The Frenchay Connection: The Frenchay Tuckett Society

The Frenchay Tuckett Society

SPRING Newsletter Next Meeting at Frenchay School Wednesday 14th May at 7.30pm This will be an exhibition of early Photographs, Postcards, Parish Magazines, Maps and Census Returns, combined with the Annual General Meeting - your chance to shape the future programme of events! All Welcome!
HOLMAN HUNT LETTERS In the last Newsletter we noted the existence of some lettters from Holman Hunt to Lizzie Tuckett which are now in Kansas. We now know how they got there. In 1969 those letters, together with letters to her from Trollope, John Ruskin and Edward Lear amongst others, were auctioned at Sotheby's. We know where the Hunt letters went, but not all the others. There were other letters of condolence written to her sister Charlotte from some of the above on news of Lizzie's tragic death. PARISH MAGAZINES The Tuckett Collection was swolllen recently by the donation of a large number of old Parish Magazines. They date between 1889 and the 1970's. They are potentially a mine of local information, but they will need indexing to be of most use. Already we have found an article on the history of Hambrook Village Hospital. Any volunteers please? If you can help phone Alan Freke on 0117 957 0942. LIZZIE'S PORTRAIT Dr Bronkhurst of the Courtauld Institute , London, has now examined the Holman Hunt portait of Lizzie Tuckett, and she was surprised to find what Next Column	appeared to be the imprint of his signet ring. She has since checked and confirmed it, which makes the picture unique. She has had it photographed for inclusion in the Institute's archive. Would members be interested in copies if we had some made? AGM Our Annual General Meeting takes place on 14th May (see above), and this is a call for any members who would like to help on the committee. Call Alan Freke on 0117 957 0942, and I guarantee a warm response! We particularly want someone who is willing to take on the role of Secretary, but all posts are up for election. Don't be shy, come and help. Last year the business meeting lasted 30 minutes, and we are confident that this year's will be as brief! SUCCESSFUL EVENTS Since the last Newsletter David Taylor's talk on Frank Tuckett's mountaineering career was very well received, and included a surprise. A slide he showed of an alpine rescue in the 1880's turned out to be taken from an engraving of a picture by H C Willink. The surprise was that the original picture is part of the Tuckett Collection! In March we welcomed Charles Fox of Next Column	Glendurgan to talk about the Fox Family Gardens in Cornwall. This again included a surprise, as we didn't know that one of Alfred Tuckett's sons moved to Cornwall and created another garden near Glendurgan! NEWS FROM OZ Due to our Internet site run by David Taylor, we have had a membership enquiry from an Australian lady. She is a Tuckett descendant who has sent us a family tree which goes back to the 1500's! We welcome her to our ranks, although we will understand if she doesn't come to many meetings!! MALMAINS MYSTERY The cellars of the original Malmains House have recently been opened up by a child falling through a rotten wooden hatch. Alan Jocelyn has photographed them, and the pictures will be on dislplay at the AGM. We do not have a picture of the original house. Let us know if you have one. POSTCARD BOOK Plans are well underway to produce a book, Frenchay and Stapleton on Old Postcards, largely using postcards from the Tuckett Collection. It should be available (at a discount) to members well in time for Christmas.
Newsletter written by Alan Freke. Reproduced here by permission. Newsletter © 1997 Frenchay Tuckett Society

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Dave Taylor, Frenchay, South Gloucestershire, UK. email: d.taylor@dial.pipex.com