INDIA

[6] + 28pp., 12mo. In coloured illustrative wraps. Morris's illustrations are light and fresh, the first being a caricature of 'the enemy': a sour-looking bespectacled Japanese army officer. The first section, which it illustrates, is on 'Security' and concludes: 'Remember that in disposing of household effects, releasing servants from employment, etc., you may easily give away too much information.

Two pages, cr. 8vo, fold marks, small loss to margin without loss of text, mainly good condition. "Thanks very much for letter, the 10/- postal order is 5/- more than the book cost me from the publishers, had a drink at your [deletion] expense with the surplus. I have forwarded the book on to you under separate cover, wjhich you should receive at the same time as this letter.

1p., 12mo. Good, on lightly-aged paper. He begins: 'My bookseller has sent me tonight "Island India at School" - Chicago University Press $2 [in fact 'Island India at School', E. R. Embree et al, 1934], and therefore, presumably, C.U.P. in this country.' He apologises for troubling Driberg unnecessarily: 'But yesterday they told me that they couldn't even trace it in Publishers' Catalogues.' Postscript reads: 'I hope I'm not robbing you of your proper style & title. I feel that it might be "Dr."

1p., 12mo. Good, on lightly-aged paper. Tipped in onto a leaf removed from an album. Holderness's predecessor Sir Richmond Ritchie (1854-1912) had died ten days before the writing of the letter, as a result, according to the Oxford DNB, of the undermining of his health by 'unremitting hard work [...] over several years'. Holderness begins the letter: 'It is very good of you to congratulate me on succeeding to poor Ritchie's responsibilities.

Each of the three photographs measures roughly 19 x 23.5 cm, and each is mounted on a piece of card roughly 29 x 35 cm, with a decorative red border around the photograph. The photographs are lightly-faded but in good condition, on aged and worn mounts. Each mount is stamped in purple: 'Lakhimpur Battalion, | Assam Military Police'. In contemporary manuscript, in the bottom left-hand corner of each photograph is 'Dibrugarh | 18.6.91'.

Note: 1p., 12mo. Creased, and with tear at head, 1 x1/2". Written in the third person, it reads: 'Sir Jamsetjee Jejeebhoy will have much pleasure in complying with Miss Browns wishes by sending her some Flowers tomorrow Evening. | Maragone Castle | 23d. April'. Engraving: The margin has been cut away, but an accompanying printed slip carries the original caption: 'THE LATE | SIR JAMSETJEE JEEJEEBHOY, BART.' A steel engraving from a photograph, showing an old bewhiskered Jejeebhoy seated in robes and hat, with curled slippers, in a carved chair on a Turkey carpet.

Original hand-coloured engraving, two hundred years old. Landscape 8vo, with the dimensions of the plate 19 x 24 cm, on paper 20 x 27 cm. In fair condition, on lightly-aged paper, with smudge to top left-hand corner (not affecting the image). A striking and attractive print, tastefully coloured, showing a boat filled with attendants, dwarfed by the Hindu goddess Kali (the Black One), who is garlanded with skulls and wielding a sword in one of her four arms, with a temple in the background.

Both items in good condition, on lightly-aged paper, with slight loss of text to both from the cutting away of Gordon's seal. Both addressed to 'My dearest Jessey' and posted to her as 'Mrs. Creed', care of General Corner, 4 Berkeley Street, Portman Square, London. Letter One (1828): 5pp., 4to. On a bifolium and a single leaf. With Madras postmark and three others. He begins by explaining his handling of money 'from the Estate of our poor late Uncle [...] sufficient in the beginning of the Year for the Purchase of my Majority in the 13th Dragoons in the Event of a Vacancy'.

2pp., 12mo. On two leaves laid down on a piece of paper removed from an autograph album. In fair condition, slightly-ruckled and worn. The letterhead, printed in red, consists of a monogram of a shining sun, with 'MASUDA STATE' on a banner above it, and the motto 'QUO FAS ET GLORIO DUCUNT' beneath. The letter reads: 'My dear Sir | I thank you very much for your kind letter of the 12th. Instant. I had killed a pig seven days ago[.] It was a very good and joky [sic] game[.] It suddenly fell by my stroke of spear. My mare also fell being pushed at the leg by the pig.

