Page 291 - Life of Gertrude Bell

Biographical Note
Gertrude Bell seldom dated her letters, apart from reference to the day
of the week on which they were written. Fortunately her parents,
sisters and brothers kept many of their envelopes so that in the selected
correspondence published by members of the family accurate chrono­
logy was possible. Many hundreds of letters in the possession of the
University libraries at Newcastle upon Tyne and Durham cannot be
dated with certainty, however, though in 1966 Winifred Cotterill
Donkin catalogued the correspondence at the former institution with
considerable ingenuity so that it is possible to use previously unpub­
lished letters in the context of Gertrude’s known journeys and activities
with reasonable assurance. Even so, months and years are often in
doubt and in the following notes no attempt is made to date the corres­
pondence except where necessary for identification. The letters pub­
lished over the years by Lady Bell, Lady Richmond and Miss Elizabeth
Burgoyne are given in date order and are readily accessible, and those
in the University library of Newcastle upon Tyne can be traced with
reference to Miss Donkin’s list. Correspondence with Sir Valentine
Chirol and Colonel Frank and Lady Frances Balfour is kept in the
Oriental Section of the Durham University Library, as are the papers
of Sir Gilbert Clayton.

Abbreviations

FAMILY
FB Florence Bell
GLB Gertrude Bell
HB Hugh Bell

PERSONAL CORRESPONDENCE
BL letters published by Lady Bell in The Fetters of Gertrude Bell,
second one-volume edition, 1974.