Item 1 - Letter from Margot Asquith to Edwin Montagu

Identity area

Reference code

MONT II/A/4/2/1

Title

Letter from Margot Asquith to Edwin Montagu

Date(s)

  • 14 Mar. 1914 (Creation)

Level of description

Item

Extent and medium

Context area

Name of creator

Archival history

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

Content and structure area

Scope and content

10 Downing Street, Whitehall, S.W.—Thanks him for visiting and cheering her up. Criticises the attitude of the young people around her, including Venetia. Suggests going for a drive on Friday.

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

Accruals

System of arrangement

Conditions of access and use area

Conditions governing access

Conditions governing reproduction

Language of material

    Script of material

      Language and script notes

      Physical characteristics and technical requirements

      Finding aids

      Allied materials area

      Existence and location of originals

      Existence and location of copies

      Related units of description

      Related descriptions

      Notes area

      Note

      TRANSCRIPT:

      March 14th 1914
      10 Downing Street, Whitehall, S.W.

      It was dear of you to come round & cheer me up. I like to look into & see you dont misunderstand or think me little-hearted. I hold more than any one that one sd write oneself large thro’ life & I cd not bear you to be put back over me (I’m not really at all good: I’m hot as fire—have no sort of sympathy with the sexless young men & girls I see all round me who are so vain the[y] spend their whole time in clothes & varied methods of doing their hair—I’m tactless on purpose—& suicidally impatient) if Venetia ever does talk to you about me the thing I wd really love best wd be if you said to her “I wd much rather you never spoke of Margot to me for hers is a character you dont & never wd understand[”]. Candour & truth simplicity, & Courage of the kind I want to have she doesnt try to have. She despises & mocks it. Her head is slightly turned. Poor Venetia I ought not to be unkind about her it is out of proportion but I’m so disappointed in the young ones that I’ve watched now for so many years! They are so incurably flimsy & idle & quite without any power to love or to stay the course. I hate to be misjudged & deceived I wd rather be hit across the face. Do ask me to go for a motor drive with you next Friday. I wd lunch with you & we’d only be driving 1½ back for tea & yr work

      Yrs truly— {1}

      —————

      {1} ‘driving … truly’ indistinct.

      Alternative identifier(s)

      Access points

      Subject access points

      Place access points

      Genre access points

      Description identifier

      Institution identifier

      Rules and/or conventions used

      Status

      Level of detail

      Dates of creation revision deletion

      Language(s)

        Script(s)

          Sources

          Accession area