Abraham Hayward collection

The Abraham Hayward Collection consists of correspondence, printed materials, photographs, and other papers related to Abraham Hayward (1801-1884), a London essayist and translator, as well as the research papers of Brian Roberts, who started but abandoned a biography of Hayward in the 1950s. The papers, which span the years 1791-1962, are stored in seven boxes (including 3 oversize), and are organized into five series: Correspondence, Printed Materials, Other Papers, Photographs, and Brian Roberts Research Materials. The papers document Hayward's familial relations, the literary and political circles of mid-nineteeth century London, and a controversy involving Hayward and the Inner Temple.

Series I, Correspondence , is arranged alphabetically in three subseries: Outgoing, Incoming, and Third Party Correspondence. The bulk of the outgoing correspondence consists of letters to Hayward's two sisters, Fanny and Mary Anne Hayward. In his letters to his sisters, Hayward discusses his travels, London society, and politics, in particular the governments of Gladstone and Disraeli. Outgoing correspondence also includes letters from Hayward to the publisher Richard Bentley regarding articles and book reviews.

Incoming correspondence consists of letters to Hayward from George Bentley, John Thaddeus Delane, Edward Everett, Alexander William Kinglake, John Murray, Henry Pelham, Viscountess Emily Lamb Palmerston, and Horace Smith, and others. Topics include invitations to dine, the politics of Gladstone and Disraeli, Hayward's political appointments, and the publication of various articles, reviews, and pamphlets. The bulk of the third party correspondence is to Fanny Hayward a decade after Abraham Hayward's death.

Series II, Printed Materials , is arranged chronologically in two subseries: Inner Temple Affair and Other Printed Materials. Inner Temple Affair materials consist of two pamphlets, a petition, and clippings related to the controversy that arose from Hayward's failed election to the Inner Temple bench. Other printed materials include titlepages, a theater program, a menu from the Café de Paris, clippings, a circular on John Stuart Mill's antipopulation theory, and a broadside, "Men of the Day, No. 117, Mr. Abraham Hayward, Q.C."

Series III, Other Papers , is arranged chronologically and includes the following: an account of the estate of Robert Abraham, for whom Abraham Hayward was an executor; Abraham Hayward's passport for the years 1862-1871; a copy of his entry in Blundell's School registry; an undated design for a fruit garden or orchard; manuscript copies of poems by Caroline Sheridan Norton, Rev. E.D. Rhodes, and others; and whist instructions.

Series IV, Photographs , consists of a carte-de-visite album containing 12 cartes-de-visite of Abraham Hayward and eleven women, including Mrs. Cornwallis West, Mrs. Wheeler, Olive Campbell, Florence de Bretton, Madaillae Florian, and Countess Fanny Karolyi.

Series V, Brian Roberts Research Materials , is arranged in four subseries: Correspondence, Writings, Notes, and Other Papers. Correspondence is arranged alphabetically and includes letters from many people Roberts contacted in the course of his research on Abraham Hayward, including members of the Hayward family and Muriel Abbot-Anderson, who helped Roberts with local research in England's West Country. Writings include typescript drafts of chapters 1, 2, and 3 of Roberts's biography of Hayward.

The bulk of Brian Roberts's research notes consists of manscript transcriptions of correspondence and writings related to Hayward. The manuscript transcriptions are arranged approximately by the decade of the original document. Roberts's notes also include typescript transcriptions, a biographical timeline, a research notebook containing transcriptions of letters present in Series I, and note cards.

Oversize material is housed in boxes 5 and 6. Restricted Fragile Oversize material is stored in box 7 and contains oversize fragile originals for which preservation photocopies have been made for reference use and filed in the regular series run.