DOMESTIC

An interesting slice of social history, casting light on the decor of a substantial London property owned by an affluent member of the middle classes. Neatly and closely written over 18pp, foolscap 8vo. On five bifoliums bound together with green ribbon. First page with red ten-shilling stamp. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded twice into the customary packet, endorsed crosswise on final page: ‘Dated 23rd. January 1894 / J. G. Grieve Esq / To / Mrs. E. C. Grieve / Assignment / of / Funiture &c. in 15 Lancaster Gate, Hyde Park.

An interesting slice of social history, casting light on the decor of a substantial London property owned by an affluent member of the middle classes. Neatly and closely written over 18pp, foolscap 8vo. On five bifoliums bound together with green ribbon. First page with red ten-shilling stamp. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded twice into the customary packet, endorsed crosswise on final page: ‘Dated 23rd. January 1894 / J. G. Grieve Esq / To / Mrs. E. C. Grieve / Assignment / of / Funiture &c. in 15 Lancaster Gate, Hyde Park.

2pp, 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded once. He begins by thanking him for his 'kindness in the matter of the plate at New'. He called there that morning and has 'sent on Dr Russells letter of introduction', and has 'written to Dr Moyle', explaining his object, and he hopes he will give him permission to have the [?] photod. wh: I consider about the finest piece of dated H English Plate in existence -'.

The Biblewomen & Nurses Mission was founded as the London Bible and Domestic Female Mission in 1857, with the aim of bringing religious education to the poor. See the account of the founder Ellen Henrietta Ranyard (1810-1879) in the Oxford DNB. In 1868, Ranyard expanded the organisation to include the nursing of the sick poor in their own homes, in response to what the 'Biblewomen' saw of the sick, and three years later the Mission began to receive support from the Mercers Company. After Ranyard's death she was succeeded as Hon.

Lady Bulwer Lytton is now best-known for her mistreatment at the hands of her husband (see their entries in the Oxford DNB). Both letters are in good condition, lightly aged and worn, the first carrying traces of mount and with slight damage at one corner. ONE: 28 February 1836. 4pp, 16mo. She is delighted to hear of Lady Cullum's return to England.

2pp, 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded twice. The female recipient is unidentified, but would appear to be the editor of a magazine, enquiring after the progress of a 'paper' Ellis has agreed to write on 'Java Sparrows'. Ellis explains that she has 'begun a better story in the Child's department which it is consequently necessary to finish first', to appear 'in the number for June', but that 'your paper shall certainly come next'. The handwriting is not altogether straightforward, but Ellis appears to say here that 'stories will not always [write?] up when [necessary?]'.

1p, 12mo. Folded twice. In good condition. Presumably in response to a request for an autograph, the central third of the page carries Patmore's signature ('Coventry Patmore.') beneath a four-line quotation from Patmore's best-remembered poem, 'The Angel in the House': 'Spirit of Knowledge, grant me this: | A simple heart and subtle wit | To praise the thing whose praise it is | That all which can be praised is it!'

48pp., 12mo. Disbound pamphlet without wraps. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn, with slight staining to outer leaves. A guide to health for the common people, with remedies. Written in Welsh, with a scattering of words in English. Williams is described on the title-page as 'Awdwr Y “Salmydd Cenhedlaethol,” “Ceinion Cerddoriarth Gorawl Ac Eglwysig,” “Hymnau Nadolig,” &c., &c. Two-page 'Rhagymadrodd' by 'Hafrenydd.

124pp., 4to. Unbound (awaiting binding): with marbled endpapers and all edges gilt. Profusely illustrated with facsimile pages from the original. Edition limited to 265 copies. This copy out of series. In good condition, lightly-aged, on cream paper, with slight wear to endpapers. Craig's sprawling signature on title-page. Uncommon. Both OCLC WorldCat and COPAC conflate their entries for this edition with the trade edition published by Macdonald and Jane's in 1975. The only copy of the 1974 edition certainly thrown up by OCLC WorldCat at Oxford.

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'.

1p., 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged. Hamilton can 'confidently recommend' Peeke 'as a reliable honest & capable footman. He is very steady, a trifle slow at taking in <?> but remembers all he is told. He is a good valet. Lord George is sorry to lose him.'

2pp., 4to. Bifolium. In fair condition, aged and worn. Addressed, with red wax seal, on reverse of second leaf, to 'Mrs. Cockburn Ross | Pooles Hotel'. He begins by explaining why he has not replied to her letter sooner, his clerk having placed it 'with some Letters of Business'. Archibald Black, who was formerly in his service, is 'a good natured honest Creature', but he cannot advise her to hire him. On the poor mans account I would not wish to be more particular than just saying that it is not owing to any objection to his moral Character that leads me to dissuade you from engaging him'.

