Chawton House 4946, MAN WIL

• Primary compiler

• Major author

Regular; since all original poetry however, attributions are frequently implied rather than explicitly stated. 

Pre-bound paperbook. Third notebook is smaller, and less than half full.

Three loose-cover notebooks.

Single, with Sarah Wilmot's signature appearing in the first and second notebook, and footnotes in a later hand, possibly that of James Seton. 

Explanatory notes (eg. in the full title of “To Mr Morris (Mrs Wilmot’s brother) on his Wedding-day Nov:r”) suggest retroactive compilation of the book.

Explanatory footnotes in a different hand (eg. “(Valentine Morris of Piercefield Park was at one time Governor & C in Chief of St. Vincent)”).

Notebook 1: “From Mrs Wilmot to her Daughter Elizabeth Sarah Wilmot in answer to some verses” has been corrected/ revised, whether at that time or later; “From Mr Garrick to Mrs Wilmot on Doctor Cadogan’s abusing Shakespeare” crossed-out.

Notebook 2: Some cross-outs to replace alternative words – seem to be revisions rather than copy errors.

Notebook 3: [ff. 8-9] – intervening page cut out, and this item is erased or written over in title and first 4 lines on f. 8, final lines at top of f. 9.

Notebook 1: Half-pages left empty, tendency to begin new poems on new pages, but shift in some cases later in the book; punctuation absent at the ends of many lines (unlike in other notebooks); device/ signature after each poem except one. 

Notebook 2:  Poems are back-to-back with a small flourish beneath last line of previous poem; punctuation consistent at the ends of lines; every item is dated; line between items; line between titles and first lines.

Notebook 2: Order is chronological.

Yes, all original to Sarah Wilmot/ Elizabeth Sarah Wilmot and their circle. 

One of the books contains the name “Mr James Seton” in a later hand.

Notebook 1: device #1 at end of each poem – looks like an “S” followed by an “e”, with the “S” often seeming to be sideways; device #2 looks more like three formal “S”s with a small “e” flourish at the end. Inside cover labelled in fair hand: “Elizabeth Sarah Wilmot 1771”; verso to index contains note: “Verses written by my Dear Mama Sarah Wilmot at sundry times”; at the bottom of the same page, note in dark ink in another hand: “Mrs. Wilmot of Farnborough Park. Hants. Ob 25 Mar: 1793 at 69. She was dau of Colonel Morris of Piercefield Park nr Chepstow by Elizabeth (ob 23 Sep. 1760 at 62) dau of Nicholas Wilmot.”

Notebook 2:  Verses are not signed, but in the inside front cover, the “S W” looks like the three S’s of device #2. Inside front cover labelled: “ESWilmot’s Verses 1773,”added in pencil: “Mrs. Wilmot of Farnborough Park & Bloomsbury Square ob 1793 aet 70.”

Notebook 3:  Same hand has written on inside front cover: “ESWilmot 1776” by the same hand as the first two notebooks– but this has been altered to: “ESWilmot’s Verses,” possibly by James Seton. No signatures to any of the poems in this notebook.

Notebooks 1–2 paginated in folios, notebook 3 unpaginated. 

Notebook 1: Generous use of space, plenty of half-pages left blank.

Notebook 2: All of each page used, never a blank half-page.

Notebook 3: More closely written. 

Notebook 1 yes. Notebooks 2–3 no.