BIRMINGHAM

The Oxford DNB's entry on Bunn states that from 1819 to 1824 he held the lease of the Theatre Royal, Birmingham. 1p., 8vo. Bifolium. Addressed on reverse of second leaf to '- Perkins Esq'. In fair condition, with light signs of age and wear. Bunn begins his letter: 'My dear Sir, | The dreadful bustle attendant on producing "Waterloo" must be my apology. The Music & Manuscript are herewith sent - & not a note or a syllable of either has been copied.' He thanks 'Mr Howes for his kindness', which he offers to reciprocate, 'whenever in my power'.

On 7 x 13.5cm piece of watermarked laid paper, cut from the head of a 12mo leaf. Tastefully printed in red and brown, in gothic type with rubricated capital. Reads: 'MEMORANDUM | from | James Wilson, | Dealer in Ancient and Modern Books and Manuscripts; rare | and valuable County Histories, Old Poetry, Theology, costly | Works on the Fine Arts, Illuminated Missals, and other | Ancient MSS. on vellum, and Literary Curiosities and Rarities | in general. Catalogues issued Monthly, gratis andn post free. | 35, Bull Street, Birmingham,'. The date 'Jan 30th 86' in bottom right-hand corner of slip.

1p., 4to. On pink paper. In fair condition, lightly aged, worn and creased. With Dodd's personal oval stamp in purple ink. Reads: 'Mr J Gulliver | Sir | Will you kindly forward to me at the above the subscription on Bible you had of us in September | In so doing you will save the expences of sending a man'

[36]pp., 8vo. Stapled in red card wraps with circular cartridge design in silver. An attractive and glossy production, profusely illustrated. In good condition, lightly aged and worn, with dink to spine. Section titles read: '"Who is this C. Eley?"'; 'The Brothers'; 'Together now for 40 years'; 'New Century, new problems'; 'Crisis and congratulations'; 'Pastures new'; 'War and Peace'; '"A policiy of enlightened self-interest"'; 'Eley at 150 years old'. From the papers of the noted gunsmith C.

1p., 16mo. In good condition, lightly-aged. The note reads: 'Tuesday | Dear Walter | Yes - yes - yes. | The places I will send to Saville | Tomorrow I read Macbeth in Birmingham | Every yours aff | Henry'.

1p., 4to. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper. He thanks him for his reply to his 'plea for assistance in connexion with the possible publication by a foreign press of my history of Plague'. He had 'no intention' in writing 'of soliciting any financial aid from the Society, because any such solicitation would have been an impertinence on my part.' He would need £20,000 to have the book 'privately printed by one of the smaller English presses, such as Messrs.

4pp., 12mo. Bifolium with drophead title. In good condition, lightly-aged, disbound. No copy traced.

1p., 8vo. In fair condition, on aged paper with wear to extremities. Addressed to 'F. Gardner Esq | Little Coggeshall | Essex'. The letter is signed 'Wm Ford | Per Pro' and reads: 'Dear Sir | In reply to your kind enquiry the cost to improve the shooting of your little .410 would be about 10/- if a double gun as near as I can tell without seeing it. | Trusting to be favoured with your kind command'. The letterhead contains a mass of text at the head and filling the left-hand margin.

24pp., 12mo. Stitched, with original grey wraps. One bifoliate transposed, with the leaf carrying pp.21-22 following p.14, and the leaf carrying pp.15-16 following p.20. In fair condition, aged and a little grubby, in worn and frayed wraps with front cover detached. Uncommon: a total of seven copies on COPAC and OLCL WorldCat. For more on Freeth, see John Money's 'Experience and Identity: Birmingham and the West Midlands, 1760-1800' (1977).

Two Vols bound in one, hf. lea, faded and worn, marbled boards, worn, contents v.g.. Vol. I, pp.iv.174; Vol. II, iv.148 (inc. indexes and list of members). Honorary Vice-Presidents include Haeckel, Babington, Huxley, Lankester. Scarce.

