish Highlands; she describes hiking and following the writing of Sir Walter Scott, including references to The Lady of the Lake, The Lay of the Last Minstrel, The Pirate, and Ivanhoe; she also criticizes the work of Lord Byron and Lady Morgan, sharing opinions on recent reviews of their work. She documents the death of King George III and comments on scandals and social issues related to King George IV and Caroline of Brunswick. She also organizes tutoring sessions on the subject of Botany for herself and her sisters. She briefly refers to her friend Sir Martin Arthur Shee, president of the Royal Academy.