VICTORIAN

In 1858 her son Frederick married Princess Victoria, the eldest child of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert; her grandson was Kaiser Wilhem III. For Lady Ashbourne, see her husband’s entry in the Oxford DNB. 3pp, 12mo. Bifolium with mourning border. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded once for postage. Before receiving Lady Ashbourne’s invitation, ‘The Duke & Duchess of Abercorns, [sic] my Cousins, had begged us attend a Masonic Concert the 18th.

The plaque referred is ‘attached to the rock face fronting Regent Road immediately to the east of the steps leading from the end of Waterloo Place to Calton Hill’, and was unveiled in 1894. The entry with Canmore ID 302221 gives some detail, but has no mention of the present appeal. 1p, 4to. On recto of first leaf of bifolium of laid paper. Discoloured and worn, but with text intact and clear. The authors are named as: ‘DAVID PRYDE, M.A., LL.D., / President of the Edinburgh Burns’ Club. / JAMES CRICHTON, Hon. Secy. / JOHN WALKER, Acting.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. Both in fair condition, worn and aged. The first item with one fold. Both signed ‘Edwin Waugh’ and addressed to ‘Mr. J. T. Baron’. ONE (14 February 1889): 2pp, 12mo. On the rectos of a bifolium. He would have answered Baron sooner, had he not been ‘tossing to and fro a good deal lately’. He thanks him ‘very heartily for the kind feeling expressed in your lines addressed to me on the 73rd [the 3 underlined three times] anniversary of my birth, in the Blackburn Times’.

See the entries for Wynter and Walford in the Oxford DNB. The present letter provides a valuable insight into the position of ‘the man of letters’ in Victorian periodical publication: according to the ODNB, Walford ‘edited the Gentleman's Magazine in 1866 and strongly objected to the proprietor Joseph Hatton's decision to change the character of that magazine.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. A good large bold signature, with the autograph valediction of a letter. On one side of a 20 x 9 cm piece of wove paper. In good condition, lightly aged. Reads: ‘Your’s [sic] very truly / V. Lovett Cameron / Commander R. N.’ See Image.

The papers of Sir Charles Stewart Scott (an Ulsterman: see his entry in the Ulster Dictionary of Biography) are held by the British Library. The present journal, described by its writer as ‘Private & most Confidential’, covers the very start of his career, from Paris in 1859 to Copenhagen in 1863.

Excellent affectionate and eloquent content, including a moving expression of the conventional Victorian view of Christmas. See Bright's entry in the Oxford DNB. A total of eight pages, six of which are closely written. Items One and Two addressed to ‘My dear Jacob’. Item Three is incomplete. ONE: ‘Univ Coll / Innocents Day 1866.’ 5pp, 12mo. On bifolium. Bright’s signature ‘W. Bright’ and the conclusion of the letter (i.e. the fifth page) are written crosswise at the head of the first page.

The University of Wyoming American Heritage Center has mounted a ‘traveling exhibit’ of watercolours and diaries from Kennet Were’s 1868-9 journey across the United States, a long account of which he published in the Gazette (‘Nine Months in the United States’) on his return. Were’s obituary in the Transactions of the Devonshire Association, vol. 48, (1916), p. 54, describes him as one of Sidmouth’s ‘most respected inhabitants’ and ‘the prime mover in movements for the improvement of the resort and a supporter of all good causes’, but does not refer to his artistic activities.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. 2pp, 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged, and with a thin strip of discoloration from glue for mount along one edge. Folded for postage. Signed ‘Dunraven’. Begins: ‘My dear Mr Harnwell / I have kept your very interesting drawings & plates a long time. The Bridge must be a very striking object. The proofs of the ancient dwellings I fear I shd not have kept so long.’ Dunraven is ‘longing to see’ Bradford and will ‘get some copies of the photos’. It may be better to ‘get it photd [sic] on a larger scale’.

Rather long for a carte de visite: 6 x 9 cm albumen print laid down on 6.5 x 10.5 cm card. In fair condition, lightly discoloured and worn. On the card beneath the photograph is a facsimile of Ruskin’s signature (‘John Ruskin’) and ‘ELLIOTT & FRY Copyright. 55. BAKER ST.’ Printed on the reverse is the royal crest and the firm’s address. A copy of the present item was offered by Sotheby’s in 2021, dated to 1867, with the claim that it was ‘signed on the mount’. That claim is erroneous: the signature to that copy is identical with the present lithographed one.