Both items are laid down on a 12mo leaf extracted from an album. All in good condition, on lightly-aged paper. Laid down on the reverse of the leaf is an early eighteenth-century engraving of a man (William Hutton?) holding a book. The explanatory note, on one side of the leaf from the album, reads: 'This Leaf, given to me by Mr. Samuel Hutton, High Street, is taken from a Volume of unpublished poems, composed by, and in the Autograph of, William Hutton. | That below which I received from Mr.

All three items in good condition, on lightly aged paper. ONE: 4 December 1821. 3pp., 12mo. Bifolium. The letter, which concerns her plans for a book, begins: 'My dear Sir | In consequence of your opinion, I send a prospectus for Mr. Dawes [the critic Manassah Dawes (d.1829)?], which you will have the goodness to forward at a proper opportunity. But for this opinion, I should not have had the courage to apply to him, though the refusal of two persons ought not to prevent the application to a third. Nothing in my opinion could have been more certain than the subscriptions of Mr.

1p., 12mo. In very good condition, on lightly-aged paper, with small pin holes at head. The letter reads: 'I enclose the particulars of my Life for which you have asked me [not present] | I only received your communication on the 7th of April, tho' I see your circular is dated in March; or I would have written earlier -'. In a contemporary hand on the reverse: 'Madame Belloc, authoress, has written interesting memoirs. A prominent lady of the older literary generation.'

A. [1932 issue] pp. 52;[ xx] (pp. i-[xx] at front and back, advertisements), colour plates (mounted pictures), printed paper covers, chipped and worn at spine, contents good. Contents include a long story by Francis Brett Young ("Blood Oranges") and Barry Jackson, 'The Birmingham Repertory Theatre at Work'. B. [1933 issue] pp.52.[xxiv], (pp.i-xxiv advertisements front and back0, coloured plates, papers covers, damp-stained, contents good.

6pp., 12mo. In green printed wraps. In fair condition, on lightly-aged paper, with shelfmarks, stamps and label of the Board of Education Reference Library, London. Printed voting slip (1p., 12mo, creased) of the 'Association of Technical Institutions. Election of Council, 1937.' loosely inserted. Scarce: no copy in the British Library or on OCLC WorldCat, and only two copies on COPAC.

The seven items are in good overall condition, on aged and lightly-worn paper. ONE: Mimeographed typed press release from Conservative Central Office: 'The Rt. Hon. Edward Heath, M.B.E., M.P. (Bexley) | Leader of the Opposition | Statement about the Rt. Hon. Enoch Powell, M.P.' 'Release time: 22.30 Hours/21st April, 1968'. 2pp., foolscap 8vo. Begins: 'I have tonight been in touch with Mr Enoch Powell and told him of my decision, taken with the greatest regret, that he should no longer be invited to attend the Shadow Cabinet.

32pp., 4to. Stitched, in grey wraps. With photographs in text and three pages of plans (including two floor plans) at rear. Stamp, shelfmarks and label of the Board of Education Reference Library, otherwise in good condition, on lightly-aged paper, in worn wraps. Scarce: no copy in the British Library, or on COPAC.

15pp., 12mo., with additional double-page 'Programme of Degree Curriculum'. Stapled. In grey printed wraps. With stamp, shelfmarks and label of the Board of Education Reference Library, otherwise in fair condition, on lightly-aged paper, with the central 'Programme' detached. Scarce: no copy in the British Library, on COPAC or WorldCat.

7pp., 8vo. In grey printed wraps. Stapled. With shelfmarks and label of the Board of Education Reference Library. Scarce: the only copy on COPAC at the British Library.

The three items in good condition, on lightly-aged paper, the second letter having a few very short closed tears on fold lines. The first two signed 'W F Hook' and the third 'Walter Farquhar Hook'. ONE (26 July 1828): 2pp., 12mo. Apologising because 'waiting upon' the Corries will now be impossible, as 'Sir Robert and Lady Wilmot intend to come on a Visit': His Mother will not be able to see Sir Robert, so Hook will be 'compelled to stay at home to entertain him'. TWO (16 April 1829): 2pp., 4to. On gilt-edged bifolium.

