Prudence Pelham (Buhler)., 12/22/1947-12/22/1947

File — Box: 1, Folder: 50

Identifier: 65741

Scope and Contents

From the Collection:

The Michael Richey papers 1, consist of original correspondence from personal friends who also comprise the notable circle of artists who congregated at the home of English sculptor Eric Gill (1882-1940), on Pigotts farm in Buckinghamshire. Together with Gill, these included Anthony Foster, Rene Hague, David Jones, Walter Shewring, and Denis Tegetmeier.

Correspondence is also included from other well-known acquaintances (many of whom were related or closely associated to the Pigotts circle), such as Tom Burns, Graham Greene, Harman Grisewood (also longtime friend of Rene Hague and David Jones), Shirley Hazzard, Fiona MacCarthy (Gill's biographer), Jacques Maritain, Prudence Pelham (Buhler), Margaret Pepler, George Speaight, and Bernard Wall, as well as members of Richey's family.

Correspondence is arranged alphabetically by individual. Michael Richey provided annotations to many of the letters, indicated with an asterisk (*). A copy of the complete annotations is located in Folder 73.

Dates

12/22/1947-12/22/1947

Conditions Governing Access

Most manuscripts collections at the Georgetown University Booth Family Center for Special Collections are open to researchers; however, restrictions may apply to some collections. Collections stored off site require a minimum of three days for retrieval. For use of all manuscripts collections, researchers are advised to contact the Booth Family Center for Special Collections in advance of any visit.

Extent

From the Collection: 0.42 Linear Feet (1 Hollinger Document Case)

Language of Materials

From the Collection: English

Additional Description

Container Summary

ALS (2 pages/1 sheet) from Prudence Pelham (later married to Robert Buhler) to Michael Richey.* Richey recounts: "...Prudence Pelham was the talented and beautiful daughter of the Earl of Chichester, referred to several times in Rene's (Hague) letters. She was greatly loved by David Jones. At the outbreak of war Prudence married Guy Branch who was then in the Royal Air Force and shortly afterwards was shot down. He made his way back from France but was soon afterwards posted as missing presumed lost. Prue spent the rest of the war expecting he might turn up. She died of disseminated sclerosis in 1952. Her later marital arrangements are explained in a letter from Robert Buhler to Rene Hague. Buhler was professor of painting at the Royal College of Art. Prudence had been a lettering student of (Eric) Gill's and after the war wanted to carve Guy's tombstone. I accompanied her to Dieppe, where she had French cousins, on a mission to find Guy's grave which she finally located in a German cemetery in France, the tombstone erected to Brauch but which she could identify by the identification number. The family seat, Falmer House near Brighton, was requisitioned by the army during the war and bought by Brighton Corporation after it. Mill House in the village continued to be used by the family. On this occasion I must have arrived without notice; Prue and her mother were there but so far as I remember Prue had to be away next day to see doctors."

Subjects and Associated Physical Materials

PELHAM, PRUDENCE - ALSO: BUHLER, PRUDENCE: Autographed Letter

BUHLER, PRUDENCE - SEE ALSO: PELHAM, PRUDENCE: Autographed Letter

PELHAM, PRUDENCE - CORRES. TO RICHEY, MICHAEL 1947: Autographed Letter

RICHEY, MICHAEL - CORRES. FROM PELHAM, PRUDENCE 1947: Autographed Letter