SECRETARY

The printed item is excessively scarce: no copy on OCLC WorldCat or JISC. Transcriptions of both items are to be found in The Journal of the Legislative Council of the Province of New Brunswick, 20 January to 26 March, pp.26-28. The two items are in good condition, lightly aged and worn. Disbound from a volume and paginated in manuscript. ONE: Manuscript ‘Circular’ headed ‘Banking Companies’ and dated from Downing Street, 4 May 1840. 1p, 8vo. Paginated in manuscript 15. On W. Horsington paper with watermark date 1839.

All three items are scarce, with no copies on OCLC WorldCat or COPAC. Both in good condition, lightly aged. Disbound from a volume and paginated in manuscript. ONE: Printed ‘Circular’, headed in manuscript ‘Immiration / W. Indies & Mauritius’, and dated from Downing Street, 23 October 1846. Paginated in manuscript 93. At foot of page (not in Grey’s hand): ‘/sd/ Grey’.

An interesting indication of the Victorian approach to transparency in government. A scarce item: no other copy traced. Dispatch with ‘Circular. / Private.’ in the margin. Headed in manuscript ‘Publication of Colonial Papers. / (Parliamentary Papers)’. At end in manuscript (not Grey’s handwriting): ‘/sd/ Gray’. In good condition, lightly aged. 4pp, 8vo. Disbound from volume, and paginated in manuscript 175-178. Printed in copperplate font.

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.

Both items scarce: no other copies traced. In good condition, lightly aged. Disbound from a volume and paginated in manuscript. ONE: Copy of letter from W. L. Maberly to ‘H. Merivale, Esq., / &c. &c. &c. / Colonial Office’, dated from General Post Office, 14 December 1850. 2pp, 8vo. Paginated in manuscript 257-258.

Scarce: no other copy traced. 1p, 8vo. In fair condition, lightly aged. Disbound from a volume and paginated in manuscript 37. Printed ‘Circular’ dated from Downing Street, 16 December 1842. Headed in manuscript ‘Crime in the high Seas’. At bottom, in manuscript (not Stanley’s hand): ‘/sd/ Stanley’. Twenty-nine lines in copperplate font.

Important items, reflecting the state of affairs regarding movement of West Africans to the British West India colonies in the period immediately following the abolition of slavery. Both items excessively scarce: no copies traced on either OCLC WorldCat or COPAC. In good condition, lightly aged. The two items disbound from a volume and paginated in manuscript. ONE: Printed ‘Circular’ dated ‘Downing Street, / 25th. February 1843.’ Lithographic reproduction of manuscript text, headed in real manuscript ‘Emigration from the W. Coast of Africa’.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. 2pp, 12mo. Fifteen lines. In good condition. Folded once. Address to ‘Mr. de Winton’ and signed ‘Cross’. He finds that de Winton’s ‘last letter certainly makes a very considerable difference’, but ‘the obvious answer’ to his mind is, as de Winton only proposes ‘to reduce the York House from 112 to 110, it is hardly worth stirring up the waters at all. And especially so, as the population is increasing so rapidly that the next Census will probably alter the whole state of things.’

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. The recipient, the educationist Thomas Lloyd Humberstone (1876-1957), was a prominent member of the Convocation of the University of London. Both items in fair condition, on lightly aged paper, the second with slight loss along one edge due to removal from mount. Both signed ‘Simon’. ONE: 17 January 1948. 1p, 12mo. Folded once. ‘I do not for a moment believe that the adverse vote carried at a depleted meeting of the General Committee represents the broad view of the Club [clearly the National Liberal Club] as a whole, but I have to take things as I find them.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. The present item dates from 1807, the year in which Bathurst sold the celebrated Apsley House ('No. 1 London') to the Duke of Wellington's brother the Marquis Wellesley, who sold it on to the Duke ten years later. It is now the Wellington Museum. This item casts an interesting light on the initial sale. 2pp, 4to. Thirty-four lines of text. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded four times. He is disappointed that the unnamed male recipient (presumably Wellesley's agent) has not called on him.

1p, 12mo. On aged paper, with closed tear repaired on reverse with brown paper. Folded twice. Addressed to 'Dear Sir William'. The prime minister (Asquith) has asked him to say that he is 'quite at a loss to understand how he came to be so misinformed as to the progress of the negotiations connected with the appointment of the Royal Commission'. All the prime minister can do is 'express his regret at the misunderstanding'.

