SERVANT

[Sir A. C. Lyall, Governor of the North-Western Provinces in India.] Four Autograph Letters Signed, the last addressed to 'Fisher', mainly concerned with preparations for lectures, the last declining to send a reference.

Author: 
Sir A. C. Lyall [Sir Alfred Comyn Lyall] (1835-1911), leading civil servant in British India, Governor of the North-Western Provinces
Publication details: 
ONE: 9 October 1888; The Precincts, Canterbury. TWO: 17 December 1888; embossed letterhead of the Athenaeum Club, Pall Mall [London]. THREE: 17 November 1895; 18 Queen?s Gate, S.W. [London] FOUR: 23 April 1907; as three.
£80.00

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. The four items in good condition, lightly aged and worn, and all folded for postage. The last item with pin hole to one corner. The first three addressed to 'Dear Sir' and the last to 'Dear Fisher'. All four signed 'A C Lyall', both with and without periods after the initials. ONE (9 October 1888): 3pp, 12mo. Bifolium.

[Lord Hankey [Maurice Hankey, 1st Baron Hankey], Secretary of Lloyd George’s War Cabinet.] Typed Letter Signed (‘Hankey’) to T. Lloyd Humberstone, regarding a book he is working on, and pressure to ‘cut out all reference to my diary’.

Author: 
Lord Hankey [Maurice Pascal Alers Hankey, 1st Baron Hankey] (1877-1963), British civil servant, Secretary of Lloyd George’s War Cabinet [T. Lloyd Humberstone]
Publication details: 
11 June 1954. On letterhead of Highstead, Limpsfield, Surrey.
£56.00

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. The recipient Thomas Lloyd Humberstone (1876-1957) was a prominent member of the Convocation of the University of London. The work referred to in this letter is probably Hankey's 'The Supreme Command', the two volumes of which would be published in 1961. 1p, 4to. In fair condition, lightly aged. Folded three times. He is returning his letter and ‘its interesting enclosure’. Not having had any experience of the Central Office of Information, he is left with the impression ‘that they are not very well informed on questions of Military Organisation’.

[William Govett Romain, as Second Secretary to the Admiralty.] Autograph Signature (‘W. G. Romaine’) with accompanying text filling in printed 'communication' appointing William Mullice ‘Gunner, 2d Class, Additional’ on board HMS Cumberland.

Author: 
W. G. Romaine [William Govett Romaine] (1815-1893), English barrister, civil servant and colonial administrator [William Mullice]
Publication details: 
11 April 1861; on board ‘H.M.S. “Excellent” / WW Portsmouth.’
£80.00

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. 1p, tall 8vo. In fair condition, lightly aged; folded twice. In the following transcription the manuscript parts are in square brackets: ‘By Command of the Commissioners for Executing the Office of Lord High Admiral of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, &c.

[Sir Henry Taylor, poet, dramatist and civil servant.] Autograph Letter Signed ('Henry Taylor') to 'Mr Scott' [E. A. Scott] of Rugby School, regarding 'the predicament' of the lack of educational progress of his son [Henry Ashworth Taylor].

Author: 
Sir Henry Taylor (1800-1886), poet, dramatist and civil servant [his son Henry Ashworth Taylor (1854-1907); E. A. Scott of Rugby School]
Publication details: 
1 January 1872. East Sheen, [London] S.W.
£250.00

4pp, 4to. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded four times. Encouraged by Scott's response to his wife's letter, Taylor is 'encouraged to ask for yr. advice in the predicament in which we stand at present. My boy has made hardly any progress in the last term & stands only four fm. the bottom of the upper Fifth.' He explains that on a former occasion he was in favour of 'a change of house & of companions', but that 'the boy was exceedingly averse & I was induced by assurances of doing better to let him go back to Mr Arnold's'.

[George Arbuthnot, civil servant, as Private Secretary to Chancellor of the Exchequer Sir Charles Wood.] Autograph Letter Signed ('G. Arbuthnot') to unnamed editor, sending for publication a corrected copy of speech in reply to motion by Disraeli.

Author: 
George Arbuthnot (1802-1865), senior civil servant [Charles Wood (1800-1885), 1st Viscount Halifax, Conservative Chancellor of the Exchequer]
Publication details: 
Downing Street [London]. 7 April 1849.
£50.00

According to his entry in the Oxford DNB, Arbuthnot 'served as private secretary successively to seven patronage secretaries; to the permanent head of the department, Sir Charles Spearman, and his successor, Sir Charles Trevelyan; to the prime minister, Sir Robert Peel; and to Sir Charles Wood, chancellor of the exchequer in Russell's administration'. The present item was written by Arbuthnot while holding the last position. 1p, 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged. Laid down on part of a leaf from an album.

