The family of Sir Edward Elgar is delighted to have bought a large collection of previously unrecorded handwritten letters from the composer to his personal friend, Dr Charles Buck of Settle, in order to present them to the Elgar Museum for the enjoyment of future generations. The purchase was made with the assistance of the MLA/V&A Purchase Grant Fund.

This private collection of 83 previously unrecorded handwritten letters from the famous English composer, Sir Edward Elgar (1857-1934) and 11 postcards and greetings cards sent to a personal friend of Elgar, Dr Charles Buck of Settle, between 1883 – 1932 has sold at Tennants, North Yorkshire for £11,000.

The letters were encased in a tin trunk which was stenciled in white with the name Dr. C.H. Buck, a local Settle-based confidant and friend of Sir Edward Elgar. These treasures had been in the vendor’s family for some decades, having been inherited from Buck’s daughter.  Elgar and Buck were friends from a young age and the correspondence covers a 50-year period from 1883 to 1932, although most of it was written in the 1880’s and 1890’s.

Some of them included musical scores and the subjects they covered included the welfare of his dog, Scrap, his fluctuating financial situation, his musical highs and lows, aspects of his social life and also his ailments and irritations.

In January 1884 Elgar wrote “I was sorely disappointed at not going to town – but it’s no use going there to sit in the house all day – I have no money – not a cent – and I am sorry to say have no prospects of any” .  He went on to say “It seems to me that the only person who is an utter failure in this miserable world is myself”.

In July 1886 he wrote “Went to a large pic-nic last week; high jinks, a sequestered spot by the river 9 miles out.  I helped to boil the kettle, etc, etc, flirting (out of practice), dancing (stiff in the joints) etc, etc”.

The letters, written on a variety of headed notepapers, were posted from various addresses, especially the Worcestershire area where he lived, and also places to which Elgar travelled.  Some were posted from White Star liners when the composer was travelling.

Because Dr Buck was such a close personal friend, this archive of letters (which has been held privately by Dr Buck’s descendants) gives a valuable insight into the life of Britain’s most eminent composer.

The auctioning of the letters formed part of Tennants Summer Book Sale and they were estimated to bring £8,000 to £12,000. 

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