The records here have been divided into three sections – copies of works of Byron, poetry and material relating to Byron, and poetry relating to other people. The first section has been arranged chronologically by the date when the original poem was written. The other sections have been arranged chronologically by the date they were produced,

With some exceptions, the majority of these are manuscript copies – hands have been identified where possible.

First lines are given in brackets after the title of the poem. ‘Lord Byron: Complete poetical works’, edited by Jermone McGann, has been used in some of the following descriptions. Where the title of the poem on the manuscript differs form that in McGann, the McGann title has been given in square brackets.

Copies of works of Byron

Manuscript copy of ‘Lines Inscribed upon a cup Formed from a Skull’ (“Start not! Nor deem my spirit fled…”) by Byron, possibly in the hand of Augusta Leigh, dated 14 August 1811, [watermark 1809]: folios 1-2;

Manuscript copy of ‘Parody on Sir W. Jones’s translation from Hafix [Hafiz]’ (Bar Maid, if for this shilling white” by Byron, in an unidentified hand, undated [?late 19th century]: folios 3-4;

Manuscript copy of poem addressed “To Bd” (‘“Remember thee” nay - doubt it not…’) by Byron, possibly in the hand of John Murray [II], 1813: folio 5;

Manuscript copy of ‘Devil’s Drive’, (“The Devil returned to Hell by two…”) by Byron, in an unidentified hand, with notes comparing the published and unpublished versions, annotated with ‘belonging to Ld Lovelace’, and with note originally pinned to folio 9, undated [?late 19th century]: folios 6-14;.

Manuscript copy in an unidentified hand and three typescript copies ‘Magdalen’ (“The hour is come, of darkness and of dread…”) by Byron, 1939 and undated: folios 15-18;

Manuscript copy of ‘Julian’ (“The night came o’er the waters…”) by Byron, possibly in the hand of Augusta Leigh, dated 12 December 1814, but date likely copied from original manuscript [watermark 1817], and annotation dated 1844: folios 19-20;   Manuscript copy of ‘Progress of beauty’ (“Eighteen in years and eager to behold…”) by Byron, possibly in the hand of Augusta Leigh, dated 18 September 1815, but date likely copied, possibly incorrectly, from original manuscript [watermark 1817], and annotation dated 1845: folio 21;

Manuscript copy of ‘Question and Answer’ (“Nose and chin would shame a knocker…”) on Samuel Rodgers by Byron, in an unidentified hand, with an annotation of John Cam Hobhouse, later annotations in pencil, and annotated wrapper, 1818, 1930: folios 22-24;

Manuscript copy of ‘My Boy Hobbie O’ [entitled ‘New Song’ in McGann] (“How came you in Hob’s pound to cool…”) by Byron in an unidentified hand, dated 23 March 1820 but date probably copied from original manuscript [watermark 1812]: folio 25;

Manuscript copy of lines 16-101 from the Fragment of the third part of ‘Deformed Transformed’ by Byron in an unidentified hand, 1885: folios 26-31;

Poem entitled ‘To a sad dog’ (Now snarl, and tell me, is’t no shame…”), in an unidentified hand, annotated in pencil ‘Lord Byron – copied from MS at Malta’, undated: folios 32-33;



Poetry and material relating to Byron

Manuscript copy of ‘Lines to Harold’ of Granville Penn, with accompanying note regarding ‘Granville Penn, Esq, original lines and translations dated Stoke Park, 1812’, written after reading ‘Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage’, 1812-1815: folios 34-42;

Manuscript entitled ‘Lamento di Torquato Tasso’ in Italian, in an unidentified hand, apparently sent to Byron in Venice, undated, watermarked 1812 [?1817]: folios 43-46;

Unsigned note addressed ‘To the editor of Lord Byron’s Works’ regarding the text of ‘Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage’ and highlighting an inaccuracy in a recent edition, [watermark 1832]: folio 47;

Manuscript transcriptions of letters in Italian relating to Byron in the Bologna state archives, undated: folios 48-65;   Ms.43355 Continued.

Poetry relating to other people

Manuscripts copies of poems, including ‘To the Cuckoo’, ‘To Tranquility’, ‘The tears of the cruets on the taxing of salt and vinegar’, and ‘The Moss Rose’, with one apparently original composition, marked at the beginning as ‘Written by Miss Anne Isabella Milbanke at 12 years’, with an annotation on folio 66 stating ‘Collections of pieces of poetry found amongst Lord Byron’s papers’, ?1804-1807: folios 66-73;

Manuscripts probably in the hand of Lady Byron consisting of poems including ‘On the early death of Elizabeth, daughter of George and Julia Smith 1806’,‘To the Right Honourable Lord Lowther at Cambridge, 1807’; ‘A Toast’ and ‘The fair defended’, 1806-1807: folios 74-77;

Manuscript copies of a number of poems, some apparently referring to John Cam Hobhouse, including ‘To the tune of unfortunate Miss Bailey’ (“Ben like a lark from Dunstable…”), ‘On our friend’s anxiety to surrender himself to the Usher of the Black Rod’ (“At Westminster, Hobhouse…”), a quotation from ‘Hamlet’, and two untitled poems beginning “so you think Jack Sandison…” and “Verse one could all that Bard could Wish…”, in an unidentified hand, undated [watermark 1811]: folios 78-79;

Manuscript poem entitled ‘Translation from a romance of Gongora’ (“As near Marbella’s winding strand…”), in an unidentified hand, undated [watermark 1812]: folios 80-81.