A Tale of Beatrix Potter, Manderley, Rain and Roses.

You may be wondering why I'm starting this post with a picture of a house. You might even be questioning what the house has to do with Beatrix Potter. To be honest there isn’t much of a link other than it's where I found the book I will be sharing later in this post.

Actually, there is another connection. I took the photographs at Nymans a National Trust property in West Sussex. Beatrix Potter was a writer of children’s stories, a Lakeland farmer, conservationist and a benefactor of the National Trust. On her death, she left 4000 acres, fifteen farms, forests and houses to the National Trust. Sadly, this house is not one of them, but it is a link of sorts. OK it's tenuous but it does sort of tie in. 

Nymans became a National Trust property in 1953 although the story really began in 1870, when Ludwig Messel and his family moved to England from Germany. A family of Jewish descent they arrived when anti-Semitism was rife but despite that, Messel carved out a successful career as a stockbroker and by 1890 had the means to purchase Nymans and shortly after he, and his head gardener James Comber set about creating the gardens.

Sadly, much of the house is in ruins after a disastrous fire in 1947, but the surviving rooms give a fascinating insight into the life of the Messel family.

The ruins reminiscent of Manderley as immortalised by Daphne du Maurier in Rebecca.

The story of Nymans is well documented online, so I won't trouble you with too many details. But I would like to mention a couple of members of the family. Firstly, Anne Messel (later Countess of Rosse) renowned beauty and socialite and mother of Anthony Armstrong-Jones, who in 1960 Married Princess Margaret and became the Earl of Snowdon and Viscount Linley. The connection between Nymans and the Royal Family came as a complete surprise to me. I was twelve going on sixteen when Margaret and ‘Tony’ got married, obsessed with The Beatles, Mary Quant and miniskirts.  All that changed when a Royal Wedding was announced and before long pictures of the happy couple started to jostle for space on my bedroom walls. Where John, Paul, George and Ringo once reigned supreme now there was a Princess and her beau. 

Princess Margaret and Anthony Armstrong-Jones

Messel family photographs on the piano. 

When we eventually left the house the rain had come on in droves hence we made a beeline for the coffee shop. Once suitable fed and watered Terry decided he wanted to take a few photos in the garden while I chose the dryer option and made a dash for the gift shop. Dozens of people were milling around seeking shelter from the rain, but their voices faded as I immersed myself into the world of Beatrix Potter.

The Story of Beatrix Potter by Sarah Gristwood

The Story of Beatrix Potter by Sarah Gristwood

Bestselling biographer Sarah Gristwood follows the twists and turns of her story, from childhood to her tragically brief first engagement and her happy marriage late in life. She traces the creation of Beatrix’s most famous characters – including naughty Peter Rabbit and cheeky Squirrel Nutkin and reveals how she drew on her own childhood pets and homes as the basis for her stories. Within a few years, her books were appearing all over the world and the merchandise industry, so familiar today, was gathering momentum.  

Hunca Munca with her babies.  From a book on my bookshelf.

Although she had a younger brother, Beatrix was a lonely child, educated at home and kept away from other children by her parents. A brief engagement to her publisher Norman Warne ended within weeks when he died from leukaemia. Eventually, aged 47, she married William Heelis, a Lakeland solicitor, with whom she lived until her death in 1943.

Beatrix taking Benjamin Bunny for a walk in the vegetable garden where he would graze on the cabbages.  Page 43 The Story of Beatrix Potter by Sarah Gristwood

Proceeds from her books and merchandise plus a legacy from an aunt gave her the means to purchase Hill Top Farm. In the following decades, she became a conservationist and a prize-winning breeder of Herdwick Sheep. She continued to write but her diminished eyesight, and her enthusiasm for farming meant that The Tale of Little Pig Robinson, published in 1930, was the last little book.

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Further reading:

If you would like to know more about the Messel family or discover the history of Nymans why not visit Nymans/National Trust

The Story of Beatrix Potter: Sarah Gristwood: Published in the United Kingdom in 2016 by National Trust Books.  ISBN 9781909881808

For anyone wishing to know more about Beatrix Potter's work, I recommend The Writings of Beatrix Potter written by Leslie Linder.  It contains facsimiles of fourteen picture letters, including the Peter Rabbit letter to Noel Moore, which started it all. The correspondence between Beatrix Potter and her publishers shows how involved she became in the production of her books, and it sometimes reveals unexpected aspects  of her character - she once lectured Warnes (the publisher) for being 'a great deal too much afraid of the public' for whom she never cared 'one tuppenny-button'. Nevertheless, she was very particular about her writing, often revising the same story until it was to her satisfaction; several of these versions are quoted, including the privately printed edition of The Tailor of Gloucester.  A valuable feature for book collectors is the Appendix section, which will help to identify first editions. The copy I have is a second edition from 1971 but there could well be an updated version available now. A History of the Writings of Beatrix Potter: Leslie Linder: Frederick Warne & Co Ltd London and New York. ISBN 0723213348

My thoughts and prayers are with everyone in South-East Asia and Texas, stay safe.