Autograph Letters

On 1 x 5 cm. piece of paper. In fair condition, lightly aged. Cut from a letter.

2pp., 12mo. On bifolium. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper. Gracefully declining an invitation.

For more information on Czartoryski, see his entry in the Annual Register for 1860, p.407. 1p., 12mo. On bifolium. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper. The recipient is not named, but is an Italian-speaker, as the letter is docketted 'Parigi 1819 | 26 Sett. | Princp. Cost. Czartoryski'. Fifteen lines of text, requesting, in florid tones, that a letter be forwarded to his brother, 'qui doit être dans ce moment ci à Livourne pour y faire prendre des bains'.

For more on Seymour, who held diplomatic posts in Italy, Portugal, Belgium and Russia, see his entry in the Oxford DNB. The 4.5 x 7.5 cm card carries the words 'Sir Hamilton Seymour | Ministre d'Angleterre' in copperplate. Above this Seymour has written, in a difficult hand, what appears to be: 'My dear Baron Ward | I want you to shew your finess [sic] in your placing Machen & Mr Caird. | Yrs.'

On both sides of 7 x 11 cm. piece of paper, cut from a letter. On one side is the address: 'Monsr. Ventouillac | to the care of Master Morgan | From Miss Porter -'. And on the other a fragment of the letter: '<...> that the same volume will be so presented to him, by the Revd Mr. Pole and Mr. Ventouillac. Miss P - hopes Mr. V - <...> success in his <...>'.

On 4 x 13.5 cm. strip of paper, cut from the front panel of an envelope. In fair condition, lightly aged. Addressed to 'John Head Esq | Ransome Sims & Head | Ipswich', with the underlined signature 'Samuel Plimsoll' at bottom left.

On 3.5 x 16.5 cm piece of paper, cut from the end of a letter. Ruckled and lightly stained, with small closed tear (not affecting signature). Good firm signature. Reads: 'Kindest regards to your wife | Ever most truly yours | Thos Hughes'. At bottom left: '1873'. Same year printed on reverse, which carries more autograph text by Hughes, written at right angles to the text on the other side.

On 2.5 x 11.5 cm. piece of paper, cut from front panel of envelope. In fair condition, on lightly-aged paper. Lower part of address present, reading 'Gt Grimsby | Grantham'. Circular frank in red ink over this, reading 'FREE | 8 JY 8 | 18<5?>9'. Good firm signature underlined at bottom left: 'W E Gladstone'.

On 11 cm square piece of light-blue paper cut from the end of a letter. Good firm signature, preceded by five lines of text in a difficult hand, appearing to read: '

to every one but the Academic Deanery should have failed to a man of Academic & literary distinction | I am, dear Dr.

, | Very truly yrs | J B Lightfoot | Trin; Coll. | Nov. 18th'.

On both sides of a 9 x 11 cm. grey card with embossed letterhead. In good condition, lightly aged. Docketted and with Royal Academy of Arts stamp. 'Lt. Colonel Crompton begs to enclose a cheque in payment of his subscription and will be greatly obliged to the Secretary if he will send him a form to enable his Bankers - Messrs. Barclay & Co. to pay the subscription in future.' Crompton's firm Crompton & Co. was one of the world's first large-scale manufacturers of electrical equipment.

The Duke was the head of the Committee in charge of the Royal Naval Asylum, which had been founded as the British National Endeavour in 1798, for the orphans of military and naval personnel killed in action. It had moved from Paddington to the Queen's House, Greenwich, in October 1807, having received a large amount of public support (including that of Lord Nelson), and was responsible for upwards of 1000 boys and girls. 3pp., 4to. Bifolium. On aged paper, with damp damage resulting in some loss (including a little text). Repaired with archival tape.

2pp., 8vo. Bifolium. In good condition, with the text of the letter on the first leaf, and the second laid down on a leaf removed from an album. Stephenson's letter in good condition, on lightly aged paper. He writes that he is sending the recipient the reply he has received from 'Mr Harrison'. He feels that it would be better for Moberley to 'purchase the old Machine of the Contractors Messrs Rush & Lawton'. He does not know their address, but if they send him 'any drawing, it will be forwarded'. Rush and Lawton were Newcastle railway contractors. The recipient is probably W. H.

On one side of 13 x 9 cm. piece of paper cut from letter. In good condition, on aged paper. The date 'Augt: 1816' is at bottom right, apparently in another hand. Reads: '<...> the men all examined - | <...> their being sent out in | <...> are sad set to keep on board | <...>pose we shall soon see | <...>il for the distribution of | <...>to keep my Cruizers out | <...>way her Bowsprit but | <...> few Days Lieutt. Jewry is | <...>man | Yours most faithfully | Edwd: Thornborough'.

4 pages, 16mo, bifolium, black-bordered. She explains at length why she finds it difficult to arrange a visit to her correspondent, including the illnes of a Miss Tait (awaiting doctor's orders) [Lucy Tait was her partner], and her daughter who has just returned from Egypt. She hopes to be in London with her daughter on the 21st, and perhaps take a train to Broxbourne to see her. Note: "Her future husband was so impressed by her intellect at their first meeting that he vowed to marry her on the spot, despite her being only eight years old at the time.

On 2 x 6cm strip of paper, cut from a letter. In good condition, lightly aged. A good firm signature, underlined, with the tiniest part of the head of the loop of the iniitial 'E' of 'Edwd' has been shaved off.

On 1 x 5.5 cm slip of paper cut from letter. In fair condition, aged, and with slight discoloration at one end. The signature is present in full, but the underlining flourish hs been truncated.

