Autograph Letters

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Autograph Letter Signed ('Le Despencer') to a member of the Tonyn family.

Author: 
Francis Dashwood (1708-1781), 11th Baron Le Despencer, politician and rake; member of the Hellfire Club; founder of the Monks of Medmenham Abbey
Publication details: 
16 November 1763; Curzon Street.
£650.00

4to: 1 p. 7 lines of text. Docketed on the reverse of the otherwise-blank second leaf of the bifolium. Good, on lightly aged and creased paper. He has been informed by Lord Marchmont that his correspondent is 'a son of my old acquaintance Colonel Tonyn', and for that reason, as well as 'for the respect I bear towards Lord Marchmont', he will 'be glad to shew you any civility in my power. He does not know when there will be 'a new General Commission of Justices of the Peace for the County of Bucks', but when there is, he will not forget Tonyn's request.

Autograph Letter Signed ('Verney') to Rev. Charles William Tonyn (d.1805) of Radnage, Bucks.

Author: 
Ralph Verney (1714-1791), 2nd Earl Verney, politician
Publication details: 
12 April 1784; Curzon Street, London.
£200.00

8vo: 1 p. 7 lines of text. Good, on lightly aged and creased paper, with the address on the reverse of the second leaf of the bifolium, to which Verney's red wax seal adheres. A graceful letter of thanks. 'It gives me no small satisfaction to think that my general Conduct has hitherto merited your approbation.' Informs Tonyn of the date of the general election. Verney would lose his seat, and with it his immunity from prosecution for debt, forcing him to flee to France.

Autograph Letter Signed ('Le Despencer') to a member of the Tonyn family.

Author: 
Francis Dashwood (1708-1781), 11th Baron Le Despencer, politician and rake; member of the Hellfire Club; founder of the Monks of Medmenham Abbey
Publication details: 
24 February 1774; Manchester Square, London.
£650.00

4to: 1 p. 9 lines of text. Good, on lightly aged paper, with a light stain affecting a couple of words. Text clear and entire. Docketed on the reverse of the otherwise-blank second leaf of the bifolium. Concerning his and Tonyn's positions as magistrates. 'I never can conveniently at this time of the year stay above a day at W Wycombe at one time'. Were he in the county he would 'attend you on Saturday in Easter Week, and I believe I shall, but to make a journey on purpose to attend a petty sessions at my time of life cannot be expected'.

Autograph Letter Signed ('Lucy Clifford') to Mrs Silver.

Author: 
Mrs. W. K. Clifford [Lucy Clifford, née Lane] (1846-1929), English novelist
Publication details: 
Monday 13th.' [no date]; on embossed letterhead of 7 Chilworth Street, London, W.
£28.00

12mo, 1 p. Bifolium. Very good. On lightly-aged paper. She ends 'Excuse haste & incoherence' and the letter is certainly difficult to decipher. The recipient is 'right', and Mrs Clifford will be 'ready for a talk' any time after her return on Saturday.

Autograph Letter Signed ('Le Despencer') to a member of the Tonyn family.

Author: 
Francis Dashwood (1708-1781), 11th Baron Le Despencer, politician and rake; member of the Hellfire Club; founder of the Monks of Medmenham Abbey [Admiral Charles William Paterson (c.1756-1841)]
Publication details: 
8 February 1776; Hanover Square, London.
£750.00

4to: 1 p. 7 lines of text. Docketed on the reverse. Good, on lightly aged paper. That day he went to the Admiralty 'in hopes of meeting Lord Sandwich in order to recommend Mr Paterson [later Admiral Charles William Paterson] to his good will', but he did not see him. When he does, he will 'certainly say everything in that young Gentlemans favor', and he will 'say the same to Lord Howe if I can catch sight of him'. 'Our last news from America are not unfavorable in some respects.'

Autograph Letter Signed ('B. B. Woodward') to 'Dr Reynolds'.

Author: 
Bernard Bolingbroke Woodward (1816-1869), Librarian in Ordinary to the Queen, Windsor Castle
Publication details: 
2 June 1869; on embossed Buckingham Palace letterhead.
£38.00

12mo, 3 pp. Bifolium. Thirty-three lines of text. Good, on aged paper, with slight traces of glue from mount on blank reverse of second leaf. Apologising for not being able to join Reynolds' party, because of the visit of 'a gentleman' who 'is coming from the country to me on business of importance to me'. This is also disappointing to his daughter, who would have accompanied him. He hopes his 'excellent friends', Reynold's 'colleagues', will not suppose him 'indffierent to their invitation! Especially now that my renewed health has permitted me to accept <?>'.