2pp., 12mo. Fair, on lightly-aged paper. He begins: 'I have just received your work on the productive resources of India for which I beg to offer you my best thanks.' The subject has always been to him 'one of the deepest interest', and he rejoices that 'a gentleman of your knowledge has directed his attention to it'.

2pp., 12mo. Bifolium. In pencil. Lightly-aged and worn. In pencil, with deletions and emendations. Docketed in another hand on reverse of second leaf: 'MS. speech delivered at Guildhall Banquet by Lord Northbrook, First Lord of Admiralty - 9th Novr. 1883.' And with the following in the second hand at the head of the first page: 'Lord Northbrook's Speech - Nov. 9. 1883 at Guildhall'. A very short speech, well reported in The Times of 10 November 1883.

The full title reads: 'A Vocabulary, Persian, Arabic, and English; Containing such Words as have been adopted from the two former of those Languages, and incorporated into the Hindvi: Together with some hundreds of compound verbs formed from Persian or Arabic nouns, and in universal use: Being the Seventh Part of the New Hindvi Grammar and Dictionary.

1p., 8vo. Good, on lightl-aged paper. He thanks her for her telephone call, and hopes to give 'an illustrated talk about my work from 1980 onwards and culmination of themes towards sculptures for Victoria Square'. He will 'touch upon my conscious concerns for outdoor pieces in public, and working with others'. He ends by giving the title of the talk, 'If it is not too late'.

28pp., 8vo. Letterpress printed in green and brown on thick grey paper; plates in full colour. Unbound and without stitching, leaving the seven bifoliums of the pamphlet loose. Worn and aged, but with plates in good condition (two with slight dogearing to one corner). A pencil note states that the illustrations are by Evelyn Paul, from 'Stories of Indian Gods and Heroes' (W. D. Monroe, 1911). Scarce: no copy on COPAC.

1p., 8vo. 22 lines. Fair, on aged and worn paper. Addressed on reverse to 'William Jerdan Esqr | Grove House'. On wove paper watermarked 'G & R TURNER | 1826'. The letter can thus be dated from between 1826 and 1829, the year 'Ackermann's Repository of the Arts' ceased publication. Written in a difficult, hurried hand. She has received a letter from 'Mr Ackermann', saying that the package which Jerdan was 'kind enough to promise should go in your bag yesterday I having given it to you too late for the boy on Monday, has not reached him'.

[8]pp., 12mo, original printed wraps, foxed , otherwise good condition. Date '1945' in pencil on front (title), aimed at soldiers returning to England. After title, "With the compliments of the Deolali Transit Camp" (see Wikipedia, Deolali transit camp was a transit camp for British troops in Deolali, India, notorious for its unpleasant environment, boredom, and the psychological problems of soldiers that passed through it.

12mo, 3 pp. 38 lines. Text clear and complete. The two leaves attached along the margins. Signed in Devanagari and European ('So: Rustam Khan Captain') scripts. He acknowledges 'receipt of the Commission conferring on me the honorary rank of captaincy with a deep sense of gratitude to you and all the Officers of the Regiment'. States that he will 'ever cherish a grateful remembrance of all that the Officers and Regiment have done for me'.

On both sides of the card, which is not addressed, having fitted inside an envelope. Aged, but with text clear and complete. Inviting Constable to play golf with him at Littlehampton. He can be there at 12.28 pm. 'I go to Coates on Friday'.

[114]pp., obl.8vo, printed blue wraps, worn at spine, loss of strip at edge, some damage to back wrap, contents good. See image on my website, richardfordmanuscripts.com (or request it). COPAC lists only one copy, at BL (who have the Mark and John as well).

