OF

From the Henry Williamson papers. The present text does not feature in Williamson’s 1941 memoir of Lawrence ‘Genius of Friendship’, and appears to be unpublished. (According to Williamson’s entry in the Oxford DNB, the publication in 1927 of ‘Tarka the Otter’ ‘attracted the attention of T. E. Lawrence, whose letter of praise started a correspondence and friendship between the two.

See Kennington’s entry in the Oxford DNB. All six items in good condition, lightly aged. Previously pinned together, with Kennington’s letters folded for postage, and all three are 1p, 8vo, and signed ‘Eric Kennington’. ONE: Kennington ALS, 11 June 1956. Having conferred with Ackroyd’s clerk ‘Mr. Osborne’, he explains that he cannot give his attention to the portrait until September.

See her entry, and her husband’s, in the Oxford DNB. The recipient Philip Dosse was proprietor of Hansom Books, publisher of a stable of seven arts magazines including ‘Books and Bookmen’ and ‘Plays and Players’. Postcard of 14 x 9 cm, with letterhead and no illustration. Monogram signature ‘RK’. In good condition, lightly aged, with slight smudging to a couple of words in one corner. Addressed to ‘Mr Philip Dossé. [sic] / Hansom Books. / Artillery Mansions. / 75, Victoria Street. / LONDON.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. Loose flowing signature, reading 'R Peel'. On a rectangle of paper, roughly 4.5 x 2.5 cm. Lightly discoloured and creased, with traces of glue on blank reverse from mount. See Image.

See Mosley’s entry in the Oxford DNB. Hamm’s papers are in the University of Birmingham. The recipient Philip Dosse (1925-1980) was proprietor of Hansom Books, publisher of a stable of seven arts magazines including Books and Bookmen and Plays and Players.ONE: Typed Letter Signed from ‘Jeffrey Hamm’ to ‘Mr. Dossé’ (Dosse did not employ an accent). 2pp, 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged and folded once. Begins: ‘Sir Oswald dictated this review over the telephone today on to my recording machine.

See his entry, and that of Lawrence, in the Oxford DNB. 2pp, 8vo. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn, with slight nicking and damage at edges. Folded for postage. Signed ‘D. Y. C/’. Begins: ‘My dear Lawrence. / You are often in my thoughts & many a wondering I have as to you & what your life & work is in these grim and sinister days for each & all.’ He asks if his work is printed and his ‘two studios untouched’. ‘Here I am & my sister Katherine and I have much to do & many things to help & try to keep going when so many are away.

Davidson is the longest-serving Archbishop of Canterbury since the Reformation. See his entry, and that of Cremer, in the Oxford DNB. Both items in good condition, lightly aged, and each with a postage fold. The first with glue to margin from mount. ONE (20 January 1891): 2pp, 12mo. Bifolium. Signed ‘Randall T. Davidson’. He thanks Cremer for his ‘letter about Mr Phillips’, and will bear in mind what he has said.

See his entry in Encyclopaedia Britannica. 2pp, 12mo. Closely-written in a neat and elegant hand, signed ‘Philip Schaff’. In good condition, on browned paper, folded twice for postage. Begins: ‘My dear Mrs. Reynolds: / Many thanks for your kind invitation in which Mrs.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. With regard to the subject of the letter, the 'penny banks' that were established in mid-Victorian England to encourage thrift among the working classes, see J. W. Dirring's thesis 'The Organization and Practice of Banking in Cornwall, 1771-1922', which states that ' the Penryn Penny Bank (founded in 1861), [...] was forced to stop payment in February [1879] with its funds inaccessible in the failed Cornish Bank'. 2pp, 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged and creased, with postage folds, one of which has as short closed tear at edge.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. Both letters signed ‘B Jowett’. ONE: Autograph Letter Signed to ‘My dear Bramston’. 2pp, 12mo. On bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged, but with discoloration (probably deliberate, since he is writing from Scotland) to letterhead. Strip of paper from mount adhering to blank reverse of second leaf. Folded for postage. Begins by asking for his thanks, and those of ‘Lord Kerry’ (his student, see Abbott’s ‘Life and Letters’), to be sent to ‘Captain Egerton for his kind and hospitable invitation’.

