GB 0114 MS0283 - Owen, Lady Caroline: Commonplace book

Identity area

Reference code

GB 0114 MS0283

Title

Owen, Lady Caroline: Commonplace book

Date(s)

  • c 1790-1835 (Creation)

Level of description

Extent and medium

1 box

Context area

Name of creator

Biographical history

Lady Caroline Amelia Owen was born in 1801. She was the daughter of William Clift, Conservator of the Museum of the Royal College of Surgeons of England. Richard Owen began work at the Museum as Assistant Conservator in 1827. He became friends with Clift's son, William Home Clift, and also became engaged to Caroline Clift in 1827. Mrs Clift refused to give her permission for the two to marry until Owen was earning an adequate income. They were married on Owen's birthday in 1835. Their only child, William, was born in 1837 but committed suicide at the age of 48. Caroline Owen died in 1873.

Archival history

GB 0114 MS0283 c 1790-1835 Collection (fonds) 1 box Owen , Lady , Caroline Amelia , 1801-1873 , nee Clift , wife of Sir Richard Owen

Lady Caroline Amelia Owen was born in 1801. She was the daughter of William Clift, Conservator of the Museum of the Royal College of Surgeons of England. Richard Owen began work at the Museum as Assistant Conservator in 1827. He became friends with Clift's son, William Home Clift, and also became engaged to Caroline Clift in 1827. Mrs Clift refused to give her permission for the two to marry until Owen was earning an adequate income. They were married on Owen's birthday in 1835. Their only child, William, was born in 1837 but committed suicide at the age of 48. Caroline Owen died in 1873.

The provenance of this material is not known.

Papers of Lady Caroline Amelia Owen, c 1790-1835, comprising a letter from Joanna Baillie, 1831, including a transcript of a sonnet by William Wordsworth; a watercolour sketch of Keeper's House, Hyde Park, c 1790; a watercolour of execution dock, by William Clift, 1816; a pen and ink sketch of the opening of the theatre at the Royal College of Surgeons, by William Clift; a sketch of Caroline Clift by her father; a pencil portrait of Eugenius Roche, by William Home Clift, 1824; a printed caricature of Richard Owen lecturing, by Richard Doyle; a volume titled Select Sentences or a Collection of Moral Precepts by John Gregor, 1792; a pencil drawing of three pigs by 'R H'; a pen and ink sketch showing Oxford Street with placards referring to Owen's researches, by Robert Lee; an unfinished watercolour titled 'Sketch of church and castle, Lancaster, from my mother's house (the procession of the judges was to have filled the foreground)', by Richard Owen, 1835; a volume of French verse titled Envoi a Caroline by Eugenius Roche, 1829; a flyer for Mr Mears' Benefit at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, 25 Jun 1839; and a list of 'books consulted in the progress of the catalogue of the Gallery'.

As outlined in Scope and Content.

By written appointment only.

At the discretion of the librarian.

English and French

Papers of Sir Richard Owen (GB0114/MS0025); and William Clift (GB0114/MS0007).

The British Library: A play The Fortress of Metz, or The Miser's Oath by Caroline Amelia Owen, 1835 (ADD 34409).

Compiled by Anya Turner.

Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

Oct 2008 Baillie , Joanna , 1762-1851 , poet and dramatist Clift , William , 1775-1849 , museum curator and scientific illustrator Clift , William Home , 1803-1832 , museum curator Drawings England Europe Fine arts Illustrations Lancashire Lancaster Literary forms and genres Literature Owen , Lady , Caroline Amelia , 1801-1873 , nee Clift , wife of Sir Richard Owen Owen , Sir , Richard , 1804-1892 , Knight , comparative anatomist and palaeontologist Painting Poetry Sketches UK Visual materials Watercolour painting Western Europe London

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

The provenance of this material is not known.

Content and structure area

Scope and content

Papers of Lady Caroline Amelia Owen, c 1790-1835, comprising a letter from Joanna Baillie, 1831, including a transcript of a sonnet by William Wordsworth; a watercolour sketch of Keeper's House, Hyde Park, c 1790; a watercolour of execution dock, by William Clift, 1816; a pen and ink sketch of the opening of the theatre at the Royal College of Surgeons, by William Clift; a sketch of Caroline Clift by her father; a pencil portrait of Eugenius Roche, by William Home Clift, 1824; a printed caricature of Richard Owen lecturing, by Richard Doyle; a volume titled Select Sentences or a Collection of Moral Precepts by John Gregor, 1792; a pencil drawing of three pigs by 'R H'; a pen and ink sketch showing Oxford Street with placards referring to Owen's researches, by Robert Lee; an unfinished watercolour titled 'Sketch of church and castle, Lancaster, from my mother's house (the procession of the judges was to have filled the foreground)', by Richard Owen, 1835; a volume of French verse titled Envoi a Caroline by Eugenius Roche, 1829; a flyer for Mr Mears' Benefit at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, 25 Jun 1839; and a list of 'books consulted in the progress of the catalogue of the Gallery'.

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

Accruals

System of arrangement

As outlined in Scope and Content.

Conditions of access and use area

Conditions governing access

By written appointment only.

Conditions governing reproduction

At the discretion of the librarian.

Language of material

  • English

Script of material

  • Latin

Language and script notes

English and French

Physical characteristics and technical requirements

Papers of Sir Richard Owen (GB0114/MS0025); and William Clift (GB0114/MS0007).

Finding aids

Allied materials area

Existence and location of originals

Existence and location of copies

Related units of description

The British Library: A play The Fortress of Metz, or The Miser's Oath by Caroline Amelia Owen, 1835 (ADD 34409).

Related descriptions

Notes area

Alternative identifier(s)

Access points

Place access points

Name access points

Genre access points

Description control area

Description identifier

Institution identifier

Royal College of Surgeons of England

Rules and/or conventions used

Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

Status

Level of detail

Dates of creation revision deletion

Language(s)

  • English

Script(s)

    Sources

    Accession area