Collection of poems and illustrations associated with Catherine Stephens (1794-1882), singer and actress, 1825-1828

The collection of poems and drawings has been brought together in a volume, finely bound in red leather with gilded fore-edge and gold stamping on the covers. It appears to be entirely in fair copy; although several of the poems are identified as 'Original Poetry', there is no evidence of composition process or of corrections to draft texts.

The poetry is written in a number of different hands, occasionally apparently copied from a published work, with the author's name or initial. Names given include; Barriston, Cowper, T. Moore, Burns, Shenstone, E.S., A.S., Montgomery, Southey, H.C., W.B.C., Croley, Young, Harriet Cooke, and Alaric A. Watts.

The artwork is a mix of printed illustrations and extremely fine original work which is bound into the volume, added directly onto the pages of the volume or pasted inside. The original work includes four oil paintings of butterflies, an oil painting of plums, a pencil sketch of a woman signed 'H. Harding, 1825', and what appears to be an ink drawing of a castle and cattle beside a lake.

Catherine Stephens was born in 1794, the daughter of Edward Stephens, a carver and gilder in London. She became familiar as a singer under the stage name Kitty Stephens, having made her public debut at Covent Garden in 1813. She was best known for her unrivalled voice as a ballad singer but also excelled in comic parts. In 1838, she became the second wife of George Capel-Coningsby (1757-1839), the 5th Earl of Essex. Catherine, now Countess of Essex, died in 1882.

The identity of the compiler of this collection of poems and illustrations is not confirmed, although detailed analysis of its contents might provide further evidence. A number of clues suggest that it may have belonged to Catherine Stephens (later Countess of Essex). Firstly, the volume contains a poem describing the wonderful singing voice of 'Miss Stephens'. The preceding poem is signed E.S., the initials of Edward Stephens, her father. Edward was a gilder, and the fine gilding on the binding of the volume may be his work. The dates which are occasionally added to entries in the volume also fit the possibility that it belonged to Catherine Stephens.

No archival arrangement has been necessary.

ACCESS: Accessible to all registered readers.

LANGUAGE: English

This description is the only finding aid available for the volume. Copyright in the description belongs to The University of Nottingham.

REPROGRAPHIC: Reprographic copies can be supplied for educational use and private study purposes only, depending on access status and the condition of the documents.

COPYRIGHT: Permission to make published use of any material from this volume must be sought in advance in writing from the Keeper of the Department of Manuscripts and Special Collections (email mss-library@nottingham.ac.uk). The Department will try to assist in identifying copyright owners but this can be difficult and the responsibility for copyright clearance before publication ultimately rests with the person wishing to publish.

The date of acquisition and provenance of the volume is unknown but it seems to have been acquired by the library of University College Nottingham (now The University of Nottingham) in the 1940s.

• National Register of Archives: The register records that letters of Catherine Stephen's brother, Edward M. Stephens, containing short accounts of her tours and covering the period 1817-1829 are in existence. The location of the letters is recorded as unknown. Reference: