Lady Annie Brassey, writer and traveller : signed letter, on her RYS Sunbeam letterhead, offering her apologies for not attending the foundation stone ceremony for the Genevieve Ward Wing of the Women’s Hospital. Melbourne, 16 June, 1887.

Manuscript in ink (and pencil), [3] pp., octavo bifolium (200 x 125 mm), on the embossed letterhead of RYS Sunbeam; written in a secretarial hand, the letter is headed ‘Melbourne, June 16, 1887’; the letter is signed at the foot in pencil, in Lady Brassey’s hand, ‘Annie Brassey’, and below her signature she briefly explains why she did not write the letter herself; very good condition.

Anna (“Annie”) Brassey, Baroness Brassey (1839-1887), traveller and writer, was the author of the best-selling book A Voyage in the Sunbeam, our home on the ocean for eleven months (1878), an account of a voyage around the world in the private steam yacht owned by her and her husband, Sir Thomas Brassey (later Governor of Victoria).

This unpublished letter was written in Melbourne on what would be the Brasseys’ last voyage together, just prior to their departure from the city, where both had been honoured guests during its Jubilee celebrations. Annie Brassey died of malaria at Mauritius on 14 September 1887, and was buried at sea.

Transcript of the letter:

‘Dear Sir,

I was very sorry to hear yesterday evening that I was expected at the laying of the foundation stone of the Genevieve Ward Wing of the Hospital. Hearing of the ceremony I had made no arrangements on purpose that I might be free to attend, but as I did not receive an invitation I did not like to intrude uninvited. May I ask you to express my great regrets to the committee and also my warm thanks to whoever was kind enough to send such a lovely bouquet. Sweet as it is at present on my table, it is not so sweet as the kind thought that prompted the offering, and the little bird with the “Sunbeam” in its mouth I shall always treasure as one of the many kind conceptions of the many kind people we have met in Australia since our arrival.

With many regrets for the misunderstanding,

Believe me

Sincerely yours

[in pencil, in Lady Brassey’s hand]

Annie Brassey

Excuse dictation, I have a very bad hand. A.B.’

Provenance: Jane Emma Murphy (Balcombe) (1854-1924), of “The Briars”, Mornington, Victoria, Australia; thence by descent through the à Beckett family, Melbourne.