The three items are in good condition, lightly aged and discoloured. Slight traces of glue from mount to the blank last page of the second item. Each with neat creases from folding. ONE: ‘St Giles’ Cathedral / Solemn Thanksgiving to Almighty God / for / Victory in Europe / WEDNESDAY, 16th MAY 1945 / This is the Lord’s doing; it is marvellous in our eyes.’ (‘ORDER OF DIVINE SERVICE’.) [4]pp, 12mo. Bifolium.

See Astley's entry in the History of Parliament (he was created a baronet at the end of the year in which this letter was written). The ‘Lavender’ mentioned in the letter is Bow Street Runner Stephen Lavender (fictionalized in a series of books by Karen Charlton), who was leaving to take up the position of Deputy Chief Constable at Manchester.1p, 4to. On recto of first leaf of bifolium. Verso of second docketed: ‘Chas. Humphreys / recomn to be an Officer’ and in another hand ‘Dugdale Asteley [sic]’. In good condition, lightly aged, with reverse of second leaf slightly grubby.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. 2pp, 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded for postage. Addressed to 'Dear old Lee' and signed 'W A Spooner -'. He explains that he and his colleagues thought Lee's 'testimonials & references very good, as you may gather from our having put you on our list of selected candidates, but you did not quite reach the very highest place in our judgment'.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. 1p, 12mo. On recto of first leaf of bifolium, the verso of the second leaf addressed, with two postmarks, to 'Mrs. William Smith / Park Street / Westminster'. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn. Annotations in pencil in a modern hand. He begins by apologising for not being able to 'come to your party on Monday', as he was 'forced to go to Bed[.] I always knock up the 2d or 3d Week of London - There is nothing in this World so fatiguing, and horrible as pleasure -'.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. On 9 x 11 cm piece of Whatman wove paper. Somewhat worn and creased, with a small nick to one edge, and slight damage from erasure of note on reverse. Folded. Reads ‘Dear Sr / many thanks / yours truly / Sydney Smith / May 11 1844.’

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. 2pp, 12mo. On first leaf of bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded once. Addressed to ‘A. [?]. King Esqr.’ and signed ‘Gambier Parry’. After thanking him for his note he assures him that he ‘had no thought one way or other about the immediate pub[licatio]n: or delay of the Pamphlet or Spirit Fresco.’ He thinks ‘it might be well to give one last look at it before it is actually published -’ (last two words both underlined twice).

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. All four items are signed ‘Edward J. Poynter’. The first is somewhat discoloured, with cut corners (not affecting text), the others are in good condition, lightly aged. ONE: ALS to ‘My dear Robin’, 11 July 1874. 1p, 12mo. He has received ‘the four £10 notes’ and reports ‘the most tremendous thunderstorms’. TWO: ACS to ‘Mr. Gilkes’, 30 July 1890. He apologises for being unable to ‘attend the distributions of the School prizes’ that day. THREE: ALS to ‘Waterlow’, 5 November 1905. 1p, 12mo. ‘Your letter gives me the key to the memorial.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB, along with that of E. D. Morel, a campaigner like Roger Casement against abuses in the Belgian Congo. (Morel had been given a 'testimonial luncheon' two days before the writing of this letter.) 1p, 4to. In good condition, lightly aged, creased and worn. Folded for postage. Ten lines of stylishly-written text. Signed ‘W. Rothenstein’. After thanking her for writing he states: ‘Nothing could please me more than to feel that you care for something I have put into the painting of your noble husband.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. 1p, 16mo. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded once for postage. Signed ‘W. L. Wyllie.’ He is sorry that he will be unable to avail himself of ‘the kind invitation to dinner sent me by the Master of the Salters Company’. He is starting for Norway on the last day of the month, and will not return until the end of July.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. 1p, 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged. Strip of glue from mount adhering to one edge of the blank reverse. Folded for postage. Addressed to ‘J M Hare Esqr’. Reads: ‘Dear Sir / I have to acknowledge the receipt of the Patent you have kindly sent me, pray accept my thanks for your attention / I am dear Sir / Yrs faithfully / S. Morton Peto’. In Victorian hand at foot: ‘M P. Norwich 1851’.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. Wilkie was in a good position to assist Waagen, who was touring England making notes on significant art collections, for use in his ‘Kunstwerke und Künstler in England und Paris’ (3 vols, Berlin, 1837–39), which formed the basis for his influential ‘The Treasures of Art in Great Britain’ (translated by Lady Eastlake, 4 vols, London, 1854 and 1857). Wilkie had strong connections with Wellington. His 1822 painting ‘The Chelsea Pensioners reading the Waterloo Dispatch’ had been commissioned by the Duke, and was sold to him for the unheard-of sum of 1,200 guineas.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. 2pp, 12mo. On first leaf of bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged, with small and slightly rusted staple holes to one corner. Folded once. Addressed to ‘My dear [Gern?] King / A. G. B. I’ (i.e. the Artists’ General Benevolent Institution) and signed ‘Aston Webb / Presd. A G B I -’. He is writing at the request of ‘the Council’, ‘to express to you on their behalf & my own our sincere regret at your resignation from our Council’.

