LEWIS

Part of letter addressed to a Mr Preston [?], unevenly cut from a letter, 11 x 5.5cm, battered, with small sections missing (only touching on the signature), fold marks, tipped onto slightly larger piece of paper, with surviving text in his hand on reverse as follows: "I found it necessaryt[o] make some enquiries before answering your letter, & this must excuse any"[...missing]. See image

2pp, 16mo. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged, with minor traces of mount adhering to the reverse of the blank second leaf. Good firm signature. The letter reads: 'Dear Sir, | I am neither the author, nor owner of copyright, of any plays. If you wish to dramatise any book for yourself, you have full right to do so. Also, if you wish to perform, in public, any play, you have full right to do so, so long as you do not charge for admission.

Fragment, 13 x 5cm, laid down on larger piece of paper, accompanied by brief printed biographical details. Text: "I thank | I am often carryd to preach at | [Lon]don, but have not walked cross a | [str]eet nor seen our lower Garden since | Beginning of Octobr last."

A very nice association between two central figures in Victorian book illustration. 2pp, 12mo. Bifolium addressed on reverse of second leaf, with Penny Red stamp and three postmarks, to 'B Forster [sic] Esqr | Cavendish Villa | Carlton Hill | St Johns Wood'. Endorsed with date. In good condition, lightly aged, with traces of glue from mount to one edge.

On the letterhead-side of an unillustrated postcard. In fair condition, aged and worn, with pin holes to one corner. Reads: 'Dear Mrs. Russell, | We have so enjoyed the Japonica jelly. I had never tasted it before. It is a most delicate preserve, and so pretty. | With many thanks, | Yours sincerely, | Ruth Pitter.' Note in another hand in pencil on reverse, including the address of Dr F. S. Wallis, City Museum, Bristol. Initially encouraged by Hilaire Belloc, Pitter was a traditional poet four of whose poems were included by Larkin in the Oxford Book of Twentieth Century English Verse.

2pp, 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded once. Addressed to 'E Gambart Esq' and endorsed by the recipient. Two years earlier Gambart had published 'Passages from the Poems of Thomas Hood', illustrated with 34 plates by the Junior Etching Club (of which Whistler was a member between 1857 and 1862). The book had been well-received, but the letter makes clear that it had not covered its costs.

2pp, 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged, with thin strip of paper from mount adhering to edge on reverse. He begins by stating that he is not 'antiquarian enough' to answer the question in the unnamed recipient's letter 'with any precision'. He refers him to 'a number of “The Lancet” for one of the earlier weeks of September of this year', which contains 'an “annotation” dealing with the Office of Sergeant Surgeon'.

3pp, 12mo. Bifolium with mourning border. In fair condition, lightly aged, with thin strip of paper from mount adhering to blank reverse of second leaf. Folded once. Forty-three lines of text. He begins by expressing pleasure at the prospect of being associated with Pierce 'in the Course of Lectures on Mental Diseases', and at the news that Pierce has 'decided to take up the Systematic Part'. He leaves the choice of day to Pierce, and offers to put him up for the night.

3pp, 4to. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged, with thin strip of paper from mount adhering to blank reverse of second leaf. Folded twice. Fifty-two lines of text. He thanks Pierce for his 'most kind expressions of regard for myself, & your eulogistic & cordial tribute to my poor efforts in the cause of Psychological Medicine'. which he has read in 'the account of the proceedings at the Edinburgh Meeting in July last', in the Journal of Mental Science.

1p, 4to. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged and worn. Franked on reverse of second leaf, with seal in red wax broken into two pieces, and franking postmark: 'Frome – November twenty fifth 1814 | Messrs: Wulliamys | Watch Maker's | Pall Mall | London | Boyle'.

