| Description | Early correspondence in this file is mainly between Daphne du Maurier, Peter Howard, and Garth Lean, and focuses on Daphne du Maurier's husband 'Tommy' [Frederick Browning], as well as spiritual and political views relating to contemporary British society and politics. Following the death of Peter Howard and Frederick Browning in 1965, the remainder of the file consists of correspondence from Daphne du Maurier to Doë Howard, with a greater focus on their daily lives, travel, children and Daphne du Maurier's literary work. This file also includes a letter from Angela du Maurier to Peter and 'Doë Howard; one letter from biographer Margaret Foster to Doë Howard in 1991, thanking her for providing access to the letters; and an envelope with contextual notes by Tessa du Maurier.
Subjects within this file of correspondence include: 'Tommy' going on tour with Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh; a discussion of 'good' and 'evil' in the context of British politics; the monarchy; Daphne du Maurier's short story 'The Birds' and mythology relating to birds; the illness and death of Muriel du Maurier, Daphne du Maurier's mother; ancestors; the wedding of Peter and Doë Howard's daughter, Anne; the health of 'Tommy'; starting a new book entitled 'Vanishing Cornwall'; the death of 'Tommy'; research on the parish of Tywardreath in the early 14th century for a new story ['The House on the Strand']; Daphne du Maurier's children and grandchildren; moving from Menabilly to Kilmarth; the novel 'Rule Britannia'; travel to Crete, Greece, Turkey and Jerusalem; the centenary of Gerald du Maurier's birth; Daphne du Maurier's views on tourism abroad and in Cornwall; the political situation in Greece; Daphne du Maurier's tribute to 'Phyll'; the political situation in India; and the difficulty to find inspiration for new stories. |
| AdminHistory | This file of letters was gifted by Doris 'Doë' Howard to the du Maurier family and subsequently deposited with the Unviersity of Exeter Special Collections.
Peter Howard was a journalist and member of Moral Re-Armament, an international moral and spiritual movement that developed from the Oxford Group. In 1940, Daphne du Maurier wrote the collection of true stories 'Come Wind, Come Weather' for Moral Re-Armament. Garth Lean was another member of Moral Re-Armament. The tennis player, Henry Wilfred 'Bunny' Austin, may have introduced Daphne du Maurier to the Howards and Lean. |