In good condition, lightly aged and worn. Christmas card with unusual image of the three wise men (in Roman helmets) seen from behind, following the guiding star as it leads them across a Hawaian beach to the hut in which the birth of the messiah is occurring. Printed message in card in Hawaian and English. The reverse of the second leaf has nothing printed on it other than the publisher's slug, and at the head the prime minister has written 'Happy Christmas'. Beneath this, one above the other, are the five signatures: 'Harold Wilson | Mary Wilson. | Giles Wilson.

1p, 4to. In fair condition, on aged and lightly-creased paper. Addressed to 'Sir Arthur Cope | London'. The letter reads: 'My dear Sir Arthur: | This will introduce Mr. William Edward Cope of New York, a member of the National Press Club, who is going abroad to do some newspaper work. He desires a brief interview with you and I bespeak for him such courtesies as you may find it convenient to render him.' The subject of the letter W. E. Cope would appear to have been a government agent.

1p, 4to. In fair condition, on aged and lightly-creased paper. Addressed to 'Sir Arthur Cope | London'. The letter reads: 'My dear Sir Arthur: | This will introduce Mr. William Edward Cope of New York, a member of the National Press Club, who is going abroad to do some newspaper work. He desires a brief interview with you and I bespeak for him such courtesies as you may find it convenient to render him.' The subject of the letter W. E. Cope would appear to have been a government agent.

1p, 12mo. On aged paper, with closed tear repaired on reverse with brown paper. Folded twice. Addressed to 'Dear Sir William'. The prime minister (Asquith) has asked him to say that he is 'quite at a loss to understand how he came to be so misinformed as to the progress of the negotiations connected with the appointment of the Royal Commission'. All the prime minister can do is 'express his regret at the misunderstanding'.

Four items, in good condition, lightly aged. The three letters with date stamps of the Society of Arts, and two with pencil annotations. All three signed 'Cloudesley Brereton'. ONE: ALS of 4 January 1900. 2pp, 12mo. He thanks him for his 'kindly intervention with the Board of Education', which he believes 'will in time bear good fruit'. He has been 'thinking over' Wood's 'suggestion of giving a lecture on the Rural Schools of France', and would 'much like to take it up if you have still a vacant date & you do not want it too soon - as I am just now overwhelmed with work'.

In 1824 Bullock held the public offices of Island Storekeeper and Public Messenger. He was also Secretary of the Island and Notary Public. On one side of a 32 x 20 cm piece of laid paper, with Whatman watermark dated 1817. In good condition, lightly aged, with parts of the edges cut down. Seal under paper at bottom left. In a secretarial hand, with Bullock only supplying the date and his signature 'W Bullock | Not Pub'.

Anderson served as Home Secretary, Lord President of the Council and Chancellor of the Exchequer. Marchant headed the National Vigilance Association and the National Council of Public Morals. 2pp, 4to. On two leaves stapled together. In fair condition, lightly aged, with some staining from rusted staples. Folded three times. A good letter, giving an indication of civil defence preparations on the eve of the Second World War.

Lady Cynthia Asquith was Barrie's personal secretary in his later years, and inherited the bulk of his estate, but not the rights to 'Peter Pan'. The letter is 2pp, 12mo. In fair condition, lightly aged, with small holes to one corner from staple. With red date stamp marking receipt. Begins: 'Dear Sir | Sir James Barrie directs me to express his regret at your letter having remained unanswered for so long – but he has been absent from London, and unable to attend to his correspondence.

According to his entry in the Oxford DNB, Arbuthnot 'served as private secretary successively to seven patronage secretaries; to the permanent head of the department, Sir Charles Spearman, and his successor, Sir Charles Trevelyan; to the prime minister, Sir Robert Peel; and to Sir Charles Wood, chancellor of the exchequer in Russell's administration'. The present item was written by Arbuthnot while holding the last position. 1p, 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged. Laid down on part of a leaf from an album.

