The hidden manuscript of Lady Mary Wortley Montagu’s Turkish Embassy Letters

When Lady Mary Wortley Montagu - a famous society woman - died in 1762, she left behind a manuscript of letters written during her time Turkey. They contained first-hand observations of life in a Muslim country, from the position of women to early forms of vaccination. Despite her family’s best efforts, they were published the following year, causing a sensation. But how did they make it into print? In this illustrated talk, Emma Yandle, Curator & Collections Manager at Chawton House, follows the trail from a Reverend in Rotterdam, to a publisher on the Strand, and a little-known manuscript held by Camden Local Studies and Archives Centre.