LETTER: Not just James's house; Benson's too

Cynthia Reavell
Tuesday 26 September 1995 23:02 BST
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From Ms Cynthia Reavell

Sir: Because Lamb House in Rye was donated to the National Trust by the James family, the official emphasis remains resolutely on Henry James, with a tendency to marginalise the Benson connection.

Might I therefore correct the statement in your article on the vacant Lamb House tenancy (Weekend: "Henry James was here", 16 September) that the 6,000 annual visitors come to pay homage to Henry James?

Nowadays, well over half of these come because E. F. Benson lived there (1918-40) and set his much-loved Mapp and Lucia stories in the town.

Yours faithfully,

Cynthia Reavell

Joint Secretary

Tilling Society

Rye, East Sussex

25 September

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