The Vardill Society

The Vardill Society was founded to promote the study of the literary works of Anna Jane Vardill (1781-1852). Its primary objective is to gather Vardill’s published and unpublished works into a readily accessible digital resource.

Most of Vardill’s published poetry and prose appeared in the European Magazine between 1809 and 1822. Copies of this magazine are held by several major libraries, and digital scans are available through HathiTrust. Vardill’s prolific contributions are, however, scattered throughout numerous volumes and identified only by the initial “V.” The Vardill Society has brought these works together in one online resource.

From 1813 Vardill was an enthusiastic contributor to the Attic Chest literary circle hosted by William Porden and his daughter Eleanor Anne. Most of the Attic Chest submissions have been preserved as part of the Gell Collection held by the Derbyshire Record Office. With the help of the DRO, the Society has transcribed these materials and made them available on the Attic Chest website.

A number of Vardill’s unpublished stories are held by the Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections (MASC) of the Washington State University Libraries. With the permission of MASC, transcriptions of the manuscripts have been added to this website.

For more information about the activities of the Society, and for announcements, short notes, and book reviews, please refer to The Vardill Journal, our companion website.