BOER

[1] + 36pp., 8vo. The diary is in good condition internally, in worn and aged covers. The author is 'Frank' and 'FRW', a Radley old boy, belonging to what he calls 'more or less an Anglo-Indian & City set'. (The family's surname is not given, but family members include 'Sybil and Ella'.) An officer in a militia regiment, he sails out from England on the RMS Goorkha (Capt. Williams), and returns to Tilbury on the Oratava (Capt. Morgan). Preceding the diary is a list of 24 'Unpacked' items, from 'Hair brushes' to '2 Pr Pants'.

Printed on one side of a 37.5 x 28 cm piece of aged newsprint. A frail historical survival, archivally preserved, but with slight later loss leaving some holes in the leaf, affecting some of the text. Small oval stamp with unreadable text in purple ink on reverse. In four columns, with first item Panzera's 'General Orders', dated 16 December 1899, with sections headed 'Good Service by Snipers', 'Visiting Justice', 'Board of Officers', 'Settlement of Forage Accounts' and 'Packing Cases for Local Defence'.

The book – centring on Winston Churchill’s ‘exploits in South Africa as correspondent, escaped prisoner of warm and army officer’ – was well-received: see for example a review in the Times Literary Supplement, 8 January 1971. The contents of a large box file, comprising autograph material (mostly contained in ten notebooks); correspondence to and from Roberts; material relating to publication on three continents; newspaper cuttings and photocopies. In good condition, lightly-aged.

70pp., 8vo, in 'Campbell's Albany Diary and Almanac for 1900' (Glasgow: Duncan Campbell & Son), 'Printed 2nd September, 1900. Ownership inscription on front free endpaper: 'L. K. Smith | The Royal Scots | 2nd. Bn. Mounted Infantry | 2nd. Cavalry Brigade'. Internally in fair condition, on aged and worn paper, in heavily worn and stained red cloth binding. Entries dating from 1 October 1899 to 26 May 1900. An interesting first-hand account, conveying a vivid sense of immediacy, from an officer who saw a deal of action and distinguished himself during the campaign.

The eleven pairs of black and white photographic prints all in very good condition, each on the usual card mount, with printed publishers' details and caption. Each image is roughly 8 x 7.5 cm, with curved top corners, and the mounts are 8.5 x 17.5 cm.

72 stereoscopic views of aspects on the Second Boer War, numbered 1-72 inclusive, hence assumed to be a complete set, in custom-made box with image of a (soldier's) belt, with a motto, "For Empire Queen and Flag" within the belt-circle, and "South Africa | 1900, within the image and a motif, "Sun Sculpture" within a rising sun. [The National Army Museum catalogues one of 89 that they have as "produced by Works and Sun Sculpture Studios, 1900" for Underwood & Underwood.

Soldier, administrator, orientalist (1879-1953). INSCRIBED by Jarvis on the titlepage "C.S. Jarvis/ For:- June & Eric/from Claude/29:4:43". WITH: 2 substantial Typed Letters Signed, 2pp each, 4to 1943 and 1952, sl crumpled, in the discussing his books (incl.

2pp., 12mo. 25 lines of text. On aged and worn paper with slight loss at head (not affecting text). The letter begins: 'My dear Sir Redvers | I am ashamed to write to you about a personal matter at such a time, but this is, I think, a very strong claim. | George Peel, son of Lord Peel, in the Oxfordshire Yeomanry, has gone out to South Africa at his own expense, & wishes to be attached to any expedition which is sent to relieve Kimberley, because his sister is there.

2pp., foolscap 8vo. 54 lines of text. Good, on lightly-aged and worn paper. Addressed to 'The Hon. T. L. Graham, M.L.C., Prime Minister's Office, Cape Town.' Taylor begins by thanking Graham for his 'courteous letter' and is pleased to find that he has not been misunderstood. 'While siding with Dr. Smart it was on purely personal grounds that I wrote you. I cannot say that a number of your constituents differ from you; I do not know.

