Summary Information
Florence Patton Fitzgerald Papers
1860-1952
- Fitzgerald, Florence Patton, 1898-
Mss 270; PH 1597
0.8 c.f. (2 archives boxes) and 13 photographs (1 folder)
Wisconsin Historical Society (Map)
Papers of Florence Patton FitzGerald (Mrs. W. Norman FitzGerald, Jr.) of Milwaukee, Wis. and of other family members. Correspondence describes Florence Patton's trip to England, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Switzerland in 1920, and her work as a driver for the Comite Americain pour les regions devastees de la France (C.A.R.D.) in 1921. Correspondence to Mrs. FitzGerald from Mabel Finch (later Mrs. Gaul), 1938-1952, describes upperclass English family life during World War II, especially German bombing raids, employment, war news, and British prisoners of war, particularly Mrs. Finch's brother, Norman Shuttleworth. Post-war subjects include food shortages, the Labour government, travel, and family affairs. One letter from Sadie Harris in 1942 describes destruction of U.S. shipping by German submarines off the Florida coast. The collection also includes material regarding William FitzGerald as inspector of vessels at Milwaukee (1887-1898), and regarding his ship, Red, White and Blue (1869), and a 1908 lake trip. The photographs date circa 1860-1910 and are portraits related to the FitzGerald family.
English
http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.uw-whs-mss00270 ↑ Bookmark this ↑
Biography/History
Mrs. W. Norman FitzGerald, Jr., was born Florence Patton, the daughter of Milwaukee businessman Ludington Patton (1871-1934) and his wife Florence. In August 1920, young Florence Patton and her father traveled to Europe where they visited England, France and the Low Countries. Beginning in September, after Mr. Patton had returned to America, Miss Patton and her cousin Sarah Humphries (daughter of former Milwaukee resident, the Reverend Otto Fairfield Humphries) traveled throughout France, In February 1921, after a short trip to a resort in St. Moritz, Switzerland, Miss Patton signed up for a six month tour of duty as a driver for the Comite Americain Pour Les Regions Devastees de la France (C.A.R.D.). This group of women relief workers included many members of Milwaukee's first families. In August 1921, after serving the C.A.R.D. for six months in Soissons and Vic-Sur-Aisne, Miss Patton apparently returned to America. On June 20, 1923 she married W. Norman FitzGerald, Jr., the son of a leading Milwaukee manufacturer.
For additional information, see the Milwaukee Journal, March 31, 1921, section five, page one.
Scope and Content Note
The Florence Patton FitzGerald papers consist mainly of letters she wrote to her parents from Europe, 1920-1921, and letters received by her from a Mrs. Mabel Finch (later Mrs. Anthony Gaul), Surrey, England, from 1938 to 1952, with some additional letters written by other persons and related enclosures. A small amount of material from other family members is also included: the record book of Captain William FitzGerald's bark Red, White and Blue (1869), shipping receipts of a group called the Milwaukee Relief Committee (1871-1872), letters about Mr. FitzGerald as inspector of vessels at Milwaukee (1887, 1889, 1898), a typescript description of a lake trip taken by Captain FitzGerald and a companion in 1908, and post cards sent by W. Norman FitzGerald, Jr., to his mother in 1917.
The 1920-1921 correspondence includes lengthy accounts of Miss Patton's trip to England, France, the Low Countries and Switzerland, with the great bulk of the material originating from France. She describes scenery, historic buildings, cultural events, fashion (often illustrating her comments with sketches), battlefields, family affairs, and the reconstruction work of the C.A.R.D. Also included are some letters from Miss Patton's aunt, Mrs. Humphries, some letters from Mr. Patton while still in Europe and several other scattered pieces of correspondence.
The 1938-1952 correspondence from Mrs. Mabel Finch (later Mrs. Anthony Gaul) to Mrs. FitzGerald details the life of an upper class English family in World War II and the difficult post-war economic conditions. Subjects constantly discussed include German bombing raids, employment, war news, and the food parcels Mrs. FitzGerald is sending from America. After Mrs. Finch's brother, Royal Air Force Flight Lieutenant Norman Shuttleworth, was shot down over Germany in 1941, the letters contain much information about British P.O.W.s in general and Lt. Shuttleworth in particular. The correspondence includes three letters from Lt. Shuttleworth to the FitzGeralds (Box 2, folder 17), a letter from his parents (September 9, 1942) and a letter from a released fellow prisoner about his condition (November 28, 1944). Post-war subjects include food shortages, the Labour government, travel and family affairs.
A single letter from Sadie Harris, May 6, 1942, describing the destruction of American shipping by German submarines off the Florida coast, is included with the correspondence.
Administrative/Restriction Information
Presented by Florence Patton FitzGerald, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 1956, 1965, and 1966. One letter added, 1974. Accession Number: M65-332 and 332-1, M74-470
Processed by Chris Densmore and Karen Baumann, July 16, 1973.
Contents List
|
Mss 270
Box
1
Folder
1
|
Record book of Captain William FitzGerald, Bark Red, White and Blue, 1869 (1 volume)
|
|
|
Box
1
Folder
2
|
Milwaukee Relief Committee receipts, 1871-1872
|
|
|
Box
1
Folder
3
|
Papers relating to William FitzGerald as Inspector of Vessels, Milwaukee, 1887, 1889, 1898
|
|
|
Box
1
Folder
4
|
“Lake Trip of Captain FitzGerald and Mr. McGarigle on Steamers James S. Dunham and Wm. H. Wolf,” typescript, 1908
|
|
|
Box
1
Folder
5
|
Postcards from William FitzGerald, Jr., to his mother, October 1917
|
|
|
Letters from Florence Patton and others to her parents
|
|
|
Box
1
Folder
6-10
|
1920 August-December
|
|
|
Box
1
Folder
11-14
|
1921 January-August
|
|
|
Box
2
Folder
1-15
|
Letters from Mrs. Mabel Finch to Mrs. W. Norman FitzGerald, Jr., 1938-1952
|
|
|
Box
2
Folder
16
|
Letter from Sadie Harris, 1942, May 6
|
|
|
Box
2
Folder
17
|
Letters, “Kriegsgenfangenenlager,” from Norman Shuttleworth, 1942-1943
|
|
|
PH 1597
|
Photographs, circa 1860-1910
: Portraits related to the Fitzgerald family.
|
|
|
