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the experience of reading in Britain, from 1450 to 1945...

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Record Number: 8582


Reading Experience:

Evidence:

'When I come here we play at battlecock and shuttledore and mama reads Shakespear in the evening[.] When she goes with [Ann?] up stairs to sleep John Fred Will and I generally raill [sic] out a song with a machine that would frighten you in the great hall while the Men drink in the dining room'.

Century:

1700-1799

Date:

Between 16 Nov 1797 and 17 Dec 1797

Country:

England

Time

evening

Place:

city: London
specific address: Devonshire House

Type of Experience
(Reader):
 

silent aloud unknown
solitary in company unknown
single serial unknown

Type of Experience
(Listener):
 

solitary in company unknown
single serial unknown


Reader / Listener / Reading Group:

Reader:

Henrietta Frances Ponsonby

Age:

Adult (18-100+)

Gender:

Female

Date of Birth:

16 Jun 1761

Socio-Economic Group:

Royalty / aristocracy

Occupation:

socialite, influential member of the Whig political elite

Religion:

Christian

Country of Origin:

England

Country of Experience:

England

Listeners present if any:
e.g family, servants, friends

Lady Caroline's brothers John William, Frederick, and William, and perhaps an unknown woman named Ann.


Additional Comments:

n/a



Text Being Read:

Author:

Shakespeare

Title:

unknown

Genre:

Drama, Poetry

Form of Text:

Unknown

Publication Details

n/a

Provenance

unknown


Source Information:

Record ID:

8582

Source:

Print

Author:

Lady Caroline Lamb (n?e Ponsonby)

Editor:

Paul Douglass

Title:

The Whole Disgraceful Truth: Selected Letters of Lady Caroline Lamb

Place of Publication:

New York

Date of Publication:

2006

Vol:

n/a

Page:

10-11

Additional Comments:

Letter to Lady Georgiana Cavendish

Citation:

Lady Caroline Lamb (n?e Ponsonby), Paul Douglass (ed.), The Whole Disgraceful Truth: Selected Letters of Lady Caroline Lamb (New York, 2006), p. 10-11, http://can-red-lec.library.dal.ca/Arts/RED/record_details.php?id=8582, accessed: 28 March 2024


Additional Comments:

Lady Caroline's letter seems to imply that her mother read Shakespeare aloud to her brothers. Given that the letter describes her routine at Devonshire House, it would seem that the reading of Shakespeare was a serial event. The letter also seems to imply that Lady Caroline herself was not a listener.

   
   
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