DUKE

The collection is lightly aged and in good condition. Letter One (12mo, 3 pp), Oxford, 1 November 1827, signed 'W: M.': Begins by saying that he will be pleased to join Charles 'in the Lodging you propose or any other more to your mind - I had not fixed upon any plan, but thought once of being at Ellis's Hotel - (the Colonial Club House, St. James St.) Your proposal, however, I like much better.' He will 'much prefer being in the Regent Street on late Nights in the Ho. of Commons [Manning was also a Member of Parliament], as I found Wimpole St.

Both items with text clear and entire. Item One: offprint, on one side of a piece of wove paper 25 x 18.5 cm. Good, on lightly-aged paper with some wear to extremities. Headed 'AQUAECULTURE, And the Artificial Propogation [sic] of the Danube Salmon in Bavaria, BY DR. WIMMER. | Re-printed from the Macclesfield Courier June 27, 1857.' The letter, dated 'Landshut, 11th June, 1857', is addressed to 'Thomas Ashworth, Esq.' and covers two columns of small print. Item Two: offprint, on one side of a piece of watermarked wove paper 33.5 x 20.5 cm.

Celebrated connoisseur (1758-1833), whose picture-gallery, one of the finest in Europe, was at Bridgewater House in London. One page, 12mo. Formal letter in the third person. "The Marquis of Stafford sends his Compliments to Sir Egerton & requests that his name may be continued as Vice President for the Theatrical fund of Covent Garden Theatre, though he regrets that his health will not permit him to attend." Negligible traces of previous mounting on reverse.

12mo, 3 pp. Good. Folded twice and with the blank verso of the second leaf of the bifolium a little grubby. A formal letter in the third person, declining to present a petition to the House of Lords, on the grounds that 'The Duke has no relation whatever with [Honiton]'. The date, and the words 'Mr Aberdein', 'Honiton', ', which he retains' and 'Robert Aberdein Esq' are in Wellington's hand.

Erskine, who died in 1806, was the grandson of the 27th Earl of Mar. 3 pages, 8vo. In very good condition. The letter, addressed to 'your Excellency', concerns 'The Honble. Captain Cunningham who had resigned a Troop of Dragoons on the Irish Establishment to go upon Service with the same rank in my unfortunate Regiment of Swiss Chasseurs'.

12mo: 1 p. 8 lines of text. On aged paper somewhat grubby around signature at foot. Asks when he will be 'able to come to us to meet the d[uke] of Wellington'. They are 'at liberty any time between the 4th and 11th of January'.

4to bifolium: 2 pp. Good, with slight loss to second leaf from breaking of red wax seal, traces of which still adhere. Twenty lines of text. Docketed in pencil and ink on second leaf. Asks them to furnish him with 'all the particulars relative to the Farne Islands [...] who the Lessee? - their estimated quantiy or extent? - Rent? length of lease? - [...] whether Birds, feathers, down, Eggs, Rabbits - Kelp, or Seaware, fish &c? all which I should hope you would be able to obtain from some of your Bamburgh friends? - or from Blackett, at N. Sunderland? - how they are protected?

Foolscap bifolium: 1 p. Worn, and on discoloured paper, but with text clear and entire. Thirteen lines of text.

On piece of card roughly 3.5 x 7 cm. Good, though slightly discoloured. Reads '[signed] Admiral | Lord Ams. Beauclerk', beneath which, in a contemporary hand, 'Port Admiral | of Plymouth'.

Octavo: 32 pp. Stapled and unbound. Rather worn, particularly at first and last leaves. A few pencil marks and notes, and slight ink staining at head of first leaf. Twenty illustrations. 168 items; three-part index on final page. Influential catalogue, the collection sold in its entirety to Duke University. One of Birrell & Garnett's managers was Graham Pollard, co-author of the book which unmasked T. J. Wise as a forger.

Two pages, on a rough-edged leaf approximately seven inches by four. Good, though aged and a lightly stained. A highly interesting list of twenty-seven titles by a radical publisher. Several works relating to Robert Wedderburn and Thomas Davison. Also 'The Cast-Iron Parson', 'A Peep after Hell' and 'GREAT GORGY: giving a Humourous Description of his Journey to Westminster, on Giff, the Ch-lor's Grey Mare'. Ends 'The Trade Supplied with all the Popular Works of the Day. | Printing & Bookbinding | NEATLY AND EXPEDITIOUSLY EXECUTED. | NEWSPAPERS SERVED IN TOWN AND COUNTRY.

One page, octavo. Good, on aged paper with slight fraying and a few small closed tears at extremities. 'Received by me [Adelaide Dutchess Dowager of Shrewsbury Ass[ign]ee of Wm. Harvey] of the Honourable George Parker Esq; One of the Four Tellers of His Majesty's Receipt of Exchequer, the Sum of [Twenty five pounds] [...]'. Signed 'Adelaide Shrewsbury' and witnessed by 'Hen: Gardie'. Adelaide was (according to the eleventh edition of the Encyclopaedia Britannica) married to Charles Talbot, 1st Duke of Shrewsbury (1660-1718) in 1705.

One page. Roughly nine inches by four. Aged and creased, with one small closed tear and one spike hole (neither affecting text, which is clear and complete). An attractive document, embossed with a government one shilling stamp, and bearing the Westminster coat of arms, supported by two dogs, engraved by Warrington, 27 Strand, in top left-hand corner. Reads (MS additions in square brackets): '[Imp: Hopkinson] | Grosvenor Estate Office, | 9, Davies Street, Grosvenor Square | Received the [March 30th] 184[9] of [Richard Jones Esqr.

Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (1811-85). Two pages, octavo. Good, on slightly discoloured paper, with some staining to corners from previous mounting. An amusing example of its type, casting a glimmer of light on the Abercorn papers now in the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland. 'My dear Hardwicke | This is to introduce George Knox to you, who is this moment summon'd from the Priory to Dublin to resist very active & insidious machinations against his next Election to the College. | I recommend him to you as a perfectly amiable & kind hearted Man.

British soldier and courtier (1888-1969), Equerry and Groom of the Robes to King George VI and Queen Elizabeth II. Both letters written in capacity as Private Secretary to the Duke of York. Both very good, though grubby, docketed and bearing the Society's stamp. LETTER ONE (one page, 12mo): 'Further to your letter of September 20th., which the Duke of York has had under his consideration, His Royal Highness desires me to tell you that he will be very pelased to be present at the Meeting at which Mr. Robert Hyde will read a paper, on February 7th. 1934.

English aristocrat and Whig politician (1721-1803). One page, quarto. In poor condition: grubby, discoloured and creased. Reads 'My Lord | Mr: Boothby of Ashbourne (who yr: Lordship may possibly know something of from his living in the neighbourhood of <?> forest has sollicited me much to apply to yr: Lordship for leave of Absence for his son who is a lieutenant in Ld: Drogheda's regiment to settle some family affairs, the time he wishes to have him with him [sic] is a month or two, if not unreasonable.

British colonial administrator (1868-1924), Member of Council of India, 1914-19, and Permanent Under Secretary of State for India from 1919. Two pages, 12mo. Folded once. Very good, though lightly creased and a little discoloured. Docketed and bearing R.S.A. stamp. Referring to a previous letter he finds 'that the point that officials who have passed the advanced stage of your exam[inatio]n. in Book Keeping are exempted at the examination for Divisional Accountants in India is really not a new one,. You tell it yourself in your letter [...], so it was before the Govt. of India.

Wife (1900-66) of the Conservative Prime Minister Harold Macmillan, and daughter of the Duke of Devonshire. Three pages, 12mo. Grubby, creased and stained (perhaps with tears?). She was 'up in Stockton' the previous week, and heard that her correspondent's son was ill. 'Having children of my own, I know how very precious they are & how terribly one feels it when anything is wrong with them. It is dreadful when one sees such little things ill & one feels it is so cruel that it should happen to them.

English aristocrat (1785-1847). The recipient, Sr James Graham (1792-1861) was Home Secretary under Sir Robert Peel. One page, 4to. In good condition, but with traces of brown-paper mount adhering to reverse and causing ruckling, and some creasing to one edge. He forwards a 'Dutiful and Loyal Address from The Inhabitants of the Town of Alnwick and its Vicinity on the late Providential escape of the Queen', and asks that it be presented to her at 'an early opportunity'. Signed 'Northumberland'. There were two assassination attempts on Queen Victoria in 1842.

The seventh Duke was born in 1885 and died in 1972. Two pages, 4to. In good condition although creased and dusty. He thanks the Mellershes for their hospitality during a lecture at Cheltenham. He also thanks Mellersh for 'the cutting from the "Echo": 'There are a good many inaccuracies in it some of which are fairly [rather] misleading, but I do not think it is worth while putting in a correction. They give me a very large space which is very kind of them.'

English aristocrat and military commander (1819-1904; DNB), grandson of George III and cousin of Queen Victoria. 2 pages, 16mo. In good condition despite minor discoloration and one ink stain. He asks her to forgive him for being unable to come to her house the previous day 'as I had most fully intended to do'. Signed 'George'.

King Edward VIII (1894-1972), crowned and abdicated in 1936, thereafter Duke of Windsor. Approximately 5 1/2 inches by 8 inches. Shows the Prince in bowler hat mounting a stone jetty with four associates, with three sailors in RNLI boat at bottom left. In the background two sailing boats and two empty row boats. Stamped on reverse 'SPORT & GENERAL | PRESS AGENCY LTD. | LONDON. | COPYRIGHT.' In manuscript on reverse: 'Left to R. | Sailors from C. B. | The Prince's private detective | General Seeley. | My father (bare-head) | Sir Godfrey Baring | H. R. H.'

The recipient, George William Erving (1769-1850), was U.S. Minister to Spain, 1814-19. 2 pages. 16 lines of Spanish text. In good condition despite slight discoloration. Neatly attached down one edge to blank sheet of paper. Docketed (by Erving?) 'From the Duke of Osuna (his family name Francisco Giron)'. One of the subjects is "La Guerra a los Ingleses".

She 'cannot apologise enough for having left his letter of May 29th so long unanswered'. It was supposed to be answered 'on her return from Italy' but was mislaid. She hopes Slocombe will 'forgive the unintentional rudeness'.

Oval seal, around a centimeter and a half tall, containing the Roxburghe family crest. Reasonably crisp impression on neatly cut remains of blue envelope stuck to slip of card.

One page, 12mo, with mourning border. "Sir / I enclose a cheque for 3£ the amount which I have subscribed during the last 2 or 3 years to the Lichfield Diocesan Church of England Temperance Society. As however Derbyshire is no longer in the diocese of Lichfield I cannot undertake to subscribe to the Society in future. / Yr obedt Servt / Devonshire".

English Catholic nobleman (1847-1917). One page, 12mo. "Madam, / I beg to comply with your request for my autograph. / I am / Your obedient servant. / Norfolk E[arl] M[arshal]".

"Westminster" neatly written on a piece of 12mo paper. Beneath this, in another hand, "With Westminster's Compliments". The recto of the blank second leaf attached to a piece of paper torn from an autograph album.