UCT Libraries

BC 236 THE PAULINE SMITH COLLECTION  

Manuscripts & Archives

University of Cape Town Libraries

 

 

a bequest to

 

The University of Cape Town Libraries  

 

A List

 

compiled by

 

Leonie Twentyman Jones

 

1981  

 

 

CONTENTS

 

INTRODUCTION

 

 

Biographical note

 

The Collection

A

PERSONAL PAPERS

B

WRITINGS

C

REVIEWS AND NOTICES

D

CORRESPONDENCE

E

ARNOLD BENNETT MEMORABILIA

F

WRITINGS BY OTHERS

G

OUDTSHOORN AND GEORGE BACKGROUND MATERIAL

H

PHOTOGRAPHS

J

MISCELLANEOUS

INTRODUCTION

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE

 

Pauline Janet Smith, eldest daughter of Herbert Urmson and Jessie Smith, was born in Oudtshoorn on 2 April 1882. Her father had gone to South Africa because of his health and was the first resident physician in the Little Karoo. In 1895 Pauline and her sister Dorothy (b. 2.7.1884) were sent to a boarding school in Britain, and it was during a visit to them in 1898 that Dr Smith died suddenly in London. The Smith family never returned to live permanently in South Africa. After the sisters left school, they and their mother stayed with various relations in England and Scotland and visited the Continent.

Miss Smith's first published short stories were about Scottish village life and appeared in the Scottish newspapers, 'The Weekly Free Press' and 'The Evening Gazette' between 1902 and 1905. These were published under the pseudonyms, Janet Tamson and Janet Urmson. In 1905 Miss Smith returned to the Little Karoo for her first visit since 1895, and kept a diary of her stay.

In December 1908 she met the English novelist, Arnold Bennett, while on holiday in Vevey, Switzerland. They discussed her writing and he encouraged her to concentrate on writing about the Little Karoo. Bennett had an extremely important influence on her career as a writer, and most of her writing took place during his lifetime. In the autumn of 1909, Miss Smith stayed with the Bennetts at Fontainbleau, and in 1910 travelled with them to Italy, where they stayed in Florence until she became ill. At this time her sister Dorothy became engaged to Alexander Webster, a friend of Bennett's.

During 1913 and 1914 Miss Smith again visited South Africa and kept a detailed travel journal. Some of the anecdotes recorded in this journal were used to form the bases of short stories and a novel. It was through Bennett that her first short story 'The Pain' was published in 'The Adelphi', a journal edited by Middelton Murray. Shortly afterwards Jonathan Cape published her first collection of short stories, 'The Little Karoo', in 1925. Her novel 'The Beadle' was published the following year. During 1926 and 1927, Miss Smith again visited South Africa, and in 1928 and 1929 spent some time in Italy.

In 1930 'The Little Karoo' was reissued with two additional stories, 'Desolation' and 'The Father'. In 1931 Arnold Bennett died, and Miss Smith wrote a tribute to him published in 1933 as A.B. ... 'a minor marginal note'. She spent most of 1934, 1935 and the first half of 1936 in South Africa, and it was in 1935 that the short stories she had written for children many years before, were finally published as 'Platkops Children'. Pauline Smith suffered from ill health all her life, and during the 1950s, when she was trying to write 'Winter Sacrament' as a possible ending to 'The Little Karoo', suffered a series of heart attacks which prevented her from completing the work to her satisfaction.

She spent many years living with her sister, Dorothy, in Dorset, and died there on 29 January 1959.

 

THE COLLECTION

The Pauline Smith Collection was bequeathed to the University of Cape Twon Libraries and presented to the Library in 1964. The copyright of all Miss Smith's published and unpublished writings has been vested in the University and royalties accrueing from publications go towards the Urmson Smith Scholarship, established by Miss Smith at UCT in memory of her father.

The original bequest has been expanded to a certain extent by donations from others, including Mr Frank Swinnerton, Lt Col W C Smith, Mr G Haresnape and Dr J MacGillivray. Others have allowed the Library to photocopy material for inclusion, namely Dr Killie Campbell, Mrs S Scholten and the University of the Witwatersrand Library.

The Collection numbers 1 314 items and consists mainly of Miss Smith's writings, both published and unpublished. These include short stories, sketches and diaries. There are typescripts of three of her four published works, as well as numerous reviews from newspapers and journals of these publications.

