Strafford House, Aldeburgh, Suffolk - Sends a copy of Lang's article 'Australian Marriage Systems' per [Andrew] Lang's request, concerning the primary nature of the social tie as the factor in exogamy; has seen Miss Jane Harrison, whose presence 'added to one's pleasure & profit'. The back of letter carries a note in pencil, 'Il y a une femme là qui écoute tout'. Envelope carries a note in pencil about engaging [servants?].
Album of 39 cuttings about or mentioning Frazer, including news items about his honorary doctorate from the University of Athens; with reviews of 'Aftermath', including one by R. R. Marett in the 'Observer', and two books for which he wrote introductions: 'Bantu Beliefs and Magic' by C. W. Hobley and 'The Native Tribes of Central Australia' by Baldwin Spencer and F. J. Gillen; also, an obituary of George William Macfarlane and a news item about putting a plaque on Edward Clodd's house.
Xerox photocopies of over 240 letters, many of them of originals housed in other institutions. The letters are written by Frazer to multiple recipients with a few exceptions: eight are written by Lilly Frazer (to Miss Buckley, Sir Edmund Gosse, Bronisław Malinowski, and W. H. D. Rouse); one is from Henry Jackson to Frazer and five more are from others to others (two from Macmillan & Co. to Hermann Diels, one from Sir Francis Galton to Sir Clements Markham forwarding a letter from Frazer, one unrelated letter from John Sampson to Francis Jenkinson, and one memo from Otto Stapf to Sir David Prain). Five letters include covering letters from the institutions providing the copies. In addition, there are copies of a typescript draft of Frazer's article 'Our Debt to France', the draft of an address on the founding of the Frazer lectureships, and a translation of an article.
Recipients, with the number of letters present if more than five: Aksel Andersson, Terence Armstrong, Spencer Baird, Andrew Bennett, Arthur Bigge (Lord Stamfordham), Miss Buckley (of the Loeb Classical Library), Sir Ernest Budge, John Bullbrook, Francis Burkitt, Edward Clodd, Francis Cornford (16 letters), Otto Crusius, Sir Edwin Deller (6 letters), Hermann Diels (10 letters), Samson Eitrem, S. J. Evis, Jesse Fewkes, Douglas Freshfield, Sir Francis Galton (14 letters), Ernest Gardner, Charles-Marie Garnier (6 letters), Sir Edmund Gosse (42 letters), A. C. Haddon, Sir William Hardy (6 letters), Carl Lehmann-Haupt, C. W. Hobley, A. W. Howitt (7 letters), Mary Howitt, Henry Jackson, Francis Jenkinson (8 letters), Oskar Kallas, Sir Arthur Keith, William F. J. Knight, John Mackay, Bronisław Malinowski (9 letters), William Maxwell, A. G. W. Murray, G. G. A. Murray, Sir John Myres, Theodor Nöldeke, Karl Pearson, Sir David Prain (8 letters), Edward Rapson, A. G. Ross, Sir William Rothenstein, W. H. D. Rouse, Gustave Rudler, Charles Edward Sayle, Solomon Schechter (7 letters), Douglas Sladen, William Thalbitzer, Sir J. J. Thomson (21 letters), Sir D'Arcy Thompson, Hermann Usener, Sir Emery Walker, and Alfred Rayney Waller (6 letters).
Ackerman, Robert (b 1935), biographerHighgarth, Gloucester. Dated 31 March, 1901 - Received his letter [raising points in his review of GB], and admits that he was working from faulty memory as well; discusses religion vs magic in Australia, quoting [Alfred] Howitt who quotes [Samuel] Gason; has no wish for controversy with Frazer; 'mildly protests' that he did not question the authenticity of the Acts of St Dasius gratuitously, if it is established then the Abruzzian custom mentioned by Canon Pullen to Grant Allen, for which [Edward] Clodd got into hot water for repeating would be corroborated; doesn't think it would be wise to memorialize the Queensland Government to publish [Henry] Roth's collections, suggest [Alfred] Haddon phrase it in the most general terms.
