Autograph Letters

On piece of paper roughly 2.5 x 4.5 cm. Good, on lightly discoloured paper. Docketed on reverse '1755'.

12mo: 1 p. Good, with pin holes to top left-hand corner (not affecting text). He might be able to give her his 'lecture on Hypnotism' in May, but 'cannot tell unless I know the approximate date as I am rather a busy person with my official duties here.' Asks her to let him 'know about it'.

Paper dimensions roughly 6.5 x 12 cm. Good, with one dogeared corner. Recto reads '<...> has been lost - unless indeed your's meant to suggest a version of that explanation. I hope the enclosed will be found correct'. Verso reads '<...> Truly [with cropped 'T'] yours | [signed] C. R. Cockerell | J. P. Knight Esqe.'

Paper dimensions roughly 2 x 5 cm. Good, although on discoloured paper, and mounted on piece of slightly larger discoloured paper docketed in pencil 'Sir Abm Hume'. Reads 'Free 274 | [signed] Abram: Hume'.

On piece of paper roughly 11 x 11 cm. Good, on lightly discoloured paper, with traces of tissue mounts adhering to blank reverse. With five lines of text: '<...> Thank you sincerely for your letters & the enclosure. I quite feel that you cannot be in sympathy with certain proceedings. | Yours faithfully | [signed] Herbert Card Vaughan'.

12mo: 1 p. Somewjhhat grubby, but with text clear and entire. Caulfield 'has been misled in supposing Mr Coutts is inclined to collect Hogarth's or any other pictures as he has hardly ever had any taste or inclination for that Line.'

Two pages, 12mo. Mourning border. Damp stained. Cowper has told 'P[rofesso]r. Wheatstone' [Sir Charles Wheatstone (1802-1875), Professor of Experimental Philosophy at King's College, pioneer of the telegraph, and seller of musical instruments] of Novello's 'wish to have a little conversation with him'. Gives dates when Wheatstone will be available to see Novello at ''King's College (in the Museum)'. '[H]e will very shortly go to Switzerland & therefore the earlier you meet him the better'.

On piece of paper roughly 4 x 11 cm. On discoloured paper with glue stains adhering to reverse. Reads 'Your affecte Brother | [signed] N. Card. Wiseman'. Lower part of flourish beneath signature cropped.

One page, 8vo, page one of bifolium, good condition, marked "answered". "My dear Mr Grönwold I took the clutch of Savi's Warbler's eggs - one of which you sketched - at the Veleneze Lake, Hungary on May 29 1899 " amd the Willow Warbler's here at Worplesdon, Surrey on May 20th 1902 " Hoping that this information is what you require. . . .. | F.C. Selous".

3pp., 8vo, bifolium, grubby, creased, ink-smudge, part of second leaf cut off, cride repairs but text clear and complete, but in a difficult (hasty?) hand. As far as I can tell he says: "My dear Mr Palmer | I have been dining here with Mr [Sturd], I told him that I was writing a tale, which wd be a sequel to Mr Walker's "3 months" & something else besides, he said he thought you wd not object to print & publish it. I was afraid to ask you, thinking it wd do you harm, even if your kindness wd not let you refuse me.

12mo: 1 p. Good, with traces of previous mounting on blank reverse. He thanks her for her kind note, and is glad she enjoyed 'our little tour, in spite of wind and weather'. He has sent off her camera, 'carefully packed', and hopes 'it will arrive without injury. This is not promising weather for your cycling project!'

Paper dimensions roughly 9 x 11 cm. The lower part of the last leaf of a letter. Good, on lightly discoloured and aged paper. Ten lines of text on reverse, including the comment (apparently referring to 'drainage works') 'Mr. Lawson would do the work very well, and is to be commended as Mr. Rawlinson was for never exceeding his estimates.'

Two pages, 8vo, some staining but text clear and complete. He thanks Munnings for his good wishes. "Yes, I am better, and well in the collar again. Astonishing how the work piles up if one is off for a week or two! | When we moved to Anglesey it was partly because of health reasons, I being one of those short-necked, rather bronchail individuals . . . My bout of pneumonia was the direct result of bird drawing near Tring in semi-arctic conditions. It is obvious I am not as tough as I used to be. | What an attractive place your estuary seems to be!

4to: 1 p. Very good. Tipped in by reverse edge to leaf removed from autograph album. Envelope similarly mounted, with almost-intact seal and two postmarks, including a circular one in black ink stating 'MORE TO PAY'. He met John Grant the previous day at Wycombe Quarterly Meeting, and was told by him that Lucas had 'enquired of him the Terms of Admission to my school'.

On piece of grey paper roughly 2 x 8.5 cm. Discoloured and with some glue staining. Mounted on larger piece of paper docketed 'Sudan Egypt'. Reads 'Yours very sincerely | [signed] Reginald Wingate'.

8vo: 1 p. Good, with slight wear to outer edge, and strip from previous mount neatly adhering to reverse. With name of recipient at head, and docketed on reverse. He has 'seen some charming & useful Leaflets advocating Humanity to Animals' and has been 'led to understand they may be obtained through' his correspondent. He would like a hundred of the leaflets to be sent to him, 'for which I will gladly send stamps'. Hall was a sanctimonious figure, supposedly the model for Dickens's Pecksniff.