See his entry in Encyclopaedia Britannica. Both items are in good condition, lightly aged. TLS: 1p, 4to. Addressed to 'Rosalyn Sacks / YMHA - YWHA / Congregation of Mishkan Israel-Linas Hazedek of Jamaica, Inc. / 153-14 90th Avenue / Jamaica, New York 11432'. Signed 'Norman Mailer'. Reads: 'Dear Rosalyn Sacks, / I don't have any pictures at the moment, but I'll try to get ahold of one and autograph it and send it to you and the members of the Congregation of Mishkan Israel-Linas Hazedek in Jamaica.

See her entry, and his, in the Oxford DNB. On the reverse of a colour postcard of the Radcliffe Camera in Oxford from the Old Bodleian. In fair condition, lightly aged and with slight creasing to one corner and at the head (not affecting text). To the right, in the section reserved for the address, she writes: ‘Hardy / with all very / best wishes & love / from / Iris !’. Beneath this is a pencil note identifying Amies as the recipient. At top left, in another hand (her husband John Bayley’s?) is written ‘Born before all time: / a dispute over Christ’s origin / Karl Joseph Kuschel’.

LETTER ONE (to Wolfestan): 4pp, 12mo. Bifolium. Damage to text (including signature 'E. A. Storey') along inner edge of last page by clumsy removal from mount, repaired with archival tape. Otherwise in good condition, lightly aged. Folded. Wolfestan's letter is 'capital' and he hopes he will send it 'as it exactly backs up my own statement'.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. 2pp, on both sides of a 9 x 10.5 cm piece of paper. Aged and worn, with a corner cut away, but the text complete.Nineteen lines in a close and difficult hand. Addressed to 'My dear Mgnr [i.e. Monsignor]' and signed 'E B Pusey'. Interpretation of Pusey's execrable handwriting is challenging. He appears to be ‘lecturing on the Psalms’, and may be requesting ‘combined lectures’.

See the entries on Nightingale, Hall and Herbert in the Oxford DNB. The Nightingale Fund was established in the Crimea on 29 November 1855, to raise money for the training of nurses. As a result of discussions held at the time of this circular the money from the Fund was used to set up the first nursing school, the Nightingale Training School, at St Thomas’s Hospital in 1860. ONE: Printed circular in form of a facsimile ALS from ‘S. C. Hall / Hon. Sec.’ 1p, 8vo. On first leaf of a bifolium. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn. Twenty-four lines of text.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. An unillustrated post card, apart from the letterhead. Addressed, with stamp and Paddington postmark, to ‘Dr William Roberts / Briarlea / Mortimer / Berks.’ The message reads: ‘I vote for Osbert S. [i.e. Osbert Sitwell] as next chairman Soc. Authors [etc?] / Yrs / C. Day Lewis’. Image on request.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. The present item was enclosed in a letter from Serjeant Shee (the future Sir William Shee), offered separately, sent from the House of Commons on 17 February 1854, in which he writes: ‘I enclose Mr. Cobdens own handwriting to send to the Papers -’. Attached to a corner at the head of the first page of the present item is a cutting from the Morning Herald newspaper, 18 February 1854, reproducing the details in the manuscript.

Although large numbers of Irishmen had willingly signed up to fight for the British cause in the First World War, by April 1918 a shortage of troops moved the British government to propose conscription in Ireland. This was violently opposed by republicans, and O’Neill convened an Irish Anti-Conscription Committee which met at the Mansion House in Dublin. Strikes and protests followed, and although a law was passed, conscription was never implemented in Ireland. These two items are now extremely scarce.