Manuscripts

Printed Letter and Questionnaire from the Birmingham Philosophical Society, 'Translation of Scientific Memoirs' Committee, 4pp., 4to, bifolium, some sunning and marking, good condition. Printed Letter, p.[1], from H.W. Crosskey, explaining what the questionnaire is for (Action for the Translation and Publication of Foreign Scientific Memoirs to be put to the attention of the British Association). The questionnaire comprises four questions, with a final section headed Remarks.

In a difficult hand, with some autograph corrections.. Questionnaire from the Birmingham Philosophical Society, 'Translation of Scientific Memoirs' Committee, 2pp., 4to, detached from the printed, explanatory letter from H.W. Crosskey (not present), some sunning, chipping (loss of one letter) and marking, fair condition. The absent Printed Letter, p.[1], from H.W. Crosskey, had explained what the questionnaire is for (Action for the Translation and Publication of Foreign Scientific Memoirs to be put to the attention of the British Association).

Manuscript, [21]pp., 8vo, edge of p.[1] dusted, ow all good condition, Heavily worked on discussion of the issue of Capital Punishment, a subject on wh[ich] I feel so deeply, so strongly, so earnestly, that I dare not trust myself to speak upon it without constraint.

[170]pp., 4to, title label, brown wraps, stabbed, sl. wrinkled edges, sl. aged, typed ownership sticker back cover, John Furnell, 'Woodend', 24 Chessel Avenue, Boscombe, Bournemouth, Hants. Final page (additional , p.[170]) includes a list of Author's suggestions for settings. With a sprinkling of corrections and additions.Opposite p.38 (beginning of Act II set in the Foyer of the St James's Theatre, an illustration from a Max Beerbohm book (Some Persons of the Nineties), with names from Wilde to Mallarme, 10 names presumably in Furnell's hand.

Enters exhibited her artistic work - including many sketches of her own costume designs - widely in the United States and Europe, and her work is held by several museums, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. The present item is an attractive impressionistic sketch, in grey and black pencil, with watercolour wash in pink, light red and grey, showing a dancer with arms outstretched and heavy costume with full sleeves and train. Captioned by Enters at bottom left: 'Fleur du Mal (Proust Sequence)'. Signed at bottom left: 'Angna Enters '56'. On 23 x 15.5 cm laid paper.

A very nice artefact of one of the best-loved books in the England language, Gilbert White's 'Natural History and Antiquities of Selborne', which at one point was claimed to be the fourth most-printed book after the Bible, Shakespeare, and Bunyan's 'Pilgrim's Progress'. White's entry in the Oxford DNB concludes by describing the book as 'an expression of universal thanksgiving, treasured by all'.

An interesting period piece. Two synopses of Percy Nash's review 'The Charm', the second dated by him to 1951, and with reference to the nationalisation of the coal industry. Together with the typescript of a song from the play about the 'Man of Might' Winston Churchill, and the Labour Party, who 'Have sullied the Fair name | of dear old England'. Also present is a watercolour drawing by Percy Nash's nephew the Bournemouth artist Eustace Nash of the intended backdrop to the first act of the review, together with an ALS discussing his ideas for the design of the piece.

Twelve pencil portraits executed in the same extremely capable style, probably for the purposes of engraving. Each on a separate piece of 4to paper. All in good condition, with light signs of age and wear, a couple with minor flecking with red paint. All dated in pencil (between 1811 and 1829), and all but two captioned. (Several of the items with watermark date supporting the pencil dating.) Three of the portraits have the tiny signature at bottom left of 'Bestland', and all would appear to be the work of the same artist, although the last appears to be signed with the initials 'C H'.

Lauriston Leonard Batten studied at Trinity College, Cambridge (see his entry in Alum. Cantab.). He was admitted at the Inner Temple in 1882 and called to the bar four years later. KC, 1905. Bencher, 1914. The present collection is from the papers of his colleague on the Oxford Circuit, Sir Richard Harington (1861-1931), 12th baronet, who was educated at Eton and Christ Church, Oxford. Called to the Bar in 1886, he practised on the Oxford Circuit before taking up an appointment as a Puisne Judge in the High Court of Justice at Fort William in Bengal in 1899.

1p, 12mo. In fair condition, aged and worn. Folded twice. 68 lines of text, written in a minute, neat hand. Folded twice. Black has numbered the page at top right '206'. The text begins: '[...] seemly and maidenly thing [...]', and ends 'she seemed to know beforehand what he had to say.' Black's entry in the Oxford DNB describes his 1884 novel 'Judith Shakespeare: A Romance' (published in America with the subtitle 'Her Love Affairs and Other Adventures') as 'a romance about the dramatist's daughter'.

