Folders of correspondence to Lady Lenanton, relating chiefly to her biography of Nelson:

1. Correspondence, 1949-1971, editorial suggestions, mainly from the National Maritime Museum.
2. Correspondence, 1945-1954, editorial suggestions, mainly from National Maritime Museum, particularly Sir Geoffrey Callendar.
3. Correspondence, 1949, concerning the 'Llangattok manuscript' at the Nelson Museum, Monmouth.
4. Correspondence 1943-1955, mainly enquiries about Nelson, following the publication of her biography.
5. Correspondence, 1949-1950, mainly from Captain Bosanquet (RN) but also concerning Anne Nelson (1977-1978).
6. Prints of Merton, Nelson portraits and (a copy of) an early example of Nelson's left -handed writing in a print of a letter he wrote from the THESEUS, August 1797 (presumably these are proof for the book).
7. Correspondence 1947-1964, further enquiries dating from after the publication of her book as she became a widely acknowledged expert where Nelson was concerned.
8. Copy of typescipt article from the 'Mariner's Mirror' (1948 or earlier), 'Memoir of Sir George Elliot'.
9. Correspondence 1942-1968, permission to publish and and further research enquiries for her book, including correspondence with Hugh Nelson-Ward (1944).
10. Correspondence, 1947-1951, further enquiries, including reviews of 'Nelson: A Biography',
11. Prints of Nelson and Emma Hamilton, with typescript captions and notes for the biography.
12. Further prints of Nelson and Emma Hamilton portraits, generally published examples for consideration for the biography.

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Administrative / biographical background
Carola Mary Anima Oman was born at Oxford in 1897, the second daughter of the military historian Professor Charles William Chadwick Oman and his wife Mary Mabel Oman née Maclagan. She became a prolific author in both fiction and history, and wrote a well received biography, 'Nelson: A Biography', published in 1946. This made use of much manuscript material (notably the Llangattock collection at the Nelson museum in Monmouth) which had not been available to previous biographers of Nelson. She married Gerald Foy Ray Lenanton in 1922. Her husband was knighted for his work as director of home timber production during the Second World War. Lady Lenanton died at Ayot St Lawrence in Hertfordshire in 1978.