HISTORY

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. The present item was probably written around the time of his 1904 edition of the diary of Sir John Moore. 3pp, 12mo Thirty-three lines of text on bifolium of grey paper. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn. Folded once. Annotated in red ink at head of first page: ‘Sir Frederick Maurice on Sir John Moore (HLO had sent him a copy of a letter of Sir J. Moore, fr. among the family Autographs.)' Addressed to ‘Oldham’ and signed ‘F. Maurice’.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. 1p, 12mo. Nine lines. In good condition, on lightly aged grey paper. Folded once. Addressed to ‘Dear Sir’, and signed ‘J R Seeley’. He states that ‘it will be quite impossible for me to undertake the article Colonies for the Encyclopaedia of Messrs Chambers, as the time you allow for the preparation of it is altogether too short’.

See Nicolas Barker’s typically-elegant obituary of Williamson in the Independent. 2pp, 4to. The obituary of the recipient Andrew Block (1892-1987) in ‘The Private Library’ was subtitled ‘the doyen of booksellers’; his business was established in 1911. On aged and worn paper; folded three times. Signed ‘Hugh Williamson:’ and addressed to ‘Mr Block’. Thirty-one lines in a close, calligraphic hand.

This poem is said to be an earlier work by ‘A Tommy’, the pseudonymous author of the collection ‘If I Goes West’, published in London by Harrap in 1918. WorldCat has no entries to support a second claim: that the present poem was published in 1917, with the subtitle ‘Verses written by a “Tommy” who has fought, suffered and triumphed in Mesopotamia, and is still on active service there’.

During Lahrbush’s lifetime William John Thoms, in his ‘Human Longevity’ (1873), described his claim to have been born in 1766 as ‘the most barefaced case of pretended centenarianism which has ever come under my notice’. ‘Capt. Lahrbush’, who claimed to have been born in 1766, ended his days in New York. He also claimed to have guarded Napoleon in St Helena, and to have obbained a lock of Bonaparte’s hair there. In fact he was court-martialled for fraud in 1818, and sent as a convict to Australia.

Note to be confused with the Kew curator William Watson (1858-1925). Both cards are plain: the first with a self-printed stamp and the second with stamp affixed. Both in fair condition, lightly aged. ONE (to Grinling): He identifies the fungi he sent, adding a comment on bacteoles of mallow. Ends in the hope of attending ‘the Epping Forest foray this year’. TWO (to Whitaker). The previous Saturday he noted ‘Pyrus torminalis in the old rough lane between fences nearly opposite the Bull Inn on Shooters Hill (? Jack Wood Lane)’.

Plain 11.5 x 7.5 cm card, with letterhead in red. The card reads: ‘Dear Herman Hart / I can barely write even today with rheumaticky right hand. I have written to Thring to say that I propose you & have known you for years. It gives me great pleasure to do so / Yrs sincerely / Douglas Sladen’. On reverse, in contemporary hand, ‘Author of Japanese Marriage.’

A prescient note regarding his projected history of the Glorious Revolution, in which Mackintosh expresses the desire to ‘leave the ground somewhat more clear to a successor of greater talents’. And this is indeed what he did: his history was not published during his lifetime, but his voluminous notes proved invaluable to Thomas Babington Macaulay in writing his great history. See the two men’s entries in the Oxford DNB. 2pp., 12mo. Twenty-four lines of text. In fair condition, on lightly aged paper, with short closed tear to one edge. Signed ‘James Mackintosh’.

See his entries in the Oxford DNB and History of Parliament. On 11 x 6 cm slip of paper, laid down on thicker paper cut from album. In good condition, lightly aged. Reads: ‘9th Dececmr. 1715 / Receit in full / Edw Northey’. See image.