8.5 x 14 envelope. In fair condition, aged and creased. Torn open, with slight loss to flap. A nice Mark Twain artefact, and something of a puzzle, as he does not appear to have been in England at the time. There does not appear to be any connection between Twain and William Amhurst Tyssen-Amherst (1835-1909), 1st Baron Amherst of Hackney, whose London address was 88 Brook Street, Grosvenor Square.

A fragile survival. One page, 20 x 22cm, small closed tears, foxing, minimal loss of two or three letters, text fully legible as follows: "Whereas it is requisite and necessary that [an?] Advance of Money should be made for paying for the Repairs at Sterling [sic] & Dumbarton Castles in North Brittain. We have therefore pursuant to an Ord[e]r this day of the Board Imprested unto James Luly the sum of Twenty pounds And we desire the Honble Harry Mordaunt Esq.

The earldom of Glengall was created in 1816 for Lord Cahir who died three years later; the second and last earl held the title from 1819 to his death in 1858. Another of the signatories, Dr Richard Burgess, was active in Clonmell in the Regency period. On one side of 24 x 19 cm piece of watermarked laid paper. Clearly the left hand half (only) of a 24 x 38 cm petition addressed 'To the Kings Most Excellent Majesty'. In fair condition, aged and worn, with closed tears and chipping along one edge, and one signature cut away, leaving only the acronym 'D.

There is no indication of the author's identity, but one of the customers is named as 'Mr: Dougall Campball', and others include 'Balantine', 'Mr Connor', 'Mr Hall', 'Thomas Eson' and 'Tho Eison'. The sums involved are large, and the document would appear to suggest a wholesaler. 2pp, folio, on a leaf of laid paper with no watermark. Aged and worn, with chipping along one edge resulting in slight loss to some of the figures on one side of the leaf.

Manuscripts in a contemporary hand of two poems which won the University of Oxford Chancellor's Prize for Latin Verse, neither of them published. In 1789, Canning, as a Christ Church undergraduate, won the prize for the second of the two, 'Iter ad Meccam Religionis causa susceptum'; and in 1792 John Richardson, 'Scholar of University', won it for the first of the two, 'Maria Scotorum Regina'. The manuscript of the two poems totals 29pp, 8vo. The pages are written lengthwise on fifteen of the twenty leaves of a stitched booklet of laid paper with Britannia watermark.

The interview was published in two numbers of 'Crescendo' ('The world's most authoritative music magazine', founded 1962). The first part, retitled 'Music & Moore | Les Tomkins interviews “The Genuine Dud”' – was the leading article (pp.18-19) of the July 1966 number of ), with Moore featuring on the cover. The second part was published in the following number, August 1966, pp.18-19 and 25. Four items, all in good condition, with light aging.

The interview – retitled 'Duke looks back – and forward | in an interview with Les Tompkins' – features on pp.6-7 of the April 1964 number of 'Crescendo'. (Sammy Davis Jr features on the cover, with the announcement 'NOT A WORD ABOUT THE BEATLES!') Three items, the typescript of the interview and two accompanying pieces (one not used). All three in good condition, lightly aged. ONE: Carbon typescript, titled 'That's where the tailoring comes in | Duke Ellington talks to Les Tomkins'. 6pp, 4to. On six leaves, stapled together at a corner.

An amusing unpublished jeux d'esprit by Martineau, revealing a lighthearted aspect of her character. 1p, 16mo. Bifolium, addressed by Martineau on reverse of second leaf 'To | Lady Cullum.' In good condition, lightly aged. Folded once.

See E. A. H. Webb, 'History of the 12th (The Suffolk) Regiment, 1685-1913' (1914). Picton was the uncle of 'the illustrious Picton', Lt-Gen. Sir Thomas Picton (1758-1815), who was his sole executor and residuary legatee. The year of Picton's birth is variously reported, but the Monthly Magazine, December 1811, is among several sources reporting his death in Bond Street at the age of 87. 4pp, folio. Bifolium. In fair condition, aged and with closed tears along the three fold lines. Endorsed on reverse of second leaf: '12th.

4pp, 12mo. On four loose leaves. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn, with minor traces of grey paper mount along edges on blank reverses. The poem is titled 'The Dream of Fine Editors | (after the dinner to J. N. Dunn. April 23rd. 1897)'. (At the time of the dinner the Scottish journalist James Nicol Dunn (1856-1919) was on the verge of being appointed editor of the Morning Post, a position he would hold from May 1897 to January 1905.) There is no record of the poem having been published, and it is likely to have been written for after-dinner recitation only.

