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Archive of the Macirone Family

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The Macirone Family archive consists of correspondence between the Macirone family and of the Macirone family with extended relatives and family friends. There are also diaries and journals, family history scrapbooks and born digital transcriptions of the Macirone family’s correspondence by Patricia Neate.

The correspondence covers from a decade prior to George and Mary Ann’s marriage, 1807, to the adulthood of George Augustus’ children, 1954, but the largest concentration of correspondence consists of letters during 1846-1850 between George, Mary Ann, Clara, Emily and George Augustus Macirone, particularly during George Macirone’s stays at Northampton Lunatic Asylum and Heigham Hall in Norwich.

There are also a number of letters between George Macirone and his brother, Francis Macirone, prior to the latter’s death in 1846 as well as letters sent to Mary Ann from her sister Clara Warne and other members of the Warne Family between 1833-1861 and her brothers George Perriman and Edward Perriman between 1841-1863 and 1843-1864 respectively. From 1878 onwards there are also letters to and from George Augustus’ children, particularly his daughter, Catharine.

The personal diaries cover several topics, including daily agendas, George Augustus' engineering notes and reminiscences. The family history scrapbooks include information on the Macirones. The history of the family of Mary Macirone (nee Fortescue) is also included in scrapbooks on the Fortescue and Knottesford families, with material included from 1584, pre-dating the principal members of the Macirone family in this archive. There is also a small number of miscellaneous papers.

The born-digital material includes transcriptions of the family’s letters, information on the content and transcription of diaries, a chronological account of the family’s life and Patricia Neate’s as yet unpublished book on the Macirone Family.

Dates

  • Creation: 1584-2016

Extent

1.54 Linear metres (14 physical shelfmarks; 1 digital shelfmark)

Language of Materials

  • English
  • French
  • German

English, some letters in French and German

Preferred Citation

Oxford, Bodleian Libraries, [followed by shelfmark, e.g. MS. 11904/1; MS. 11904 Digital]

Please see our help page for further guidance on citing archives and manuscripts.

Full range of shelfmarks:

MSS. 11904/1-13; MS. 11904 Digital

Collection ID (for staff)

CMD ID 11904

Abstract

Correspondence and papers of the Macirone Family, principally George Macirone (1788-1858), his wife Mary Ann Macirone (1791-1869) nee Perriman, and their three children, Clara Macirone (1821-1914), Emily Macirone (1821-1888) and George Augustus Macirone (1834-1910) with born-digital transcriptions of their letters and diaries by Patricia Neate.

Biographical / Historical

George Macirone, (1788-1858), the son of Pietro Macirone and Mary Macirone (nee Wildsmith), was born in London and educated at Old Hall Green and St. Edmund’s College, Ware, and later worked for Pietro’s banking and export business. He married Mary Ann Perriman (1796-1869) in 1818, after ten years of separation following their initial meeting. In 1846 George admitted himself to the Norwich Lunatic Asylum to seek aid for his drinking, and later moved to Heigham Hall Asylum in Norwich, where he stayed until 1850.

Clara Macirone, (1821-1914) was the oldest child of George and Mary Ann Macirone (nee Perriman). A musician and composer, Clara entered the Royal Academy of Music in 1839 as a day student. Clara later played several concerts, accompanied by Johann Pischek and released choral songbooks, but spent much of her time in teaching to provide for the family during George’s illnesses.

Emily Macirone (1827-1888), the second child of George and Mary Ann. A watercolour artist, in 1842 she attended Sir Francis Chantry’s studio and studied at the National Gallery and later exhibited some of her own works at the Royal Academy. Like Clara, Emily eventually turned to teaching to provide an income for herself and the family.

George Augustus Macirone, (1834-1910) was the youngest of George and Mary Ann’s children. He studied at King’s College and Christ’s Hospital School before apprenticing as an engineer in Napier’s Shipyard in Scotland in 1852, and later worked for the Admiralty. He married Mary Fortescue in 1870. The couple had 6 children: Francis Peter, Catharine Mary, Lucy Angelica, Teresa Barbara (known as Terry), Maria Lutugarda (known as Lutu or Tootoo) and Emily Clara.

Arrangement

The arrangement of the archive within each series is largely chronological. All correspondence is arranged in chronological order, reflecting the order of Patricia Neate’s transcriptions of the letters. The family’s archive has been arranged into five series: Correspondence of the Macirone family, Personal journals and notebooks of the Macirone family, Scrapbooks and writing regarding family histories, Miscellaneous items relating to the Macirone family and born-digital material to reflect the groupings used and transcriptions produced by Patricia Neate.

Custodial History

Prior to their donation to the Bodleian Library, the family’s papers were stored in George Augustus' bureau in the possession of Mary Gordon. Upon her death the papers and the bureau passed to Francis Neate, husband of Patricia Neate. The latter transcribed the papers and used them as research for her book, 'The Macirones, a Victorian family in their own words'.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

The archive was donated to the Bodleian Library in March 2016 by Francis and Patricia Neate.

Title
Catalogue of the archive of the Macirone Family
Status
Published
Author
Finding aid prepared by Ashleigh Fowler
Date
2017
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Repository Details

Part of the Bodleian Libraries Repository

Contact:
Weston Library
Broad Street
Oxford OX1 3BG United Kingdom