Charlotte Yonge is one of the most influential and important of Victorian women writers; but study of her work has been handicapped by a tendency to patronise both her and her writing, by the vast number of her publications and by a shortage of information about her professional career. Scholars have had to depend mainly on the work of her first biographer, a loyal disciple, a situation which has long been felt to be unsatisfactory. We hope that this edition of her correspondence will provide for the first time a substantial foundation of facts for the study of her fiction, her historical and educational writing and her journalism, and help to illuminate her biography and also her significance in the cultural and religious history of the Victorian age.


Featured Letters...

To an Unknown Woman
Elderfield
March 29th 1888

Dear Madam

Here is my autograph hoping that the Octave may have a bright Easter

yours truly Charlotte M Yonge

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To the Very Reverend William John Butler
Elderfield, Otterbourne, Winchester.
Sept 7th 1885
My dear Mr Dean I am very much obliged, and so will be the proposer of the prize for your decision. The other two did come, some days later, and so did about twenty names, but they were all so bad that I did not like to trouble you with them. I fully expected that Vertumnus’s would be chosen, as I think he is the only Gentle man who has tried and he understands both music and ... continue reading
The Reverend William Emery to Charlotte Mary Yonge
The College Ely
Sep 25, 1886

My dear Miss Yonge: I will do what you wish as far as I am able at Wakefield but I am very sorry you cannot be there in person.

It will be a great disappointment to many.

If by any possibility you find yourself able to come to the Ch Congress I feel sure you will give great pleasure to the presiding Bishop and the Committee: and that the local authorities will do their best in application to ... continue reading

To Anne Sturges Bourne
Otterbourne, Winchester.
May 16th 1860

My dear Miss Bourne,

In the first place you will be glad to hear that it was a very nice quiet Sunday & Monday at the Nest. Mrs Dyson cheered by the return of “her son,” and both glad of finding that his family really consider it a boon that they should stay and take care of him while their house is building at Crookham. I hope that Mr Keble’s suggestion will take effect, and the ... continue reading