WATFORD

Written during Prescott’s 1850 visit to England, where he was greatly feted and lionized. Both items in good condition, lightly aged and worn. Both folded for postage. Both to ‘Dear Lady Theresa’ and signed ‘Wm. H. Prescott’. See the Oxford DNB entry for the recipient Lady (Maria) Theresa Lewis (1803-1865), whose family home was the Grove, Watford, but who lived in Kent House in Knightsbridge with her second husband Sir George Cornewall Lewis, Bart, her first husband having been the novelist Thomas Henry Lister (1800-1842). ONE ‘Trentham / Sep. 2d.’ 1p, 12mo.

Watford?s obituaries noted her sensitive acting style, and ranked alongside Peggy Ashcroft. On both sides of a 14.5 x 10 cm card, with no printing but for the name ?GWEN WATFORD? in red at the head of recto. Addressed to ?Dear Mr Sephton? and with good firm signature ?Gwen Watford?. In good condition lightly aged. Twelves lines of neatly written text. She has ?just finished another mid-week matinee?, and is writing thank him for his ?most encouraging letter?, which she will ?treasure?.

4pp., 12mo. Bifolium with mourning border. Ends abruptly at the end of the fourth page, and without signature. For the period an unusually frank expression of distress, apparently over the death of his wife's elder daughter He thanks her for calling on him with books - 'when you so kindly came to that House though I had intended so very much to see you I felt all my courage fail - & that I s[houl]d. only distress you & do myself harm if I saw you'.

Unbound and stapled. Sixty-four pages. Dimensions of leaf roughly thirteen inches by eight wide. Lithographed facsimile handwriting throughout. Aged and with some wear to extremities, but text clear and entire. 'Clerk of Writ Copy' in red ink manuscript at head of first page. An interesting and informative document, compiled on behalf of the Metropolitan Asylums Board, giving in detail the specifications for builders tendering for the contract for the erection of the new hospital.

12mo, 1 p, 11 lines. Good, with thin strip of discoloration along the outer edge. He is grateful to Hodgson 'for thinking of me'. Nothing would give Clarendon greater pleasure 'than to meet the Members of the Booksellers Provid[en]t Institution at Abbot's Langley', but unfortunately he has to go to London that Friday morning 'in order to keep some engagements that I have made on Saturday'.