David Roth Martyr Worthy collection of Frederick William Rolfe papers, 1892-1973

David Roth Martyr Worthy collection of Frederick William Rolfe papers, 1892-1973

Summary Information

Abstract

A collection of materials by and about the nineteenth century English writer and eccentric Frederick Rolfe (also known as Baron Corvo), assembled by the English book collector David Roth.

At a Glance

Call No.:
MS#1080
Bib ID:
4079586 View CLIO record
Creator(s):
Roth, David
Repository:
Rare Book and Manuscript Library
Physical Description:
3 linear feet (7 boxes)
Language(s):
English .
Access:
You will need to make an appointment in advance to use this collection material in the Rare Book and Manuscript Library reading room. You can schedule an appointment once you've submitted your request through your Special Collections Research Account.

This collection is located on-site.

This collection has no restrictions.

Description

Summary

Contains correspondence, letterbook, manuscripts, typescripts, documents, photographs, microfilm, and other printed materials by and about Frederick William Rolfe"Baron Corvo" (1860-1913). This collection includes Rolfe's letters to Fr. C. S. Beauclerk, S.J. written while they both lived in Holywell, to H. C. Bainbridge and Grant Richards while Rolfe lived in London, and to others. There are typescript copies of his letters to R. M. Dawkins, Charles Masson Fox, and J. J. Walsh. In the letterbooks of 1909-1910, Rolfe kept copies of his letters sent from Venice to many recipients. There are also 33 manuscripts by Rolfe, including parts of his books, IN HIS OWN IMAGE ("More Stories Toto Told Me"), HUBERT'S ARTHUR, and AMICO DI SANDRO, as well as short stories, essays, and poems. Finally, there are sections of two tree trunks, with carvings by Rolfe, from Seaton House, Aberdeen where he was a tutor for the Hay family.

The collection also contains 19 letters from Rolfe collector A. J. A. Symons to Grant Richards, along with letters received by Symons in preparing his 1934 study of Rolfe, THE QUEST FOR CORVO. Several manuscripts and documents by Rolfe's contemporaries and collectors concern Rolfe. There are also periodical articles, booksellers' catalogs, and other printed materials by and about Rolfe.

The collection was given the name Martyr Worthy Collection of Frederick William Rolfe by its assembler, David Roth, after the English village of Martyr Worthy in which Roth lived.

Arrangement

Arranged into three series.

Using the Collection

Restrictions on Access

You will need to make an appointment in advance to use this collection material in the Rare Book and Manuscript Library reading room. You can schedule an appointment once you've submitted your request through your Special Collections Research Account.

This collection is located on-site.

This collection has no restrictions.

Terms Governing Use and Reproduction

Reproductions may be made for research purposes. The RBML maintains ownership of the physical material only. Copyright remains with the creator and his/her heirs. The responsibility to secure copyright permission rests with the patron.

Preferred Citation

Identification of specific item; Date (if known); David Roth Martyr Worthy collection of Frederick William Rolfe papers; Box and Folder; Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Columbia University Library.

Selected Related Material

Stuart B. Schimmel collection of Frederick Rolfe papers, A collection of Frederick Rolfe manuscripts and related materials assembled by the Greenwich, Connecticut book collector Stuart B. Schimmel.

Columbia University collection of Frederick Rolfe papers, A collection of Frederick Rolfe manuscripts and related materials assembled by the Rare Book and Manuscript Library.

Miriam J. Benkovitz papers, Benkovitz was a Frederick Rolfe biographer, book collector, and English professor at Skidmore College. The Benkovitz papers include materials related to her biography of Rolfe.

Ned Edward Hoopes papers, Hoopes was another Frederick Rolfe biographer; his papers include notes and other materials related to that work.

Accruals

Materials may have been added to the collection since this finding aid was prepared. Contact rbml@columbia.edu for more information.

Acquisition

The Rare Book and Manuscript Library purchased the collection from David Roth in 1984.

A small addition of clippings, typescripts of letters, and ephemera was given to the Rare Book and Manuscript Library by David Roth's sons in 1995.

About the Finding Aid / Processing Information

Columbia University Libraries, Rare Book and Manuscript Library

Processing Information

Rolfe collection entered in AMC 11/28/1990

65 additional items processed by HR, 05/17/2000

Finding aid written by CLB, May 2018

In addition to manuscripts and printed ephemera, the collection also originally contained books by and about Frederick Rolfe, all but two of which were individually cataloged and incorporated into the Rare Book and Manuscript Library's book collections. The remaining two books are located in Box 5.

