Anna Seward in Wellsburn, nr. Warwick - between late December, 1785 and early January, 1786

from Letter from Anna Seward to Miss Scott, 29 March 1786, pages 133–134:

I ventured to pass the Christmas month at Wellsburn, in Warwickshire, beneath the hospitable and elegant mansion of my friend, Mr Dewes, […]

Our short day and long evening were divided with a regularity that husbanded the hours. They were, in turn, enlivened by music and poetry, by some agreeable evening card-parties, and by convivial sprightliness. Thus it was that we scarce heard the howling of those sleety storms that made the without scene so total a contrast to that within.

cite as

Anna Seward, Letter from Anna Seward to Miss Scott, 29 March 1786. In Archibald Constable (ed.), Letters of Anna Seward: Written Between the Years 1784 and 1807, volume 1 (Edinburgh, 1811), p. 133–134. https://led.kmi.open.ac.uk/entity/lexp/1535628972797 accessed: 11 December, 2024

location of experience: Wellsburn, nr. Warwick

Listeners

Anna Seward
Poet, Writer
1742-1809

Listening to

hide composers
unspecified instrumental music performed by Mr. Williams, The Dewes brothers

Experience Information

Date/Time between late December, 1785 and early January, 1786
Medium live
Listening Environment in the company of others, in private, indoors

Notes

Anna Seward spent three weeks in late December to early January with friends in Wellsburn: Mr. Dewes and his two brothers, and Mr. and Mrs. Granville. She described Mr. Dewes' villa as 'the abode of belles-lettres and the arts'. In a previous letter (see listening experience no. 1535628317399) she described the music-making in more detail, and that information has been drawn on in recording this LE.


Originally submitted by lcc5 on Thu, 30 Aug 2018 12:36:13 +0100
Approved on Thu, 06 Sep 2018 16:42:24 +0100