Felton mentions Sencourt's biography of Eliot.

Felton encloses (not present) Conrad's article in Illustrated London News, 14 Feb.

The enclosed memorandum explains Felton's professional charges, although the charge itself is not to hand.

The letter concerns the choice of Ronald Clark as a biographer.

"We are unlikely to obtain a better agreement with Mr. Clark than that you outline." The biography shouldn't be described as "definitive".

Felton wonders about Ronald Clark's abilities and if he should be allowed to see embargoed materials.

Edith's assessment of Ronald Clark: "He seems to be equipped with an overdose of industry and a lamentable underdose—apart from literary abilities—of sympathetic imagination and sensitiveness to human qualities and other such imponderables." She wanted Clark to see BR's memorandum "of the main difficulties that arose in his first three marriages." With regard to the embargo: "I do not think we can now break our promises to" BR that the embargo would be enforced.

With regard to what Ronald Clark will be allowed to see, Felton wonders what to do about letters owned by others. He cites Dora Russell as an example for information that may be in the letters from BR to Dora.

The letter concerns Ronald Clark's biography of Einstein being scheduled for publication.

The letter concerns Ronald Clark's biography of Einstein being scheduled for publication.

The letter concerns Ronald Clark and the draft agreement with him.

Edith comments on Ronald Clark's contract. The embargo is too broad.

The letter concerns Ronald Clark and the agreement for his biography of BR. Royalties re to be shared 75% to Clark and 25% to the Estate.

Felton states that as far as he is aware, McMaster has kept to the agreement re the separateness of embargoed material.

The letter concerns Ronald Clark. There was a unsigned contract with a typed list of embargoed people, 9 July 1971, document 314981. The contract enclosed with this letter was the final draft. It was photocopied and changes written on it in unknown hand but apparently that of Barry Feinberg. The embargoed list was also changed.

The letter concerns the Estate accounts.

Edith looks forward to seeing the Estate accounts.

The enclosed letter (document 314985A) concerns a meeting about the Estate.

"I have been giving considerable thought to the volume of my husband's fiction [The Collected Stories], and to questions which it raises.... You will remember that my husband invited you to be his executor in place of Sir Stanley Unwin in order to protect his estate from precisely such conflicts of interest.... You have announced your intention of making in perpetuity, over and above your other charges, a levy upon the estate of 10 percent." There are two early typed drafts of this letter, one undated (document 314986A) and one dated 11 March (314986B). There is also an undated handwritten draft (314986C) as well as three handwritten notes about the letter (314986D).

Edith writes very directly to Felton about her misgivings re Felton.

Felton states: "I am sorry you have been caused distress by the question of our role in regard to the Fiction Book" and as executor.

The enclosed letter is to the Collector of Taxes (document 314988A).

The enclosed are draft copies of the Estate Accounts.

The enclosed letter is from the Inland Revenue Tax Collector in Bangor (document 314991A).

Edith returns an approved invoice to Felton.

The letter requests the appointment of Ken Coates as a third literary executor, saying it was BR's wish. There are two earlier versions of this letter. One is a handwritten draft in Christopher Farley's hand with additions by Edith (document 314992). The other is a handwritten draft by Edith, 29 March (314993).

This letter is a reply to Felton's letter of 20 March (record 134927). The editing of The Collected Stories should not be paid by a percentage of royalties; a flat sum should be paid. There is also a handwritten draft of this letter (document 314995A) and some notes written on circular disk of cardboard. Edith doesn't believe the editing of letters is at all onerous.

Felton states that his fees are higher than Edith has (mis)understood.

"We have really got into quite a tangle over this problem" concerning the costs of editing The Collected Stories. Edith wrote questions on this letter.

Felton sends Edith new drafts of the Executors accounts for signature.

Edith asks if there are Estate funds to which she is entitled.

Felton will be writing to Ken Coates. The letter was written on the same day (document 315001). He tells he how much it is prudent for her to draw out.

