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Flora Annie Steel Manuscript

 Collection
Identifier: MSS 0169

Scope and Contents

This signed original holograph manuscript is an apparently unpublished play, Grand-dad, or, The Spirit of the British Navy. The cast of characters includes: Grand-dad Pettigrew (an old veteran), Mr. Sailor-man (a quartermaster), Tummus (a boy, Grand-dad's great-grandson), Mrs. Pettigrew (Grand-dad's grandson's wife, Tummus' mother), Selina and her baby (Mrs. Pettigrew's niece), and Mrs. Hawkins (Selina's mother-in-law).

Dates

  • undated

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

Copyright is retained by the creators of items in these papers, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law.

Manuscript collections and archival records may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information. Please see our Sensitive Materials Statement.

Biographical or Historical Information

Flora Annie Steel (1847-1929) was a British novelist and short story writer. Although she received very little formal education, she was allowed free run of her parents' library and was known for her strong personality and boundless energy. She married government official Henry Steel in 1867 at the age of twenty, and they left for India within twenty-four hours of the ceremony. Steel spent the next twenty-two years as a tireless organizer of community enterprises wherever she and her husband were posted. She immersed herself in the lives of the local population, learned the local language and displayed a genuine if somewhat paternalistic interest in the lives of the people of India, especially the women.

Steel began writing short stories reflecting her experiences and collecting Indian folk tales toward the end of her time in India, though only one book, Wide Awake Stories (1884), was published before she left in 1889. She enjoyed a long friendship and business association with the publisher William Heinemann, wrote copiously and was well-received by the British public. At least half of her numerous novels and short stories were concerned with Indian or Anglo-Indian life.

Extent

0.01 Linear Feet (1 folder)

Language of Materials

English

Abstract

Flora Annie Steel (1847-1929) was a British novelist and short story writer. This signed original holograph manuscript is for an unpublished play entitled, Grand-dad, or, The Spirit of the British Navy.

Method of Acquisition

Purchased from collector, November 2000.

Offensive Language Statement

The UNC Greensboro University Libraries collects, preserves, and makes accessible unique and historical materials for learning and research. The nature of historical materials is such that some material may represent positions, norms, and values that are offensive and objectionable. These materials represent the opinions and actions of their creators. By providing access to these records in our reading room and through our digital collections, we recognize that archives and rare books can play a vital role in holding those creators accountable and in helping us learn from the past.

Our finding aids and other collection descriptions may occasionally re-use language provided by creators or former holders of the materials, but we strive to place outdated or offensive terminology in context. That said, we recognize that we may not always make the right decision and welcome feedback from all sources so we can learn and adjust our practices. Please contact us at scua@uncg.edu if you encounter problematic language in our finding aids or other collection description. We will review the language and, as appropriate, update it in a way that balances preservation of the original context with our ongoing commitment to describing materials with respectful and inclusive language.

Processing Information

Processed by Archives staff.

Title
Flora Annie Steel Manuscript
Author
Archives staff
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
eng

Revision Statements

  • April 20, 2021: This finding aid underwent changes in Spring 2021 after a reparative archives review. The following link leads to the legacy version of this finding aid: http://library.uncg.edu/info/depts/scua/legacyFA/04.MSS169.legacy.pdf

Repository Details

Part of the Martha Blakeney Hodges Special Collections and University Archives Repository

Contact:
P.O. Box 26170
320 College Ave.
Greensboro NC 27402-6170 US
336-334-5246