Two Letters in a Secretarial Hand, one of them signed by Amherst ('Amherst'), both to the Rev. Charles William Tonyn (d.1805) of Radnage, Bucks.

Author: 
Jeffrey Amherst, first Baron Amherst (1717-1797), field-marshall, conqueror of Canada
Publication details: 
The signed letter: 18 June 1781, Whitehall. The unsigned letter: 9 March 1782, Whitehall.
£400.00

The signed letter: 4to, 1 p. 11 lines of text. With the address on a separate and similarly-sized leaf. Franked 'War Office | ', and bearing two circular postmarks, one of them in red with the word 'FREE'. Good, on aged and creased paper. Assuring Tonyn that it will give him 'much pleasure' to recommend Tonyn's nephew George Augustus Tonyn for an army commission, 'as soon as I may be able to do it consistently with the very great number of Applications which I have already on my hands'.

Six Autograph Letters Signed by Hume-Campbell (all 'A: Hume-Campbell') to his 'Couzin' (a member of the Tonyn family).

Author: 
Alexander Hume-Campbell (1708-1760), Member of Parliament and Lord Clerk Register from 1756 to 1760 [Hugh Hume-Campbell, 3rd Earl of Marchmont]
Publication details: 
All six letters dated from London in 1759.
£450.00

All six letters in quarto; good, on aged paper; and with text neatly-written, clear and entire. Letter One: 3 May 1759. 2 pp. 40 lines of text. Giving advice regarding a will to be drawn up by a Mrs Robertson. 'As to the place where Mrs. Robertson makes the Disposition it is absolutely immaterial, [...] and then her will wrote in her own hand writing without witnesses will be as good as with twenty witnesses [...]'. Valediction from 'your affectionate friend & Cousin'. Letter Two: 30 June 1759. 1 pp. 24 lines.

Autograph Signature.

Author: 
John Hullah [John Pyke Hullah] (1812-1884), English composer and music teacher
Publication details: 
Without date or place.
£20.00

Cut from a letter. On small rectangle of light-grey paper, roughly 2 x 4 cm. Fair, on aged paper with thin light strip of glue staining along top edge. Neat firm signature, underlined and overlined, reading 'John Hullah'.

Autograph Note Signed ('Robert Stopford') [to the Rev. Charles William Tonyn (d.1805) of Radnage, Bucks].

Author: 
Admiral Sir Robert Stopford (1768-1847), Commander-in-Chief of the British fleet sent against Mehmet Ali of Egypt [H.M.S. Victory]
Publication details: 
3 June 1828; Porstmouth.
£100.00

12mo: 1 p. Five lines. Good, on lightly aged paper, with one minor water stain affecting a couple of letters of one word. Reads 'The Adm[ira]lt[ie]s order for you son's reception as Vol[untee]r 1st. Class in the Victory is arrived, & he may join as soon as convenient'. Docketed by Tonyn on reverse '3d. June 1828 |Sir Robt. Stopford Commr. in Chief Porstmo. respecting my son George'. After Trafalgar the Victory was moored in Portsmouth Harbour off Gosport and used as a depot ship.

Autograph Signature.

Author: 
Mrs Randolph' [C. Emily Blanche Randolph], Victorian novelist
Publication details: 
Undated. 76 Chester Square, London, SW.
£23.00

On one side of a piece of paper, 18 x 11.5 cm. Very good, on lightly-aged paper, with strip from stub adhering to the blank reverse. Reads 'With our united kind regards, | Believe me | Very sincerely your | C. Emily Blanche Randolph. | 76. Chester Square | S.W.' A small square of paper carrying a printed list of twelve of Mrs Randolph's works is tipped in at the foot of the page.

Autograph Letter Signed ('J R G Graham') to 'My dear Baron'.

Author: 
Sir James Graham [Sir James Robert George Graham] (1792-1861), Tory politician, Home Secretary in Sir Robert Peel's last administration
Publication details: 
17 December 1852; Grosvenor Place.
£28.00

12mo, 2 pp. Headed private. Good, on lightly aged and stained paper. Headed 'Private'. He thanks him for sending a 'Copy of a letter from he Prince to the late Duke of Wellington'. He will make 'limited and careful use' of the copy he has preserved with the recipient's permission.

