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Somerville & Ross Manuscript Collection	Queen's University Belfast
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Collection
Identifier	MS17
Description	Significant collection of personal and literary papers of Edith Somerville (1858-1949) and Violet Martin (1862-1915) alias “Somerville and Ross,” one of Ireland's most celebrated literary partnerships. An important and unique collection reflecting the lives, interests and work of the two authors, the Somerville & Ross Papers consist largely of diaries, correspondence, working papers, and draft manuscripts relating to the authors’ literary activities, personal interests and affairs. Of the literary papers can be found annotated, handwritten notes and manuscripts relating to numerous publications produced under the Somerville & Ross name, including that of ‘The Further Experiences of an Irish RM’ (1908), one of their best known works. Other papers concern the unfinished novel, ‘A Man of the People’ (c 1897-99) and drafts of ‘Some Irish Yesterdays’ (1906), ‘Mount Music’ (1919), ‘The Big House of Inver’ (1925) and, Somerville’s last book, ‘Maria and Some Other Dogs’ (published 1949). Working notes are also featured and these include an indexed notebook of Irish anecdotes and dialogue compiled by the two writers, c 1886-1945, and various notes on Irish political and cultural affairs, the suffragette movement and Irish agriculture, c 1910-32. Most notable amongst the personal papers are the extant diaries of both Somerville and Martin and comprehensive series of correspondence from the two writers with friends, relatives and other associates. Of particular significance are the letters between Martin and Lady Augusta Gregory, co-founder of the Abbey Theatre, Dublin, c 1889-1915, and with the artist, William Gorman Wills, c 1885-1890; and Somerville with her brother, Colonel John Somerville, c 1889-1948, and the English Composer and Feminist, Dame Ethel Smyth, c 1918-44. Other interesting items include three notebooks detailing spiritualist séances attended by Somerville, 1930-41, with messages apparently received from Violet Martin and other dead relatives and a number of original illustrations and drawings by Somerville, who, in addition to her literary activities enjoyed a good degree of artistic success during her lifetime.
Strengths	Comprehensive collection of literary and personal papers reflecting the lives and work of the popular Irish writers, Somerville and Ross. The collection is notable for including the extant diaries of both Edith Somerville and Violet Ross, for illustrating the collaborative work of the two authors and for including sizable series of late 19th and early 20th century correspondence commenting on the lives and interests of the correspondents in question.
Physical Characteristics	Collection of paper based materials consisting of approx. 2100 items, c 1873-1948, including 113 volumes (diaries), 4 files of notes, approx. 1800 autograph letters, approx. 60 literary manuscripts, 12 notebooks and 119 drawings and illustrations.
Languages	English
Collection Temporal Date Range	1873 - 1949
Accumulation Date Range	1873 - 1949
Contents Date Range	1873 - 1949
Collection Type	Collection.Library.Text.Special
Accrual	Policy: Closed Method: Purchase Periodicity: Closed
Access	The collection is available for reference only under supervised access in the Special Collections Reading Room at The McClay Library. Further information is available here: http://libguides.qub.ac.uk/specialcollections Information for visitor access to The McClay Library is available here: http://www.qub.ac.uk/directorates/InformationServices/TheLibrary/AccesstotheLibrary/Accessformembersofthepublicandothervisitors/
Legal Status	Queen's University Belfast is the legal owner of this collection, however a literary agent manages copyright issues for this collection.
Custodial History	This collection was purchased at auction by Queen's University Belfast.
Description or Catalogue	http://www.qub.ac.uk/directorates/InformationServices/TheLibrary/FileStore/Filetoupload,312676,en.pdf
Publications Note	Manuscript/Archival Collection only.

