NAVY

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. 1p, tall 8vo. In fair condition, lightly aged; folded twice. In the following transcription the manuscript parts are in square brackets: ‘By Command of the Commissioners for Executing the Office of Lord High Admiral of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, &c.

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!

Three pages, 12mo, bifolium, fold marks, good condition. Her Majesty was pleased on the 9th instant to appoint me First Lord of the Admiralty and with the other members of the New Board I have entered today upon the duties of the office. | I shall at all times be happy to receive from you any communication on subjects connected with Naval affairs which you may think it for the public advantage to address to me; and you may rely on my most serious attention being given to such representations as your knowledge and experience in the Service may lead you to make.

Three pages, 12mo, bifolium, very good condition. Text: A line to acknowledge your stirring poem on the loss of the Titanic which I admire much. | I suppose & hope that the story of the band is true, but it requires some corroboration.

Paper folded to enclose letter (not present), sm. fol., fold marks, edge frayed (no loss), grubby and foxed, but superscription clear and complete as follows: The Rt. Hon[ora]ble the Principal | officers and Com[manders?] of | their Maj[esti]es | Navy.

One page, cr. 8vo, good condition. Text: I am afraid my autograph is not very valuable and is never likely to be. However I enclose it herewith, and am honoured that you should wish to have it. Tipped on to bottom of note, smaller piece of paper, 11 x 8cm, with the following text in Taffrail's hand: Taprell Dorling || Captain | Royal Navy | Taffrail | July 27: 1931 |

Frank on 7 x 13 cm panel cut from front of envelope. In good condition, lightly aged, laid down on part of leaf from album, with the reverse carrying part of the frank to a letter from another unidentified individual, with free postmark from 1826. Byron's frank has the customary red-ink postmark at top right ('FREE | 8 DE 8 | 1826'), and is laid out by him in the customary fashion: 'Portsmouth December Seven | 1826 | The Honble. Mrs. Collingwood | Hawkhurst | Kent'. Byron's signature 'Byron.', at bottom left, is only underlined, and not enclosed within the two parallel lines as required.

One page, cr. 8vo, grubby, fold marks, but text clear, as follows: I am very sorry it will not be in my power to be present at the quarterly General Board of the Royal Naval Asylum, as an Appointment has for some Time past been made for a Court of the Trinity Corporation to swear me in as an Elder Brother , on that day.

Presumably distributed in the streets (of London?) on the news of Nelson's victory. No other copy of the title has been traced, either on OCLC WorldCat or COPAC. Printed on one side of a 34 x 19.5 cm piece of paper, with cropped margins (text area 33 x 17.5 cm). The reverse of the leaf would appear to be blank, the leaf being laid down on a piece of grey paper removed from an album. Printed in double column, with a wavy vertical dividing rule down the middle, beneath the title 'Adm.

Card, c. 11 x 9cm,rounded corners. Very many thanks dear Mrs Taylor for your kind remembrance of my work | Agnes E. Weston.

1p, 8vo. On aged and worn paper. Attractive letterhead of the hotel and its surroundings. Addressed to 'My dear Willis'. Written in a shaky hand. Clearly writing in reference to his 1899 autobiography 'A Sailor's Life under Four Sovereigns', he states that he is glad that Willis is 'pleased with the book', and explains that he was 'suddenly driven' to Cannes 'by neuralgic pains'. He concludes: 'If I live to get back I should like to insert the Authors name in your Copy! Your sincere old friend | Harry Keppel'.

1p, 8vo. On aged and worn paper. Attractive letterhead of the hotel and its surroundings. Addressed to 'My dear Willis'. Written in a shaky hand. Clearly writing in reference to his 1899 autobiography 'A Sailor's Life under Four Sovereigns', he states that he is glad that Willis is 'pleased with the book', and explains that he was 'suddenly driven' to Cannes 'by neuralgic pains'. He concludes: 'If I live to get back I should like to insert the Authors name in your Copy! Your sincere old friend | Harry Keppel'.

Laid down on 138pp of a quarto volume. The contents are in good overall condition, lightly aged and worn, but the binding of the volume is in poor condition, heavily worn, with the leather spine split and damaged and the front board becoming detached. Meticulously arranged, with autograph thumb-index and list of AFOs at front, and autograph emendations in red ink to various orders, many of which are marked 'Cancelled'. Ownership signature and title on flyleaf: 'E. J. Littledale. | A. F. Os etc dealing with Ophthalmic Department'.

[2] + 18pp, 8vo. In cream printed wraps, with duplication in green on cover of title-page, but without year. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn, with crease running next to the spine, slightly at an angle. This American Copyright printing - said to have been limited to 75 privately-distributed copies - was published 13 November 1931, and preceded the English publication (in The Story-Teller magazine, December 1931) by around a month. Stewart 596; Livingston 569. The rare American Copyright issue. Richards A399, Livingston 569, Stewart 596. Reprinted in 1932 in Limits and Renewals.

3pp, 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged, with a few light stains from mount. Folded once. Having seen the Times announcement of the birth of Cecil's son the previous Saturday, Jellicoe sends his 'Most hearty congratulations' on the birth of Cecil's son, and is 'so delighted that all is going so satisfactorily & that you can come to see us on the 14th.

Valediction only, 15.5 x 7.5cm, cut from letter, as follows: "to give him the command of -| I have the honor to be with very high respect | Your Royal Highness | Dutiful | and Obedt. Servant | St Vincent". Note that Nelson had been given the command of the Mediterranen Fleet three days earlier (14 May 1803). Docketed by HRH or secretary "The late Earl St Vincent" and from a large collection of similar valedictions, so often to the Duke of York ("Royal Highness" etc) that they may reveal the fate of his incoming correspondence, or part of it..