Elizabeth Bury, illustrator and theatre designer, wife of and collaborator with John Bury (1925-2000), British theatre designer noted for his innovative work with Peter Hall, the Royal Shakespeare Company and National Theatre (see his obituary in the Guardian, 15 November 2000). Two ring-bound 8vo Christmas keepsake private printings, both filled with full-page illustrations by Bury. Both inscribed by her to the playwright Christopher Fry. Both in good condition, with light signs of age. Uniform in layout, both with coloured covers of striking design.

[8] + 200pp, 8vo. In light-brown wraps with title repeated on front cover. Worn, on aged paper, with the upper back few leaves dogeared, and spotting at foot of first few leaves. The present proof must in some regard differ from the published version, whose various listings on COPAC give it 200pp, rather than the 199pp here. Lewis's two-page 'Introductory' concludes with a vivid picture of the Inklings: 'The first two chapters had been read aloud by the author to Professor Tolkien and myself.

According to the Daily Telegraph, 2 November 2006 (see the end of this description), Lady Margaret Sackville was 'a poet who mixed with writers such as W B Yeats and Wilfred Scawen Blunt, was a friend of Lady Ottoline Morrell, a leading member of the Bloomsbury Set'. 167pp., 4to. Each page on the recto of a separate leaf, the whole bound with green thread through punch holes in margins. The first page worn and with label (of literary agent?) removed from head, otherwise in good condition, lightly aged and worn.

A good firm signature, appended to a document in another hand, simply reading: 'Admit the Bearer to the House of Commons'. The illegible address and date are in the same hand. In fair condition, lightly aged, with traces of mount on blank reverse.

4pp., 12mo. Bifolium. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn. Docketed in pencil at top right of first page: '17 Janry. 1886. Ld J. Manners re Ferrand corres'. He gives the volume and page number of 'the sole reference to the Cornwall Lewis – Ferrand affair in the Greville Memoirs'. He does not consider that this 'necessitates the publication of the correspondence relating to the settlement which Mr. Heyward & I afterward accomplished'.

1p., 12mo. On grey paper. In fair condition, lightly aged. Reads: 'Dear Sir, | Will you please give me an appointment on Thursday next when I am in town? | Faithfully yours, | Lewis Melville'.

For an overview of the post of King's Messenger, see 'The Cambridge History of British Foreign Policy', ed. Ward and Gooch, vol.3 (1923), which states that during the two men's time in the post (i.e. in 1822) 'the number of the corps was raised to thirty-eight. Eighteen of these were placed under the immediate orders of the Foreign Office for foreign service only. They were required to be British subjects, not over thirty-five years of age, good linguists and good horsemen; and the choosing of them rested in turn with each of the three Secretaries of State'.

1p., 12mo. In fair condition, with small stain from mount at head of leaf. He is sending a postal order for eleven guineas, 'being the Subscription of Miss Jones & myself to the South Hants Archery Society fm 1875'. He ends in the hope that Wills and his wife have enjoyed their 'trip on the Continent'.

2pp., 12mo. In envelope, with stamp and postmark, addressed to Walters at his London publishers Hodder & Stoughton. In good condition, lightly aged. On reading Walters' 'Romantic Cheshire' he notes that he refers to '"Lewis Carroll" as "whilom Vicar of Daresbury"'. He points out that this is not the case, and that '"Lewis Carroll" was the son of the once Vicar of Daresbury. | My father was Vicar of Daresbury from 1884 to 1896 and I remember the old Vicarage where Mr. Dodgson resided very well. It was demolished about the time my father was appointed Vicar.' The family firm of J. J.

See William Johnstone's obituary in the Illustrated Tasmanian News, May 1874. He was born in England and left Somerset for Van Diemen's Land in 1841. He set up in business the following year in Launceston, which had been founded in 1806, and is said to be the third oldest colonial settlement in Australia, after Sydney and Hobart..As the years proceeded he prospered spectacularly, and by the time of his death he was so highly esteemed, that 'many places of business had the front windows partially closed while the shipping in port and the Town Hall had the Union Jack hoisted at half mast'.

