Record Number: 19254

---

Reading Experience:

Evidence:

'You never no, never - sent a more acceptable present than Cousin Stella & The Fool of Quality, - and that irrespective of their several merits. But books are books here [they are in rural Dumfriesshire and feel cut off from the world] I am sorry to say Meta lies at this present moment fast asleep with Cousin Stella in her hand; but that is the effect of bathing and an eight mile walk; not of the book itself. I know & like the Fool of Quality of old. I was brought up by old uncles & aunts, who had all old books, and very few new ones; and I used to delight in the Fool of Quality, & have hardly read it since.'

Century:

1850-1899

Date:

Between 29 Sep 1810 and 29 Jun 1859

Country:

England

Time

n/a

Place:

other location: as a child in Knutsford, as an adult in Auchencairn

Type of Experience
(Reader):
 

silent aloud unknown
solitary in company unknown
single serial unknown

Type of Experience
(Listener):
 

solitary in company unknown
single serial unknown

---

Reader / Listener / Reading Group:

Reader:

Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell

Age:

Unknown

Gender:

Female

Date of Birth:

29 Sep 1810

Socio-Economic Group:

Professional / academic / merchant / farmer

Occupation:

later writer and clergyman's wife

Religion:

n/a

Country of Origin:

England

Country of Experience:

England

Listeners present if any:
e.g family, servants, friends

n/a

Additional Comments:

n/a

---

Text Being Read:

Author:

Henry Brooke

Title:

Fool of Quality, The

Genre:

Fiction

Form of Text:

Print: Book

Publication Details

new edition published by Smith and Elder

Provenance

owned
sent by George Smith

---

Source Information:

Record ID:

19254

Source:

Print

Author:

Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell

Editor:

J.A.V. Chapple

Title:

Letters of Mrs Gaskell, The

Place of Publication:

Manchester

Date of Publication:

1997

Vol:

n/a

Page:

562

Additional Comments:

n/a

Citation:

Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell, J.A.V. Chapple (ed.), Letters of Mrs Gaskell, The, (Manchester, 1997), p. 562, http://www.open.ac.uk/Arts/reading/UK/record_details.php?id=19254, accessed: 25 November 2024

---

Additional Comments:

Elizabeth Stevenson at time of first reading. Additional editor Arthur Pollard. Letter to George Smith.