Although ostensibly neutral, Denmark participated was participating in the Continental Blockade, and under heavy pressure from the French and their Russian allies to pledge its fleet to Napoleon. As a consequence a Royal Navy fleet, under Vice-Admiral James Saumarez, bombarded the Copenhagen for a period of days in August and September 1807. The controversial action succeeded in its aims: the Dano-Swedish fleet was seized, and the sea lanes of the Baltic and North Sea were secured for the use of the British merchant fleet.

See Nares' entry in the Oxford DNB. 1p, 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded three times. Clearly and boldly written, reading: 'Please give the bearer my delicate instrument for Alert or Discovery | G. S. Nares.' (Wikipedia) "Because of his previous experience in the Arctic, he was summoned from this assignment to take charge of another Arctic voyage in search of the North Pole in Discovery and Alert in 1875, the British Arctic Expedition."

Three items, including two substantial albums containing in excess of 500 newspaper cuttings. The first album was commenced in 1906 by Pepys scholar Walter Henry Whitear, and completed by Chappell after Whitear's death in 1932, the last cuttings in it dating from the following year.

See Cameron's entry in the Oxford DNB. 4pp, 12mo. Bifolium with mourning border. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded once. Having traversed the African continent from East to West in 1875 (the first European to do so), Cameron now turns his attention to the establishment of tennis club in Croydon. He has received a letter 'from Mr. Jaques about the tennis ground. The fencing is nearly finished and he seems in a hurry'. There is a problem however: lack of members.

Yates studied in Paris before setting up a successful practice in San Francisco, also teaching there at the Art Student League. His portraits include the educator John Haden Badley and the only president of Hawaii, Sanford Ballard Dole. He returned to England in 1900, but was invited back to America to attend the inauguration of Woodrow Wilson and to paint his portrait. Wilson presented Yates with the flag that his hand rested on whilst he took his oath of office. The Oldham family moved in artistic circles, and Constance Oldham was John Ruskin's god-daughter and corresponded with him.

For Brodrick's distinguished and eventful career, see his entry in the Oxford DNB. 1p, folio. In fair condition, aged and worn, with chipping to one edge carrying traces of grey paper mount, and closed tear at foot repaired on reverse with archival tape. Addressed at bottom left 'To the Honle: Board of Ordnance'. Reads: 'Gentlemen | I wrote you the 7th Inst: to desire that you would please to appoint an Armorer for his Majestys Ship the Phoenix under my Command and now that I am going to Longreach and my Smallarms Coming on Board I beg you Will appoint for me'. Endorsed: 'answer'd 26 August'.

The letter is 1p, 12mo, and is accompanied by the covering 8vo leaf, addressed to 'John Atkins Esqre | Duke Street | Westminster', with a second signature for franking. The covering leaf is endorsed: 'Admiralty August 21 1806 | Adml. Markham concerning Miles Burn that it would be impossible to get him reinstated'. Both letter and covering leaf in good condition, lightly aged and worn, with fold lines. Markham could hardly be more decisive.

Four pages, folio, bifolium, leaves partly separated, sl. grubby, text clear and complete. Rainier states that he has been informed by letter by Captrain Charles Adam of "La Sybille" that "a quantity of sails and other boatswains stores [...] which are worn out, rotten, decayed and totally unfit for their proper use".

3pp, 12mo. Bifolium. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn, with traces of mount, and red wax seal, adhering to the reverse of the second leaf, which is franked (the franker's name and signature illegible) to 'Sir John Phippart [sic] | &c &c | No 8 New Burlington St'. Slight loss to one corner of second leaf, from breaking open of seal, with damage to one word of text.

Hardy is immortalised in Nelson's dying request 'Kiss me, Hardy.' Lady Hardy was the daughter of Admiral Sir George Cranfield Berkeley (1753-1818). 3pp, 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged, with parts of red wax seal and traces of glue from mount on reverse of second leaf, which is addressed 'To | Mr Lahee | 65. New Bond Street'. Folded once.

4pp, 8vo, paginated 401-404. Originally a bifolium, but with the leaves separated. In fair condition, lightly aged, with each leaf carrying in a margin a strip of paper from the mount. Several fold lines. Page one carries the half-penny tax stamp. In small print and double column. The entire number concerns the battle. Begins: 'Admiralty-Office, April 15, 1801.

An interesting and unusual survival, casting light on funerary practice in Georgian London. In black ink on 37 x 15 cm piece of watermarked laid paper, clearly cut from the working ledger of the signwriter responsible for the display at Gambier's funeral. Two excellent drawings, marked up with notes for colours, as a guide for the painting process.

Document, folio, fold marks, tipped onto card of similar size, good condition, printed form instructing acceptance of men into the Greenwich Hospital with details added in MS, including the names of the men to be admitted, the signatures of Lords of the Admiralty (Sandwich, Palmerston, and Hugh Palliser) and by Philip Stephens, Secretary (see Oxford DNB)

Two pages, obl.12mo, fold mark, good condition. "Previous to leaving the Baltic, Sir James Saumarez was presented with a magnificent Sword [sett?] in Diamonds by His Majesty The King of Sweden for the Services he rendered to thjat country and upon the arrival of the Emperor of Russia and the King of Prussia in England he was honored with their Majesties persoanl thanks for the benefit derived to the Common Cause of Europe, which were also communicated to him from the Emperor of Austria by his Excellency Prince Metternich.