1p, 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged. Laid down on a part of a leaf from an album. Reads: 'Mr. Anson begs to acknowledge the receipt of Mr. D'Orsey's Letter of the 6th. instant and to acquaint him in reply that he has submitted his appeal to Her Majesty The Queen who regrets that the great pressure of claims upon Her Majesty's private Bounty prevents a compliance with Mr. Dorsey's request.'

The recipient is Charles Taylor (d.1816), physician, originally a Manchester calico printer and dyer, who later became Secretary of the Society of Arts, London. 1p, 8vo. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged, with thin strip of paper from mount adhering to reverse of second leaf, which is addressed, with postmarks to 'Dr. Taylor | Principal Secretary | to the Society of Arts &c | Adelphi'. Folded four times. Reads: 'Dear Doctor | I have this day proposed your name to the Medical Society of London.

In August 1828, following the passing of the 1828 Madhouse Act, the Home Secretary Sir Robert Peel established a commission to oversee London's madhouses, consisting of five physicians, six Middlesex JPs, and ten other honorary (i.e. unpaid) commissioners. The present document by Peel casts interesting light on the process of appointment. It is on both sides of 18 x 23 cm piece of paper, evidently used as envelope for 'the Instrument' mentioned in Peel's note. Aged, and with tear and hole caused by breaking open of seal. Folded twice.

1p, 12mo. In fair condition, lightly aged. Reads: 'Dear Sir Henry | The King desires to see You at Carlton House to morrow Morning at eleven oclock - punctually. | Yours affect | W Knighton'. Knighton was instrumental in clearing the king's enormous debts in three years from 1822. Such was his influence that letters from the King to Knighton were addressed to 'M[y] D[ear] F[riend]'. From the distinguished autograph collection of the psychiatrist Richard Alfred Hunter (1923-1981), whose collection of 7000 works relating to psychiatry is now in Cambridge University Library.

1p, 12mo. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn. Folded twice. He states that the 'Certificate' of 'M. Meryon [sic] du Mersan' has been 'signed by Lord Aberdeen', and that he wishes to 'get the signatures of Mr. Gurney and Mr. Hamilton to it'. If he does not – 'or rather cannot' – send it to Akerman beforehand, he asks him if 'you can add your signature before it is read on Thursday Evening'. In addition to his literary works, Dumersan was a numismatist and Curator attached to the Cabinet des Médailles et Antiques of the Bibliothèque Royale.

2pp., 12mo. On bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged. Reads: 'Lord Londonderry presents his compliments to Mr Watson and begs to forward to him a letter and book which he has been requested by Monsieur de Martens to present to His Majesty'. Londonderry was considered a repressive figure by the radicals. In a poem Byron called on travellers to piss on his grave, and in 'The Masque of Anarchy' Shelley wrote: 'I met murder on the way, | He had a mask like Castlereagh.' Within months of the present communication Londonderry would commit suicide.

1p., 8vo. Slight damp damage along left-hand margin, otherwise in fair condition. Reads: 'My Lord, | I have been honoured with your Lordship's Letter of this day's date; and I will lose no time in giving fresh authority to the Secretary at War to issue the pay and allowances to the Lamerton and Milton Abbott Corps, according to the amended return now transmitted to me by your Lordship.' Docketed on reverse.

1p., 4to. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged. Addressed by Clater on verso of second leaf to 'T. W. Winstanley | Royal Manchester | Institution'. Opens: 'Dear Sir | I beg leave to forward to your Exhibition two pictures'. 'No 1', which Winstanley has given the catalogue number 294 is 'May day', priced at 100 guineas, for which Clater provides a six-line poetic quotation. 'No 2' (catalogue number 135) is 'The Village Post Office', priced at 30 guineas.

On 6 x 11.5 cm piece of paper, cut from the end of a document. In good condition, on aged paper, laid down on piece of grey paper cut from an album, with the words 'Marquis Seignelay.' in a nineteenth-century hand at the foot of the mount. Seignelay's signature is large and bold, above the following words in a neat secretarial hand: 'Vostre tres humble & tres aff.ne Seruiteur.'

At the time of the second letter Mansel was serving his only stint in Parliament, a brief period as Liberal MP for Penryn and Falmouth. ONE (ALS, 13 February 1921): 4pp., 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged. He expresses great disappointment regarding the misunderstanding which meant that he and his wife missed coming to lunch with the Mansels.