1p., 8vo. On bifolium. In fair condition, on aged paper with a few small closed tears to edges. Addressed on reverse of second leaf, with broken red wax seal, Penny Red stamp and postmarks, to: 'Revd. Dr. Wiseman, | St. Mary's College | Oscott | Nr. Birmingham'. 22 lines of text, closely and neatly written. Daly begins: 'I am sorry to trouble you by laying before you the Letters [not present] of a man of the name of Thomas Male - Bookseller & Bookbinder residing at St. Mary's, who has by representing himself as patronized by you got Credit from me to the Amount of £11 . 9 .

Corrie was the son of Rev. Josiah Corrie (1725-1800) of Kenilworth. He was educated at Daventry Academy and New College, Hackney. He was a schoolmaster and a Unitarian minister at the Old Meeting House (1817-19), and president of the Birmingham Philosophical Society, to which, in 1819, he introduced Maria Edgeworth, who notes in a letter her admiration for his 'very agreeable benevolent countenance, most agreeable voice'. In William Field's memoir of Dr Samuel Parr he is numbered among the 'clerical friends' in whose company Parr 'delighted'.

2pp., 12mo. Aged, creased and worn. This would appear to be the first printing of Havergal's best-known hymn. The poem is printed on one side, within a decorative border, and with the title in fancy type. Printer's slug at foot of page beneath border. The reverse is filled with biblical texts, under the heading 'Consecration.' Within the a similar border, beneath which: '25 copies, post-free 4d.' Havergal's inscription is at the head of the page bearing the poem: 'J. W. | From F. R. H. Jany 19, 1876.' No other copy traced, either on COPAC or WorldCat. From the Jane Williams papers.

Westley Richards & Co was established in 1813. In 1957 W. A. Clode bought the firm from Captain E. D. Barclay, and it remains within the hands of the Clode family today.

[2] + 8 + [1] pp., small (18 x 14 cm.) 4to. Sewn with green ribbon into white wraps, with 'Pattie's Christmas Tree' in gilt on front. In good condition, with the wraps slightly sunned in panels. Inscribed at head of title-page 'With kind regards'. The pamphlet contains a single poem titled 'Pattie's Christmas Tree', printed on eight pages each with decorative border in gilt. Printer's slug on revers of title, and colophon on last page. The beginning and end of the poem indicate the theme.

Nineteen items, in good condition, on lightly-aged paper, arranged in the following description into seven sections: ONE. Nine Autograph Letters Signed (two more are in sections Two and Three below) from DJ to ASB. Totalling 3pp., 4to; 15pp., 12mo (12 of them landscape); 5pp., 16mo. Four dating from 1963, one from 2004, and the other four undated (but apparently also from 1963). One signed 'Douglas', another 'D. J.', and the other seven signed in full. All but one, which is addressed to 'Alan', addressed to 'Baxendale'. Eight on letterheads of the School of History, Birmingham University.

2pp., 12mo. On aged paper. He only received Goodrich's note on his return from London on the previous day, 'too late to attend the meeting which I certainly should have done to vote for Mr Sturge had I been able'. However he sees from the newspapers that 'his election took place all right | In haste | Yours very truly | [signed] Jesse Collings'.

8pp., 12mo. Stapled. In fair condition, on aged art paper, with fore-edges curling a little. Photographic reproduction on cover 'From the original pencil sketch of DR. ROBERT DUNSTAN by the Russian artist IVANOV. Moscow 1924.' Scarce: no copy in the British Library, and the only copy on Copac at the London School of Economics, dated to 1924. With undated leaflet (1p., 12mo) titled 'Why you should join the Communist Party', printed by 'Centropress Ltd., TU, 168 Camberwell Road, London, SE5'. On leaf of aged paper, chipped at edges.

1p., 12mo. On aged and creased paper, with loss to one corner (not affecting text). He will 'look for such witnesses as might be disposed to give evidence before the Committee Mr. Torrens [the Irish Liberal politician William Torrens McCullagh Torrens (1813-1894)] has obtained, to enquire into the operation of your extradition laws'.