The collection was formerly called the Martyr Worthy Collection of Frederick William Rolfe. Its name was changed in May 2018 in order to incorporate the name of its collector in compliance with DACS 2.0 rules.

Revision Description

2018-05-25 File created.

2019-05-20 EAD was imported spring 2019 as part of the ArchivesSpace Phase II migration.

Biographical / Historical

David Roth was a book collector who lived in the English village of Martyr Worthy, Hampshire.

Frederick William Rolfe (1860-1913), whose pen name was Baron Corvo, authored numerous books and stories. Amongst the most famous are the Toto stories, HADRIAN THE SEVENTH, called by some the greatest ecclesiastical novel ever to be written, and the masterpiece THE DESIRE AND PURSUIT OF THE WHOLE. To say that Rolfe was at times eccentric, acerbic and petulant is understatement, but he was also an excellent story teller, conversationalist and amateur athlete. His life of trials and tribulations ended in 1913, when he died in Venice at the age of 53.

Subject Headings

The subject headings listed below are found in this collection. Links below allow searches for other collections at Columbia University, through CLIO, the catalog for Columbia University Libraries, and through ArchiveGRID, a catalog that allows users to search the holdings of multiple research libraries and archives.

All links open new windows.

Genre/Form
Essays
Fiction (general genre)
Photographs
Poems
Name
Cantoni, Enrico
D'Arcy, Ella
Hay, Malcolm
Hochheimer, Frank W
Holden, John
Jacob, J. M.
Ragg, Laura M (Laura Maria)
Richardson, Agnes
Rolfe, Frederick, 1860-1913
Rolfe, Nellie E
Roth, David
Sims, George Frederick, 1923-
Summers, Montague, 1880-1948
Symons, A. J. A (Alphonse James Albert), 1900-1941
Watts, Augustine
Webster, George
Weeks, Donald
Woolf, Cecil
Place
Holywell (Wales)
Venice (Italy) -- Civilization -- 20th century
Subject
Authors, English
Book collectors
Eccentrics and eccentricities
English literature -- 19th century
English literature -- 20th century

Series I: Catalogued correspondence, 1892-1973


Box 1

Cantoni, Enrico correspondence with Grant Richards about medallions, 1900 April 24, 9 May, 2 folders


Box 1

D'Arcy, Ella letter to A. J. A. Symons, 1925 October 30


Box 1

Hay, Malcolm letters to David Roth and newspaper clippings about tree carvings by Rolfe on Hay's property, 1951 February 13-1951 December, 3 folders


Box 1

Hochheimer, Frank W. letters to Charles Sidney de Vere Beauclerk, Byrne Corrigan, J. Flynn, C. W. Bell, Mrs Tennant, the Father Provincial of the Jesuit Order, Llewellyn Jones, the Father General of the Jesuit Order, (text of letters in the hand of F. W. Rolfe),, 1897 June 9-August 16, 16 folders


Box 1

Hochheimer, Frank W. letters to Charles Sidney de Vere Beauclerk, 1897 December 4, 1898 June 18, 2 folders


Box 1

Holden, John letters to A. J. A. Symons about his impressions of Frederick Rolfe, 1933 July, 4 folders


Box 1

Jacob, J. M. letter to David Roth, 1934 February 19


Box 1

Morris, C. M. Victoria letter to Charles Sidney de Vere Beauclerk, enclosing letter from Frederick Rolfe, 1895 September 10


Box 1

Richardson, Agnes letter to Charles Sidney de Vere Beauclerk, 1897 July 13


Box 1

Rolfe, Frederick William note to Henry Charles Bainbridge asking for money, undated


Box 1

Rolfe, Frederick William letter to the 9th Marquis of Ruvigny, 1892 January 7


Box 1

Rolfe, Frederick William letter to C. M. Victoria Morris, signed "F. Austin,", 1895 September 5


Box 1

Rolfe, Frederick letters to Charles Sidney de Vere Beauclerk, 1896 April 3-1898 December 17, 44 folders


Box 1

Rolfe, Frederick letters to Mrs Tennant, 1896 July 13, 24, 2 folders


Box 1

Rolfe, Frederick letters to J. Flynn, 1897 April 9, June 21, 2 folders


Box 1

Rolfe, Frederick letters to Agnes Richardson, 1897 May 14-26, July 10, 22, 2 folders


Box 1

Rolfe, Frederick letters to Thomas Corrigan, 1897 June 18-July 5, 5 folders


Box 1

Rolfe, Frederick letter to N. J. Hammer, 1897 July 29


Box 1

Rolfe, Frederick letter to E. J. Catherwood, 1897 August 21


Box 1

Rolfe, Frederick letter to Mother M. Emerentia, 1898 January 15


Box 1

Rolfe, Frederick letter to C. W. Bell, 1898 May 1


Box 1

Rolfe, Frederick letter to John Lane (written in the third person), 1899 March 13


