[Josephine Butler] to James Stansfeld

  • This material is held at
  • Reference
      GB 106 3JBL/15/20
  • Former Reference
      GB 106 3874
  • Dates of Creation
      28 Nov [1876]
  • Physical Description
      1 item

Scope and Content

Copy of incomplete letter [no signature]. Begins 'Many thanks dearest James for all your cheering and strengthening letters'. Overwhelmed by the accounts reaching her from Paris. Had that morning written an article for 'The Shield' giving the most salient events. Suggests that a special edition of 'The Shield' should come out on the 9th 'to have some report at least of our Conference and these great events'. Wishes they could reproduce some of Guyot's (and others) articles.

With typed transcript.

Administrative / Biographical History

Dated Tuesday. Deals with progress of work on the Continent so probably 1876]. At the top is written in the same hand: 'To the Rt Hon J Stansfeld'. The letter is not signed.

A comment on the top of the letter from someone who had read it was: 'Should this be to James Stuart?' It is a possibility but it is to be noted that in correspondence Josephine Butler and Stansfeld were accustomed to using Christian names. (See letter of 21 Oct 1874 James Stansfeld to Josephine Butler whom he addressed as 'My dear Josephine'). Butler usually addressed James Stuart as Mr Stuart until the last ten years of her life. Date: Josephine Butler was much concerned with Paris in the autumn of 1876. See letter of 25 Nov 1876. 1877 was full of preparations for the International Congress of the Federation which was held in Geneva in Sep 1877 and drew up the Charter of the Federation. 'About you and Sir Harcourt meeting Humbert in Paris'. Josephine Butler met Humbert when visiting Switzerland in 1875 and she had persuaded the English members to appoint him Continental Agent for the Society.

For further details of the work of 'Repealers' in France that autumn see letter of 25 Nov 1876. Emilie Venturi was Editor of 'The Shield' and Josephine Butler constantly complained that she was unable to get continental news published in it. Biog: M Aime Humbert; Sir Harcourt Johnstone; A Humbert; Guyot; Madame Emilie Venturi.