Edith does not wish to draw out any funds any present.

The enclosed photocopied letter is from Ken Coates, 28 April (document 3145003A); the typed carbon is document 314608.

Edith is coming to London, but there are no outstanding business matters.

The enclosure is a photocopy of "a statement from Mr. Clark's Agents along with Continuum Statement."

The letter concerns the appointment of Ken Coates as Literary Executor de jure. He may be consulted but cannot be one since he wasn't appointed in BR's will.

The enclosed letters and document concern taxes.

On the difficulty of finding a formula for dividing the income between Edith and the Foundation.

Black's bill for The Collected Stories is enclosed (not present).

Felton is trying to get a response from Mr. Vaughan.

Black's bill took her by surprise. So did the costs of editing the Collected Stories of BR.

On Feinberg's work on the Collected Stories, on which Continuum has made no profit.

Edith agrees to the payment of Black's bill, although she understood it was to be paid by Feinberg or Continuum.

The enclosed is "a copy of a statement in regard to the second payment on the biography" of BR by Ronald Clark.

It is time to make a tax payment.

Felton is "delighted ... to learn of your happiness about McMaster." He will treasure her letter. The enclosed statement concerns the Clark biography payment.

The enclosed invoice is from Jack Black.

The letter concerns estate taxes and a pension for Edith.

Edith consents to payments being made. 

BR made corrections by  hand. The original letter is shown at https://wellcomecollection.org/works/yt2fy7xf/items?canvas=2 along with the typed carbon of Dr. Sargant's reply.

An extract from a letter to "the Italian occupant" of BR's flat at Russell Chambers. The name is known from Amode's letter at record 109706.

BR reported the contents of his "Italian occupant'"s letter in the third person: "saying that officers from Scotland Yard had called repeatedly at the flat and searched it from top to bottom. He says he could not prevent this, and would be thankful to know just what to do, as it gave him much trouble and annoyance." The name is known from Amode's letter at record 109706. See the extract from BR's reply at 

The raid was at BR's flat in Russell Chambers. The police were in search of copies of Rex v. Bertrand Russell. BR described the raid to Ottoline at record 18601.

"Christopher Farley has sent me his Memorandum of his meeting with you on 12 March." The Memorandum is attached; it describes a meeting on 12 March. Edith mentions the lack of progress by Felton on the Collected Edition with Blackwell and Slater. [Very little was heard from Felton, etc., on the project. K.B.] As for a microfilm of the papers, why wasn't that made before the papers were shipped to Canada? "Daily queries needing reference to the archives should be referred to Mr. Blackwell at McMaster."

"I am distressed by the muddle that has occurred concerning Lucy Russell. I can guess, though I do not know, who stirred up the hornet's nest, and how."

"[T]he embargo must stand ... we made our position clear to Ronald Clark and to Dora Russell ... any change of heart that the Vinogradoffs may have is irrelevant."

"I hope that you will soon hear from ... Professors Rotblat & Ruja." Felton had been in contact with Harry Ruja and also with Joseph Rotblat re The ABC of Atoms.

Edith favours Penguin for paperbacking the Autobiography.

The letters in this file were found in an envelope on which Edith had written: "Felton fuss about title." Most, but not all of them, concern Felton's role as literary executor and the many points of dispute and individual services his firm has performed (his letter of 1 Nov. 1973). The file also contains correspondence with Barry Feinberg, Christopher Farley and Jack Black.

Edith is concerned by "the apparently inexplicable delays that occur" in handling requests and suggestions.
 

Edith is replying to Black's letter of 16 April re remuneration of literary executors (document 315076): "I was very sorry to see that Mr. Felton continues to ignore you, as he has done throughout to me, the terms of my husband's Will ... I am sure that you can imagine how distasteful I find this matter, and how I long for its resolution."

The letter concerns affidavits and the Plas Penrhyn lease.

