Josephine Butler to 'Dear Friends' [Miss Forsaith and Harriet]

  • This material is held at
  • Reference
      GB 106 3JBL/50/30
  • Former Reference
      GB 106 5492
  • Dates of Creation
      2 Dec [1905]
  • Physical Description
      1 item

Scope and Content

Photocopy of a letter. Written from [Wooler, Northumberland]

1 Sends them a line written to her brother Charles Grey by Archbishop Alexander, the Protestant Primate of all Ireland. She had sent her brother Dr Adler's Hebrew prayer which he had shown to the Archbishop

2 Asks if there is any chance of her letter on the Rescript of Pope Pius X appearing in the Dec 'Shield' (see Note)

3 She was very upset about the article 'Prostitution in Japan' being published in the 'Shield' without comment. (It was an article in Mr Levy's monthly organ of the 'Personal Rights Association' which quotes from an article in the Lancet on the examinations of prostitutes in Japan) But she had a friendly correspondence with Mr Levy about it [see note]

4 She is expecting a flying visit from Mr Stuart in the midst of his Election activities at Sunderland [see letter of 8 Dec and note]. He is coming to discuss points in her Will and the settlement of a small sum on her grand daughter Josephine.

5 Tells of a moving letter she has had from Mr Allan and what a struggle the last four or five months have been. She has written him what she hopes will be a straightening letter. 'He is passing through a painful crisis, but Peace will be the end.'

Administrative / Biographical History

'I had sent my brother the Hebrew prayer, and you see the Archbishop will write a word to poor old Rabbi Adler'

In letter of 26 Nov [1905] JB to Stanley she relates how when they were at Winchester (1892-1900) she went at the request of her husband to visit Dr Adler, Chief Rabbi and was kindly received. He had earlier sent her a prayer composed by him and she writes here that he had now published the prayer

'my letter on the Rescript of Pope Pius X'

See note on letter written by Agnes McLaren from Rome [Nov 1905] when she had obtained from Pope Pius X a 'Rescript on the affirmation of the Encyclical given to Cardinal Vaughan by Leo XIII in 1895

The text of the Rescript and JB's comments are also to be found in 'Shield' Jan 1906 p 2 in a letter to the Editor

Para numbered (3) in JB's letter dealing with Mr Levy of the 'Personal Rights Association' and article in the 'Lancet'

For details of the misunderstanding see the following letters:

26 Nov 1905 JB to Mr HJ Wilson - complaining about an article in Mr Levy's monthly organ of the 'Personal Rights Association' which quotes from an article in the 'Lancet' on the examinations of prostitutes in Japan

1 Dec 1905 Mr Levy to Mr Wilson

1 Dec 1905 Mr Levy to JB in answer to her one of Nov 26 which she had sent to him via Mr Wilson

2 Dec 1905 JB to Mr Levy - a peaceful overture

21 Dec 1905 Mr Maurice Gregory to Mr Wilson offering to write an article for the Shield on the actual facts of 'Prostitution in Japan'

'Mr Stuart ... on his way from Sunderland Election fight'

Mr Stuart was defeated in the elections of 1882, 1900 and 1910 but in 1906 he was re-elected for Sunderland and was their member 1906-1910

'I have a ... letter from dear Mr Allan, written from the Crieff establishment for rest and cure'

See letter of 18 Mar 1906 in which he describes his breakdown and enforced stay at a 'health cure and rest cure' at Crieff where he went through a spiritual crisis which he calls 'Gethsemane'

Biog: Abp Alexander, Protestant Primate of all Ireland; Dr Adler, Chief Rabbi; Charles Grey; Agnes McLaren; M Minod; Mr Stuart; Mr Allan