Forty-eight Autograph Letters Signed, and one Autograph Card Signed (all 'T. H. Holdich') to Sir Henry Trueman Wood, Secretary, Royal Society of Arts. With two letters written on his behalf and two enclosures.

Author: 
Sir Thomas Hungerford Holdich (1843-1929), English geographer, President of the Royal Geographical Society
Publication details: 
Between 1914 and 1919. All from 41 Courtfield Road, London SW7.
£165.00

The fifty-two items (in various formats) are in very good condition. Texts clear and complete. On lightly-aged paper. A cordial correspondence regarding the business of the Society, Holdich's close association with which is not noted in his entry in the Oxford DNB. On 21 February 1917 Holdich writes to 'accept the honour of appointment to the office of Vice President of the Society of Arts'.

Autograph Signature ('George Canning.'), cut from letter.

Author: 
George Canning (1770-1827), English Tory Prime Minister
Publication details: 
Place and date not stated.
£25.00

Good, firm signature, boldly underlined, on piece of paper roughly 4 x 11.5 cm. Thin strip of glue from previous mounting to the right of the signature, and further traces on the reverse. Evidently collected by an autograph hunter. Simply reads 'George Canning.'

Thirty-one items: including fourteen Signed Letters and Notes (all 'E. F Crowe'), Typed and in Autograph, mostly written to various Secretaries and officials of the Royal Society of Arts. With enclosures, drafts and copies of replies.

Author: 
Sir Edward Crowe [Sir Edward Thomas Frederick Crowe] (1877-1955), public servant, Vice-President (1937-60), President (1942-3), and Chairman of the Council (1941-3) of the Royal Society of Arts
Publication details: 
Dating from between 27 June 1940 and 26 March 1943. Most of Crowe's letters from his London address: 12A Ennismore Gardens, SW7.
£125.00

The collection of thirty-one items is in good condition, with the texts (in a variety of formats) clear and complete. Includes nine Typed Letters Signed, one Autograph Letter Signed, two Autograph Notes Signed, one Autograph Card Signed, one Typed Note Signed by Crowe, with a Typed Letter and a Typed Note signed on his behalf. The first item is an Autograph Card Signed from Crowe accepting his election as the Society's Vice-President.

Pencil note by one of the 'Siamese Twins', with attesting note by Smith.

Author: 
Chang Bunker and Eng Bunker [Chang and Eng], the 'Siamese Twins', Victorian circus freaks [William James Smith]
Publication details: 
Smith's note dated 'March 1830' [London].
£150.00

On a slip of laid paper (watermarked 'SMIT'), approximately 7 x 18 cm. Good, on lightly-aged and spotted paper. The writing by one of the twins, is in pencil, in a large, childish hand, and reads 'London England'. Beneath this, in a neat contemporary hand: 'The above two words, were written in my presence by one of the Siamese Twins. - | March 1830. | [signed] William James Smith'. The 'Siamese Twins' began their first appearance in London in 1829, at the Egyptian Hall in Piccadilly.

Typed Letter Signed ('Gilbert Murray') to K. W. Luckhurst, Secretary, Royal Society of Arts.

Author: 
Gilbert Murray [George Gilbert Aimé Murray] (1866-1957), English classical scholar and intellectual, the 'Adolphus Cusins' of Shaw's 'Major Barbara'
Publication details: 
13 February 1941; on embossed letterhead of Vatscombe, Boars Hill, Oxford.
£28.00

Landscape 12mo (12.5 x 20.5 cm), 2 pp. Good, on lightly-aged and creased paper, with pinhole to one top corner. Concerning a meeting at the Society, Murray is 'so glad to hear that His Excellency, the Greek Minister has consented to take the Chair'. 'My lecture on Hellenism will be practically the same as that which I gave on January 21st to the Royal Institution, [...] I hardly think you will wish to print it again, [...] I did not know when accepting your invitation that you proposed to publish the lecture afterwards.

Autograph Signature ('Albert Chevalier') with quotation from his song 'Our Bazaar'.

Author: 
Albert Chevalier [Albert Onésime Britannicus Gwathveoyd Louis Chevalier] (1861-1923), comedian and actor
Publication details: 
Date and place not stated.
£35.00

On a piece of paper 6 x 14 cm. Laid down on part of leaf from autograph album. Good, on lightly-aged paper. Evidently in response to a request for an autograph. Good firm signature, with looped underlining. Reads: ' "We take the compositions as they are" | "Our Bazaar" | [signed] Albert Chevalier'. Chevalier's song 'Our Bazaar' was hugely popular. The published version (1894) gives the authors as Chevalier and Brian Daley, but the British Library ascribes it to John Charles Bond Andrews.

