| Description | Comprising nine bundles of 193 items of correspondence, including letters and postcards. The majority of letters were written by Daphne du Maurier to Maud Waddell (nicknamed 'Tod'), but the collection of letters also includes three letters from Daphne du Maurier to Grace Browning (sister-in-law of Daphne du Maurier); two letters from 'Tod' to Daphne du Maurier; one letter from Muriel du Maurier (mother of Daphne du Maurier) to 'Tod'; six letters from Frederick Browning (husband of Daphne du Maurier, signed 'Tommy') to 'Tod'; and 15 empty envelopes addressed to Maud Waddell.
As a close friend and confidante from childhood through to adulthood - during which du Maurier became a writer, wife and mother - the letters from Daphne du Maurier to Maud Waddell provide insight into her literary work, daily life and emotions, as well as honest and detailed opinions on a variety of subjects, including literature, travel, gardening, politics, war, religion, relationships, sex, pregnancy, parenthood, fame, and death. Many letters include references to books she is reading, works she is writing, and film or stage adaptations of her works.
The du Maurier family was known for using a language of coded words and nicknames. Where identified, code words and nicknames in the correspondence have been clarified in closed brackets in the catalogue entries.
These letters were catalogued by Connor Webster, Student Volunteer, between October 2021 and January 2023.
Content advice: Some letters include problematic or outdated language in relation to ethnicity and sexuality |
| AdminHistory | Daphne du Maurier was 11 years old when Maud Waddell (born c 1887 in Cumbria), whom she nicknamed 'Tod', was employed as her governess. The relationship developed into a lifelong friendship and Waddell is credited with having a strong influence on du Maurier, especially in regard to her literary interests (source: Oxford Dictionary of National Biography entry for Daphne du Maurier). Waddell also had close ties to other du Maurier family members, including Daphne du Maurier's mother, Muriel, and her sisters, Angela and Jeanne. Following her period as a governess, the letters indicate that Maud Waddell had a millinery business, worked in a hotel, and as a carer. She also returned to the du Maurier family in the 1940s to act as governess to Daphne du Maurier's three children, Tessa, Flavia and Christian. Maud Waddell ended her days in Trelawney Nursing Home at St Miniver. The last time Daphne du Maurier was in 1982, when Waddell was 95. |