Box 1

Rolfe, Frederick letters to Grant Richards, 1899 April 6-1900 December 21, 35 folders


Box 1

Rolfe, Frederick letters to Henry C. Bainbridge, 1899 September, 3 folders


Box 1

Rolfe, Frederick letters to J. E. Lyons, 1900 April 9, July 18, November 27, 3 folders


Box 1

Rolfe, Frederick letter to Frederic Chapman, 1900 August 16


Box 2

Rolfe, Frederick letters to Henry C. Bainbridge, 1901-1903 December 4, 28 folders


Box 2

Rolfe, Frederick letters to Grant Richards, 1901 March 6-1903 August 9, 27 folders


Box 2

Typescript copies of letters from Frederick Rolfe to James Joseph Walsh (originals in Donald Weeks' collection), 1903-1911


Box 2

Rolfe, Frederick letters to Charles Sidney de Vere Beauclerk, 1903 April 19-1906 February 15, 5 folders


Box 2

Typescript copies of letters from Frederick Rolfe to Grant Richards (originals in Hempstead Public Library), 1903 August 6, 9, 2 folders


Box 2

Typescript copies of letters from Frederick Rolfe to Richard MacGillivray Dawkins (originals in Donald Weeks' collection), 1907-1912, 1 folders


Box 2

Rolfe, Frederick letters to the 9th Marquis of Ruvigny, 1908 July 5, 8, 2 folders


Box 2

Typescript copies of letters from Frederick Rolfe to Charles Masson Fox, known as the "Venice Letters,", 1909-1910


Box 2

Rolfe, Frederick letterbook, 1909-1910

Contains drafts and copies of letters to many different recipients, manuscript fragments, etc. Full contents list included.


Box 2

Rolfe, Nellie E. letter to David Roth, 1951 September 1


Box 2

Sims, George Frederick letters to David Roth about Rolfe manuscripts and their publishing rights, 1949-1951, 6 folders


Box 2

Skinner, Arthur Banks letter to Grant Richards about Enrico Cantoni medals, 1900 April 2


Box 2

Symons, Alphonse James Albert letters to Grant Richards about Frederick Rolfe manuscripts and Richards' recollections of Rolfe, 1926 September 27-1933 December, 1936 September 7, 19 folders


Box 2

Symons, Alphonse James Albert letter to Dawkins about Rolfe's translation of The Songs of Meleager,, 1936 August 6


Box 2

Mrs Tennant letter to Frederick Rolfe, 1897 July 11


Box 2

Watts, Augustine letter to Charles Sidney de Vere Beauclerk, 1897 May 29


Box 2

Webster, George letter to James B. Pinker, declining to publish Hadrian VII,, 1903 October 1


Box 2

Weeks, Donald letters to David Roth about his collection of Frederick Rolfe materials, 1956, 3 folders


Box 2

Woolf, Cecil letters to David Roth and Mrs. Roth on various Frederick Rolfe bibliography-related issues, 1953-1956, 1960, 10 folders


Box 2

Roth family correspondence about Frederick Rolfe collection, 1929-1973, 3 folders

Series II: Catalogued manuscripts and documents, 1898-1913, 1925-1955


Box 3

Manuscripts for stories 1 through 6 published in In His Own Image,, 1898


Box 3

Amico di Sandro manuscript fragment, circa 1912


Box 3

Manuscript for short story "The armed hands,", circa 1908


Box 3

Manuscript for essay "Arrested as a spy,", circa 1909


Box 3

Manuscript for essay "Concerning England and Germany,", undated


Box 3

Manuscript for "Daughter of a Doge," chapter IV of The Desire and Pursuit of the Whole,, 1909


Box 3

Manuscript for "Excommunicated; a human document," an unpublished account of Rolfe's dispute with Charles Sidney de Vere Beauclerk, 1898


Box 3

"Explanation; Sketch for Genealogy of the House of Borgia" manuscript, 1904 July 4


Box 3

Manuscript for essay "A goat in priest's clothing,", circa 1902


Box 3

Manuscript sections of Hubert's Arthur,, undated

Chapters I and II, note, introductory chapter, parts of chapters XX and XXI, cancelled drafts of introductory chapter and chapter I. Published as pages 7-52.


Box 3

Manuscript sections of Hubert's Arthur,, undated

End of chapter III, chapters IV-VII, part of chapter XII, chapters XVII, XVIII, and XX, and part of XXI. Published as pages 84-143, 224-229, 303-357, 391-396, and 419-420.


