INDIA

Singh was deposed by the British in 1889, with accusations of misgovernment, disloyal dealings with the Russian Empire, and a plot to murder his brothers and the British Resident, but as this was deemed contrary to the 1846 Treaty of Amritsar he was reinstated, but with a new ruling council was forced upon him, under the supervision of the Resident. Two slips of paper cut from a letter for display in an album. Both somewhat discoloured and a little ruckled. All the writing is in the same ink, but it is not clear whether the text of the letter is in a secretarial hand.

Weld and Vaughan both have entries in the Oxford DNB. The notice is printed in copperplate on the recto of the first leaf of a 4to bifolium. In fair condition, aged and lightly worn, with short closed tear to one edge, and slight damage to the second leaf from the cutting of the seal, which is present on the verso, with a good impression, in red wax, together with two postmarks and the address, in Weld’s hand, to ‘W. Vaughan Esq - [F.R.S.] / 70 Fenchurch Street / [Royal Society.]’ The notice, signed ‘C. R.

From the papers of W. J. Macqueen-Pope (see his entry in the Oxford DNB). Addressed in autograph to MP care of the BBC, and then forwarded to his office, 359 Strand. Pencil annotation by MP. On one side of an unillustrated postmarked printed British ‘Indian Postage’ air mail card with Indian postage stamp. In good condition, aged and lightly-worn. Also in Singh’s autograph is the salutation to ‘Dear Pope’ and the valediction ‘Your sincere / St Nihal Singh ST NIHAL SINGH’.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. 3pp, 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged, with thin neat strip from windowpane mount adhering to edges. Folded twice for postage. Twenty-four hands of text in secretary hand, addressed to ‘W. A. Lock Esqre’, and signed in autograph ‘Sir C Trevelyan’. He thanks him for his ‘very interesting Letter’, and hopes he will ‘never think it necessary to make any excuse for writing to me [other such?]’. He has asked ‘Mr. Farr’ for ‘any observations he might have to offer on the early part of it; and his answer is enclosed’ (not present).

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. Written lengthwise on back of 11.5 x 7.5 printed card. The side of the card with Roberts’s autograph is discoloured but in fair condition, but there is slight loss along the inner margin of the printed side, resulting in some loss of text. Roberts’ autograph reads: ‘I give my vote / Fred. Roberts. / India / 14th. April 1888.’ The printed text states that Caroline Constance Williams, aged 8 years, was the daughter of Band-Sergt.

See her entry in the Oxford DNB. The ‘Congress’ she is referring to in the letter is the 1869 Bristol Social Science Congress. 1p, 16mo. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded twice. Reads: ‘Dear Miss Thompson / It gave me pleasure to see you at the Congress I feel sure you will have heard much here which will stimulate you to further work. / I enclose you my carte as a remembrance. / Yours truly / Mary Carpenter. -’

The East India Company has come under renewed scrutiny in recent years as ‘the world’s first multinational’: an early model of the acquisition of hegemony by means of transnational non-governmental corporations. 2pp, foolscap 8vo. On bifolium of thick laid paper, whose head has been cut into the customary wave. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded twice into the customary packet. On the recto of the first leaf is the long printed form ‘Indenture’ with blank parts completed in manuscript. Red wax seal under paper at bottom right.

See his long and appreciative entry in the Oxford DNB, concluding with the praise of his ‘pioneering achievements, especially in the fields of Vedic studies and comparative philology’. 2pp, 12mo. In fair condition, lightly aged, with two small water spots causing negiligible smudging (nowhere near signature). Folded twice. Signed ‘Max Müller’ and addressed to ‘Mr. Borlase’. The only book he can recommend to him is ‘Zeuss, Grammatica Celtica, of which a new edition has just been published by Ebel. There are several Grammars of modern Irish: I have one by Bourke.

Rieu was the son of Charles Pierre Henri Rieu (1820-1902) of Geneva, Keeper of Oriental Manuscripts at the British Museum, and elder brother of Emile Victor Rieu (1887-1972), both of whom have DNB entries. In 1947 he had privately printed (as’J. L. R.’) a ‘Chronicle of the Rieu Family now settled in England’. 2pp, 12mo. In fair condition, lightly aged and creased. Folded twice. Signed ‘J. L Rieu / Commissioner in Sind’. An nice sidelight on the workings of the Raj. He has been asked for a letter by ‘Mr. Mansing Ramsing’, on behalf of his son ‘Mr. Bhojraj M.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. 11pp, 12mo, with three of the pages written lengthwise. On three bifoliums. In good condition, folded once. The hurried loose handwriting of this long letter presents a considerable challenge: even the signature (‘Geo Birdwood.’? ‘Gen Birdwood.’?) and the name of the recipient (‘Fagan’?) are doubtful. The letter begins with a reference to the ‘extract from Lady Dorothy Nevills - Reminiscences - given in the cutting from the Globe of yesterday enclosed in your kind note of today’.