117pp., 12mo. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper; in contemporary worn vellum binding, with metal clasp, with marbled endpapers. Two sequences of receipts, starting at different ends of the volume, one (rather more businesslike) later than the other. In addition to the total of 117pp. of receipts, each of the two sequences has its own thumb index.

2pp., 4to. On bifolium. Addressed by Orde on reverse of second leaf, with docketting and faint postmark. Good, on lightly-aged paper.

353pp., small 4to. In brown calf half-binding, with marbled endpapers, and title 'DISSECTING BOOK' in gilt on red leather label on spine. In very good condition, clean and tight, in lightly-worn binding. Neatly written out throughout in the same hand, with pencil running totals added in a second hand.

[2] + 8 + [1] pp., small (18 x 14 cm.) 4to. Sewn with green ribbon into white wraps, with 'Pattie's Christmas Tree' in gilt on front. In good condition, with the wraps slightly sunned in panels. Inscribed at head of title-page 'With kind regards'. The pamphlet contains a single poem titled 'Pattie's Christmas Tree', printed on eight pages each with decorative border in gilt. Printer's slug on revers of title, and colophon on last page. The beginning and end of the poem indicate the theme.

1p., 12mo. On laid paper with 'Pro Patria' watermark. In good condition, lightly-aged and dusty. Headed 'September 25th 1732' and docketed on reverse 'Account of Linen in 1732 of Bn. & Eliz. Adams.' Thirteen items, beginning with 'There is eleven pair of Linneng [sic] sheets' and ending with 'There is 1/2 a dozen of Dypers naptkin for night Caps'. The Northumberland origins of the Adamses is not referred to in the document, but is clear from one which accompanied it. The document derives from the papers of Benjamin Adams's descendant, the Alnwick solicitor Thomas Adams.

4pp., 16mo. Bifolium. On piece of watermarked laid paper. The first page reads: 'Not to call out to any of the servants but to go up to them when wanted or to ring the call bell. | Care about curtains & chairs - wear white cotton gloves to touch them with | Open shutters gently so as not to disturb the family. | Dont talk loud or laugh loud. - where there are many servants the noise is disagreeable & never allowed.' Towards the end: 'In setting your candle down see that there is nothing over it - such as a picture frame or ornament of any kind -'.

Poem: On one side of a piece of 12mo paper. Fair, lightly-aged and a little ruckled, with traces of gum from previous mounting on the blank reverse. The 12-line poem is written in heroic couplets, and begins 'POOR, faithful animal, adieu! - | To Nature's kind affection true, | For fourteen years, thy grateful heart, | Devoted, play'd its humble part.' At the end a contemporary hand has ascribed the poem to 'B. B.', and the same hand gives the date as 'September 3d'.

Both items in early nineteenth-century notebooks, each with the original marbled covers. Both in fair condition, on lightly-aged paper, in worn bindings. The volume of 'Miscellaneous Receipts' is 12mo, 129 pp. Paginated by the compilers, with a ten-page 'Index' at the rear. The first page is signed by 'Edward Carte', 'Edward Leigh Carte', 'And Edward Alexander Leigh Carte'. Almost entirely in the hands of Edward Carte and Edward Leigh Carte, with only one page, following the index, in E. A. Leigh Carte's hand.

4to, 36 pp and a manuscript title-page. All texts clear and complete. Disbound (from a commonplace book?) and apparently complete. Fair, on aged, brittle gilt-edged paper, with a few closed tears (in particular to the last couple of leaves). The book is presumably in Mrs Macdonald's hand, and the only indication to her identity is the final note (see below), signed 'F. M. M.', which shows her to have been an educated member of the middle classes. Divided into three parts. The first part is 'Useful Remarks for the Mistress of a House' (25 pp, paginated from 1 to 23).

12mo, 3 pp. Bifolium. Very good on lightly-aged paper. Giving his 'testimony in contradiction of the Statement made in the document which you read to me in reference to the late Miss Marshall of Axminster being kept by you as her professional adviser with little money at her disposal'. States that 'The general impression in the Town was directly opposed to this statement and that impression was sufficiently sustained by the success attendant upon applications to Miss Marshall for and to benevolent purposes'. Gives examples showing 'she was never in want of money'.

A collection of twenty-two items, with one printed envelope, all in good condition, and relating to a complex order to one of the United Kingdom's best-known business concerns. Interesting for the light it casts on the best business practice in the British building industry of the 1930s. Includes typed two-page foolscap estimate, dated 1 November 1930, initialed and on the firm's letterhead, addressed to H. V.

All items very good. A couple with slight staining at head from paperclip. Letter One (to 'The Secretary', 4to, 1 p, 5 lines): Apologising for delay in acknowledging the 'letter and enclosures of 31st ultimo': 'my office was only opened on Wednesday last and I have had much correspondence with which to deal'. Letter Two (to Luckhurst, 4to, 1 p, 18 lines): Concerning 'a booklet on the layout and design of small houses' which the C.P.R.E. 'is hoping to publish this spring'.