Biographical and Historical Note

Lady Dorothy Nevill was born on April 1, 1826, to Hortaio Walpole, Earl of Orford, and Mary Fawkener Walpole. In 1846 or 1847, then Dorothy Walpole and George Smyth, the future Viscount Strangford and a conservative member of Parliament, were found in a compromising position. She then married Reginald Henry Nevill in 1847; together they had four children that survived to adulthood.

Nevill was known as a talented political and artistic hostess and horticulturalist, as reflected in her array of correspondents. She used the family estate, Dangstein, as a horticultural gem populated by 17 conservatories. Her orchids were sought after by famed naturalist Charles Darwin. She published five memoirs, including Reminiscences and  Leaves from the Notebooks of Lady Dorothy Nevill. Her son Ralph also wrote  Life and Letters of Lady Dorothy Nevill, posthumously published in 1919.

Nevill was predeceased by Reginald, who died in 1878; she died on March 24, 1913, in London.

Collection Overview

This collection contains 54 letters, mostly brief, that formed correspondence of Lady Dorothy Nevill. A few of the letters are longer, and some are addressed to others but contain information about Nevill and may have been passed to her. Repeat correspondents include Arthur Charles Wellesley, fourth Duke of Wellington; Henrietta Blanche, Countess of Airlie; Mary du Claux, also known as Agnes Mary Frances Duclaux née Robinson; Georgina, Dowager Countess of Dudley (G. H. Dudley); and Robert Lowe, Viscount Sherbooke. Other notable correspondencets that appear in the collection include Princess Helena Augusta Victoria; Lilias, Countess Bathurst; suffragette leader Millicent Fawcett; and Arthur Richard Wellesley, second Duke of Wellington.

The collection is arranged into two folders, one containing dated correspondence and the other folder that contains letters without a year.

Summary Information

Repository

Z. Smith Reynolds Library Special Collections and Archives

Title

Lady Dorothy Nevill Correspondence

ID

MS600

Date

circa 1860-1913

Quantity

1 half-document box

Extent

0.21  Linear Feet

Administrative Information

Publication Information

Z. Smith Reynolds Library Special Collections and Archives, 2022 September

Access Restrictions

Collection is open for use. 

Conditions Governing Use

The nature of the WFU Z. Smith Reynolds Library Special Collections and Archives means that copyright or other information about restrictions may be difficult or even impossible to determine despite reasonable efforts. The Archives and Special Collections of ZSR Library claims only physical ownership of most materials. The materials from our collections are made available for use in research, teaching, and private study, pursuant to the U.S. Copyright Law. The user must assume full responsibility for any use of the materials, including but not limited to, infringement of copyright and publication rights of reproduced materials. Any materials used for academic research or otherwise should be fully credited with the source. 

Preferred Citation

Lady Dorothy Nevill Correspondence (MS600), Z. Smith Reynolds Library Special Collections and Archives, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC, USA. 

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