Two interesting items from the period leading up to the American Civil War. Both items are scarce: no other copy of either traced. In good condition, lightly aged. Disbound from a volume and paginated in manuscript.Both printed in copperplate font. ONE: Printed ‘Circular’ dated from Downing Street, 16 October 1850. Headed in manuscript ‘Colonial Emigrants from United States’. In manuscript at end (not in Grey’s hand) ‘/sd/ Grey’. 2pp, 8vo. Paginated in manuscript 239-240.

According to her entry in the Oxford DNB, Eliza Lynn Linton moved to Malvern in 1895. (See also Temple’s Oxford DNB entry.) 4pp, 16mo. Bifolium. Sixty-six lines of closely-written text. The two leaves of the bifolium have been separated, and re-attached with archival tape; resulting in slight loss to some text on the third page, otherwise in fair condition, lightly aged. Folded once. Signed ‘(Mrs.) E. Lynn Linton’. While he may not recall that she had the honour of being introduced to him by ‘Mr.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. 4pp, 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, with slight discoloration along central fold. Large bold signature ‘Napier’. Addressed to ‘The Honble. George Elliott’, with salutation to ‘My dear Elliott’. As he does not know where Elliott’s sister Lady Dunfermline is ‘residing at this moment’, he is placing in Elliott’s hands ‘for transmission’ a letter from the wife of the Turkish ambassador at the Hague. He expresses to Elliott’s family his sympathy at the loss of their father.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. 2pp, 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged, on the first leaf of a bifolium, the blank second of which carries traces of mount. Folded twice. Begins: ‘My dear FitzGerald / I thank you very much for your obliging note - and I rejoice greatly that you have obtained for Capt Macgregor this mark of favor and distinction. India has no better soldier, nor has any political agent, placed in trying circumstances, shewn a better nerve or a sounder discretion’. FitzGerald’s ‘just notice of him’ will be ‘well appreciated’ by others.

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.

See the entries for Beresford and Temple in the Oxford DNB (in an unfortunate omission, Ramsay - ‘The King of Kumaon’ - is not represented in that work). 3pp, 12mo. Ruckled, with second leaf laid down on a piece of card, and damage along the gutter repaired with archival tape. Twenty-nine lines of text. Signed ‘Charles Beresford’. He has received ‘a long explanatory letter from General Sir Henry Ramsey [sic] containing the explanation of a grievance by which he has lost £300 a year since 1884.

See the entries for the two men in the Oxford DNB, as well as that of the subject of the letter, Sir Richard Temple’s eldest son Captain Richard Carnac Temple (1850-1931), the future second baronet. 3pp, 12mo. Bifolium. Aged, with the gutter repaired with archival tape, and the reverse of the second leaf adhering to part of its mount. Headed ‘Private’ and addressed to ‘Dear Sir Richard’.

See Napier’s entry, and that of his sister Maria’s husband John Gellibrand Hubbard (1805-1889), 1st Baron Addington, in the Oxford DNB. 3pp, 4to. In good condition, lightly aged and discoloured, with small closed tear to a crease. Part of letter torn away on opening, and now under small black wax seal (good impression of crest with letter N). Folded four times. Addressed, with three postmarks, on reverse of second leaf, to ‘The Rt Honble | The Lady Napier | Kew Green’. Minuted by Lady Napier: 'Cambridge Novr. 1838’. 64 lines of neatly-written text.

A neat item, providing an insight into the great statesman’s mercantile roots. See his entry in the Oxford DNB, together with those of his father the first baronet (Lancashire calico printer and politician) and the recipient Scott. 2pp, 4to. On watermarked laid paper. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded three times. The recipient is named as ‘David Scott Esqr’.