Also in this file is a letter from Felton, 30 Jan. 1976 (document 315094) which explains that "particularly this year there is an overlap between our three clients: yourself, the Estate and the Foundation."

This file contains a series to letters to and from Anne Russell mainly concerning her financial arrangements and her husband, Ian Dryden.

The letter concerns the programme "The Passionate Involvement: Bertrand Russell and the Twentieth Century", in which Farley expresses disappointment.

This is a permissions letter. Enclosed is a photocopy of a published letter from BR to Mr. [Herbert A.] Simon, 2 November 1956, RANDom News, May 1957, p. 4.

Edith wrote: "Three cheers for Barry Feinberg!" on a note re a letter he had sent to Allen & Unwin re problems with the new BR brochure. This file contains letters to and from Feinberg concerning The Collected Stories, War Crimes in Vietnam, The Basic Writings of Bertrand Russell, and Bertrand Russell's America.

Edith's delay in replying is because she has been giving considerable thought to the preface of the fiction anthology [The Collected Stories].

The letter concerns the history of " Perplexities of John Forstice"; Feinberg "should write the preface as you think best ... Francizska Themerson's illustrations of the letters of the Good Citizen's Alphabet ... are essential."

"I am distressed, not to say horrified, by the correspondence about Dear Bertrand Russell. What do you think accounts for the paucity of sales during the last year? Re Russell's parody of Milton's sonnet: "Bertie frequently let off steam or celebrated particular occasions by writing them." Note: The sonnet is in Box 17.49, F-4. "I am very glad Dr. Lackey is continuing with his proposed book." "A beautiful precision is one of the chief characteristics, to my mind, of Bertie's own writing."

"I think that McMaster should be told, once and for all, that they agreed to the embargo and must stand by it, just as we must." (Dora Russell had enquired of McMaster about seeing her letters to BR.)

"[BR's] whole situation at the time [of World War II] must have been unspeakable—though there is little parade of his feeling in his own writing ... I think that perhaps your book does not bring into sufficient relief the dark background of suffering against which all the details of daily life ..." She is going to return the three chapters from Volume 1 of Bertrand Russell's America to him with her comments and Michael Burn's suggestions. In her letter she mentioned Chapter 14. The chapters that cover World War II are 11 to 14.

A valuable letter for what she learned and observed from BR.

"[M]ost of the mistakes you found in the anecdotes section of the 'Collected Stories' had been picked up but, because of the great rush to publish on May 18, it was impossible to get them corrected." They will be corrected in the U.S. edition. Attached to this letter is a typescript (carbon), "Mistakes in the transcription of 'Family Friends & others: Anecdotes'".

This file concerns Bertrand Russell's America, and contains photocopies of chapters 2 through 7. Document 315185 is notes by Michael Burn on them.

"I enclose Chapters 10-14 which include the various corrections and additions arising out of your and Michael Burn's comments on B.R. and World War II; as well as certain excerpts from your letter of 10 April 1972, which we have quoted ... having just returned the corrected galleys, we expect to receive book-proofs by mid-February." Note: Edith's letter of 10 April is not extant in her fonds. Corrected galley proofs of Bertrand Russell's America are in Box 17.48, F-18.

She has read "The Guided Tour of Intellectual Rubbish" and thinks "that it does a good job of presenting many of my husband's precepts without distortion—a difficult job!" She did have some reservations.

"I have finished reading your and Mr. Kasrils' book about my husband in America and have found it exceedingly interesting and delightful." Three points worry her. There is no photograph of Alys. "She seemed to me over-played-down." There is "overstress on Lucy Donnelly." (Lucy was in love with BR.) Finally she questioned why there was a photograph of her in the volume. "I meant no more to Bertie in those days than hundreds of others did, if as much." She regretted not looking at the proofs. This letter was not sent, but something like it was sent, she noted.

This letter is a revision of the draft (record 134892). In this version she indicates that "there was no good photograph of Alys." She removed "delightful", "if as much", and her regret over not reading the proofs. The finished letter can be found in Box 7.47 (record 122790).

