Letters from John Wain to Marianne Uffenheimer, his first wife
A group of letters and 2 postcards from John Wain to Marianne Uffenheimer, his first wife. Also present is a Christmas card signed by 'Margaret', most likely Wain's sister Margaret Gordon Barnett.
- Folder 1: Letters and a picture postcard, 3 Jun 1943-10 Apr 1944, n.d., addressed to M. Uffenheimer at St Hilda's College, Oxford, or Bangor, North Wales. Among these are letters with Wain's whimsical drawings and affectionate nicknames, Angel/Angel Cat for Marianne and Owl for Wain.
- Folder 2: Letters and a postcard, 20 Jun 1944-25 Apr 1945, addressed to M. Uffenheimer at Colwyn Bay (home) or Northampton (where she worked as a teacher). Some letters include Wain's whimsical drawings (including a self-portrait) and mention the Mandrake magazine, which John Wain founded with Arthur Boyars.
- Folder 3: Letters and a postcard, Apr 1946-29 Dec 1947, n.d. The last dated letter is addressed to Mrs M. Wain. Also present is a Christmas card from 'Margaret'.
Dates
- Creation: 1943-1947
Extent
1 box
Language of Materials
- English
Preferred Citation
Oxford, Bodleian Libraries [followed by shelfmark and folio or page reference, e.g. MS. 7081].
Shelfmark:
MS. 7081
Collection ID (for staff)
CMD ID 7081
Abstract
Letters from John Wain to Marianne Uffenheimer, his first wife, 1943-1947, n.d.
Biographical / Historical
John Barrington Wain (1925-1994) was a writer and poet. For further details of his life and work see the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.
Marianne Uffenheimer, also known as Urmston (b 1924) was John Wain's first wife. They married on 4 July 1947 and divorced in 1956 or 1957. She was a teacher in Northampton.
Arrangement
Many of the letters are not dated. They are preserved in the order they came to the Bodleian. Letters that came with their envelopes, thus postmarked, are part of this sequence.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Purchased from Maggs Bros., February 2013.
Bibliography
- Wain, John, Sprightly running: part of an autobiography (London: Macmillan, 1962)
- Wain, John, Professing poetry (London: Macmillan, 1977)
- Title
- Catalogue of letters from John Wain to Marianne Uffenheimer, his first wife
- Status
- Published
- Author
- Margaret Czepiel
- Date
- 2026
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Edition statement
- First edition
Repository Details
Part of the Bodleian Libraries Repository
Weston Library
Broad Street
Oxford OX1 3BG United Kingdom
specialcollections.enquiries@bodleian.ox.ac.uk