Box 3

Chapter VIII outline for Hubert's Arthur,, undated


Box 3

Manuscript sections of Hubert's Arthur,, undated

Chapter XX and (incomplete) chapter XXI. Published as pages 391-448.


Box 3

Notes and book list for Hubert's Arthur,, undated


Box 3

Notes for Hubert's Arthur,, undated


Box 3

Sephira intended for use in Hubert's Arthur,, undated


Box 3

Notes and drafts for Hubert's Arthur,, undated

Notes and drafts for chapters VI and XIX in Charles Henry Clinton Pirie-Gordon's hand, with corrections by Rolfe.


Box 3

Pen and ink illustration of Hubert de Burgh by Frederick Rolfe, for Hubert's Arthur,, undated


Box 3

Pen and ink illustration of the Piscina in St Thomas's Tower, by Frederick Rolfe, for Hubert's Arthur,, undated


Box 3

"In re: Lead Fume,", 1902

Chemical report by Frederick Rolfe, written in the form of a letter from Henry Charles Bainbridge to his employer, Ludwig Mond.


Box 3

Handwritten notes on the Chatto and Windus advertisement for Don Tarquinio,, circa 1905


Box 3

Typescript preface to The one and the many,, undated

Typescript was made after Rolfe's death.


Box 3

The Rubaiyat of Umar Khaiyam, , circa 1900

Early version of stanzas 1-7. Later version published in 1903.


Box 3

Typescript of "Sancte Willielme Norvicentis ora pro me,", 1887 September 10

Poem in Latin with English translation and copy of related letter; typescript is a later copy of the poem.


Box 3

Manuscript for essay "Venetian Courtesy,", 1909


Box 3

Manuscript for essay "Venetians,", 1913


Box 3

Manuscript dedicatory leaf for The weird of the wanderer,, 1912 June


Box 3

Receipt to A. P. Ready for plaster casts, 1900 May 3


Box 4

D'Arcy, Ella, "Yellow Book celebrities" essay typescript and photocopy, circa 1925, 2 folders


Box 4

Hunter Blair, Sir David Oswald, "More light on Baron Corvo,", 1934

Essay on Frederick Rolfe, with an addition in Hunter Blair's hand.


Box 4

Ragg, Laura Roberts (Mrs Lonsdale), "Frederick Rolfe,", undated

Carbon copy of essay typescript on Ragg's memories of Frederick Rolfe.


Box 4

Rolfe, Nellie E. receipts to Henry Charles Bainbridge for payment for piano, 1902 December 2-1904 April 12, 6 folders


Box 4

Roth, David, "A Corvo Collection," from Desiderata vol. 8 no. 5 (1955 February 4), 1955

Printed copy of Roth's article on his Martyr Worthy collection, with extensive revisions in his hand.


Box 4

Roth, David, "A Corvo Collection," essay typescript carbon copy, 1955


Box 4

Summers, Montague, "Baron Corvo," essay typescript, 1941

Published inThe Times Literary Supplement, 1941 December 13.


Box 4

Microfilm of the Martyr Worthy collection, undated


Box 4

Roth, David notes and envelopes formerly used for components of Martyr Worthy collection, undated


Box 4

Black and white photographs of books and manuscript by Rolfe, undated


Box 4

Photograph, 1913

Sepia-toned photograph of a man, possibly Frederick Rolfe, having his portrait painted.

Series III: Printed material and tree trunk carvings, 1894-1978


Box 5

The Quest for Corvo, by A. J. A. Symons, undated

Cassell and Co. publishers, not a first edition; with clippings of reviews inside front cover.


Box 5

Points: Second Series, 1866-1934, by Percy H. Muir, 1934

Contains a bibliography of Frederick W. Rolfe with annotations by David Roth, pages 99-103.


Box 5

Booksellers' catalogs of Rolfe items, 1948-1949, undated, 2 folders


Box 5

Printed ephemera related to Rolfe and productions of Hadrian the Seventh in England, 1894-1973, undated, 3 folders


Box 5

Periodicals containing articles written by Rolfe, 1890-1903, 1952


Box 5

Periodicals containing articles about Rolfe, 1923-1982, 2 folders


Box 5

Newspapers containing articles about Rolfe, 1954-1968, 2 folders


Box 6

Tree trunk carving, undated

Section of a tree trunk with carvings by Rolfe, from Seaton House, Aberdeen where he was a tutor from the Hay family.


Box 7

Tree trunk carving, undated

Section of a tree trunk with carvings by Rolfe, from Seaton House, Aberdeen where he was a tutor from the Hay family.