A collection of some 150 separate pieces, in English and French, neatly attached to pages of good quality paper, in a variety of different hands and dating mainly from ca 1780 to 1824. The manuscripts appear in most cases to have been given to Anne Rushout by acquaintances in her circle, which included Fanny Burney (who describes in her Diary a visit to her in Wanstead in 1784). Almost all are poetry, and include charades, acrostics and riddles culled from various sources including the Thesaurus Aenigmaticus, the Satirist and The Universal Magazine. Names mentioned as writers or subjects, giving an insight into the circle in which Anne moved, include William Hayley, William Shenstone, Colley Cibber, David Garrick, Richard (Bishop) Heber, [Horace] Walpole, Walter Scott, the Sheridans and Sarah Siddons. In addition to the poetical contents there are few printed pieces and two accomplished mathematical conundrums. The principal places mentioned are Northwick Park, Worcestershire (now Gloucestershire), Wanstead Grove and Daylesford Grove.
- Author: Rushout, Anne, approximately 1768-1849.
- Title: Manuscripts, ca. 1780-1824 / collected by the Hon. Anne Rushout.
LWL Mss Vol. 232
Acquired July 2017