The recipient is clearly not the American politician Joseph Lanier Williams (1810-1865), but rather an editor of Beveridge’s history of India at Blackie’s. 1p, 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged, but with diagonal crease at bottom right going through Beveridge’s signature. Folded for postage. Addressed to ‘Joseph L. Williams Esqr’ and signed ‘Henry Beveridge’. He begins by undertaking to ‘attend to the matters’ mentioned in Williams’s note.

See her entry by Jan Marsh in the Oxford DNB, added in 2022 after the publication of Marsh’s ‘Pre-Raphaelite Sisters’ (2019). 9 x 5.5 calling card, engraved in copperplate. In fair condition, lightly aged. Laid out in the customary fashion, with centred ‘Lady Burne-Jones.’, and at bottom left: ‘The Grange, / 49, North End Road, / West Kensington, W.’ In her autograph at head: ‘with sincere thanks / from’, and beneath her engraved name ‘& family’. See image.

Barton, who was born in London, joined the Royal Mint’s Melbourne branch as one of two assayers on its opening in 1869; in 1887 he was promoted to Superintendent, and in 1895 to Deputy Master, holding that position until his reitrement in 1904. See his entry in the Encyclopaedia of Australian Science and Innovation. In case Barton has misspelled the name, the recipient may be William Dawson Grubb (1817-1879) or his son Frederick William Grubb (1844-1923), who have a joint-entry in the Australian Dictionary of National Biography. 3pp, 12mo. Bifolium. Signed ‘Robert Barton’.

See Cook?s entry in the Oxford DNB. His temperance hall and hotel illustrated here, were built in 1853. The hall was demolished in the 1960s, to be replaced by a building typical of those that blight Leicester in 2011; the council gave permission for the hotel to be demolished to make way for another monstrosity. Sepia lithograph printed in landscape on 20 x 13 cm leaf of laid paper, extracted from a book or pamphlet. Attractive illustration of an imposing structure, with those that flank it, and people and coaches in the foreground.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. 3pp, 12mo. On bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged. He thanks him for ?letting me try the little horse which I returned to Banks?s. I wrote to them to say that I found him too small for the Victoria. This & his taking too much interest in the subterranian openings alone prevented me from keeping him at once for a hack as his paces & temper seemed to me perfect.? He sends his compliments to Bristow?s family, ?if they should still recollect me - and the terrible ascent on the ?Monks cap? - never to be attempted again by me -?.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. The item is from the Gatty papers. (Herbert is writing to Gatty in Trinidad, and it is Gatty who will be appointed in place of the subject of the letter.) 1p, 8vo, on good laid paper. In good condition, but with creases from having been folded into packet (not through signature). A good looking item, with ?Confidential? in left-hand margin. Reads: ?Sir, / I am directed by Lord Knutsford to ask you to be so good as to inform him confidentially whether Mr. Justice Cook, Puisne Judge in Trinidad is to your knowledge in the habit of drinking to excess.

See her entry in the Oxford DNB. 4pp, 12mo, with the first page also bearing the conclusion of the letter and signature ?L M Knightley?, cross-written. On bifolium of grey paper. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn. Folded for postage. She begins by asking for a favour, explaining that she has had ?a most lovely present from my G. F. S.

Both items in good condition, lightly aged. Each signed ‘Josh. Adshead’. Written in a difficult hand. Both letters are addressed to the same recpient, who is named in the first as ‘Geo Cruikshank’. Written in the year in which Cruikshank dedicated his pamphlet ‘The Bottle’ to Adshead. ONE: ALS, 30 March 1847. 1p, 12mo. On grey paper. Cruikshank’s ‘draft value £50 is duly to hand’, and he may be assured of Adshead’s ‘best services in my endeavour to promote our Views’. He will be ‘much pleased to receive a proof of one of the series of Temperance drawings’. TWO: ALS, 15 July 1847. 3pp, 12mo.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. 4pp, 12mo, on bifolium. Sixty lines of text. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper. Folded for postage. Addressed to ‘Dear Mr Langbridge’ and signed ‘Hugh Macmillan’. The handwriting is hard to read. Begins: ‘At this distance from post-offices I cannot get a postal-order conveniently to send a subscription of 10/6d. half-a-guinea for your Presentation’. He will organize payment on his return, and asks for his name to be put down on rhw subscription list.

See his entry, and that of his wife, in the Oxford DNB. Plain postcard addressed by Haweis to ‘John Bacon Esqr / 48 Griffin St / Wilton / Blackburn’. In fair condition, discoloured and worn. Reads: ‘Dear Sir. / My next work will be duly advertised. My photographs can be got from Fry & Co. 68 East St. Brighton (& my wife’s also). Thanks for all kind words. / H R Haweis. / Amber House July 11’.

