COACH

The two items relate to the book 'An Old Coachman's Chatter with Some Practical Remarks on Driving. By a Semi-Professional. Edward Corbett, Colonel late Shropshire Militia.'(London: Richard Bentley and Son, 1890). Both the letter and the proofs are in good condition, on lightly-aged paper. LETTER: 3pp., 12mo. Bifolium. 34 lines of text in a particularly difficult hand. He will endeavour to 'throw all the light' he can on the subjects mentioned in his correspondent's letter, beginning:: 'I think the time between Cape Curig & Holyhead must be correct.

Printed in brown within a decorative gold border, on one side of a piece of 25.5 x 20.5 cm light-blue paper. Nearly fine. Heading in fancy type reading 'W. JAMES RAE & CO., | Coach Builders.', with 5.5 x 11 cm engraving of the Midland Works beneath it.

2pp., 12mo. Bifolium. Addressed, with postmarks and red wax seal, to 'The Most Honble | The Marqss. of Breadalbane | Taymouth Castle | Perthshire'. Docketted: 'Honeywell coach | to be attended the beginning of May - 1846'. He writes that the trustees and executors of Honeywell's estate are handing in 'the remainder of their account for work done since the delivery of the last account to May 20th 1840, in which they have not included the amount of Interest due on purchase of the Job Chariot'.?>

Silk & Sons of Long Acre were one of the leading Victorian coach builders, Robert Silk (born c.1797, fl.1871) already being established in Long Acre by 1851. In due course Robert was succeeded by his son William (born 1824), who in his turn took his sons William junior (1853-1911) and Robert John (1858-1934) into the business. The firm continued to trade at least until 1907, when the Long Acre premises were sold. The present collection of eleven items derives from the firm's archive.

2pp., 12mo. Printed on facing pages on one side of a landscape 8vo leaf, with blank reverse. In fair condition, on aged paper, laid down on part of a leaf removed from an album. The left-hand page carries three items: 'The Confidence Trick. A scene in Oxford Street.' (a series of puns with a purpose now lost, beginning 'A stout "Nave," | Met a green "Felloe"'), 'Anecdotes of the old Coaching Days' (beginning 'Talleyrand bought a new coach, but did not pay for it.') and 'Lord Lyndhurst'. The last reads in full: 'Ordered Robert Peake to build him a Chariot. It was finished and approved of.

Silk & Sons were one of the leading coach builders of Victorian London, Robert Silk (born c.1797, fl.1871) already being established in Long Acre by 1851. Robert Silk was succeeded by his son William (born 1824), who in his turn took his sons William junior (1853-1911) and Robert John (1858-1934) into the business. The firm continued to trade at least until 1907, when the Long Acre premises were sold.The present collection, mainly compiled by the elder William Silk, contains around 350 items relating to carriages, coaches, coaching and coach building, dating from between 1750 and 1893.

Text: 2pp., foolscap 8vo (35 x 20.5cm.). Engraving: 12 x 16cm with corners clipped. Both items in fair condition, on aged paper. The text is cropped at the head, through a royal crest, and has rounded corners at the head and trimmed corners at the foot. The engraving has traces of grey paper mount on reverse. The text has lithograph illustrations of two side-views of four-wheel carriages with the drag applied, beneath the cropped crest and above the title 'WRIGHT'S PATENT DRAG.' Text consists of around 60 lines in copperplate.

1p., 4to. Bifolium. Very good, on lightly-aged paper. Addressed in another hand on reverse of second leaf to 'Monsieur le Doctor Brown | Medicin de la Majesté la Reine | regnante de Prusse | Berlin', and docketed (presumably by Brown) 'J. Randall Coachmaker | 1789 | London June 30 | recd. July 13 - | with a Receipt in full inclosed -' (the receipt is not present). Brown begins: 'I have sent you enclos'd a receipt in full for what you was Indebted to me'. He would have answered Brown's letter before, but has been 'very Ill for these six weeks past & oblig'd to be by the Sea side'.

Printed in blue, pink, green, gold, white, yellow, brown and purple on one side of a piece of tissue paper roughly 34.5 cm square. Good, on lightly creased paper with a little wear to extremities and slight loss to the top left-hand and bottom right-hand corners (not affecting the design). The text, with an engraved portrait (5.5 x 4.5 cm) of Lord Mayor Ritchie, is printed in blue in two columns of around 32 lines each, and surrounded by coloured decorative border of flowers, around 6 cm thick. It lists the order and route of the procession. An attractive piece of ephemera.