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Jowett Papers - Introduction

IV - Conventions and Abbreviations used in the Catalogue

• i) Descriptions of notebooks and loose leaves
• ii) Description of letters
• iii) Names of Individuals
• Abbreviations

i) Descriptions of notebooks and loose leaves

For notebooks, the following details are always given: height and width (in mm), the colour and material of their binding, a title (where it exists), length, whether its pages are unlined or not, what writing materials were used in them and whether any loose leaves have been included.

The titles of books were sometimes written on the covers, sometimes on labels stuck on them. In the catalogue, 'titled' indicates a title written on the covers, 'labelled' one written on a label. It is not always possible to identify the hands used. However, almost all the titles on the covers of the quarto notebooks are written in black ink in the same hand. This hand could be that of Matthew Knight, and in each case the phrase '[in Matthew Knight's hand?]' is used. It is, however, only a conjecture.

Most of BJ's notebooks were neither paginated nor foliated. All these have now been foliated in pencil by me. Some books, however, had been given either page numbers or folio numbers (it was usually impossible to tell by whom and when these numbers were written). In these cases, even if the book had been paginated rather than foliated, this older system was preserved, and all such paginations or foliations are distinguished by an asterisk.

Normally the total number of leaves in a notebook is given. However, BJ frequently ceased to use his notebooks before they were full (see Section II above). If he abandoned it well before the last page, only the leaves or pages up to the last one used are numbered. At other times, although the last part is used, many pages of the book were left blank. In such circumstances, the catalogue notes that some, several or most of the pages are blank.

The contents of all notebooks and leaves are given by transcribing as accurately as possible BJ's own title, following his spelling, punctuation and capitalisation. Where it is fragmentary, so abbreviated as to need expansion (as it frequently is in the commonplace books), or not given, editorial comments are given in square brackets.

Square brackets are also used to describe the nature of the contents as 'title only', 'jotting only', 'notes' or'lecture notes'. The first and last categories are self-explanatory; the middle ones serve to indicate that BJ wrote something on the page, but 'jotting' shows that well under half the page was used, and that the content is somewhat disjointed, 'notes' that something longer and more structured was written. No hard-and-fast rules can be created for this method of description, but it is hoped that this convention gives some idea of what is on a given leaf.

All folio (or page) numbers are given. Where there is a break in the sequence of numbers, the missing leaves should be assumed to be blank. Sometimes BJ inverted his notebooks, and began them from the other end. This is always noted, and where so much of the book was written in this way that it was thought more sensible to list the contents in reverse order, this has been done.

ii) Description of letters

All descriptions of letters begin with the following items: (i) the writer of the letter, (ii) its recipient, (iii), the writer's address, (iv) the date (always in the order day, month and year), (v) in whose hand it is written, (vi) its length and (vii) the writing material used. Sometimes, as with a long series of letters between the same people, an introductory note explains that all letters are from A to B unless otherwise indicated.

Some undated letters have been dated by later hands; these dates are always given in square brackets, viz. [1867]. It is sometimes possible to identify the provider of the dates, (e.g. BJ's letters to Arthur Stanley were dated by Lewis Campbell), and all such instances are noted. Sometimes alternative dates, or dates with question marks are given. These are all reproduced. Where I have suggested a date myself, it is given in italics inside square brackets, viz. [1867]. 'n.d.' indicates that no date could be assigned the letter.

All letters from BJ, and many other letters in the Papers, are supplied with summaries, which attempt to give users an approximate idea of their contents. In these summaries, square brackets indicate an editorial comment, usually to explain a reference, whereas material in round brackets is part of the summary proper.

iii) Names of Individuals

Every effort has been made to spell the names of individuals as they themselves did. BJ was on the whole very accurate in his spellings, although there are one or two exceptions (e.g. James La Touche). Sometimes, as with J.L. Strachan-Davidson, the individuals themselves provide variant spellings. In this case the one most frequently used is adopted.

Individuals who changed their names either through marriage or through the acquisition of a title provide special problems of reference. It was decided that such people would be referred to in the catalogue itself by whatever name they were called in the individual document. For example, BJ's friend Lady Wemyss was called by her courtesy title of Lady Elcho until 1883, when her husband inherited the Earldom of Wemyss. Therefore in all pre-1883 documents, she is referred to as Lady Elcho, and as Lady Wemyss after that. However, in the Index, all references are to be found under an individual's family name (Wemyss-Charteris-Douglas, in Lady Wemyss' case); every title by which they could have been referred to is also given in the index, but these entries only contain cross-references to the appropriate surname.

Jowett Catalogue - Abbreviations Used

A & C=E. Abbott and L. Campbell Life and Letters of Benjamin Jowett (1897).

ALS = Autograph letter with signature.

APS = Autograph postcard with signature.

AL[S]=Autograph letter, probably once with a signature, which has been cut away or is missing.

bc[A-Z]=extra leaf inserted in back cover of notebook.

BJ = Benjamin Jowett

fc [A-Z]=extra leaf inserted in front cover of notebook.

EVQ = E.V. Quinn, former Librarian of Balliol

fol. = leaf number

JHJ=Dr. J.H. Jones, Dean of Balliol

n.a. = no address given

NB = Notebook

n.d. = no date given

TS = Typescript, without signature.

Conversion Table for I E-F (old Boxes E-F)

E α = III C FAA = I F1

E β = I E4 FA = I F2

E γ = III S FB = I F3

E δ = I E5 FC = I F4

E ε = I E6 FD = I F5

E ζ = I E7 FE = I F6

E η = I E8 FF = I F7

E θ = I E9 FG = I F8

E ι = I E10 FI = I F9

E κ = I E11 FJ = I F10

E λ = I E12 FK = I F11

E μ = I E13 FL = I F12

E v = I E14 FM = I F13

E ξ = I E15 F1 = I F14

E o = I E16 F2 = I F15

E π = I E17 F3 = I F16

E ρ = I E18 F4 = I F17

E σ = I E19

E τ = I E20

E υ = I E21

E φ = I E22

E χ = I E23

E ψ = I E24

E ω = I E25

E αα = I E26

E ββ = I E27

[back to Contents and Catalogue of Jowett Papers]

- Robin Darwall-Smith, 1993