DEVONSHIRE

As befits the son of a City of London clergyman, Edward Mason Wrench was a well-educated and well-connected man (being presented to the Prince of Wales in his old age), attributes which enabled him to thrive at Chatsworth. His standing was also enhanced by an eventful army career. Wrench's obituary in the British Medical Journal (27 April 1912), describes how, after service in the Crimea, 'he was transferred to the 4th Lancers, went to Madras with that regiment in the following month, and served with it during the whole of the Indian Mutiny.

On one side of 11 x 15.5 cm piece of paper. In fair condition, on aged and worn paper. An interesting and unusual artefact of Devon social history. Reads: 'Messrs. Roberts & Carter, | To the Crier of Barum [the Latin name for Barnstaple] | 1835 | July 3rd Posting Bills, for sale of Rookebeare Estate 1s. 0d. | Crying do. 1s 0d | Augst 27th. Posting Bills for sale of Pinney Estate &c 2s 0d | Duryard 2s 0d | [total] 4s 0d' Bater's acknowledgment at foot reads: '28 August 1835 Recd the above | W Bater'.

ONE (Knighton): 3 x 6 cm. In fair condition, aged and worn, laid down on a small piece of cream paper. A workmanlike production, within a wavy border. Reads: 'KNIGHTON's | Circulating Library, | DAWLISH.' BBTI records Knighton as active between 1828 and 1830. TWO (Crowther): 7 x 9.5 cm. In fair condition, lightly aged. Within decorative border, and reading: 'CIRCULATING LIBRARY, | DAWLISH. | CROWTHER, | BOOK-SELLER, | AND DEALER IN ALL KINDS OF | FANCY STATIONERY, | Toys, Berlin Patterns, German Wools. | Brushes, Fancy Turnery, Cutlery, Perfumery, &c.

3pp., 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly-aged.

Small (7.5 x 10.5 cm) card. Aged and creased, and with remains of labels from mount on address side. Addressed to 'Rev P. L. Underhill | 5 George's Vicarage | Wolverhampton'. Reads: 'The Park and House are open to visitors on every day except Sundays. | Devonshire | 16/5/93'.

4pp., 12mo. Bifolium. In fair condition, on aged paper. Addressed to 'My Dr Sawyer'. He begins by thanking him for the photograph: 'Whenever I look on it - and I shall do so often - I shall be reminded of the fourth gentle poet who did all he could to make a few pleasant hours for a humble brother <?> during his short sojourn in the great metropolitan maze of this England of ours'.

4pp., 12mo. Bifolium. In very good condition, on lightly-aged paper. The letter begins: 'My dear Sir, | Having a day to spare, and having a little business in London, I left home by midnight mail yesterday, but unfortunately got into the smash that took place on the North Western line [i.e.

Postcards, c.11 x 9cm, some smudging but mainly good condition, text clear and complete. Postcard One: "Dear Mr Wynne, | Very best thanks for your valued gift: a fine & distinguished poem."; Postcard 2: "[...] | The books can be got separately & there are cheap editions of those two books any bookseller can secure for you for 2/- & 2/6 each. | I'm afraid London has had enough of my plays. My daughter's paly is not about [?] folk." Two items,

4to, 1 p. Ten lines, edges a little damaged but text clear and complete, on flimsy paper. "You are welcome to the quotation from my school-boy story - if it is worth while. I could have wished, however, that in an anthology of serious prose you had given me credit as a serious writer & chosen something more interesting. With compliments [...]"

Three pages, 12mo, fold marks, good condition. "I have the greatest pleasure in giving you a testimonial. Both from personal knowledge & from what I have always heard of you I can testify to your high & honorable character. | I have known you for some considerable time now & have not the least hesitation in thoroughly recommending you. | The fact that you belong to a family for which I have the greatest respect makes it an additional pleasure to write this."

4pp., 12mo. Bifolium with mourning border. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper, with slight traces of glue from mount along one edge. A hurried letter, illegible at points. 'You will see the name of yr. respectable at the end of the enclosed Petition from My Own Hand. She has no right to refer to me for any further knowledge of herself and her husband, or his position of art - than that of my having understood him to be an artist in a state of much distress, labouring under loss or decay of sight, & that I for some years I might almost , I gave him occasional relief.

All three items in very good condition, on lightly-aged paper. Third letter in its envelope, addressed to Hodson at Bradbourne Hall, Ashbourne, Derbyshire. ONE: Despite the letterhead written from Italy, as the text shows. 4pp., 12mo. Typed. The 'stress of the election' has delayed his response. 'I am writing now in the train from Naples to Rome and everything I have seen since has helped to convince me that you are right. Mussoline [sic] in this country would be a man after your own heart.