Strafford House, Aldeburgh, Suffolk - Congratulates Frazer.
Strafford House, Aldeburgh, Suffolk. Dated 23.III.30 - Describes Edward Clodd's last days, and Mrs Clodd's deep appreciation for his letter.
Didsbury College, Manchester. Dated 13.7.06 - Answers a question about etymology of Zeus Kappotas, and asks if he has asked [Peter] Giles. Finds [Lewis Richard] Farnell's review objectionable, hopes he will put him right; thanks him for writing to [Edward] Clodd, is busy with his seccond edition and other work.
Aldeburgh - Had not heard of the death of Albert Houdin [Houtin], mourns the loss of 'a soul, who fearlessly followed the path where conviction carried him'.
Strafford House, Aldeburgh, Suffolk - Is happy to hear Lilly is recovered; believes [Thomas] Hardy should have been buried in Wessex soil and the burial of the heart was a 'shameful compromise' and the funeral a mockery of his beliefs. The envelope, docketed in Frazer's hand, dates the letter 1930 [in error: Clodd died 16 March 1930].
Strafford House, Aldeburgh, Suffolk - Hears that Lilly has been ill and hopes to hear she is recovered; has 'unspeakable disgust' for the cutting of Thomas Hardy's heart from his body, and blames [J. M.] Barrie, points out that Hardy referred to the Church of England as the 'Vast Imbecility'.
19 Carleton Road, Tufnell Park, London, W. Dated 30 June, 1891 - Forwards notes by William Simpson on reading the 'Golden Bough' [transcribed].
Midland Grand Hotel, London, N.W. Dated 20 December 1929 - Is happy to hear that his health is improving; are moving to rooms in the Temple; his 'Myths on the Origin of Fire' will be published soon; his appreciation of William Wyse was in 'The Times'.
Trinity College, Cambridge. Dated 5 January 1925 - Thanks him for his congratulations [on the award of the Order of Merit]; agrees with him concerning the tragedy of the certainty of others in the belief of the afterlife, had a similar discussion with Anatole France.
No. 1 Brick Court, Temple. Dated 11 April 1919 - He is not alone in his suggestion to write a book on Folklore in the New Testament, but would like to wait until a certain scholar in France has published; is working on other books at the moment; his wife's daughter [Lilly Grove] has died suddenly and unexpectedly.
No. 1 Brick Court, Temple. Dated 21 December 1918 - Very much enjoyed the story of the mouse and the rum; there is more irony in the book ['Folk-Lore in the Old Testament'] than he thought; thanks him for enlightening him as to 'the high priest of spiritualism' [Oliver Lodge?]: 'a common swindler who should be excluded from decent society'; also notes that 'the professor of English literature' [Arthur Quiller-Couch?] has written a long advertisement for Pelmanism in the 'Quarterly', and wonders what Cambridge is coming to.
Aldeburgh. Dated 20.12.18 - Apologises, is happy to take Frazer's criticism of his reading [of 'Folk-Lore in the Old Testament']; there has been a lot of controversy over his book; gives details on the business activities of [Oliver Lodge?]; agrees that the Germans are what they were, tells a story from Sir Hugh Clifford about German missionaries preventing the Catholics on the Gold Coast from celebrating the mass; agrees about Lloyd George's trickery as well; tells the story of a soldier in the trench, his serving of rum, and a mouse; [John Bagnell] Bury's son [Edward Basil] has suffered from shell shock, a bad case. At the bottom of the letter is a manuscript note, 'On the outside of the envelope Frazer has written, in describing the contents of this letter, "Oliver Lodge etc."'
No. 1 Brick Court, Temple. Dated 14 December 1918 - Germany has shown herself to be as contemptible in defeat as when she thought herself victorious; thinks the election at a time when 'millions of men best entitled to vote are practically disenfranchised' is a ploy by Lloyd George to hold on to power.
