Preface

• "'Cast out from respectability a while': Anne Murray Halkett's Life in the Manuscripts."
• 'A hole in the manuscript big enough to put your finger through': the misframing of Anne Murray Halkett's autobiography."
• About this etext edition

John Gough Nichols's Preface (pp. i-xxi)

Anne Halkett's and Simon Couper's prefaces

Anne Murray's childhood and adolescence; her relationship with her mother (pp. 1-3)

She acquiesces in Thomas Howard's pursuit of her, and is later humiliated by his disregard and marriage to someone else (pp. 3-19)

She helps Joseph Bampfield rescue the young James, Duke of York (pp. 19-24)

She bethroths herself to Joseph Bampfield, 8 months of living together as married couple (?) (pp. 24-27)

Her brother Will banished from Stuart court, dies; Bampfield in hiding and then imprisoned (pp. 27-30)

In danger in London, she goes to live with Anne Howard in Cumberland (pp. 30-36)

Her reputation now damaged, she's sexually harassed and distrusted, but cannot determine where to go (pp. 36-52)

Her brother-in-law duels with Bampfield; she resolves to obey Bampfield's advice to join friends in Scotland (pp. 52-56)

Fife: she prevails upon Charles II to show her affectionate respect; accepted as a member of the Earl of Dunfermline's household, she heads further north (pp. 56-62)

Anne nurses soldiers wounded at Dunbar (pp. 62-64)

Bampfield comes to Fyvie to renew their relationship; they agree to live apart until they have incontrovertible proof his wife is dead (pp. 64-66)

Nearly two years at Fyvie, Aberdeen (pp. 66-72)

Edinburgh: Anne intrigues with Scots Royalists (on behalf of Bampfield?); she begins a lawsuit, meets James Halkett (pp. 72-77)

She leaves to visit Anne Howard; Bampfield intercepts her in Roxburghe, and persuades her to return to Edinburgh (pp. 77-78)

Anne becomes Sophia Moray's companion; she tells James Halkett she's bethrothed to Bampfield (pp. 78-79)

Amid Royalist politicking and plans, Sophia Moray dies so Anne Murray must move to separate lodgings; now Bampfield heads further north (pp. 80-84)

Alone and confronted by Halkett with documentary evidence that Bampfield's wife is alive, she acknowledges her "misfortune", (pp. 84-86)

Anne enables Alexander and Anna Mackenzie Lindsay to escape and tries to save their books from destruction; another period of psychosomatic illness (pp. 86-88)

She gradually recovers; wooed by James Halkett, she agrees to become his two daughters' governess (pp. 88-90)

Halkett persuades Anne to hear arguments she can marry him with her mind at ease; gradually she agrees she might do so if first she goes to London to rid herself of her debt (pp. 90-95)

London: her sister welcomes her; she is arrested for debt; visited by Bampfield, she ends relationship by giving a false impression he pretends to believe (pp. 95-100)

She borrows money to settle a large part of her debt, marries Halkett, and resumes close relationship with his youngest daughter (pp. 100-105)

Edinburgh: through her connection to Margaret Howard Boyle, she attempts to help Halkett avoid serving in Cromwell's government (pp. 105-107)

Meditations (pp. 109-116)