3pp, 12mo. Bifolium, folded once. In good condition. 29 lines of text. He thanks her for her kindness, ‘in the midst of your great sorrow’, in writing to inform the Robertses of her husband’s death. ‘We have often talked of you both, and wondered where you were living.’ He had thought it was ‘somewhere in the valley of the Thames, at least I thought you told me so when last I met you both walking in Regent Street - some 10 years ago’. After a brief comment on Tierney’s ill health, he recalls how ‘He, Alfred Torrens, and I sat next to each other at Mills School.

Two attractive small original hand-coloured copperplate engravings. Both in good condition, lightly aged, and each with slight traces of previous mount on blank reverse. ONE: Captioned at foot ‘A Freschi sculpsit | MONKEYS GATHERING TEA. | Pubd. 25 April 1812 by H. Stockdale, 41 Pall Mall’. Portrait: 10.5 x 17.5 cm. Depicts a Chinese man beneath a tree taking leaves from a monkey on the ground, whilst three other monkeys in the tree collect more leaves. TWO: Captioned at foot ‘A Freschi sculpsit | INDIAN INK.’ No place or date. Landscape: 17.5 x 10.5 cm. Depicts three men preparing the ink.

An interesting and evocative collection of ephemeral material, casting light on the social activities and entertainments of the British in India in the last months of the Indian Mutiny, also the year of the dissolution of the East India Company. No other record of this amateur ‘Corps Dramatique’, or of its conductor ‘Mrs. Comfit’, has been discovered.

One page, 12mo, fold mark, good condition. Text: Mackeson was a Bengal Army Officer. He was early employed on the N.W. Frontier of India, in the Peshawar District. When the Mutiny broke out he moved upon Lahore, & didi effective work against the mutinour Sepoy Reg[imen]ts & afterwards joined the army before Delhi with the rank of Brigadier General [&?} Major General. He fell at Delhi. I will; get more information.

Four pages, 12mo, bifolium, some faint staining, text clear and complete. I hope you will excuse my troubling you, but as you are often corresponding with ladies of a literary turn, it has occurred to me that you might be able to help me to find what I want. Our Society is just organising a Superior Girls School in Bombay. We want a throughly ladylike person to be the Head of it, a good Churchwoman & an efficient teacher. It would rank in England as a Superior Middle Class School. | If you happen to know of any suitable person I should be very glad to open up some negotiation with her.

Three pages, 4to, bifolium, poor condition, with some (crude) repair work but other closed tears on folds, requiring attention BUT text clear and complete (with odd difficult word). Some pencil notes by a later reader, inaccurately attributing to Edmund Law. Text: I regret sincerely that I cannot participate with my fellow citizens in the general expression of their sense of your high merits. Were I able to attend I would drink your health Eminent [speaker?] but most exalted when addressing his successor.

Wraps, paginated [i]-ii;105-144; iii-[iv] inc.wraps, mainly good condition, but rusty round staples, one punch-hole (with minor loss of text) characteristic of material from the papers formerly held at the headquarters of the National Indian Association and the Northbrook Society, 21 Cromwell Road, later by its former Warden, Roland Knaster.

Small booklet, 24pp., 16mo, small wormhole, through blank space of text, , rust around staple, punch-hole slightly affecting the text characteristic of material from the papers formerly held at the headquarters of the National Indian Association and the Northbrook Society, 21 Cromwell Road, later by its former Warden, Roland Knaster. Scarce. One other copy traced, in the National Library of Wales.

Three pages, 8vo, large handwriting, staining along fold marks, small closed tear at centre, text legible. Your welcome telegram to Dr [Renton?] here has been with much pleasure received by His Highness the Maha Rajah of Mysore.- In reply I am directed by His Highness the Maha Rajah, to ascquaint you that a letter from Dr Campbell, intimating all about your good self, has been received by the last Mail - Now the Maha Rajah most anxiously looks forward to have an interview with you & Dr Campbell.

Albumen silver print, 29.8 x 25.6cm, laid down on slightly larger card, small nick at the top right corner, ow a good sharp image. There's contemporary docketing at the base of the photograph. See image. Note (BL description): Photograph of the Baillie Guard gateway in Lucknow, [...] taken by Felice Beato in the 1858. The Baillie Guard gateway is the entrypoint to the Residency Complex named after Major John Baillie, who was the Resident from 1811-1815.

One page, 4to, part printed, part manuscript, minor damage on fold marks, loss of small part of the word is, small closed tear, some weakness on fold marks. See Image. Text headed Ecclesiastical Establishment | No.