2pp., 12mo. On paper with mourning border. Headed by Gladstone 'Private'. Good, on lightly-aged paper. The letter concerns Lord FitzMaurice's motion of no confidence in the government, held in the House of Commons the following day. (The resolution, which had been introduced following British reversals in the Boer War, was defeated by 352 votes to 139.) Gladstone writes that he hopes that he was not 'too "stiff"' with Evans. 'The situation at the time was a bit acute, 70 men asking for that wh. I knew to be impossible.

1p., 12mo. In good condition, with slight spotting to extremities, laid down on leaf removed from autograph album. 'I am sorry that we have missed each other on the occasions you have called. My time is much occupied & it is difficult to fix an hour before 6 P.M.

Two handbill poems, meant to be separated (each with its own printer’s slug at foot), but side by side on one side of the same 4to leaf, good condition. On left ‘The old and popular Ballad | The Banks of Claudy.’ (slug: ‘Nicholson, Printer, 26 Church Lane, Belfast’), headed with vignette (of the Prince of Wales?); on right: ‘New and Popular Song entitled | Bravo! Irish Fusiliers.’ (slug: ‘Nicholson, Printer, Church Lane, Belfast’, [1899]), headed with vignette of Queen Victoria. Nicholson was at 24 and 26 Church Lane between 1880 and 1905, continuing at 26 alone until 1919.

One page, 12mo, bifolium, fold marks, good condition. Tamarton [sic for Tamerton] Church Tower & other Poems are now included in a volume called 'Amelia and other Poems.' It is published by Geo. Bell & Co. York Stret, Covent Garden. I do not know Mr Palgarve's address, but a letter to Macmillan & Co, his publisher would reach him.

It is the most comprehensive archive of military letters that I have come across, physically or in research, covering as it does every phase of Potter's distinguished career - India, Ireland, South Africa, the Sudan, the Great War, Ireland (eventually as "British Military Chief" in Belfast). I have selected his Irish and First World War letters to demonstrate that the letters are substantial and interesting, with valuable perceptions and comment.

All twenty-one slides bound in 8 cm glass squares, with the black and white images themselves in good condition and unfaded, with only one slide damaged (glass shattered in a corner, not affecting image). All with labels numbered 394.5.

12mo, 1 p. 6 lines. Clear and complete. Fair, on aged and slightly grubby paper, with strip of glue from mount on blank reverse, which has laid down on it a ten-line biographical newspaper cutting referring to Slade ('[...] one of the youngest major-generals on the Staff in the Army [...] His most recent appointment was that of Assistant Adjutant-General at Woolwich'). He is sending 'a missed lot of Soldiers autographs. Some that you already have may be useful in exchanging for others'.

4to, 2 pp. Thirty-nine lines of text. Clear and complete. Neatly and closely written. Begins by discussing two books recommended by Bower: Otto Hammann's 'World Policy of Germany' and a work by Sir Francis Younghusband. Hammann's book 'confirms what Sir Sidney Lee writes about the Kaiser's telegram'; he is pleased that Younghusband's, which he has not yet read, contradicts the story that 'Lord Ripon was prepared for such drastic measures'. He has been 'correcting the proofs of the 600-page history of South Africa which I undertook to write for Longmans Green five or six years ago'.

The two items rolled into tubes. The 'Crown Deep Ltd. Insurance Plan' carbon printed on one side of a piece of cloth roughly 44 x 102 cm. In good condition: slightly discoloured and frayed. The keyed entries range from '1 No. 1 Headgear & all appurtenances' to '77 Shed near Feedwater tanks', and include '69 Coolie Compound at Dam' and '57 Stable Boy's House'. The table of results of the 'milling tests', approximately 37 x 74 cm, is clear and complete on discoloured paper with closed tears at head repaired with archival tape.

4tp bifolium: 3 pp. Text clear and complete on aged and lightly-creased paper. The first page is headed by the crest of the City of London. Gives the timetable for the ceremony, and the routes to be followed by the holders of 'three distinct Cards [white, pink and blue] assigning seats in different localities'. 'The Prime Warden and Wardens of the Fishmongers' Company will present Lord Milner with the Freedom.

