SHARP

[Paul Bourget, French novelist and poet.] Autograph Letter Signed [to Scottish author William Sharp?], sending new year greetings and expressing thanks for a translation of one of his poems.

Author: 
Paul Bourget [Paul Charles Joseph Bourget] (1852-1935), French novelist and poet, five-time Nobel Prize nominee [William Sharp (1855-1905), Scottish writer under the pseudonym 'Fiona Macleod']
Bourget
Publication details: 
1 January 1886; no place.
£450.00
Bourget

This item is from the autograph album of the author George Meredith's daughter Marie Eveleen (Mariette; 1871-1933), wife of Henry Parkman Sturgis (1847-1929), American-born banker and Liberal politician. It does not however appear to be addressed to Meredith, but rather to the author William Sharp (‘Fiona Macleod’). See the several references to Bourget in the first volume of W. F. Halloran’s edition of Sharp’s letters. 1p, 16mo. Laid down on part of gilt-edged leaf from Mrs Sturgis’s album. In good condition, folded once for postage.

[Countess of Elgin and Kincardine [Mary Louisa Bruce, née Lambton], Vicereine of India.] Autograph Letter in the third person to Sir Cuthbert Sharp, as Lady Mary Lambton, hailing him as a friend of her deceased father.

Author: 
Countess of Elgin and Kincardine [Mary Louisa Bruce, née Lambton] (1819-1898), Vicereine of India, 1862-1863, daughter of the Earl of Durham [Sir Cuthbert Sharp (1781-1849), historian]
Publication details: 
22 October 1844; Lambton Castle [County Durham].
£56.00

See her husband’s entry, and those of her father the Earl of Durham, and Sir Cuthbert Sharp, in the Oxford DNB. 3pp, 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged, with small closed tear to blank area at foot of second leaf. Folded for postage. Laid down on leaf removed from album. Begins: ‘Lady Mary Lambton presents her Compliments to Sir Cuthbert Sharp, and begs to express her grateful sense of the kind message, conveyed to her through Mrs. Brodie, concerning Sir C. Sharps small pamphlet -’.

[James Wyatt, geologist and editor of the Bedford Times.] Autograph Letter Signed ('James Wyatt') [to the geologist/antiquary Samuel Sharpe], regarding geology, James Hervey, the qualities of a schoolmaster moved from Bedford to Northamptonshire.

Author: 
James Wyatt (1816-1878), geologist and editor and proprietor of the Bedford Times [Samuel Sharp (1814-1882), geologist and antiquary]
Publication details: 
3 April 1872. Bedford.
£56.00

4pp, 12mo. Bifolium. In fair condition, lightly aged, with traces of glue from tipping-in affecting the lower part and underlining of Wyatt's expansive signature. Folded twice. 71 lines of text. Note in pencil at head of first page states that the letter was 'sent to Saml. Sharpe of Northampton author of The Moabite Stone', but the writer of the note has confused the Egyptologist Samuel Sharpe (1799-1881) with the real recipient, the geologist and antiquary Samuel Sharp (1814-1882), for both of whom see the Oxford DNB.

[Henry Fauntleroy, banker and forger.] Autograph Letter Signed ('H Fauntleroy') to Sir Cuthbert Sharp, written from Cold Bath Fields Prison a few weeks before his hanging at Newgate in front of a crowd of 100,000.

Author: 
Henry Fauntleroy (1784-1824), banker and forger, hanged before Newgate after a trial at the Old Bailey [Sir Cuthbert Sharp (1781-1849), soldier and antiquary]
Publication details: 
'C. B. Fields [i.e. Cold Bath Fields Prison, London] October 14th 1824'.
£500.00

See Fauntleroy's entry in the Oxford DNB. Although accounts of his depravity are exaggerated, Fauntleroy led a dissolute life, and appropriated securities worth around £360,000. During his trial at the Old Bailey he called seventeen merchants and bankers to testify to his integrity, but his defence was unsuccessful, and he was hanged outside Newgate, before a crowd of 100,000. The present item is 1p, 4to. Bifolium, addressed on reverse of second leaf to 'Sir Cuthbert Sharp | &c &c', with endorsement.