8vo, 3 pp. Bifolium. 50 lines. Text clear and complete. Good, on aged paper. In original envelope, addressed by the Raja to 'Miss Cambell [sic] Brewster | The Palace | Kakina'. He is enclosing a cheque for a month's salary 'as a parting present from the Ranu & myself'. She has been 'precisely like one of the family', and her 'leaving us & the children for good, is a very great wrench to us all'. 'Bunna & Tootie' will miss her 'terribly', and 'it will be not an easy matter to get the place you are vacating, filled in suitably'.

4to, 1 p. Twelve lines. Text clear and complete. Good, on lightly-aged paper. Addressed to Carr at 28 John Street, Bedford Row. Two postmarks in red ink, including one from 'Duke St M[anchester] S[quare]'; with Amherst's seal in black wax. Regarding 'Mr. Fowler's interview with the Tenants' and what to do with his 'Bankers Check Book' during his absence in Montreal.

4to, 19 pp. Stitched and unbound. Text clear and complete. Fair, on aged paper. Folded, and addressed in manuscript from India (with postmark and stamp) to C. H. E. Carmichael in London. Begins: 'A meeting of the friends and admirers of the Hob'ble D. F. Carmichael, of the Madras Civil Service, was held in a Shamiana, on the grounds attached to "The Mansion," the residence of the Hon.

4to, 6 pp. Unbound. Text clear and complete. On aged paper, with slight wear to extremities. The full drop-head title reads: 'H. M. 32nd Regiment. Return of Casualties of the above Corps from 30th June to 22nd November, 1857, being the day on which the Garrison of Lucknow was released by the Head Quarters Army under the immediate Command of His Excellency the Commander-in-Chief. | Cawnpore, 29th January, 1858.' Signed in type at end: 'John Giddings, Paymaster, H.M's, 32nd Foot.' Comprising lists, in several columns, giving ranks and names of officers and men, dates and causes of death.

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.

On piece of blotting-paper, 14 x 13 cm; folded horizontally to make two rectangular leaves, each 7 x 13 cm, with the signature presented in the centre of the first leaf, and with the back leaf laid down neatly on a piece of cream card, 14.5 x 17 cm, with caption at foot of card: 'ORIGINAL BLOTTING-PAPER IMPRESSION OF SIGNATURE OF EDWARD VII.' Being the result of blotting, the impression is a mirror image of the original, with the firm signature 6 cm long, with a 7.5 cm underlining.

On piece of blotting-paper, 13.5 cm square; folded horizontally to make a two rectangles, with the signature centred on the front leaf, and with the back leaf laid down neatly on a piece of cream card, 15 x 18 cm, with caption in ink at foot: 'ORIGINAL BLOTTING-PAPER IMPRESSION OF SIGNATURE OF GEORGE V DATED 14 . 12. 1910.' Being the result of blotting, the impression is a mirror image of the original, with the firm signature 4.5 cm long, with 6.5 cm underlining. On aged paper, with neat vertical fold line in centre, crossing the underlining half a centimetre from the right.

4to, 3 pp. 106 lines. On aged paper, and with slight loss to a handful of words of text resulting from wear and closed tears to most of the letter's folds. Competently and unobtrusively repaired with archival tape. On the reverse of the second leaf Rocke's original address ('at Mr. M. Lewis's [...]') is scored through, and replaced in another hand by 'at Thos Elsted Esqre [...]'.

Total 21pp., 8vo (4) and 4to (17), some marking one hole with loss of two letters, but text clear and complete. A visitor to India, she is writing to her family in England. Her letters reflect the privileged lifestyle of the colonial British with accounts of visits to the races, dances at the yacht club, tennis matches, visit by the Sirdar, debilitating climate, and dinners at the Governor's residence. 'It felt like a play ...

Two pages, 12mo, minor staining, mainly good condition.

12mo, 4 pp. Bifolium. 47 lines. Text clear and complete. Good, on lightly-aged paper. As 'an intimate personal friend from 1865', Birdwood endorses Wood's application, stating that he was 'a frequent Examiner in political economy for Bombay University' between 1874 and 1880. He explains that Bombay University took in 'the greatest interest' in the subject, and 'always endeavoured to secure the best qualified examiners, - having the whole Civil Service, beside the Educational Department to select from', and that they 'always preferred' Wood.