2 volumes of handwritten copies of letters written by Mrs Susanna Molesworth Phillips (nee Burney) to her sister, Fanny Burney relating to family affairs but also containing some contemporary social and political comment, especially concerning the 1798 United Irishmen rebellion, 1787-1799.

The following is a selection of some of the material which is available. Volume 1 includes, for example:

A letter from Mrs Susanna Molesworth Phillips to her sister, Fanny Burney which notes, 'my anticipation of seeing my dear children again made my heart dance - They were in bed dear little souls, and fast asleep - all but their nurse ran out to meet and welcome my (then) unexpected arrival - I hastened into the nursery...After hearing a very comfortable account of them, and desiring Anne would let me know if either of them awakened before I went to bed, I went down to tea, which was my supper and whilst I was at it my little wakeful Nordia [her son, Norbury] was brought to me by Anne - His eyes were but opening, and he looked at me with a kind of suspicious surprise as I held out my arms to him - but the moment he heard my voice, he threw himself into my arms, and cried out "Mama in a Coach - Mama come home"', 23 September 1787, page 181.

A letter from Mrs Susanna Molesworth Phillips to her sister, Fanny Burney which notes, 'nothing could be sweeter nor more happy than both the little souls who in having Mama for a companion and nurse all day - and for my own part, tho' sometimes a little tired, I could almost wished to have another employment', 12 October 1787, page 203.

Volume 2, includes, for example:

A letter from Mrs Susanna Molesworth Phillips to her sister, Fanny Burney, which notes, 'I called on our dear Charlotte who was just returned from Margate...she has been much distressed by the extraordinary ill conduct of her cook, who seems to have lost her head completely in the absence of her mistress - She found tho' she had given a week's notice of her return, not a room cleaned or even swept, nor a bed nor a fire made', 3 November 1795, page 44.

A letter from Mrs Susanna Molesworth Phillips to her sister, Fanny Burney which notes, 'the news had reached...of the descent of the French on our Coast near Cork...I need not tell you I had no very refreshing sleep that night but indeed no painful idea so frequently recurred as that of the shock and alarm that w[oul]d probably be felt for me by my dear Father, you, and a few more dearly loved persons. ...I looked towards the arrival of the newspapers yesterday with great anxiety: ...they came - but contained no accounts whatever - many contradictory and vague ones - but these gave me some pleasure by persuading me that the landing had not been effected - happily the people in the south are s[ai]d to be very loyal and well disposed - cd. this attack have been made northward of us, there would have been great and obvious reasons for terror', 30 December 1796, page 135.

A letter from Mrs Susanna Molesworth Phillips to her sister, Fanny Burney which includes a description of Termonfeckin Church, 'the church is warm, containing about 5 large pews for the gentlemen's families about...6 or 7 other for the farmers and poor people - the clergyman is a well looking young man but a wretched preacher, with a vile pronunciation tho' no considerable brogue', 15 January 1797, page 138.

A letter from Mrs Susanna Molesworth Phillips, Belcotton to her sister, Fanny Burney which notes, 'Notwithstanding all my apprehensions of being unfairly dealt by in these days of my exile, from too great solitude to spare me, I feel I s[houl]d be too ungrateful were I not to thank you for having concealed y[ou]r intention of inoculating our little darling, and saved me the knowledge of his and your sufferings whilst they lasted, for the anxiety wd have been trebled by the distance w[hi]ch separates us', 24 March 1797, page 42.

A letter from Mrs Susanna Molesworth Phillips to her sister, Fanny Burney which notes, 'Dublin is very quiet, there has been no attempt at Tumult since I have been in it notwithstanding the executions which are daily going on, and w[hi]ch at first created a good deal of alarm, and notwithstanding that the city has almost been surrounded by Rebels, who have fled and concealed themselves on the approach of the military in the mountains, the vigilance of Government and the activity of the yeomanry have been admirable',30 July 1798, page 162.

A letter from Mrs Susanna Molesworth Phillips to her sister, Fanny Burney which notes, 'we know here no more of the Invaders, or of L[or]d. Cornwallis and his army than if we were in America - this seems to me incomprehensible, and will probably appear yet moreso to you...I am as you will imagine very anxious for news and the ignorance we are in is as unpleasant as extraordinary. Meanwhile my own dearest Fanny we have great cause to be grateful for our present secure and undisturbed existence in this country', 8 September 1798, page 162.

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Volume 1 is indexed and includes letters from 1787-1789, with family trees for the Phillips family, c.1755-c1919 and for the Burney family, c1727-c1911 as well as press cuttings of family death notices.

Volume 2 is indexed and includes letters from 1795-1799, biographical information on family members, extracts from wills and a family tree of the Martin family, 1724-1900.