There was not a great deal of correspondence in the original bequest, but this has been expanded by a donation of over 300 letters from Miss Smith to Frank Swinnerton, 1932‑1957; photocopies of 168 letters to Sarah Gertrude Millin, 1927‑1958, the originals of which are in the University of the Witwatersrand Library; as well as photocopies of 65 letters to Ethel Campbell, 1928‑1952, the originals of which are now in the Killie Campbell Africana Library. Miss Smith did not keep the letters she received from friends and apparently Arnold Bennett instructed her to destroy his letters to her. Thus there is little evidence of Bennett's important influence on Miss Smith in the Collection.

There are also various writings by others in the Collection, as well as background material on Oudtshoorn and George, photographs and miscellaneous items.

There are no restrictions on the use of the Collection for study and research purposes, but permission should first be obtained from the University Librarian.

Permission to publish any of Miss Smith's writings should be obtained from the University Registrar.

 

BC 236

PAULINE SMITH COLLECTION

 

A.

PERSONAL PAPERS

No. of items

A.1.1‑A1.6

Pocket diaries, 1934‑35, 1943‑44, 1953‑54, incl. newspaper clipping

7

A1.7

Address book

1

A2

Illuminated addresses

 

A2.1

Rondeau on meeting Pauline Smith, by Ethel Campbell

1

A2.2

Afrikaans, 15.8.1934, by Ethel Campbell

1

A2.3

Illuminated address presented to P.S. by 25 South African writers in 1958. Scripsit Mary Duxbury

1

A3

Family notes etc.

 

A3.1

Journal of a sea voyage round the world, 24.7.1844‑19.9.1845, possibly by P.S's grandfather. MS

1

A3.2

Notebook of H[erbert] U[rmson] Smith including description of a tour in Wales [ca 1860?], and medical case notes. MS

1

A3.3

Notebook and loose sheet entitled 'Boston notes', including notes on the history of the Smith family, by P.S. MS

2

A4

Design for a bookplate for P.S., by J.B.D.

1

B.

WRITINGS

 

B1‑B10

Published writings

 

B1

The Little Karoo

 

B1.1

Introduction by Arnold Bennett. TS, with MS corrections

1

B1.2

Jan Boetjes, published in L.K. as The Schoolmaster. MS

1

B1.3

The Sisters. TS

1

B1.4

Desolation and The Father. Proof copy with MS corrections

1

B1.5

Agreement re USA and Canadian publishing rights with George Doran Co., 24.10.1924

1

B1.6‑B1.7

William Plomer's preface to 1950 edition of L.K., with covering letter from Jonathan Cape, 17.6.1949. Copy made by P.S. for F. Swinnerton. MS and TS

2

B2

The Beadle

 

B2.1‑B2.6

Fragments of The Beadle. TS

6

B3

A.B. ' a minor marginal note'

 

B3.1

Typescript with MS corrections

1

B3.2

Agreement with Jonathan Cape, 24.8.1932

1

B3.3

Blurb from dustcover

1

B3.4

First published edition, 1933. Inscribed 'To Aunt Nellie from Pauline, March 1933'

1

B4

Platkops Children

 

B4.1‑B4.1.1

Us, six, and Nickum D. TS, MS corrections

2

B4.2

Our dolls' droinin'‑room carpit. TS, MS corrections

1

B4.3

The perlite English boy. TS, MS corrections

1

B4.4

The Queen. TS, MS corrections

 

B4.5‑B4.5.4

The B'loon man. TS, MS corrections. Also clipping from The Evening Gazette, 31.8.1910

5

B4.6

0'Pa Carel's. TS, MS corrections

1

B4.7‑B4.7.2

Jackie. TS, MS corrections

3

B4.8

Tycho. TS, MS corrections

1

B4.9

Paoli in Englan'. TS, MS corrections

1

B4.10‑B4.10.2

How Paoli went to Cape Town. TS, MS corrections

3

B4.11

The Black Lily. TS, MS corrections

1

B4.12

Concits and things. TS, MS corrections

1

B4.13‑B4.13.1

Aunt Jane's weddin'. TS, MS corrections. 2nd copy entitled 'Aunt Lou's wedding'