"I am delighted to have the U.S.A. edition of The Collected Stories and to see how well they have published it, free of most of the errors that we noted in the British edition." Three errors remain. She thanks him for sending Brian Carr's typescript.

For Feinberg: "Comments on Brian Carrl's book for Sixth Formers"—"the proposed title seems to me too dry and dull." (document 315208a). Its published title was Bertrand Russell: an Introduction.

For Farley, handwritten notes on Brian Carr's book. (315208B).

The instalment of Bertrand Russell's America he sent her "re-awoke memories and all the hot passions of those doings and controversies of the 50's." Edith wrote her comments on the Feinberg draft pages.

The letter concerns Brian Carr's book. Edith "feels that we are not called upon to determine whether the book is fitted for the readers for whom Carr intends it, but only whether the book presents the material fairly."

Note: F-12 contains the correspondence between Barry Feinberg and Christopher Farley. Document 315230  has extensive notes on a meeting between Feinberg and Farley, 15 October 1970.

The letter concerns The ABC of Atoms. Roblat edited the text but got stuck on a few points that require more extensive changes.

Ruja is mailing his typescript of the Bertrand Russell Hearst essays. It was published as Mortals and Others in 2 volumes.

Replying to BR's letter of 1964/11/23, Anderson graciously declines to appear at the BRPF's festival.

Arrau declines to appear for the BRPF because of prior bookings.

Bernstein declines to appear for the BRPF because his schedule doesn't permit it. "I wish you every success." The year is uncertain.

Written on the telegram is "Woburn Concert File".

Boulanger declines BR's invitation on the ground that she is not a performer and her schedule is already tight from February to October.

Written on the letter is "Woburn Concert File".

Replying to BR's letter of 1964/11/23, Kraus is "thrilled and honoured to play for your Peace Foundation...."

Written on the letter is "Woburn Concert File".

Replying to BR's letter of 1964/11/23, Goodman states his plans for 1965 do not include being in Europe.

Written on the letter is "Woburn Concert File".

Replying to BR's letter, Giulini states his plans for 1965 have room for new bookings: "very happy to help".

Written on the letter is "Woburn Concert File".

Replying to BR's letter of 1964/11/23, Klemperer "would have welcomed an opportunity to show my sympathy with your programme of work".

Written on the letter is "Woburn Concert File".

Replying to BR's letter of 1964/11/23, Igor Oistrakh states his plans for 1965 do not bring him to Britain. He would like "to appear for our wonderful cause".

Written on the letter is "Concert".

Replying to BR's letter of 1964/11/23, David Oistrakh states his plans for 1965 were ruined by illness. He would have liked to appear. With the letter is a typed translation of the original Russian.

Replying to BR's letter of 1965/05/27, Richter states that the only possible day for his participation in the festival is 21 June.

Replying to BR's letter of 1964/11/23, Sutherland states that she is fully occupied during her 6 weeks in England in May and June but sends her best wishes for the success of the Arts Festival.

The letter is annotated "Woburn Concert File".

Violinist Sigeti states that he no longer plays in public and therefore cannot lend his services to the Arts Festival at Woburn Abbey.

The letter is annotated "Woburn Concert File".

Pianist  Fou is sorry that the plans for a musical festival this year didn't work out and wishes the BRPF better luck in 1966. He looks forward to playing.

Fou tells BR that his father [Fu Lei] translated many of BR's works into Chinese.

The enclosed ad is annotated "Concert". Fou Ts'ong was to play a BRPF benefit performance with Mistislav Rostropovich on 26 July 1965.

Farley complains about Richard Seaver, who has not come through with the advance on BR's America.

The sales figures in sterling and dollars are of considerable interest, covering 1970-72.

Feinberg and Felton like Farley's idea of a collection of BR's writings on history.

On Jack Pitt and the idea of a new edition of Human Knowledge.