May 18, 1833

"Robert Southey (1774-1843) was a poet, journalist and biographer ..... Grosvenor Charles Bedford was Chief Clerk of the Audit Office."

They were friends. Southey wrote to Grosvenor C. Bedford, to share the news when one of Southey's cats died. We quote from the letter dated May 18, 1833.

'My dear G.,

'…Alas, Grosvenor, this day poor old Rumpel was found dead, after as long and happy a life as cat could wish for, if cats form wishes on that subject.

'His full titles were: —

'The Most Noble the Archduke Rumpelstiltzchen, Marquis Macbum, Earl Tomlemagne, Baron Raticide, Waowhler, and Skaratch.

'There should be a court mourning in Catland, and if the Dragon wear a black ribbon round his neck, or a band of crape à la militaire round one of the fore paws, it will be but a becoming mark of respect.

'As we have no catacombs here, he is to be decently interred in the orchard, and cat-mint planted on his grave. Poor creature, it is well that he has thus come to his end after he had become an object of pity. I believe we are each and all, servants included, more sorry for his loss, or rather more affected by it, than any one of us would like to confess.

'I should not have written to you at present, had it not been to notify this event…

'God bless you!

'R. S.'

We should find out whether T. S. Eliot was aware of Southey's correspondence. Bedford's letters are at the Bodleian. The correspondence from which we quote was owned by Bedford's great-niece, Mrs Erskine, of Milton Lodge, Gillingham, Dorset until the library bought it at Sotheby's in 1932. Old Possum was published in 1939, and is in the same fey, loving vein we see in Southey's description of his cat. Still we don't know if it was cataloged by then. We do know Eliot was dour on the Romantics. Still....

November 4, 1948

On the anniversary of the literature Nobel's being awarded to T. S. Eliot-- November 4, 1948-- we share a lovely article on T. S. Eliot's enthusiasm for cats. Eliot (1888-1965) born

'...in Saint Louis, Missouri, America, [and a] Harvard alumnus .... became a British citizen in 1927 after residing in the United Kingdom for 12 years prior.  [He] is widely regarded as one of our greatest writers. Whilst mostly noted for his poetry, TS Eliot also wrote verse plays and a range of literary and social criticism.

'Eliot received many honours and distinctions for his writing, including the Order of Merit – bestowed by King George VI [in 1948, and in 1960  the Commandeur de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres].
....
'Eliot had a lifelong affection for cats, often sending letters and poems about his own cat to his godson, Tom Faber and making up unusual or outlandish names for cats for friends – and complete strangers!

'Eliot was writing of cats during a time when cats were owned to be useful – to keep down mice – as much as pets. It was a time when a different class system existed and when the pace of life was very different to the early 21st Century.

'His cat poems were mainly set in London, but one that we would not recognise, a London of theatre, gentlemen’s clubs and public houses, telling of a bygone age with nostalgia and fondness. Gus the theatre cat mentions Henry Irving, a great actor in the Victorian era, Skimbleshanks travels on steam trains and Mungojerrie and Rumpelteaser live in a house with a cook and other servants to attend to their owners.

'Practical Cats was originally going to include poems about consequential dogs as well and ‘Mr Eliot’s Book of Pollicle Dogs and Jellicle Cats’ was advertised in Faber & Faber’s 1936 Spring catalogue. Eliot felt, however, that it would be “impolite to wrap cats up with dogs” and the book became only about cats. The reason the book was eventually titled Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats, is that Possum was Eliot’s alias amongst his friends.

'Most of the poems were written between 1936 and 1938. Some poems Eliot wrote with music in mind (The Marching Song of the Pollicle Dogs was written to the tune of ‘The Elliots of Minto’). Grizabella, the glamour cat remained incomplete and unpublished as Eliot felt it was becoming too sad for his intended youthful audience.

'Eliot died in London in January 1965. A memorial to the late author stands in Poet’s Corner, Westminster Abbey.

'Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats poems today are recognised as classics, and have been translated into many other languages. 'Macavity', the mystery cat was selected as number 66 in a BBC poll of the Nation’s favourite poem in 1995 ...'

Some people collect the cover art on editions of  Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats. Not saying I know someone who does. But the cover below stands out because THIS cover (1939) was drawn by Eliot himself.