[Printed booklet by K. M. Briggs.] Stories Arranged for Mime | By K. M. Briggs | Number 2 | Whuppity Stoorie'

Author: 
K. M. Briggs [Katharine Mary Briggs] (1898-1980), English folklorist, author of the Dictionary of English Folk-Tales [Capricornus press, Dunkeld, Perthshire]
Publication details: 
Made and printed in Great Britain by Capricornus, Dunkeld, Perthshire. [No date.]
£35.00

[16]pp., 12mo. Stapled. In green printed wraps with illustration on cover. In very good condition, very lightly-aged with slight rusting to the two staples. The thirteen Capricornus items on COPAC indicate that the press was connected with K. M. Briggs, or at least with her family, who had moved to Perthshire with their father in 1911. Uncommon. Copac lists sets of the three volumes in the series at the British Library, National Library of Scotland and Oxford, and a single copy of this number at the National Library of Wales.

[Printed booklet by Elspeth Briggs, sister of the folklorist K. M. Briggs.] The Constant Gardener | A Play in One Act | By Elspeth Briggs'.

Author: 
Elspeth Briggs, sister of the folklorist K. M. Briggs [Katharine Mary Briggs] [Capricornus press, Dunkeld, Perthshire]
Publication details: 
Capricornus, Dunkeld, Perthshire. No date.
£35.00

36pp., 12mo. In cream printed wraps with illustration on the front cover. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper with slight spotting to covers. The thirteen Capricornus items on COPAC indicate that the press was connected with K. M. Briggs, or at least with her family, who had moved to Perthshire with their father in 1911. Uncommon. Copies on COPAC at the British Library, National Library of Scotland, Oxford and Trinity College Dublin.

[ Edward Meyrick Goulburn, Headmaster of Rugby school and Dean of Norwich. ] Autograph Letter Signed ('E. Meyrick Goulburn') to the sculptor Thomas Sharp, declining a statuette of himself, because he is 'not a sufficiently dignified personage'.

Author: 
E. Meyrick Goulburn [ Edward Meyrick Goulburn ] (1818-1897), Headmaster of Rugby School, Dean of Norwich, Prebendary of St Paul's, religious author [ Thomas Sharp (1805-1882), sculptor ]
Publication details: 
No place, 15 October 1862.
£50.00

1p., 12mo. With mourning border. In good condition, lightly aged. Sharp's gift is 'kind and acceptable', and Goulburn hopes 'soon to call upon Mrs Sharp and yourself and acknowledge your kindness in person'. However he does not consider himself 'a sufficiently dignified personage to be honoured by a Statuette. - Possibly some few members of my congregation might like to have this memorial of me; and if this be so, pray let them have it'. Accompanied by a long manuscript bioigraphical note, on two parts of an envelope, written while Goulburn was still alive.

[ Laura Henderson, founder of the Windmill Theatre. ] Autograph Letter Signed to an actress [ Janet Achurch ], praising her performance in 'A Doll's House'

Author: 
Laura Henderson [ born Laura Forster ] (1863-1944), founder of the Windmill Theatre, London [ Janet Achurch, stage name of Janet Sharp (1863-1916), actress ]
Publication details: 
14 Hill Street, Berkeley Square [ London ]. 'Sunday' [ 1889 ].
£320.00

4pp., 16mo. In good condition, lightly aged and worn. Achurch's entry in the Oxford DNB explains the context: 'In 1889, when she was still only twenty-three, she undertook the management of the Novelty Theatre, London, where on 7 June she appeared as Nora in the first English production of Ibsen's A Doll's House.

[ James Bass Mullinger, Librarian of St. John's College, Cambridge. ] Autograph Letter Signed ('J. Bass Mullinger | Chairman of Committee') to 'Francis S. Powell' (future MP for Cambridge) on his 'helpful offer' regarding the 'Eagle' magazine.

Author: 
James Bass Mullinger [ pen-name 'Theodorus' ] (1834-1917), historian and librarian of St. John's College, Cambridge [ Sir Francis Sharp Powell (1827-1911), Member of Parliament for Cambridgel
Publication details: 
On letterhead of St. John's College, Cambridge. 27 May 1884.
£40.00

3pp., 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, on lightly-aged and worn paper, with slight show-through on first leaf. Expressing, 'on behalf of the Eagle Committee', a 'joint sense' of Powell's 'kindly interest in the magazine', whose 'circulation, hitherto, has been restricted to members of the College'. Powell's 'helpful offer' will be considered that week, when his letter is laid before the committee, who are desirous of inserting, 'more systematically, intelligence respecting members of the College in London'.

Autograph Letter Signed ('Allen Brockington') from Cecil Sharp's collaborator the Rev. Alfred Allen Brockington to a Roman Catholic priest at St Andrew's, inclosing a holograph of a 'carol for Easter'.