Autograph Signature ('Jules de Polignac') on part of letter to 'mon cher Baron'.

Author: 
Jules Auguste Armand Marie, Prince de Polignac (1780-1847), French Prime Minister under Charles X.
Publication details: 
17 September [no year].
£28.00

On rectangle of paper roughly 9 x 17 cm. Cut from the head of a letter for an autograph hunter. Fair, on aged paper, with traces of previous mount on the reverse. Above the signature a florid five-line valediction in the best courtly style. Date and beginning of letter on reverse.

Autograph Letter Signed ('Roundell Palmer') to Macleod, supporting his candidacy for a professorship in Edinburgh.

Author: 
Roundell Palmer (1812-1895), 1st Earl of Selborne, Lord Chancellor of Great Britain [Henry Dunning Macleod (1821-1902), Scottish jurist and economist]
Publication details: 
3 May 1871; 11 New Square, Lincoln's Inn, London.
£28.00

12mo, 2 pp. Text clear and complete. Good, on lightly-aged and creased paper. Macleod is 'certainly at liberty' to state Palmer's 'belief', founded on 'the Specimen Digest of the Law of Bills of Exchange' which Macleod prepared for the 'English Law Digest Commissioners', that Macleod is 'well qualified for the Professorship in Edinburgh which you seek to obtain'.

Autograph Signature ('John Dillon').

Author: 
John Dillon (1851-1927), Irish politian, Parnellite Member of Parliament for County Tipperary, Home Rule activist and land reform agitator
Publication details: 
Date and place not stated.
£23.00

On piece of paper roughly 5.5 x 11.5 cm. Cut away from a letter for an autograph hunter. Laid down on a piece of paper removed from an album. Fair, on lightly-aged paper. Reads '<...> | Yours sincerely | John Dillon'.

Autograph Signature ('J Arthur Thomson').

Author: 
J. Arthur Thomson [Sir John Arthur Thomson] (1861-1933), Scottish naturalist and author whose writings sought to reconcile science and religion
Publication details: 
Place and date not stated.
£18.00

On slip of paper, roughly 2.5 x 10 cm, cut from a letter for an autograph hunter. Good, on lightly-aged paper. Reads 'Yours sincerely | J Arthur Thomson'.

Autograph Note Signed ('W. Jenner') to 'My dear Mrs. Lennith'.

Author: 
Sir William Jenner (1815-1898), English physician who discovered the distinction between typhus and typhoid
Publication details: 
Friday' (no date); on letterhead of 63 Brook Street, Grosvenor Square, London W.
£35.00

12mo, 1 p. Good, on lightly-aged paper. He writes that he will 'be able to see you at eleven oclock tomorrow[.] I have appointment [sic] for 11.30 & have to leave home soon after 12 -'.

Autograph Signature ('Roger Keyes').

Author: 
Sir Roger Keyes [Roger John Brownlow Keyes, 1st Baron Keyes] (1872-1945), British naval officer
Publication details: 
Without date or place.
£18.00

On a leaf of pink paper (roughly 16 x 20 cm) removed from an autograph album. Firm signature, 6 cm long, with the initial 'R' blotted by Keyes. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper. The page bearing the signature is headed, in another hand, 'Famous Men Military and Naval'.

Autograph Letter Signed ('Alec Waugh') to 'Dear Burdett'.

Author: 
Alec Waugh [Alexander Raban Waugh (1898-1981), English author, elder brother of Evelyn Waugh
Publication details: 
28 January 1921; on letterhead of Chapman & Hall Ltd, 11 Henrietta Street, Covent Garden, London WC2.
£56.00

12mo: 2 pp. Bifolium. Text clear and complete. Fair, on aged paper. If the recipient visited on the Saturday he would have found that the Waughs were away: 'My wife was developing mumps in London & I was kicking a football. Would tha tit had been any other day.' He thanks him for 'the review of Strachey', which he read with much interest, if partial agreement': 'I think mystic experience lies beyond my compass, & therefore I can hardly judge'. Quotes 'our friend Moore' (the philosopher G. E. Moore?) on the subject.

