DONCASTER

The third of these letters in particular gives a good indication of his Yorkshire bluntness (his entry in the Oxford DNB describes him as ‘a man of arrogance and bile, [...] capable of generosity, strong friendships, and kindness towards people in need of help’). The three items are in good condition, lightly aged; the third with slight wear along one edge. All three are signed ‘E B Denison’ and the second and third are addressed to ‘My dear Plumptre’. ONE (14 January 1856): 3pp, 4to.

2pp., 12mo. Bifolium. He explains that his 'first object' in calling on Walker was to ask him 'to say a few emphatic words on the subject of the Notice you are requested to read this evening at Waltham Street. I refer to the Public Meeting to be held in the Public Rooms in Jarratt Street on Friday evening next at 7 o'clock.' He complains that 'Mr. Greathead simply read [last two words underlined] the Notice this morning; and unluckily he did this while the boxes were being circulated for the Chapel Fund Collection', and that 'the reading of it would, if heard at all, make little impression'.

The two letters each 1p., 4to. Both on aged paper, with wear to left hand margin causing loss to text. In the first letter Lent gives details of 8 of his 17 purchases on that day, adding that 'The Lots sold quite well, a good many co are here, also Bowes, Blackwell, Mc Leis Taylor (Scheurer). Edwards, Pickering & E. Mathews, have marks.' In the second letter he gives details of 5 of his 10 purchases, one of them for 'Mr Butterwick'. He gives details of three commissions which Butterwick left with him, only one of which was successful. Catalogue: 31 + [1]pp., 4to.

1p., 4to. On aged paper, with damage and discoloration to one margin. Eliza Urquhart begins her letter: 'Gentlemen, | Mr Urquhart has desired me to acquaint you that he thinks it would be adviseable immediately to see Mr Spotswood [i.e. Spottiswoode, then an employee of the book's printer Andrew Strahan] on the subject of accelerating the printing of his work, as from the present tardiness with which the proofs are sent, he thinks the Season will inevitably be lost'.

The seven letters total 23pp, 12mo. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper. The third letter, written from Hickleton on 7 January 1907, is in a secretarial hand, Halifax being 'laid up with Influenza' and 'utterly good for nothing'; it carries an autograph postscript by Russell at the head of the first page. The first letter (14 July 1900) invites Russell to fill the 'vacancy on the list of Clerical members of our E.C.U. Council'; Russell's acceptance is acknowledged in the second, which also discusses charges of 'disloyalty'.

Inchbald ran a 'gentleman's boarding academy'. The recipient Ward (1781-1871) was a master cutler and diarist, and one of the founders in 1822 of the Sheffield Literary and Philosophical Society. Three pages, 4to. Dusty but in very good condition, with small piece of second leaf of bifoliate cut away in opening the red wax seal. '[...] I write to you [...] to impose upon you some possibly irksome task. - Things are here in a Train towards the establishing [of] a public library & reading room.