The six items in fair condition, with light signs of age and wear. The four letters all with Morley's expansive signature ('Sheridan Morley').

1p., 4to. On aged paper, with some discoloration and chipping to extremities. He has been hindered by an 'unexpected interruption' from sending, via 'Richd. Scrivener', 'Stewarts Quadrature of Curves', but Scrivener will bring it 'the next time he goes to London'. The middle paragraph concerns 'Langhorne's sermons', which he asks to be sent 'by Coach'. He ends by asking the recipient - if he has received 'the silver medal for me from Mr. Glendinning, in Hatton Garden', to 'wrap it up, & put it into one of the Books'.

3pp., 4to. Addressed, with black wax seal, on reverse of second leaf to 'The Earl of Buchan at Kerkhill | by Edinburgh'. In fair condition, lightly aged. He is 'hardly relieved' from 'a very distressing ophthalmy withh great head-ackes [sic]', but thanks the Earl for 'sending the pamphlet of Dr. Homes on the Croup, for my friend Monsr. Le Roy, one of ye. Members of ye. Royal Acady. at Paris'. He is sending him the Philosophical Transactions, 'as regularly as they come out, by the indicated way of Mr. Donalson'. The 'Medal of ye late Captn. Cook [...] has not yet been distributed to ye.

1p., landscape 12mo. In fair condition, lightly aged, with central spike hole. Addressed on reverse 'For Mr: Wilks, printer, in Chancery Lane'. Having received a letter from 'Dr: Mackay' he gives instructions regarding copies of the fifth volume of the book, 'which he proposes to be sent to Newcastle and Inverness, and other places in Scotland'. If Wilks has not received copies from the bindery, he should 'take the said six copies back from Mr: Maseres's chambers'. He also asks for a copy to be sent to Dr Aikin.

On 2.5 x 6.5 slip of paper cut from the end of a letter. Laid down on a small piece of black card. In good condition, lightly aged. In a small tight hand. Reads 'Very truly yours | M. O. W. Oliphant'. With cutting of part of an article. featurinng a photograph of the novelist.

1p., folio. In fair condition, on aged paper. The petition is headed 'A Monsieur le Baron de Schonen | liquidateur de l'ancienne liste civile', with 'Sallemant' (the name of the petitioner) beneath it in another hand. Clausel's note, of eleven lines of a few words each, is in the left-hand margin, and recommends to 'la bienveillance de Mr. de Schonen' the petition of a woman who describes herself as 'une malheureuse veuve'. Laid down on the reverse is a piece of card, carrying a biographical note in English in an nineteenth-century hand.

1p., 8vo. In fair condition, on aged and worn paper. He thanks him for thinking of his birthday, and taking the trouble 'to bring me that sherry'. He has not yet sampled it, as 'it's a bit too hot for anything but water, just at present'. He will telephone him, as he doesn't 'feel cocksure' about his address. He ends with regards to 'Mrs George'. In pencil in another hand at head: 'Here it is, George | C.A.S.'

Four pages, 4to, creased but good condition. Thanks for a letter. He differs with his correspondent on the "postponing the projected Memoir of Dr Clarke [published 1843-9]. I think it should have appeared 2 or 3 years ago and taken precedence of Dan[ie]l Isaacs. With Dawson's life you are prompt [published 1842] and the publishers will find the advantage in an extensive sale.

Learned and witty, Spedding was a popular figure within the literary scene of Victorian London. As he lay dying following an accident, Tennyson rushed to the hospital and begged admission to his bedside. When approached by Delia Bacon, he dismissed the Baconian theory with contempt, and was the first to realise that the play 'Henry VIII' was a collaboration between Shakespeare and John Fletcher. Both of the present letters are signed 'Jas Spedding' and addressed to 'My dear Mrs. Pollock', and both in good condition, on lightly aged and worn paper, with minor traces of glue from mount.

4pp., 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, on lightly aged paper. He begins by telling him that there is 'no chance of an exchange to this Battalion, all were asked lately and said they did not wish to exchange to the 1st Battn.' He suggests that Scovell's 'best chance' is to 'fill a vacancy caused by a Promotion', in which case he may be 'brought in instead of their gazetting a youngster to us'.

4pp., 4to. Bifolium. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper. Addressed, with postmark, to 'John P. Aston, Esqre | Messrs. Ainsworth & Co | Solrs | Essex Street | Manchester'. Aston was Ainsworth's father's law clerk. The year after this letter was written the novel 'Sir John Chiverton', on which Ainsworth and Aston collaborated, was published to great success (and endorsement by Sir Walter Scott).

1p., 12mo. Seventeen lines of closely-written text, with postscript. Slip of paper with biographical note in contemporary hand attached. He begins by stating that he has sent the 'differents papiers' of which he spoke that morning. He next reminds the recipient of 'l'affaire du brave colonel Pozac', regarding which 'vous avez bien voulu charger d'etre mon ambassadeur auprès du maréchal'. Pozac obtained the 'sabre d'honneur comme sr.

Each letter 2pp., 12mo. Both in good condition, on lightly-aged paper. He starts the first letter by expressing 'great pride and immense joy' in sending 'my seventh book of French poems [...] According to the reviews, it is the best I ever wrote'. He continues with references to the recipient's 'short but memorable visit to Johannesburg', and to 'the uncomplimentary remarks passed by my confreres in Johannesburg', these being 'indeed compliments, for they indicate that I do not belong to them, in spite of our common profession.