[1] + 38pp., 12mo. Stapled into brown printed wraps, with the title and printer's slug on the cover, which also carries the price of two shillings and sixpence. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper. Introductory note reads: 'These few pages refer to war-time troubles at home and in hospital, and other people's love laments. C.P.' Unpretentious poetry, giving an insight into the work of a V.A.D.

4pp., 12mo. 75 lines. On bifolium. Very good, on lightly-aged paper. The entire document is in Mary Berry's autograph. The letter proper, of 57 lines, is signed 'Devonshire Cottage / a true Copy / M Berry', the joke, such as it is, being that Mary Berry has copied out a document written by Devonshire Cottage itself to its owner, the Hon. Mrs George Lamb (Caroline, or 'Caro George' Lamb, from whom the Berry sister's were leasing it).

12mo: 4 pp. Bifolium. Sixty-three lines. Text clear and complete. Good, on lightly-aged paper. Headed 'Duke of Devonshire'. A couple of minor corrections. Begins 'I must now ask permission to offer to your R H in behalf of Univty expression of our hearty thanks to you for having done us honor of unveiling statue of your illustrious Father.

An interesting collection, with some revealing comments within the correspondence. All six items are laid down on a folio leaf of pink paper removed from an autograph album. All clear and complete, in good condition on aged paper, with the Feversham letter somewhat grubby. The handbill (12mo, 1 p), on behalf of the Committee for the Blamire Memorial, and in the names of Henry Londsdale and Henry Dobinson, is headed 'BLAMIRE MEMORIAL', and dated 'Carlisle, Oct. 7th, 1862.' It reports the resolutions of a meeting held on 4 October 1862.

8vo: 24 pp. Stitched as issued. Inscribed at the head of the title-page 'For Mr Walpole'. Text clear and entire. Good, on foxed paper, with one dog-eared corner. A couple of manuscript annotations, one in the form of a footnote, and one correction, whether by the inscriber or recipient unclear. The author defends his claim that he 'cannot believe otherwise, than had the claimant to the Devon Peerage been an humble individual, less affluent, and less powerfully connected, he would not have succeeded in his claim'. Scarce: the only copies on COPAC at the Durham and the British Library.

12mo: 1 p. Very good. 14 closely-written lines. 'A friend of mine was asked by our dear old kind friend Chorley to assist in procuring for a Protege of his a musical education. I think the young person was originally introduced to him by Lady Devonshire. A sum was promised for two years, and the time is approaching for the payment to be made.' Asks if she can tell her 'anything about this'. 'You will be glad to hear I know that my husband is still well - His birthday the 21st. Novr. found him 84.'

12mo: 4 pp. On lightly creased paper, with spotting and some staining to the verso of the second leaf of the bifolium. Apologises at length for not being able to attend 'the next General Public Meeting [...] of the Committee for Sir E. W. Watkin's [Sir Edward William Watkin (1819-1901), railway entrepreneur] Election'. 'It is unnecessary for me to inform the Committee how anxious I am for the success of the Liberal cause on this as on all other occasions [...]'. He is at present 'quite unequal to any violent exertion or excitement & certainly could not make a speech to a large meeting.

Three pages, 12mo. Good, on aged and lightly stained paper. She is writing because her husband, who is 'on the eve of starting for Scotland', 'is very far from well today'. He asks her to thank her correspondent 'for the Translations & the Pamphlet on the Revelation' [Fleay's 'The Book of Revelation symbolic not special, being the substance of Sermons [...]', 1864]. 'The latter he feels is written on the only rational method & he likes it very much, as he does the Catullus' [Fleay's 'The poetry of Catullus, to which is added The vigil of Venus', 1864].

Wife (1900-66) of the Conservative Prime Minister Harold Macmillan, and daughter of the Duke of Devonshire. Three pages, 12mo. Grubby, creased and stained (perhaps with tears?). She was 'up in Stockton' the previous week, and heard that her correspondent's son was ill. 'Having children of my own, I know how very precious they are & how terribly one feels it when anything is wrong with them. It is dreadful when one sees such little things ill & one feels it is so cruel that it should happen to them.

English novelist, poet and dramatist (1862-1960), noted for his works on Devon. On piece of paper, 3 inches by 4 1/2. In good condition, and attached to a piece of blue card docketed with list of Phillpots works. Distinctive and attractive signature, 'Eden Philpotts | Feb: 1928'.