2

B4.14

Martinus in the mountains, and the horse thieves. TS, MS corrections

1

B4.15‑B4.15.1

Trinka's house. MS & TS

2

B4.16

The Winds. TS

1

B4.17

Katisje's patchwork dress. TS

1

B4.18‑B4.18.1

Spook Abram. TS

2

B4.19

Yacob's water‑leading. TS

1

B4.20

Fruit drying. TS, MS corrections

1

B4.21‑B4.21.1

Jackie. TS, MS corrections

2

B4.22

The poplar tree. TS

1

B4.23‑B4.23.2

The Jackal. TS

3

B4.24‑B4.24.1

Home‑sick. TS

2

B4.25‑B4.25.4

Puck's voyage. TS

5

B4.26

The land of the wise. TS

1

B4.27

To Maisie (by request) MS

1

B4.28

To Maisie, no.2. MS

1

B4.29

To Tillie. MS

1

B4.30

Dandelion. MS

1

B4.31

When I am strong. MS

1

B4.32

Platkops Children. Proof copy, 1935

1

B5

Short stories published in 'The Weekly Free Press' and 'The Evening Gazette' under pseudonyms Janet Tamson and Janet Urmson, 1902‑1905, pasted into a scrapbook

1

B5.1‑B5.8

Loose clippings, duplicates of B5, and small envelope containing dried ivy leaves

8

B6‑B6.2

The Cart. TS, MS corrections

3

B6.3‑B6.4

Clipping of published version, 'Cape Argus', 19.12.1925

2

B7

Horse thieves, clipping 'Cape Argus' 8.1.1927

1

B8

'Across the veldt came the Dokter's white‑hooded two‑horse buggy ...' TS, MS corrections. Published as 'The Doctor' in 'More short stories by South African writers', ed. by A.D. Dodd. Cape Town, [1968?]

1

B9

Why and how I became an author. TS

1

B10‑B10.1

The last voyage, a play in one act. TS & photocopy used by U.C.T. Drama Dept., with notes re props etc.

2

B11‑B53

Unpublished writings

 

B11

Winter Sacrament

 

B11.1‑B11.4

Rough notes for W.S. MS. Some written on the back of the typescript of The Beadle

4

B11.5‑B11.7

Background to Platkops. MS and TSS

3

B11.8

Letter to P.S. from B.A. Tindall, 18.8.1949, commenting on 'Background to Platkops'. MS

1

B11.9

Typescript of Winter Sacrament, with MS corrections

1

B11.10

The christening at Pacaltsdorp. TS

1

B12

Alexander. TS

1

B13

Death of Oom Hans. TS

1

B14

An evening with the Ziegfeld Follies. TS

1

B15

From Veldschoendorp to Oudtshoorn. TS‑

1

B16

Jane's hot‑water bottle. MS

1

B17

Jane's Yerby‑Berby. MS

1

B18

Lotti and the 'foregaddering' TS

1

B19‑B19.1

My Janes. The courtship of the first, the short life and death of the second, from the diaries (1802‑1809) of John Marsden, Methodist Corn Merchant of Manchester. TS

2

B20

Rose Ann. TS, MS corrections

1

B21‑B22

School. TS. Miss Griffiths. TS

2

B23

A visit to the diamond‑diggings. TS, MS corrections

1

B24

Untitled short story, commencing "There were five of us, & Helena thanked heaven we were all Afrikanders" MS

1

B25‑B25.1

Handsel in Heaven [poem]. TS

2

B26

Untitled poem, commencing "I ain't afraid" MS

1

B27

Diary, 1905. MS

1

B28

Diary, 1905. Photocopy of typescript made by Mrs S Scholten

1

B29‑B29.1

South African Journal, 1913‑1914. TS. MS corrections. To be published in 1982

2

B30

Italian diary, 15.7.1927‑9.3.1929. MS

1

B31‑B40

Travel notes kept while in South Africa, 1926-1936. MS, TS

10

B41‑B41.1

Wagon trip, 1934. TSS

2

B42‑B46

Miscellaneous notes. MSS

5

B47‑B53

Notes on background historical information, some possibly taken from government gazettes. MSS

7

C.

