Adriana (Audrey) Chaplin

Allan Chaplin wrote to his mother from Ootacamund, Nov 1894:

"I am very glad to hear of Audrey's engagement -- I have no doubt they will be happy -- she is a sweet placid intelligent and, I am sure, good girl -- Gregory I met at your house and much liked -- Science and the Arts together should make their lives go pleasantly." 3 Audrey Road, Campden Hill, London

January 1st

Dearest Papa

I hope you will get these letters, but it seems to me a very vague way of doing things, sending them to a place where we know you are not, however I hope they will meet you. We heard last of the Ariel from Ulla asking at the office, when they said she had been last seen off the tail of the bank, from which we are no wiser, unless it is Scotch for Lands End, will you please explain when you write.

I hope you are enjoying warmth by this time, we have had hard frosts for about ten days with occasional biting East winds, and now it has begun to snow. Henry has taken to skating in the most vigorous manner and has been to the round pond sometimes before breakfast, he has been with Julia and Jack sometimes too.

We went to "Lear" at the Lyceum yesterday afternoon, Granny Chaplin gave us tickets for Mama Ulla and me, we thought its splendid, much the best thing I have seen Irving in and the grouping and scenery were perfectly lovely, the people clapped one of the scenes all by itself, it was one of those of Dover cliffs where Edgar comes on alone, but the scene was clapped before anyone came on. The audience were not generally very appreciative - perhaps the evening audiences are more so, but certainly yesterday several laughed at the pathetic parts, particularly some people just in front of us, and Ulla and I had to poke them, to make them be quiet, till Ulla hit on the brilliant expedient of kicking their chairs from underneath. I think they had come to improve their minds with Shakespeare and were much bored, very aggravating. It is a very good all-round caste only I don't think Terriss makes a very good Edgar, and I thought Miss Terry acted rather much to the audience, though she looked lovely and perhaps Cordelia would have been rather taken up with herself and have posed about.

Mama went to see Mrs Gregory last week - she is very ill they don't think she can get well, and she wouldn't have Gregory told before he went away. The Bradshaws sent a pretty sketch of hers with New Year wishes from New South Wales, I expect it must have started before they heard your journey. Ulla and I went to the private view of the Old Masters at Burlington House yesterday morning. Aunt Mary sent us the tickets, they have some very good things there, but we could not stay very long as we had to be back rather early for the theatre. There are good many very interesting watercolours by the Marchioness of Waterford, she is only lately dead and must have been wonderfully clever, they are very rough and sketchy but very spirited and well coloured.

In the evening we had people to dinner, so we were pretty well full up yesterday. Ralph has started a clarionet - it has rather pretty tone but has a very powerful sound, and what with two flutes and piano and singing as well, Aunt Harriet thinks they had better look out for a detached house on account of the neighbours. The lease of their house is up in May, so they are looking out for one, Uncle Frederic has a fatal tendancy towards West Kensington

You're loving child

Audrey Chaplin.


15/1/93
3 Aubrey Road, Holland Park.
Dear Papa

In my chemistry I got 115 out of 115 for the term’s work and exam together; and 40 out of 115 for physics, term and exam work taken together. They do not give out the separate marks for exam, lab etc., but only in one. This term I have been converting the silver I got last term, into silver nitrate, I think I shall make over a pound of nitrate and as AgNO3 is at about 5/- an ounce, it will mean about £3-10 for the Institute for of course we pay for the silver we use and I don't think it will have cost the Institute more than 10/- from first to last.

Yesterday the Ayrton's gave the first of their at homes. They are going to give them every Saturday evening which is awfully jolly. There were lots of people and after supper most of the old people went and we had some dancing. The people who came where Profs. Fitzgerald and Perry, Mrs Perry, Miss Hartog, Mrs Marks, Miss Bell, the elder Miss Joseph, Isabel and Ralph, two Institute men and about half a dozen other people whose names I don't know. I went with Mama, Audrey stayed at home because she had a little cold which she got going to a bal poudré on Thursday; you can't think how different she looked with her hair powdered -- the hairdresser took nearly two hours doing it

Good-bye from
Your affectionate son
H. A. Chaplin