1p., 12mo. On grey paper. In fair condition, lightly aged. He writes to enquire whether the recipient 'can undertake the publication of the novel I submitted to you – In the World of Mimes – as I am leaving town at the end of the week', and he hopes to 'settle the matter one way or the other (preferably one way & not the other)' before he leaves. 'In the World of Mimes' was published in London by Greening & Co. in 1902.

2pp., 12mo. On a bifolium. With Conyebeare's ALS ('Charles R Conybeare') continuing from the recto of the first leaf to the top of the second, and Stanley's ALS ('A P. Stanley') on the lower part of the recto of the second leaf. In good condition, lightly aged and worn, with closed tear up gutter. Conybeare's letter is addressed to 'My dear Stanley' and begins: 'The words I quoted are in C. Plin. Ep L:V xvi. In case you should not have the book'.

Sophia Neate took on the care of Sally Sinclair and her siblings – 'child-friends' of Charles Lutwidge Dodgson – when their parents died. Neate received financial support from Dodgson and the actor Lionel Brough. On first meeting Mrs. Neate (26 June 1879) Dodgson wrote in his diary that he ‘found her so interesting that I stayed 4 hours!' He occasionally visited her and noted the progress of the Sinclair children as they grew. 3pp., 12mo. Bifolium. Aged and worn, with light staining at foot of gutter.

2pp., 8vo. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged. He is sending 'the first two volumes of the Proceedings of the Mineralogical Section of the Acad - as also some papers of my own'. He has heard of Ramsay's 'Scientific Roll', and desires to 'heartily endorse it', in the 'hope that it may be continued – It will be of very great service to scientific men'. He will be glad to receive it, and in return to send 'from time to time both the Proceedings of the Section and other original material'.

1p.,12mo. In good condition. Scott writes that he has 'just received, through Messrs. Parker, the volume of your Translations from the Greek Anthology which you have kindly requested me to place in the Library of Balliol College'. He thanks him on behalf of the College, and assures him that the book will be so placed, 'according to your desire'. MacGregor's tranlsation was published in London without a date by Nissen and Parker. Scott's co-compiler Henry Liddell was the father of 'Alice in Wonderland'.

1p., 4to. In good condition, lightly aged. Although '[w]ords at these times seem rather empty things', he feels he must write to express his sympathy on her loss: 'To know dear Herman as I knew him, was to love him - & I am ,mindful of many happy times we had together & many kindnesses he has shown me'. He asks her to be consoled by the fact that Finck 'leaves behind him a fine reputation & a grand record of service'. According to a contemporary account: 'Joseph Lewis, senior conductor of the BBC, was born in Brierly Hill Staffs, in 1878.

Beatrice Cecilia Harington was one of the two daughters of Rev. Dr Richard Harington (1800-1853), Principal of Brasenose College, Oxford. As children she and her sister Alice Margaret (1854-1901) were befriended by Lewis Carroll, who photographed them. Neither of the two girls married, but both were associated with the Settlement Movement in London's East End. Beatrice was the first Head of St. Margaret's House, Bethnal Green, which, according to her Times obituary, was 'the first church settlement for women' in the capital'.

6pp., 8vo. In good condition, lightly aged. A nice association between two of Dodgson's Christ Church friends, Southey also introducing Dodgson to photography. The subject of the letter is Southey's failing health.

2pp., 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged. A charming letter, the subject of which is an anecdote told by Augustus Hare in his autobiography relating to Samuel Smith, Dean of Christ Church, which was considered 'defamatory' by Smith's relation Harington, and gave offence to his family.

2pp., 12mo. On grey paper with mourning border. In good condition, lightly aged and folded twice. Addressed to 'My dear Harington'. Inviting him to 'a good dance coming off on Friday July 4th near us', and informing him that, as 'Sheriffs Chaplain', he has 'just taken leave of your brother Edward at the Assize Court, where I also saw your eldest brother'. An interesting association between members of the Lewis Carroll circle. Dolben Paul was a friend and colleague of Carroll's at Christ Church. From the Harington family papers.