An uncommon signature. During the 1794 invasion of Corsica, D’Aubant took over as Lord Hood’s second-in-command after Hood forced Major-General David Dundas to resign, but proved even more cautious, to the frustration of Nelson and others. 1p, landscape 8vo. Laid down on part of leaf from autograph album, captioned in Victorian hand, ‘General D’Aubant’. On discoloured paper, with deeper discoloration from glue from mount. Folded twice. Reads: ‘Genl D’Aubant presents his compliments to Mr Brown, and will call upon him at 12. next Thursday 8th July / Devonshe. place.’ See image.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. Strangwayes published his ‘Materials for a Genealogical History of the House of Strangwayes sometime of Strangwayes Hall, in the County of Lancaster’ in two parts, 1894 and 1895. 4pp, 12mo. Bifolium. In fair condition, lightly aged, with thin strip of paper from mount laid down along inner and outer top edges. With large bold signature. He explains that Strangwayes’ name was sent to him by ‘Mr Ryland’ a few weeks before, but he has delayed in replying, having been ‘laid up all this month’.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. Between 1816 and 1819 Hope held the post of Major General Commanding in North Britain (i.e. Commander-in-Chief in Scotland). On 9.5 x 4 cm slip of wove paper, presumably the valediction cut from a letter. In good condition, lightly aged, with the reverse bearing a thin strip of grey paper from mount along thin strip at head. Reads: ‘John Hope / M. Genl. Commdg / in N. B.’ See image.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. On 10.5 x 8 cm piece of ruled paper, laid down on 21 x 10.5 piece of light blue-green paper cut from album. In good condition, lightly discoloured. Reads: ‘With all kindly salutations to you & yours - believe me / Yours very truly / F. Edward Hulme’ See image.

See Sidney Webb's entry in the Oxford DNB, now unaccountably placed within that of his wife. From the papers of Arthur George Liddon Rogers (1864-1944), son and editor of the economist Thorold Rogers [James Edwin Thorold Rogers] (1823-1890), for information regarding whom see his entry in the Oxford DNB. The three items in good condition, lightly aged. Each folded once. All three signed ‘Sidney Webb’; the first to ‘Sir’, the second to ‘My dear Rogers’, and the third to ‘Dear Rogers’. ONE: 22 September 1891. 4pp, 12mo.

For information about this brave and gallant man, who offered himself to be hanged in place of his fellow officers during the Nore Mutiny, see his entry in the Oxford DNB. The presence of these four items together may indicate a Victorian autograph dealer as the source, or perhaps a family member wishing to distribute keepsakes. Some with tantalizing fragments of surviving text. All four in good condition, some with fold lines. ONE: 14.5 x 6.5 cm. On one side: ‘[...] Ever your truly obliged and / Affectionate Friend / Edward O’Bryen’.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. In good condition, lightly aged, with paper from mount on reverse. Folded once. On 6 x 10 cm piece of paper, cut from conclusion of letter. Good firm signature. Reads: ‘[...] European troops / [...] quartered them. / Yours sincerely / Elphinstone’. See image.

On one side of a 42 x 52 cm piece of laid paper. Folded three times. In very good condition, lightly aged. A striking item in its austere way: very neatly written out, and perhaps suitable for framing. At head: ‘No. 2. Tableau des communes qui ont cessé d’être autorisées à planter du tabac.’ At foot: ‘Toutes les communes des arrondissements de Bethune et de St. Omer qui ont cessé d’être autorisées à planter, avaient volontairement renoncé à la culture. | Arras, le 21 Juillet 1834 | Le Directeur du Dépt du Pas-de-Calais, | [signature (‘Borrage?’, ‘Barrois?’)].

The letter is addressed to ?Monsieur Le marquis?, and the recipient is undoubtedly Barb?-Marbois. The letter presumably dates from 1829, the year of publication of Barb?-Marbois?s ?Histoire de la Louisiane?. The other work referred to, ?Le Complot d?Arnold et de Sir Henry Clinton contre les Etats-Unis?, was published in 1816.

32pp, 8vo. In very good condition, on lightly-aged laid Whatman paper with watermarked date 1830. Ruled in pencil by Campbell, and written out in his attractive calligraphic hand. With occasional emendations, and with an entire revision of the twentieth page made by overlaying another leaf of paper over the top of the original with wafers in each corner. (The two versions can be separated from one another with ease.) Campbell's essay was the leading article in the first issue of 'The Metropolitan', published in London by James Cochrane and Co.