Four pages, folio, bifolium, leaves partly separated, sl. grubby, text clear and complete. Rainier states that he has been informed by letter by Captrain Charles Adam of "La Sybille" that "a quantity of sails and other boatswains stores [...] which are worn out, rotten, decayed and totally unfit for their proper use".

Document, folio, fold marks, tipped onto card of similar size, good condition, printed form instructing acceptance of men into the Greenwich Hospital with details added in MS, including the names of the men to be admitted, the signatures of Lords of the Admiralty (Sandwich, Palmerston, and Hugh Palliser) and by Philip Stephens, Secretary (see Oxford DNB)

On one side of square of paper cut from a 12mo leaf. In fair condition, aged and lightly creased. Folded twice. Reads: 'For Coals and the School | With Lord Tennyson's | Compliments and best Wishes | May 1 / 85'. Presumably 'the School' is the Blue Coat School at Aldworth, and it seems that Tennyson was sending a cheque for the purchase of 'Coals', possibly as part of a tradition.

On both sides of a 37 x 24 cm piece of paper (i.e. half a 'pinched post' folio leaf), with 1806 fleur-de-lys watermark. Folded twice, to make eight 24 x 9 cm panels (four on each side), in seven of which Perceval has written his notes in a close and neat hand. The eighth panel forms the outside of the folded paper, and on this Perceval has written 'Parliamentary | Miscellaneous'. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn.

2pp, folio. In good condition, lightly aged and worn. Folded twice. Excellent bold signature by the king ('George R.') in the customary position at the head of the first page. Signed at the end of the document by three of the six Lords Commissioners of the Treasury: 'B Paget | G C H Somerset | E A McNaghten'. Embossed tax stamp in left-hand margin of first page, together with remains of red wafer.

2pp, folio. On a single leaf. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn, with thin strip of paper from mount adhering to inner edge of first page. Folded twice. Good firm signature of the king ('George R.') at top left of first page, which has a thin mourning border. Left hand margin of first page with embossed £1 10s tax stamp. Written out ('By His Majesty's Command') in a secretarial hand, and addressed 'To The Husband for taking up all Goods consigned from Barbadoes and the Leeward Islands on Account of the Duties of Four Pounds and one Half Pounds per Centum'.

See the entries for Sylvester Douglas, 1st Baron Glenbervie (1743-1823), and Thomas Steele (1753-1823) in the Oxford DNB. The two men served as Joint Paymasters General of the Forces, 1801-1803. 2pp, foolscap 8vo. In good condition, lightly aged, with thin strip from mount adhering to the reverse of the leaf. Embossed tax stamp at top left of first page. The signatures of 'Thos. Steele' and 'Glenbervie' are at bottom right, with the men's seals in red wax beside them (Steele's in fair condition, and Glenbervie's lacking a segment from chipping). Witnessed at bottom left by P.

For information about George Rose (1744-1818) and Lord Charles Somerset (1767-1831) see their entries in the Oxford DNB. The two men served as Joint Paymasters General of the Forces, 1804-1806. Rose, who was a close friend of Lord Nelson, was mocked by Cobbett for enriching his family at the public expense. The present document, witnessed by one of his second sons the poet William Stewart Rose (1775-1843), appoints his eldest son, the future Sir George Henry Rose, (1771-1855), as one of the two attorneys of his office.

1p, foolscap 8vo. In good condition, lightly aged, with thin strip of paper from mount adhering to blank reverse. Folded twice. Embossed tax stamp at head. Twenty-three lines of text in a secretarial hand, signed at foot by 'Thos. Steele' and 'J. Hiley Addington', both signatures accompanied by seals under paper. To the left of the signatures: 'Sealed and Delivered being first duly Stamped in the presence of | Wm. Wood'. (Wood was a cashier in the Army Pay Office.) At foot of page: 'Entered in the Office for Auditing the Public Accounts 10th.

At the time of writing Brougham was recuperating from a serious illness, and trying to dodge the Chartists, who were reorganising under new leadership. 4pp, 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged, with thin strip from mount adhering to reverse of second leaf. The letter begins: 'Lord Brougham presents his compliments to Mr Lovejoy and assures him that it would give him very great satisfaction if he could be of any service to the proposed Insttitution – to which he heartily wishes every success.