Collector
Name	Edith Anna Oenone Somerville (1858-1949)
History	Irish novelist and artist. b. Corfu, 1858, family returning to Drishane, Co. Cork in 1859. ed. Alexandra College, Dublin. Studied art in London, Dusseldorf, and Paris after 1884, and became a magazine illustrator. She exhibited later in Dublin, London and New York, 1920-38. In 1886, met her cousin, Violet Martin, with whom she formed the successful literary partnership, Somerville and Ross. Their first book, An Irish Cousin, appeared in 1889, and by Martin’s death in 1915 they had published 14 titles together, including The Real Charlotte (1894), Some Experiences of an Irish R.M. (1899) and In Mr Knox’s Country (1915). Somerville continued to write and publish as Somerville and Ross despite Martin’s untimely death, believing that, through spiritualist séances, the two remained in contact. Subsequent successes included Irish Memories (1917) and The Big House at Inver (1925). In 1903, she became the first woman Master of Foxhounds and from 1912-19, served as Master of the West Carberry Pack. She was awarded an honorary degree from the University of Dublin in 1922 and in 1941 received the Gregory Gold Medal from the Irish Academy of Letters, of which she was a founding member. d. Drishane, 1949.

Collector

Name

Edith Anna Oenone Somerville (1858-1949)

History

Irish novelist and artist. b. Corfu, 1858, family returning to Drishane, Co. Cork in 1859. ed. Alexandra College, Dublin. Studied art in London, Dusseldorf, and Paris after 1884, and became a magazine illustrator. She exhibited later in Dublin, London and New York, 1920-38. In 1886, met her cousin, Violet Martin, with whom she formed the successful literary partnership, Somerville and Ross. Their first book, An Irish Cousin, appeared in 1889, and by Martin’s death in 1915 they had published 14 titles together, including The Real Charlotte (1894), Some Experiences of an Irish R.M. (1899) and In Mr Knox’s Country (1915). Somerville continued to write and publish as Somerville and Ross despite Martin’s untimely death, believing that, through spiritualist séances, the two remained in contact. Subsequent successes included Irish Memories (1917) and The Big House at Inver (1925). In 1903, she became the first woman Master of Foxhounds and from 1912-19, served as Master of the West Carberry Pack. She was awarded an honorary degree from the University of Dublin in 1922 and in 1941 received the Gregory Gold Medal from the Irish Academy of Letters, of which she was a founding member. d. Drishane, 1949.

Name	Violet Martin (1862-1915)
History	Irish novelist and artist. b. Corfu, 1858, family returning to Drishane, Co. Cork in 1859. ed. Alexandra College, Dublin. Studied art in London, Dusseldorf, and Paris after 1884, and became a magazine illustrator. She exhibited later in Dublin, London and New York, 1920-38. In 1886, met her cousin, Violet Martin, with whom she formed the successful literary partnership, Somerville and Ross. Their first book, An Irish Cousin, appeared in 1889, and by Martin’s death in 1915 they had published 14 titles together, including The Real Charlotte (1894), Some Experiences of an Irish R.M. (1899) and In Mr Knox’s Country (1915). Somerville continued to write and publish as Somerville and Ross despite Martin’s untimely death, believing that, through spiritualist séances, the two remained in contact. Subsequent successes included Irish Memories (1917) and The Big House at Inver (1925). In 1903, she became the first woman Master of Foxhounds and from 1912-19, served as Master of the West Carberry Pack. She was awarded an honorary degree from the University of Dublin in 1922 and in 1941 received the Gregory Gold Medal from the Irish Academy of Letters, of which she was a founding member. d. Drishane, 1949. Publications include: Mount Music (1919); The States through Irish Eyes (1930); An Incorruptible Irishman (1932); The Sweet Cry of Hounds (1936); Sarah’s Youth (1938); Maria and Some Other Dogs (1949), and with Violet Martin, An Irish Cousin (1889, re-written, 1903); Naboth’s Vineyard (1891); In the Vine Country (1893); Through Connemara in a Governess Cart (1893); The Real Charlotte (1894); Beggars on Horseback (1895); The Silver Fox (1897); Some Experiences of an Irish R.M. (1899); A Patrick’s Day Hunt (1902); All on the Irish Shore (1903); Further Experiences of an Irish R.M. (1908); Dan Russell the Fox (1911); In Mr Knox’s Country (1915); Irish Memories (1917); The Big House of Inver (1925); French Leave (1928) [Source: Dictionary of Irish Biography, 1998; A Biographical Dictionary of Ireland from 1500, John C. Kinoulty (Unpublished - presented to QUB, 1991; Chambers Biographical Dictionary, 1990];

