Houghton MS Eng 926 | Manuscript Verse Miscellanies

Title	Untitled
Archive	Houghton Library
Call Number	Houghton MS Eng 926
Complete	Yes
Description	Charlotte Burney Francis Broome, 1771–ca. 1806. 82 poems. Mostly original poetry by members of the Burney family with themes of family, courtship/marriage, and death.
Format	Quarto
Book Size	20cm x 16cm
Filled Page Count	181 pages
Item Count	82
Poem Count	82
Periods	1761-1790 1791-1820
First Line Index	Yes
Digitized	Yes
Region	London, Middlesex Middlesex
Additional Genres
Print Sources
Major Themes	Courtship, marriage Death, afterlife Family Friendship Illness Major themes prominent among the manuscript contents in alphabetical order.
Minor Themes	Nature Passions, Sentiments Public affairs Solitude, loneliness, retir... Travel Visual arts Other themes of interest among the manuscript contents in alphabetical order.
Links	digitalcollections.library.harvard.edu firstlines.folger.edu
Bibliography
Citation	“Houghton MS Eng 926.” Manuscript Verse Miscellanies, 1700–1820, edited by Betty A. Schellenberg, Simon Fraser University, https://mvm.dhil.lib.sfu.ca/manuscript/365. Accessed 28 Oct. 2025.
Created	2020-04-23 3:35:23 PM
Updated	2023-07-25 11:24:42 AM

Contributor	Role
Charlotte Burney Francis Broome	Primary compiler
Ralph Broome	Major author
Charles Burney (1726–1814)	Major author
Frances Burney D'Arblay	Major author
A. Cox	Major author

First Line	Context
Gentle breath of melting sorrow	f. 78 Local title: n/a Attributed author: n/a Adaptation: n/a Other variants: n/a Other: n/a

First Line

Context

f. 78

Local title: n/a

Attributed author: n/a

Adaptation: n/a

Other variants: n/a

Other: n/a

Feature	Note
Author attributions	Frequent.
Binding	Limp vellum.
Hands	Single.
Indications of use	Fair copy book with very few edits. Old folds or repaired tears on pp. 27–30
Item formatting	Simple, single lines between items. Items begun one after another with no breaks. Frequent underlines, seemingly for emphasis.
Original poetry	Yes, by members of the compiler's family, though seemingly nothing by herself.
Ownership mark	Charlotte Anne Hester Francis written on the inside front cover. Percival and Elisabeth Merritt bookplate featuring an image of a ship and island.
Page layout	Paginated (top-center of each page). The writing in the manuscript gets less condensed and straight-lined as the book progresses.
Table of Contents	Yes, an index on pp. 179–181.