12mo: 3 pp. Good, but with the leaves of the bifolium separated, and reattached with three tissue mounts. 'It is impossible to trace the obstructiveness of the Postal department to any particular officials; they stand shoulder to shoulder, defiant and impenetrable, like a square of infantry'. Nevertheless Heaton has 'succeeded in getting some reforms of importance inserted in the Post Office Acts Amendment Bill'. Mentions 'permission to send circulars in unclosed envelopes' and briefly discusses the postage of newspapers to the Colonies.

Both items quarto. On worn, discoloured paper, with a couple of closed tears to the folds. Pertwee was the author of numerous anthologies for recitation, and these letters presumably relate to his 'Reciter's treasury of prose and drama: serious and humorous' (Routledge, 1904). TLS: 'Provided, of course, that Messrs. Routledge have actually agreed with you to publish the book of humorous prose recitations, I shall be very willing to allow you to reprint any one of the stories the titles of which I give below.

The notes, on three 12mo bifoliums, cover three pages, with a few lines on a couple of others. In excess of eighty lines. Very good. Brief chronology and list of notable residents, presumably an outline for the description of the district in Besant's 'London' (1892) or another of his many writings on the city.

12mo: 2 pp. Good, with thin strip of glue and grey paper from previous mounting adhering at foot of reverse (not affecting text). While it is possible that Howell may have given 'Mr. Gill' [tMichael Henry Gill, later of McLashan & Gill?] 'letters [of introduction]' when he 'went to New York ten or fifteen years ago', it is unlikely.

Four pages, 8vo, good condition. Much is indecipherable to me but he appears to hope his correspondent will read something referring to Scutari, says he would have sent a duplicate (article?) but "it is in print". He refers to the Prince [Albert] and considering the "exhibition of folly we have already made at Scutari we need not allow the Queen to become ridculous in the eyes of Orientals - better send the 2 [?] from [?] . . . pigtails and all to personate Castor & Pollux or any other Gods of cavalry & Shipping . . . fallen brave . . .

16mo: 3 pp. A small bifolium (each leaf 10.5 x 9 cms) on aged paper. Discoloured strip at foot of first leaf, containing four lines of text and the signature, cut away and reattached with archival tissue, with damage to two words (not in signature). Second leaf with minor damage through breaking of seal. Good Penny Red stamp, postmarked in black, and second red postmark. The earliest she can accept the dinner invitation is the following Wednesday.

Letter One (12mo: 4 pp, to 'My dear Mr Nichols', good, on discoloured paper): Explains that he has given 'a note of introduction to a most particular friend of mine Mr Lawrence of Ipplepen near Totnes and Launceston Cornwall'. Lawrence 'was a great friend of the late Mr Arundel of Landulph' and is 'a great friend of Mr Bray of Tavistock'. He is 'a man of ancient Cornish descent & from its first families'. Spence thinks Nichol will find Lawrence 'a valuable West Country Correspondent, well up in County history and nothing loth in the pursuit of antiquarian lore[.

Prob. missionary. Two pages, folio, minor defects, tect clear and complete. He is seeking his correspondent's help "in carrying on our mission at Badagry. They are so far from the Cape coast that they have difficulties getting supplies of cash [?] etc. "and shall be obliged if you will pay Mr Johnson (one of the Proprietors of the Brig 'Queen Victoria' of Sierra Leone) in ready cash £56-19-8 Sterling on my account and draw a Bill [underlined] for the amount on the Committee in London for sundry expenses for the Badagry Mission.

On piece of paper roughly 2 x 3.5 cm. Discoloured, and with traces of glue from previous mounting on reverse. Slight loss to one corner and tiny closed tear at head. Attractive calligraphic signature, with tall, closely-spaced, vertically elongated letters. Top loops of initial 'J' trimmed.

12mo: 2 pp. On creased, discoloured paper, with small closed tear and traces of previous mount adhering to reverse. An amusing, playful letter in a smudged, expansive hand. Reads 'My dear Phil | The other Phil Phil May will Phil the page in Xmas No. This will fill up & give it a fillip. ergo no Caran d'Ache | With Phil we're full. | Ought to be a fine number. | Have asked Phil May to contribute previously - | Well Phil May - but will Phil? | perhaps a wilfil person'. Accompanied by long typed commentary, giving provenance 'From a group of letters to Phil Agnew.

On piece of paper roughly 3.5 x 5.5 cm. Good firm signature, on lightly discoloured paper. Reads '<...> date hereof. | [signed] J. Aislabie'. Lightly docketed in pencil 'of South Sea notoriety'.

On piece of creased and lightly spotted paper roughly 11 x 11 cm. Reads '<...> for half a Century. | Believe that I remain | Dear Barry | Your's faithfully | [signed] Joseph Kay | Charles Barry Esqr. Kt. | &c &c &c'.

12mo: 2 pp. On lightly creased, discoloured paper, with traces of hinge from previous mounting adhering to margin of first page. He has 'an uncomfortable feeling' that he 'laid aside' a letter from Fulton 'to be answered, but which I cannot now find. It must somehow have got mixed up with other papers [...] If I am right in my fear, may I ask you to send me a copy of it?'

8vo: 1 p. Good, on creased paper with 1 cm closed tear to right of central horizontal crease (not affecting text). He thanks him for his 'kindness and courtesy'. 'I shall not fail to ask for you at Guildhall tonight'. Postscript refers to the 'pother they are making in the Times about a poor Dead and gone book of mine, called Captain Dangerous [published in 1863] Bless their hearts! I invented the whole story of Lord Francis Villein's death "out of my own head."' Docketed with four numbers in pencil.