Author: 
Rev. Alfred Allen Brockington (1872-1938) of West Kirby, Cheshire, poet and collaborator with Cecil Sharp in the collection of folk-songs
Publication details: 
On letterhead of The Haven, West Kirby, Cheshire. 'St Paul [29 June] 1938'.
£120.00

4pp., 12mo. In very good condition, on lightly-aged paper. The letter is addressed to 'My dear Father'. He begins by thanking him for his letter: 'I can picture the long-nailed Neb. sitting down to answer your request for an autograph. Strange, that you should have been hearing of Vaughan Williams just at that time!' He reports that he has been 'doing many poems for The British Weekly. The Editor saw something of mine & asked me to send whatever I liked. And his nonconformist readers do not seem to jib.

Autograph Letter Signed ('M Berry') from Horace Walpole's friend Miss Mary Berry to the politician and wit Richard 'Conversation' Sharp, commenting on his volume of 'Epistles in Verse'.

Author: 
Mary Berry ['Miss Berry'] (1763-1852), author and diarist; sister and companion of Agnes Berry (1764-1852), friend of Horace Walpole [Richard 'Conversation' Sharp (1759-1835), politician and wit]
Mary Berry ['Miss Berry']
Publication details: 
7 April 1828; Petersham.
£180.00
Mary Berry ['Miss Berry']

12mo, 4 pp. Bifolium. Good, on lightly-aged paper. Her 'constant practice' has always been to return her thanks for the gift of a poetry volume 'before I could possibly have had time to read it', but in this case 'this caution was impossible for I received your little Vol: in all the hurry of leaving town, & I may say England, for I shall not return to London before our departure'. She is glad she was not able to write before reading the poems 'with the attention they merit & with all the pleasure they have given me'.

Autograph Letter Signed [to Sir Cuthbert Sharp].

Author: 
George Sholto Douglas, 17th Earl of Morton
Publication details: 
25 December 1838; Dalmahoy.
£35.00

Scottish aristocrat (1789-1858). Sharp (1781-1849) was an antiquary of some note. Three pages, 12mo. In poor condition: folded twice and with considerable staining along the folds. Attached, by verso of second leaf of bifoliate, to larger piece of paper.

Autograph Letter, in the third person, to 'Mr Sharpe' [Richard 'Conversation' Sharp?].

Author: 
William Windham (1750-1810), English Whig politician [Richard 'Conversation' Sharp (1759-1835)]
Publication details: 
15 February 1804; Pall Mall.
£38.00

12mo, 2 pp. Good, on aged paper. A formal letter in the third person. Windham 'is almost ashamed' of sending Sharpe 'anything so trifling as what accompanies this note'. His justification for doing so is the 'wish of having his opinions stated with tolerable correctness on a subject to which Mr Sharpe, as a matter of some interest at the moment, may happen in some degree to have turned his thoughts.' Sharp's name was often misspelt by contemporaries, and he is listed in the index to the online Oxford DNB as 'also known as Sharpe, Richard'.

Autograph Letter Signed to William Smith, bookseller and printseller, 24 Lisle Street, Leicester Square, London.

Author: 
Sir Cuthbert Sharp (1781-1849), historian of Hartlepool
Publication details: 
18 November 1826; Sunderland.
£50.00

12mo bifolium: 2 pp. On laid paper, with strip from previous mount in right-hand margin of recto of first leaf. Good, with a little wear at gutter, and slight damage (not affecting text) to second leaf from breaking open of red wax seal, parts of which still adhere. Twenty-two lines of text, clear and entire. Smith's uncle 'Mr ' is 'very glad to hear that you are well & desires to be remembered'. Asks if Smith has 'ever found me a portrait of Sr yet'.

Autograph Letter Signed to Cuthbert Sharp, antiquary.

Author: 
Prince Alexander Labanoff.
Publication details: 
Paris, 18 April 1845.
£125.00

Writer on Mary, Queen of Scots, etc. In French. Two pages, 8vo, laid down, sl. stained but mainly good condition. He regrets not being able to visit Sharp but gives him a preview of some of his work on Mary, Queen of Scots which was about to be published [not traced]. Attached: an autograph note (in French) signed by Labanoff also in which he listsa book and manuscript he has left with Sharp which he hopes will be useful. He asks for the address of Sir Thomas Phillips[sic] ("ou loge") because he is to visit him at midday (!).

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