REVIEWS AND NOTICES

 

C1.1‑C1.56

The Little Karoo, 1925‑1947

66

C2.1‑C2.63

The Beadle, 1926‑1929

67

C3.1‑C3.38.1

A.B. ‘a minor marginal note', 1933

45

C4.1‑C4.12

Platkops Children, 1935‑1936

13

C5.1‑C5.33

General criticisms of P.S.'s writings, 1925‑1954

36

D.

CORRESPONDENCE

 

Dl‑D9

Letters from P.S. to:­

 

D1.1‑D1.65

Ethel Campbell, 1928‑1952. Photocopies of originals in Killie Campbell Africana Library, Durban

65

D2.1‑D2.10

Killie Campbell, 1931‑1952. Photocopies of originals in Killie Campbell Africana Library, Durban

10

D3

Mrs Campbell, 18.1.1938. Photocopy of original in Killie Campbell Africana Library, Durban

1

D4

Jill Hampshire, 26.11.1935. Photocopy obtained via Mrs S Scholten

1

D5.1‑D5.168

Sarah Gertrude Millin, 28.3.1927‑16.12.1958. Photocopies of originals in the University of the Witwatersrand Library, A539

168

D6

Julia and Florrie Morris, 27.11.1928. Photocopy. Original in the possession of Mrs E. Hooper

1

D7

Herbert Smith (father), 18.6.1898. MS

1

D8.1‑D8.35

Jessie Smith (mother), 27.10.1926‑1.7.1927. MSS

35

D9.1‑D9.329

Frank Swinnerton, 29.7.1932‑27.3.1957. MSS &TSS, incl. one letter to Olivia Swinnerton,23.7.1946. MS, and photograph of a house

329

D10.1‑D10.5

Lady Smith, wife of Senator Sir Charles Smith 17.1.1937‑13.5.1951. MSS & TS

5

D11‑D16

Letters to P.S. from:­

 

D11.1‑D11.34

Jonathan Cape, 1926‑1951. Includes correspondence between Arnold Bennett and Cape on P.S.'s behalf, 31.3.1926‑8.5.1928. TSS & MSS

34

D11.35‑D11.130

Jonathan Cape Royalty reports, 1927‑1950

96

D12.1‑D12.3

Curtis Brown, 1926‑1928. TSS. Includes correspondence between A. Bennett and Brown on P.S.'s behalf

3

D13.1‑D13.16

George H. Doran Royalty statements, 1925‑1929

16

D14

Tim Smith?, 11.9.1930. MS

1

D15

Humbert Wolfe, 7.3.1933. TS

1

D16

William, 1.10.1926. Telegram

1

D17

Letters to others

 

D17.1‑D17.2

To Ethel Campbell from Dorothy Webster, 13.11.1938, 21.11.1941. MS Photocopies of originals in Killie Campbell Africana Library

2

D18.1‑D18.6

To Geoffrey Haresnape re enquiries about P.S., includes letters from Miss Marie Stegmann, Mrs N Cundall. 1960. MSS & TSS

6

D19.1‑D19.2

To Jessie Smith from Jean Wallis, 1927. MSS

2

D20.1‑D20.2

To T. Smith from J.N. du Plessis, 1914? MSS copy in P.S.'s writing

2

D21

Unknown, 18.10.1926. TS

1

E.

ARNOLD BENNETT MEMORABILIA

 

E1

Pencil sketch by A.B. entitled 'Marguerite regardant la procession, Berkeley Hotel, 24.6.1913

1

E2.1‑E2.20

Photographs of A.B., including several snapshots of a small girl (his daughter?), and newspaper clippings of A.B.

21

E3

'A good woman: a farce in one act', by A.B. Boston, 1930

1

E4

'Arnold Bennett' by Frank Swinnerton. London, 1950

1

E5.1‑E5.7

The Old Wives Tale, by A.B., pictured by J.M.bv Sale. Christmas Bookman, 1931

7

E6.1‑E6.2

The plays of A.B., by G. Sutton, and photo of A.B., from The Bookman, Dec. 1931

2

E7.1‑E7.2

A.B. to W.H. Helm, 17.5.1919, 2.10.1922. TSS

3

E8.1‑E8.11

Newspaper clippings re A.B., 1927‑1949

11

F.

