Two manuscripts from the library’s ‘Ashley Collection’

From Nick Hollands weblog Anne Bronte:

annebronte/the-treasures-of-the-bronte-sisters/

Thanks to a letter from my publisher, The History Press, I was privileged to be allowed access to two manuscripts from the library’s ‘Ashley Collection’ – manuscripts that are normally kept securely locked away and out of bounds to the public, hand written documents by Emily Brontë herself.

The first lines in the book are:

‘If I might hear thy voice in the hall

But thou art now on a desolate sea

Thinking of Gondal, and grieving for me;

Longing to be in sweet Elbe again,

Thinking and grieving and longing in vain.’

Read all annebronte/the-treasures-of-the-bronte-sisters/

Ashley Manuscripts

A17 — 5768
Collected by T. J. Wise (b 1859, d. 1937) and purchased from his executors after his death. Mainly 19th century literary manuscripts which have since been divided into Ashley MSS (complete manuscripts) and Ashley A and B series (individual items extracted from books into which they had been inserted by Wise).
Catalogue
T. J. Wise, The Ashley Library. A Catalogue of Printed Books, Manuscripts, and Autograph Letters collected by Thomas James Wise, 11 vols. (London, 1922—1936). Wise's own catalogue of his entire collection of manuscripts (except the B series) and books annotated by hand with Ashley MS numbers.

bl.uk/collection-items/emily-bronts-poetry-notebook