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The Birtwhistles of Craven and Galloway |
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To be able to contribute two or three pieces a month regularly to the European Magazine over a period of years Anna must have been able to produce her publication material quickly. What is particularly impressive about “Lady Ann of Pembroke in 1819” is the depth of her research and the incorporation of scenes only recently viewed; much of the detail used was material she had related to her friends in the two letters posted on 21st July. The piece also had a subtle theme close to Anna’s heart- the lack of opportunities for educated women in 1819. “Lady Ann of Pembroke in 1819” is reproduced in an appendix at the end of this book. |
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Figure 29 |
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Another “Tale of Today” was The Reading of the Will, which appeared in the European Magazine later in 1819. This was based on Anna’s experiences with the law on the death of her uncle William in 1819, cleverly conjoining the death of her uncle William in 1819 with that of her uncle Robert in 1815. Anna appears to have had great fun incorporating family members into the narrative, albeit heavily disguised. Her uncle Robert, who lived in an isolated Crake Moor farmhouse above Long Preston, was the recluse of Craigmoor, her cousin who had fought with the 32nd regiment at the Battle of Waterloo was the eleve in regimentals, and John Birtwhistle, the illegitimate son of William Birtwhistle, FitzWilliam D’Alambert ( Fitz and D’Alambert doubly referencing illegitimacy). The legitimacy or otherwise of FitzWilliam D’Alambert was to be a central issue in the lengthy inheritance dispute in which Anna would be involved over the coming decades. A combination of factors has led to Anna Jane Vardill being less appreciated as a writer by posterity than she ought to be, including publishing anonymously, only being discovered in 1908, ceasing to publish after marriage in 1822, and her work being disbursed between several archives. |
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