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A Wordsworth Family Notebook is a faithful recreation of the original notebook used by William Wordsworth, his sister Dorothy and his wife Mary. All three wrote in it, and their hands run together on the page – Dorothy and Mary were collaborators in the work, not copyists.
Like the notebook, this Hurtwood New Original™ is a collaboration: it was instigated by John Armitage, who generously provided funding to the Wordsworth Trust for its publication; the decision to focus on this particular notebook originated with Dr Ruth Abbott of St John’s College, Cambridge, an expert on the Wordsworth family notebooks, who has edited, transcribed and introduced the work; and it is published by the Wordsworth Trust, owner of the notebook and custodian of the wider Wordsworth family archive.
The original manuscript is presented as a beautifully produced facsimile, accompanied by a transcription volume by Dr Ruth Abbott, allowing readers to explore both the physical object and its remarkable contents.
Every surface of the original was photographed by Maciej Pawlikowski, Head of the Cultural Heritage Imaging Laboratory at Cambridge University Library. Working from scans of the original manuscript, the Hurtwood team sourced historically appropriate materials and brought the pages to life in print, using everything from the latest digital advances to fifteenth-century printing processes to recreate a late eighteenth-century handwritten text.
Working alongside us, our bookbinding partners replicated the original binding and gently aged the notebook until it all felt right – the texture of the paper, the weight in the hand, the look and character of each volume. Every detail has been carefully considered.
The transcription volume was designed by Humphrey Stone and typeset in Bulmer, a typeface cut in the 1790s, when the Wordsworths first began using the notebook. Each set carries a signed limitation sheet.
A Wordsworth Family Notebook is produced by Hurtwood and will be published by the Wordsworth Trust in a limited edition of 300 copies in Autumn 2026.
Details:
Size: 123 x 195mm
Pages: Notebook 192pp, transcription 172pp
Transcription: Dr Ruth Abbott of St John’s College, Cambridge
Design: Humphrey Stone
Transcription layout: Seb Lansdowne, Hurtwood
Reprography, pre-press and print production: Roger Jones, Hurtwood
Bookbinding: Ludlow Bookbinders
William Wordsworth is celebrated as one of Britain’s greatest poets, renowned for his writing on the Lake District, rural life and the natural world. Less well known is the way he worked: continually revising, refining and returning to earlier manuscripts.
Dorothy Wordsworth, William’s sister, wrote much of the notebook in her own hand. More than a copyist, she was an active collaborator, helping shape passages and working closely with her brother as poems evolved on the page.
Mary Wordsworth, William’s wife, also contributed to the notebook, adding poems, notes and annotations throughout. Together, William, Dorothy and Mary created a manuscript that reflects a genuinely collaborative way of writing, each contributing to its creation and development.
Fittingly, it is Dorothy’s initials, not William’s, that are stamped in gold on the notebook’s lower cover.
We are a small team working from a limited space. We will always do our best to attend to your order promptly and will communicate if, for some reason, your delivery is delayed.
Your item will be shipped using Royal Mail 48 and orders will be dispatched as soon as they are ready, separately from any other item you might order. We aim to deliver your item within the following times:
UK: 1-2 weeks
Europe: 2-4 weeks
Rest of World: 2-4 weeks
Lead times quoted are given in good faith. Where any delay occurs, we will notify you by email as soon as possible.If the delivery time frame has passed and you’re still waiting for something from your order, please get in touch with us at [email protected] , and we’ll investigate for you.
Please be aware that customers in the EU may be liable for local taxes upon receiving this item.
If your product arrives damaged please contact us at [email protected] with images of the damaged item. We will then offer you an exchange or full refund.
Unfortunately we cannot offer an exchange or refund for other reasons.
