Cornish poet’s love letters unearthed

As part of the Archive Awareness Campaign, an ongoing celebration of archives and their treasures, the University is marking ‘lover’s day’ by showcasing Valentine cards from the poet to his wife.

The famous poet was born in Goonmarris Slip in the heart of the clay country, in 1916 and was the son of an illiterate clay-kiln worker. Although he came from a humble background, had several periods of complete blindness as a child and left school at age twelve, Clemo was a prolific writer, who later in life became permanently blind and almost deaf but still managed to become nationally recognised for his poetry and prose.

Clemo was deeply religious and fervently believed it was God’s will for him to marry; however he didn’t find true love until he reached his early 50’s when he met and married Ruth Peaty, a laundry woman from Weymouth. In finding love, Clemo was also able to rediscover a lighter side to life and his poetry. His love for Ruth and self-expression through his poetry, and his mischievous wit, are encapsulated in the little Valentine’s cards he composed each year for his ‘sweet little Pixie’.

This Valentines comes chirping
Amid a roar of mail
But it will reach dear Pixie’s heart
And warm it without fail.

Following the death of his wife, Clemo bequeathed these delightful cards and personal documents to his archive of literary papers at University of Exeter. His relationship with the University goes back to the 1970’s when Special Collections bought a few of his literary note books; and later in 1981 he received an honorary doctorate. Amongst Jack Clemo’s personal papers which have recently been catalogued, are the diaries in which he documented the many hardships in his life. His correspondence, especially the Valentine’s cards provide a welcome contrast showing the joy he experienced and could express in the written word.

Helen Jones, Special Collections Project Archivist, University of Exeter said, ‘I hope that these sweet, very personal, little cards will serve as a reminder of what can be expressed with just a small sheet of paper, a little imagination and a lot of love’.

Jack Clemo’s personal papers are being catalogued alongside those of seven other authors as part of a National Cataloguing Grants Scheme funded project.

The catalogues will be searchable online and can be accessed via the Special Collections website and visitors interested in the card should contact the archive curator libspc@exeter.ac.uk or on 01392 263 879.