[ Thomas Pakenham, 5th Earl of Longford. ] Two Autograph Letters Signed (both 'Longford') to the music critic R. A. Streatfeild regarding the suitability as a groom or chauffeur of his 'fellow countryman' Leonard, for whom he has a 'sneaking liking'.

Author: 
Thomas Pakenham, 5th Earl of Longford [ Lord Silchester to 1887 ] (1864-1915), Irish politician and soldier [ R. A. Streatfeild [ Richard Alexander Streatfeild ] (1866-1919), music critic ]
Publication details: 
On letterheads of 44 Byranston Square, W. [ London ] 11 and 12 May 1911.
£60.00

The two letters in good condition, on lightly aged paper. ONE: 2pp., 12mo. He begins by stating that he 'knew Leonard pretty well in the 2nd Life G[uar]ds., he was a good fellow, but rough and wild - he came from Mullingar, my local capital, a good man with a horn but too heavy for a groom'. He could not give Leonard 'a better character than the regiment has done', and if 'his knee is too bad for him to soldier it probably would prevent him being a groom anywhere [...] he occasionally came before me for punishment - and as a fellow countryman I took an interest in him'.

[ George Atherton Aitken, civil servant and man of letters. ] Autograph Note Signed ('George A Aitken') to Sir Richard Harington

Author: 
George Atherton Aitken (1860-1917), civil servant and man of letters [ Sir Richard Harington (1835-1911), 11th Bart ]
Publication details: 
On letterhead of the Home Office, Whitehall, S.W. 30 June 1897.
£56.00

1p., 12mo. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn. Aitken is 'desired by Mr. Digby [his superior at the Home Office, the future Sir Kenelm Digby (1836-1916)] to forward to you a copy of the Workmen (Compensation for Accidents) Bill, as amended in Committee, together with the Amendments put down for consideration at the Report stage'. Aitken is described in his obituary in The Times, 19 November 1917, as 'one of the first authorities on the Queen Anne period of English literature'.

Four Autograph Letters Signed to the Secretary, Royal Society of Arts.

Author: 
Sir Charles Stuart Bayley
Publication details: 
14 December 1917, on India Office embossed letterhead; 21 June 1927 and 15 July 1927, both on embossed letterhead '39, TREGUNTER ROAD. | S.W.10.'; 14 April 1928, on letterhead of 'THE FRESCO CLUB, | OLD FLUSHING INN, | RYE, SUSSEX.'
£56.00

Indian civil servant (1854-1935) whose posts included those of Under-Secretary to the Governments of Bengal and India. All four items signed 'Chas. S. Bayley'. All four items one page, 12mo. The last three, all on grey paper, very good; the first somewhat grubby and creased, and with two paperclip rust stains in one corner. LETTER ONE (addressed to 'Mr. Digby'): He is returning Menzie's letter (not present) and feels sure that 'the Indian Section Committee will be pleased to learn that the Council have agreed to appoint a joint committee to consider the question of the Birdwood medal.

Autograph Letter Signed to 'Mayhew'.

Author: 
Sir Stephen George Tallents
Publication details: 
14 July 1935; on embossed Post Office ('ST. MARTIN'S LE GRAND, | LONDON, E.C.1.') letterhead, deleted and replaced by '<Sutton-at-Hove | Dartlow?>.
£38.00

British civil servant (1884-1958), controller of public relations at the BBC from 1935 to 1940. Two pages, 4to. Very good, but with minor traces of tape adhering to two edges. Marked 'Private & Personal'. He thanks his correspondent for writing so fully and heartily sympathizes. 'Practically, I am not at all clear what the issue of the delay will be so far as I, and so far as Ryan, are concerned. The B.B.C. job [...] has been announced sooner than was intended & has not lightened my day's work.

autograph note signed to unnamed male correspondent,

Author: 
Alfred Sydney Wigan
Publication details: 
13 October 1869, Little Campden House, Campden Hill, with monogram letterhead.
£45.00

English actor (1814-1878). 2 pp, 8vo, neatly mounted. "James Brown has referred me to you for a character as a general in-door servant - I should be much obliged if you would let me know your experience of his abilities, and of his character for honesty & diligence and sobriety -"

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