Like many historical novelists, Margaret Elphinstone carries out extensive research on the subjects on which she plans to write. These papers demonstrate that she pursues her research to academic levels and beyond: corresponding with, and interviewing, experts in very specialised fields; reading widely; attending conferences and courses and - to some extent - trying to experience for herself what her characters’ lives would ‘feel’ like. The file headings alone indicate the depth and breadth of her research work. Therefore, while this collection does comprise a lot of copies of secondary source material, the notes, correspondence and drafts show something of the creative process.

Some incomplete drafts of the novel were re-used as printing paper for research material, these are noted in the file descriptions where they occur. It could be argued that the fact that these drafts survive almost by accident tells us something about the great importance of research and factual accuracy to this writer. This practical re-use of early drafts of the novel also indicates that research work and creative writing were happening in tandem. The correspondence reveals that Margaret Elphinstone sought expert opinion on draft sections of the book as it was taking shape.