The present item differs from the version published on pp.248-254 of the ‘Notices of the Proceedings’, vol.2 (1854-1858), and no other copy has been traced. Drophead title: ‘Royal Institution of Great Britain. / Weekly Evening Meeting, / Friday, April 25, 1856. / Sir Benjamin Collins Brodie, Bart. D.C.L. F.R.S. Vice-President, in the Chair. / W. B. Donne, Esq. / On the Works of Chaucer, considered as Historical Illustrations of England in the 14th Century.’ 10pp, 16mo, paginated [1]-10. In very good condition, lightly aged. Stabbed as issued, with no wraps, and unopened. Begins: ‘MR.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. 3pp, 12mo. Bifolium. An area torn away at the head of the first leaf (with the loss of one word of text) has been skilfully repaired with archival paper; otherwise in good condition, lightly aged. He apologizes for being unable to ‘come to your at home tomorrow as I can not go to any parties till after the funeral of the Duke of Albany’. He asks her to ‘accept and make use of’ tickets ‘for some tableaux vivants which are to take place tomorrow night at the house of the Princesse de Caraman-chimay.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. The full lecture, fifty-four pages in length, was published for Playfair in Edinburgh by Edmonston & Douglas in 1865, with the subtitle ‘Lecture delivered at the Royal Society, Edinburgh, 3d April 1865, and Royal Institution, London, 28th April 1865.’ Although reset, the text of the present three-page synopsis does not appear to differ from the version printed on pp.431-433 of the ‘Notices of the Proceedings’, vol.4 (1862-1866). No other copy of this offprint has been traced. In very good condition, lightly aged.

See her entry and his in the Oxford DNB. 2pp, 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded for postage. Signed ‘Ruby’. Begins: ‘Popie, darling, / What are we coming to? / You - as a pierrot with the “Fol-de-Rols”! / BBC/TV must be mad not to let you do a talk on the St. James’s. / But after the Gaiety fiasco I can believe anything of them.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. 2pp, 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded once. The recipient is not identified. Addressed to ‘My dear Sir’ and signed ‘Herbert Thurston’. He begins by thanking him for ‘the nice things you say’, and continues: ‘I fear I have no defence as regards Samuel Butler. I knew that he had written on the Sonnets and that some people thought highly of his book but I have never seen it. The fact was that I was provoked into talking up the question by some friends who have recently become obsessed by the Oxford theory.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. The full text of Maurice’s lecture was printed posthumously on pp.268-299 of his ‘The Friendship of Books and Other Lectures’ (1880). Although reset, the text of the present six-page synopsis does not appear to differ from that printed on pp.328-333 of the ‘Notices of the Proceedings’, vol.2 (1854-1858). No other copy of this offprint has been traced. In very good condition, lightly aged. Drophead title: ‘Royal Institution of Great Britain. / Weekly Evening Meeting, / Friday, January 30, 1857. / William Pole, Esq. M.A. F.R.S.

See her entry and his in the Oxford DNB. 1p, 4to. In fair condition, lightly aged and slightly creased at extremities. Addressed to ‘My Dear Mr. MacQueen Pope’ and signed (in block capitals) ‘BERTA RUCK’.

See the entry on her second husband George Wyndham in the Oxford DNB. Wyndham had been appointed Chief Secretary for Ireland a few months previously (October 1900). His plans were ambitious, but after some success they would flounder, leading to a nervous breakdown: within four years of the present letter the Prime Minister Arthur Balfour would write to Lady Wyndham that was ‘utterly ruined’ and ‘really hardly sane’. See also the ODNB entry on the recipient. 4pp, 12mo, with text concluding crossways at top of first three pages. Bifolium with mourning border. In fair condition, lightly aged.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. 1p, 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged; folded for postage. Addressed ‘To / A. Williams Esqre.’ from ‘Edmund Yates.’ Written in purple ink. Reads ‘Dear Sir / I am much obliged to you for your politeness in forwarding me the extract from the Liverpool Mercury. / Faithfully your’s, [sic] / Edmund Yates.’

The address from which this letter is sent is said to have been 'the English home of Louis Kossuth and Garibaldi'. 1p, 12mo. On aged paper, and with strip of discoloration from glue along the inner edge, the detaching of the item from its mount having caused a little wear to a couple of words of text. Reads: ‘Dear Sir, / Northampton is the only Constituency I have represented in Parliament - I am not [last word underlined] the author of the work you allude to / Yours truly / C Gilpin’.