Autograph Note Signed ('Dorothea Beale') to 'Mrs Barrow'.

Author: 
Dorothea Beale (1831-1906), suffragette, founder of St Hilda's Hall [later St Hilda's College], Oxford, and first Headmistress of Cheltenham Ladies' College
Publication details: 
13 June [no year]; on embossed letterhead of the Ladies' College, Cheltenham.
£28.00

12mo, 1 p. Fair, on lightly-aged, slightly-grubby paper with small dogears to a couple of corners. Reads 'June 13th. | Dear Mrs Barrow, | It is very kind of you to meet me. I shall hope to arrive punctually. | Yours sincerely | [signed] Dorothea Beale'.

Visiting card, bearing autograph note to 'Mr Palgrave [Francis Turner Palgrave, 1824-1897?], [and] The Misses Palgrave'.

Author: 
Anna Swanwick (1813-1899), English author, feminist, and translator of Goethe, born in Liverpool
Publication details: 
Undated. Printed address '23, Cumberland Terrace, Regent's Park. [London]'
£56.00

Dimensions of card 6 x 9 cm. Good. Printed on the card are the name 'Miss Anna Swanwick,' and the address. Written around the name in MS is 'Mr Palgrave, The Misses Palgrave from [Miss Anna Swanwick] With kindest regards and all the good wishes of the season.'

Autograph Letter Signed ('Bessie R Parkes') to Lady Kay-Shuttleworth.

Author: 
Bessie Parkes (1829-1925) [Mrs Bessie Rayner Belloc, née Elizabeth Rayner Parkes], English feminist, and founder in 1866 of the first-ever women's suffrage committee; mother of Hilaire Belloc
Publication details: 
28 December 1861; 17 Wimpole Street, London, W.
£56.00

12mo, 1 p. Ten lines of text. Fair, on aged and lightly-creased paper. She received the cheque the previous night, and is sending 'a prospectus [not present] of the Home to which the Patient was removed'. She thanks her for her 'prompt kindness'. At the time of writing (six years before her marriage to the French lawyer Louis Belloc) Bessie Parkes was co-editor of the 'English Woman's Journal'. Lady Janet Kay-Shuttleworth (née Janet Shuttleworth) was the wife of Dr James Kay-Shuttleworth (1804-1877), one of the leaders of the Liberal Party in Lancashire.

Typed Note Signed ('A. C. Egerton') to Dingle, enclosing two pages of typed scientific calculations relating to the annual worldwide consumption of fossil fuels. With carbon copy of Dingle's typed reply.

Author: 
Sir Alfred Egerton [Sir Alfred Charles Glyn Egerton] (1886-1959), chemist [Professor Herbert Dingle (1890-1978), physicist and President of the Royal Astronomical Society, 1951-1953]
Publication details: 
Note dated 11 March 1944. Note and calculastions on letterheads of Imperial College of Science and Technology, London.
£100.00

All three items fair, on aged and creased paper. Slight rust-spotting at head of note, and short closed tear to leaf of calculations. Note (12mo, 1 p): He is enclosing 'a few figures' and hopes they are what Dingle wants. The calculations (4to, 2 pp) begin with working out of the 'Annual coal production in world' in therms. This is followed by similar figures for 'Petroleum' and 'Natural gas', giving the 'Total fuel (bar wood and peat) used per annum in the world'.

Autograph Signatures of Sir Henry Seton-Karr and Heywood Walter Seton-Karr.

Author: 
Sir Henry Seton-Karr (1853-1914), explorer, big game hunter and Conservative Member of Parliament for St Helens; Heywood Walter Seton-Karr (1859-1938), soldier and game hunter
Publication details: 
H. W. Seton-Karr's signature dated 2 June 1927.
£56.00

H. W. Seton-Karr's signature on a piece of card, roughly 9 x 11 cm, neatly cut with rounded edges. Reads 'Heywood Walter | Seton-Karr | June 2nd. 1927'. Neatly laid down beneath this is a thin printed strip reading 'Capt. H. W. SETON-KARR, F.R.G.S. (Explorer and Big Game Hunter), on "Investigations."' Sir Henry Seton-Karr's signature ('H. Seton-Karr.') on slip of paper, roughly 2 x 9.5 cm, laid down at head of card, on which is written, above H. W. Seton-Karr's signature, '(Sir Henry Seton-Karr MP)'. In good condition, on lightly aged paper.

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