Aldeburgh. Dated (1918) - Thanks him for 'Folk-Lore in the Old Testament', notices society has moved a long way from when Dean Milman was denounced for blasphemy; questions his conclusion in judging between Creation and Evolution, and asks why consensus of opinion matters vs consensus of fact; hope his facts on 'jus primae noctis' will prevent future references; hears from Moncrieff that Sutherland Black has lost an eye.
Strafford House, Aldeburgh, Suffolk. Dated 30/12/17 - Is glad Frazer approves the book ['The Question: "If a man die, shall he live again?"'], deplores the typographical errors; does not think the war will end any time soon. With a typed footnote identifying Clodd's book.
Strafford House, Aldeburgh, Suffolk - Thanks him for the book ['Man, God and Immortality'].
Strafford House, Aldeburgh, Suffolk. Dated 31/12/16 - Thanks him for the ['Ancient Stories of the Great Flood'] and admires it, is glad he expresses his opinion on causes of similarities, thinks [W.H.R.] Rivers was too rigid in explaining them; hopes the 'Pan German Plot' [translated by Lilly Frazer] has been a success.
Strafford House, Aldeburgh, Suffolk. Dated 29/3/16 - Was only in London for the day of the lecture and saw only Moncrieff and Dr Sutherland Black, will be back to see Mrs Holman Hunt at the weekend; glad to hear he is giving the Huxley Lecture, it was 'worth being born to have known him'; takes refuge from the awful war in the calm pages of great thinkers.
Strafford House, Aldeburgh, Suffolk. Dated 7/12/15 - Thanks him for the 'Essays of Joseph Addison' welcome in 'these harrowing and suspicious days' of war; the bell was going for possible aircraft raid, but he could only respond like John Bull in 'Punch': 'Right O'.
Strafford House, Aldeburgh, Suffolk. Dated 27/6/15 - Thanks him for his good wishes on his retirement; is planning a book on 'Magic in Names'; Bury and his wife visited, turned out of their house at Southwold by the military; sees the consequence of war being a change in the economic direction, sees a large number of women clerks now, and that they must increase.
Strafford House, Aldeburgh, Suffolk. Dated 3/4/15 - Thanks him for the Addison book; encloses a cutting on 'Adonis, Attis and Osiris' [not transcribed] and suggests Frazer send a correction to 'The Times'.
Strafford House, Aldeburgh, Suffolk. Dated 21/12/13 - Is happy Grant Allen commanded him to read 'The Golden Bough' and values not only the book but the author; thanks him for ['The Serpent and the Tree of Life']. Accompanied by a typed footnote identifying the book.
Strafford House, Aldeburgh, Suffolk. Dated 28/9/13 - Thanks him again for the book, picks up on the significance of questioning the authority of Jesus in demonology; [John Bagnell] Bury's health is bad, recommends his 'History of the Freedom of Thought', particularly the sentence 'the Greeks, fortunately, had no Bible.'
St. Keyne's Cambridge. Dated 23 March 1913 - Thanks him for his kind letter [about 'The Belief in Immortality'], which will help him 'bear with equanimity the thunder of the theological guns when they open fire on me'; declines the offer to send the book with the statistics of the weight of the soul [Duncan McDougall quoted in Edward Carpenter's 'Drama of Love and Death']; declines the invitation to visit, does not want to leave his wife. With a typescript footnote identifying Frazer's book.
Strafford House, Aldeburgh, Suffolk. Dated 21/3/13 - Thanks him for ['The Belief in Immortality'] and suggests another map of the land of shades, and cites Duncan MacDougall's work on the weight of the soul in a book by Edward Carpenter; suggests he meet Sir Mortimer Durand while he visits, an authority on Oriental customs and ideas; was pleased to see his tribute to [Andrew] Lang.
Strafford House, Aldeburgh, Suffolk. Dated 14/7/12 - Thanks him again for a volume from the third edition of 'The Golden Bough'; [John Bagnell?] Bury was to visit when Sir Edwin Pears was there but was too unwell to come.