Catalogue description Josephine Butler to Stanley Butler

Photocopy of letter. Written from Villars sur Aigle. 1896 is written in another hand but letter refers to Mme Renevier of Lausanne who died on 2 Feb 1896. 'Mme Renevier of Lausanne has asked me to pay her a visit in her pretty house, and I have accepted'

Weather had been dreadful. On one of the few fine days Josephine had travelled from Montreux to Villars where she enjoyed the fresh mountain air, but the mists came down again in the afternoon. She visited some ladies in a nearby chalet belonging to Lady Henry Somerset. 'Lady Henry is not there'. She has accepted an invitation to stay with Mme Reneviers in her pleasant house in Lausanne (see letter of 17 Jun [1895], Josephine Butler to Stanley Butler).

'I am so sorry to hear such a sad account of Aimee Chapman'. Aimee had recently lost her little boy.

For Mme Reneviers see 'In Memoriam' notice in the 'Dawn' of Feb 1896 p 5: 'She passed away on Sunday morning Feb the 2nd at her own home near Lausanne after 4 months illness'

Also in the letter dated 17 Jun [1895] from Josephine Butler to Stanley Butler she speaks of her visit to Mme Renevier from whose house she writes: 'Do you remember coming here with me and Stuart, and the Stansfelds and Mrs Ashurst were here?'

James Stansfeld married Caroline, one of the 4 daughters of Mr WH Ashurst who was 'an outspoken advocate of the political and social equality of the sexes'

Aimee Chapman was a daughter of Emily (Josephine Butler's youngest sister) by her 1st husband William De Pledge. There were 3 children by this marriage. W de Pledge died in 1860 and Emily married Jasper Bolton her 2nd husband in 1861.

Aimee de Pledge married Mr Chapman. Their 1st child, a son, was born in 1888 and died 1895. (See letters of Josephine Butler to Rhoda dated 29 Jan 1895 and Josephine Butler to Stanley dated 20 Feb 1895).

Biog: Lady Henry Somerset, Mme Renevier, The Stansfelds, Mrs Ashurst, Mr Dymock, Aimee Chapman