2012 is the bicentenary of Lady Charlotte Guest’s birth. She settled in Wales in 1833 on marrying John Guest, Dowlais ironmaster. Remembered for her pioneer translation into English of the medieval Welsh tales, ‘The Mabinogion’, Charlotte was also an educator, mother of ten children and, when widowed, ran the vast Dowlais Iron Company. Later, as Lady Charlotte Schreiber, she became a leading collector of ceramics and fans.
Her vivid, observant journal in the National Library virtually spans the nineteenth century, providing invaluable insights into Welsh and English society, especially the obstacles and opportunities facing women. Charlotte wrote for about an hour daily. She appears indefatigable. Accounts of blast furnaces, babies with measles, esoteric research and complex translations vie with tales of Prussian travels, Eisteddfodau, London balls, young Dowlais scholars and radical politics.
Following the 1831 Merthyr Rising the Whig John Guest became Merthyr Tydfil’s first MP. Soon Chartists across Britain demanded democratic rights for all men. On 4 November 1839 they clashed with soldiers in the Newport Rising.
A fraught Christmas followed. The heavily industrialised Merthyr area now became the centre of Welsh Chartism. Rumours of further trouble were rife as Charlotte’s journal reveals. Although many local Chartists opposed violence, stories circulated that John Guest would be murdered. In a neat reversal of the usual concept of male-female protection, Charlotte wrote on 24 December that ‘I should not now like him [John - whom she nicknamed Merthyr] to be out late alone’. So she accompanied him. Two Dowlais men were imprisoned after the Newport Rising but Charlotte – with some justification – retained her faith in the Dowlais workforce.
Her Christmas Eve entry ends with another challenge to the standard image of the Victorian lady as she plays billiards – and probably wins!
Angela V. John
Professor John is co-author (with Revel Guest) of Lady Charlotte Guest. An Extraordinary Life (The History Press, 2007).
Can you tell me about Charlotte Guest’s
involvement with the speaking of Welsh in Welsh schools please?
You are very welcome to send your enquiry to the Library at enquiry@llgc.org.uk