The cuttings are laid down in a contemporary landscape 8vo scrapbook (dimensions of leaf roughly 15 cm x 25), with brown calf spine and marbled boards and endpapers. The scrapbook is worn and loose, but the cuttings, although on high acidity paper, are clear and entirely legible. A unique assemblage, casting valuable contemporary light on the two conflicts from the British point of view. The cuttings, many of them extensive, relating to the Zulu War begin at one end and those relating to the First Boer War at the other.

Very good, on aged and lightly creased paper. Six long letters to family in England written during a turbulent period in South African history. Affectionate, chatty, and written from a lower-middle-class point of view (Florrie: 'we always have an h[ou]r., when I change my dress for the afternoon after dinner'). Mostly dealing with family matters. Letter One (from 'Florrie', 4 September 1898, 'P.O. East London, South Africa', 4to: 4 pp): tells an amusing story about Birt, a cart and a goat. Letter Two (from 'Florrie', 11 September 1898, address as Letter One, 4to: 2 pp).

One page, 12mo. Very good. 'Although I am surprised at your wishing to include mine in your collection of autographs, here it is. | I agree with Sir Alfred Milner that Work, Brains & Opportunity are necessary to success; and that the last is most necessary. But I think that Self-control should be added to His Excellency's list.' A printed biographical cutting is appended.

English politician and colonial administrator (1854-1925), made a viscount for his services during the Boer War, and Secretary of War in Lloyd George's World War I coalition government. One page, 12mo. Folded twice. Very good. Presumably written on Milner's appointment as Chairman of the Inland Revenue. Reads 'My dear Watkins | I am just off. Many thanks for you kind leter. Among the many letters of congratulation & good wishes, wh. have come to me, none are more welcome than those of old College friends.' Signed 'A. Milner'.

South African author and journalist (1898-1950), Public Relations Officer at the South African High Commission. One page, octavo. Very good if somewhat grubby. Docketed and stamped. 'Herewith the translation by a colleague, as asked for in your letter dated September 9. I hope "Here are South Africans" does not bore you too much!'

British soldier (1877-1948): Boer War; General Staff Officer, Portland Fortress, Dardanelles, Suez Canal defences, etc., during Great War. C.B.E., D.S.O. and Cavalierr of the Order of the Italian Crown. Very good though somewhat discoloured with age. Dimensions five and a half inches by three and a half. Bearing the Society's stamp. Signed (beneath stamp) 'A Ersine-Murray'. Headed 'Cantor Sections'. He has 'discovered that several typewritten pages have been omitted' from his fourth lecture ('lost in the post I expect').

Three pages, 8vo, conjoint leaves, wear at spine, not affecting text. "After many wanderings your letter of Feb 13th. has caught me here. I have been out of England since the middle of January,/ Your letter refers to a previous one wh. I have never received. / I am afraid that I cannot throw much light on the subject wch you refer. There is a big monument on the tope of Spion Kop, a column, wh. may be in the form of an obelisk but it is to the memory of the men who fell then generally, though I think, if I remember rightly, there are a number of individual inscriptions.

THE PAMPHLET: 8vo, 21 pages, in original blue printed wraps. Somewhat dusty and bumped in one corner but in good condition overall. Inscribed on title-page 'With the good wishes of the author'. THE LETTER: 1 page, 8vo. Grubby and with jagged closed tear to one edge not affecting text. He thanks him for the note '& the enclosures with their prophetic words. How slow the material world is to react to the vision of its seers!' He hopes his 'little essay' will be of interest. He concludes 'Patrick Duncan was the only Milner man I knew & he, of course, has passed over.

Henry Howard Molyneux Herbert, 4th Earl of Carnarvon, British statesman who made Canada a confederation but failed to create a federation of South Africa; Lord Lieutenant of Ireland. Interesting matter relating to South African affairs. He encloses (not present) a passage of Lanyon's from the Government Gazette.