Name

Violet Martin (1862-1915)

History

Irish novelist and artist. b. Corfu, 1858, family returning to Drishane, Co. Cork in 1859. ed. Alexandra College, Dublin. Studied art in London, Dusseldorf, and Paris after 1884, and became a magazine illustrator. She exhibited later in Dublin, London and New York, 1920-38. In 1886, met her cousin, Violet Martin, with whom she formed the successful literary partnership, Somerville and Ross. Their first book, An Irish Cousin, appeared in 1889, and by Martin’s death in 1915 they had published 14 titles together, including The Real Charlotte (1894), Some Experiences of an Irish R.M. (1899) and In Mr Knox’s Country (1915). Somerville continued to write and publish as Somerville and Ross despite Martin’s untimely death, believing that, through spiritualist séances, the two remained in contact. Subsequent successes included Irish Memories (1917) and The Big House at Inver (1925). In 1903, she became the first woman Master of Foxhounds and from 1912-19, served as Master of the West Carberry Pack. She was awarded an honorary degree from the University of Dublin in 1922 and in 1941 received the Gregory Gold Medal from the Irish Academy of Letters, of which she was a founding member. d. Drishane, 1949. Publications include: Mount Music (1919); The States through Irish Eyes (1930); An Incorruptible Irishman (1932); The Sweet Cry of Hounds (1936); Sarah’s Youth (1938); Maria and Some Other Dogs (1949), and with Violet Martin, An Irish Cousin (1889, re-written, 1903); Naboth’s Vineyard (1891); In the Vine Country (1893); Through Connemara in a Governess Cart (1893); The Real Charlotte (1894); Beggars on Horseback (1895); The Silver Fox (1897); Some Experiences of an Irish R.M. (1899); A Patrick’s Day Hunt (1902); All on the Irish Shore (1903); Further Experiences of an Irish R.M. (1908); Dan Russell the Fox (1911); In Mr Knox’s Country (1915); Irish Memories (1917); The Big House of Inver (1925); French Leave (1928) [Source: Dictionary of Irish Biography, 1998; A Biographical Dictionary of Ireland from 1500, John C. Kinoulty (Unpublished - presented to QUB, 1991; Chambers Biographical Dictionary, 1990];

Owner
Name	Queen's University Belfast
Organisation	Queen's University Belfast
Role	Academic Institution
Telephone	00442890976333
History	Queen's University Belfast was formerly established as 'Queen's College, Belfast' by Queen Victoria in 1845 as one of a network of three Queen's Colleges in Ireland alongside Cork and Galway. It was raised to the status of a full university in 1908 with its own Charter and Statutes. When Queen's College first opened its doors in 1849, there were 20 professors and 90 matriculated students all based in the main Lanyon building off University Road, Belfast. Since then, the University has grown considerably both in reputation and stature reflecting its status as one of the oldest universities in the UK. Now catering to some 1,300 academics and 17,000 full and part-time students, the University offers courses and research opportunities in Agriculture & Food Science, Arts, Economics & Social Sciences, Medicine & Health Sciences, Science, Engineering, Education, Law and Theology based in centres within several miles of the original site, as well as a Marine Laboratory at Portaferry, a campus at Armagh City and outreach centres in Omagh and Newcastle and a nursing campus at Altnagelvin Hospital in Derry. Notable persons to have come through Queen’s doors include Seamus Heaney, a recipient of the Nobel Prize for Literature, Mary McAleese, the current President of Ireland and a former senior officer at Queen's, David Trimble, a former member of teaching staff and a joint recipient of the Nobel Prize for Peace and superstar actor Liam Neeson.

Location
Name	Queen's University Belfast
Address	The McClay Library 10 College Park Belfast United Kingdom BT7 1LP
County	Antrim
Website	http://www.qub.ac.uk/lib
Access Control	The McClay Library operates a controlled entry system. Members are required to use their Queen’s staff, student or library card to obtain admission. Information for visitor access to The McClay Library is available from the Library website.
Role	Librarian
Phone	00442890976333
Email	rascal@qub.ac.uk

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