WRITINGS BY OTHERS

 

F1.1‑F1.4

C. Katie?] A.M.B[rooks?]. The Etablissment Hydroterapique. TS. The North Countree. TS. Home. TS. Jochabed Arundel. TS

4

F2‑F2.1

F.E. Brown. Mater Dolorosa. Poem in P.S.'s handwriting. Note on one copy "Read at Sydenham 1900". MSS

2

F3.1‑F3.5

"Dolichos" [possibly Kathleen Taute?] Disobedience MS. Henery. MS. The quarrel. MS. Routine. MS.Untitled "As far as the eye could see nothing  moved " [See also F7.1‑F7.6]

5

F4

Charlotte M. [Mear?] The Farmers Bride. Poem in P.S.'s handwriting from The Nation, 3 Feb. 1912. MS

1

F5

J.S. Gill. An incident of the Siege of Kimberley. Poem

1

F6

'Mimosa' [T. Smith?] Early days in the Little Karoo. MS

1

F7.1‑F7.6

Kathleen Taute. Description of a trip in 1934 by P.S., Ellen (Ethel) Morris, and K. Taute. Photocopy of original borrowed through Mrs S. Scholten. Also TS version. [See also F3.1‑F3.5]

8

F8

E. Townshend. Reflections on the commemorative session by a Hitchin student. MS

1

F9.1‑F9.2

George Wallis. Untitled. Starts "On a farm named Vlak Kuil in the South Western District of the Cape Colony ..." MS. Includes covering letter to P.S.? 16.2.1907. MS

2

F10

Charles Wesley. Wrestling Jacob. Poem. MS

1

F11‑F16

Writings by unknown persons

 

F11

Poem. Untitled. "Sly Beelzebub took all occasions " MS

1

F12

Poem. Untitled. "It was Church Parade last Sunday an' we went to have a spree" MS

1

F13

November and the children. Poem. MS

1

F14

Summer Stars. Poem. MS

1

F15‑F15.2

Notebook containing autobiographical sketches of someone born in 1925, corrected by P.S.? MS

3

F16

Notes on a Midlands visit. TS

1

G.

OUDTSHOORN AND GEORGE BACKGROUND MATERIAL

 

G1

Certificate of shares in the Royal Stuart Developing Syndicate, made out to H.G. Hicks of Oudtshoorn, 9 May 1889

1

G2.1‑G2.9

Documents re a water case brought before the Circuit Court, Oudtshoorn. Manuel Sapiero v. Board of Management of Dysselsdorp. 18.9.1903. Incomplete. Includes statement of case; summons, 1.9.1903; sales of water rights statements; list of owners of water; earlier summons re water cases, 6.3.1880, n.d.

 

G3

Oudtshoorn forty years ago. Oudtshoorn, 1909. Contains a series of articles reprinted from the Oudtshoorn Courant ... recollections of Oudtshoorn and neighbouring districts in 1869

1

G4

St. Judes. Oudtshoorn in the sixties. Letters re St. Judes Church. TSS

1

G5

The early days of George and the romance of Outeniqualand. [George, 1940s?]

1

H.

PHOTOGRAPHS

 

H1.1‑H1.2.1

Pauline Smith

3

H2.1‑H2.3.1

Pauline and her sister Dorothy

4

H3.1‑H3.6

Unidentified small girl, alone and with an adult; nurse and patient; young woman

6

H4.1‑H4.2

Pierneef's studio and one painting

2

J.

MISCELLANEOUS

 

J1

List of passengers on S.S. Gloucester Castle, July 1927

1

J2

British policy today. General Smuts's survey. Reprinted from The Times 13.11.1934

1

J3.1‑J3.18

Pen and ink illustrations from Goethe's 'Faust'

18

J4.1‑J4.2

Watercolours by M.K. Roper, one of Cromarty

2

J5.1‑J5.2

Japanese prints

2

J6.1‑J6.4

Supplement to 'The Bookman', Christmas 1931, with reproductions of drawings of literary figures: Julian and Aldous Huxley, J. Middleton Murray, Havelock Ellis, Richard Aldington, Dorothy Una Ratcliffe, Naomi Mitchison, and A.J. Cronin

4

J7.1‑J7.14

Miscellaneous newspaper clippings indicating various interests of P.S.

 

 

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