The Pulleyn Letters, 1734–42: New Correspondence in the World of the Sternes

This note brings to critical attention a volume of eighteenth-century correspondence, previously unknown to scholarship: the Pulleyn Letters, 1734–42. This volume includes, among accompanying correspondence, eleven letters by Laurence Sterne’s uncle Jaques (c.1695–1759) to the Clerk of the Peace for the West Riding Thomas Pulleyn (1701–59) and several direct mentions of Laurence’s activities within the letters’ content. Jaques Sterne was Pulleyn’s political correspondent but, beyond this, a relation by marriage and, as the letters clearly attest, also a close personal friend. This note serves as an initial introduction to the correspondence volume and its contents. It draws upon archival research to trace the provenance of the volume and a genealogy that brings together several prominent eighteenth-century Yorkshire families, including the Sternes. What is revealed through this volume is the Sternes’ position within a complex and intricate dialogue, not only of politics and ecclesiastical activity but also of family life. This note provides a foundation for future analysis of the letters’ content, highlighting the volume’s potential to further our understanding of the Sternes’ contemporary social and familial ties and to shed new light on the personal circles of both Jaques and Laurence. This newly identified primary source can help us to read Laurence’s works with greater understanding of the private and public worlds which influenced his early life.