2pp, 4to. 34 lines of closely-written text. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded twice. Addressed to ‘Mr. Poole’. After expressing a hope that they will be meeting Poole now that they are both on the council of the Royal Historical Society, he explains that he is writing in relation to his redrafting of ‘the early part of Percy for the Complete Peerage’, noting that ‘the present draft is certainly alarming’. He is taking it ‘down to 1245’ and finds it ‘full of snags’. He has ‘just finished a draft of Jocelin, Agnes de Percy’s husband’, and L. C.

Typed (cyclostyled or similar?) Letter Signed as above, three pages, 12mo. very good condition, apart from small rusty hole where formerly stapled.

Formerly a four-page bifolium, but half a page cut off presumably including the signature, poor condition, with crude repair to a tear, but text clear and readable though the handwriting is a scrawl. A margin has been added, and the words Lord Macaulay. See Image of first page. Text: He thanks him for his letter. I have read it with much interest and pleasure. What you say of the Northern peasantry confirms the opinion which I have always held about them.

Two pages, cr. 8vo, fold mark, minor repair to closed tear, text complete and legible. Text: I have no personal knowledge as to the seeding of Snowdrops in this country - the species is a very doubtful native & we are about the northern limit of its distribution. I have grown snowdrops for years but have never noticed seedlings among them & they only grow in the area where I have planted the bulbs. They would take probably several (I can't say how many off hand) years to produce flowering bulbs.

One page, folio, good condition, laid down on part of an album page (verso has a newspaper clipping about Wilson, the Pedestrian c.1815 - possibly some indication of when the Copy Letter was made). Text: My dear Aunt, | The recollection of my Situation must occasionally present itself to my Friends with redoubled anxiety when brought to Mind by the Accounts from Paris of tumults at the prison doors, Assassinations within the Walls & the whole train of mischief which the Daemon of Sedition & discord is perpetually Waking in this ill fated City!

One page, 8vo, Note: Ronald Horton (1902–1981), Royal Pavilion & Museums Trust, Brighton & Hove. See image. Text: I was very interested to hear about your forthcoming lecture of 'The inter-relationship of Art and Photography', but I am sorry I have not got any lantern slides at all.

Sixteen pages (two are half pages), fol., some foxing, but text clear. The text is in a large hand, with additions and occasional corrections for example, the word out is written beside 'Eighteen, the see Sidesmen', itself crossed out.

See Knox’s entry in the Oxford DNB, along with those of his father Edmund Arbuthnott Knox, his brothers Ronald, Dillwyn and Wilfred, his wife the ‘Mary Poppins’ illustrator Mary Shepard (daughter of Ernest Shepard) and his daughter the novelist Penelope Fitzgerald. At the time the present material was composed Knox had been involved with Punch for more than four decades (1904-1948), holding the editorship for the last sixteen, with the magazines circulation rising to a peak of almost 200,000 as he approached his retirement.

The two translations, in the same original red leather notebook, totalling 226pp., 12mo. Good, on lightly-aged paper, in worn binding. The first translation in the volume is a fair copy, without corrections, of a work published in French in 1823 as 'La V?rit? sur l'Incendie de Moscou; par le Comte Rostopchine' (Paris: Ponthieu). Neither Curling's nor any other English translation appears to have been published. The second translation (the printed version of which is the first of the two pamphlets) is heavily corrected, with seven pages of additions loosely inserted.

Two pages, 12mo, bifolium, trimmed without loss of text, and remants on left margin of tipping in something like an album. Remerciez pour moi, je vous prie, l'auteur de la brochure que vous voulez bien me faire tenir. Charles, qui se propose de vous aller voir incessament vous envoie ce qu'il a écrit sur la mélancholie [underlined] d'Albert Durer, dans l'Histoire des Peintres [underlined]. Veuillez me renvoyer, quand vous en trouverez, l'occasion, ce numéro, qui fait partie de ma collection. | Charles se joint à moi pour vous serrer la main cordialement.

Four pages, 8vo, bifolium, leaflet, fold marks (postal), good condition. P.[1] facsimile letter (see image); Pp. [2 & 3] the Prospectus; P[4] blank except words handwritten London Institution | Dulau & Co. (perhaps the booksellers Dulau making the London Institution aware of the publication?). Copy traced in British Library only (WorldCat); Bibliotheque Nationale appears NOT to have a copy.