local

The passing, in June 1830, of a parliamentary 'Act for taking an Account of the Population of Great Britain, and of the Increase or Diminution thereof'(see Item 14) directed that the overseers of the poor should 'take an Account of the Number of Persons found within each Parish and Place'. This measure was seen by the Whig government (and in particular by Lord John Russell) as providing vital information preparatory to the passing of the Parliamentary Reform Bill.

12mo, 2 pp. Fifteen lines of text. Clear and complete. On aged and stained paper, with 3.5 cm closed tear in gutter, corner torn with no loss of text. Addressed, with postmark and remains of red wax seal, on reverse of second leaf. Docketed 'Lady Mary Ross | Park Lane 31 March 1830 | ans. 17 Apl'. Her neighbour 'Mr Wyndham Lewis' is 'In a fidget, as to Insurance'. She hopes it has been regularly paid, and 'must trust to yr not allowg it to be neglected'. She believes the insurance is 'for the House only & that I did not wish furniture'. According to the 'Survey of London', No.

The nature of this somewhat Pooterish 'scandal' is explained in one of the cuttings in the scrapbook: '[...] the Unionists of North Lambeth are making secret but strenuous efforts to insure the return of Mr. H. M. Stanley at the next election.

From the papers of Pinfang Hsia, whose death ('Bank of China aide') was recorded in the New York Times of 23 December 1970.In the 1961 'Diplomat's Annual' the Bank of China's head office was said to be in Peking, China, with the London office at 147 Leadenhall Street. The collection is in good overall condition, with all texts clear and complete on lightly-aged paper. The fourteen deeds are customary English legal documents of the period, all typewritten and filled in in manuscript, with the dimensions of each around 37 x 24 cm. Some are attached with green ribbon.

Item One: Manuscript of requisitions by Farrant the purchaser's solicitors Ashurst, Morris, Crisp & Co of 17 Throgmorton Avenue, London E.C. Dated 31 July 1895. Titled 'Requisition Title [and Replies] | Trustees of Archer Burton Estate to R. E. Farrant | 3 [corrected to '2'] Park Square West'. Three pages and covering page, on one side each of four leaves each 41.5 x 34 cm. Text clear and complete. Fair, on lightly-aged and grubby paper.

12mo: [vi] + iv + 80. In original grey printed wraps, on which the name of the London publishers Kent features before Penny's (the actual title page simply gives 'Frome: W. C. & J. Penny.') Text clear and complete. On aged and slightly grubby paper. Wraps worn and stained. Recently bound in grey boards, with red leather label gilt on front. Ownership inscription at head of front wrap, dated 25 May 1878. Fly leaf with contemporary quotation decrying the books publication, 'as it may deter some more capable writer with better sources of information at his command'.

12mo, 61 pp. In original brown printed wraps. Engraving of Sheldonian Theatre on front, otherwise the item is not illustrated. 2864 items, ranging from '1 AARON, Rev. born 1695, engraved by Vertue. 5s 6d' to '2864 Zonelli (Anton. Maria) after Joan. Anton. Faldoni, Man blowing Horn, with hounds. 5s'. Fair, on aged paper, with a few leaves dogeared, in worn wraps chipped at extremities, and with 4.5 cm closed tear at foot of spine. Presentation inscription at head of front wrap: 'R. G. Bartelot. from Fredk. Bennett'.

Shaw (1872-1938) was Secretary of State for War in Ramsay Macdonald's Labour administration. Twenty pages, quarto. Paginated by author. On one side each of twenty leaves of high-acidity paper, discoloured with age and fraying at extremities. Text entirely legible, but with some loss at head of each leaf and particular damage to the final one (affecting signature). A singular psychological case: the astounding rantings of a lunatic, replete with underlinings, capital letters and exclamation marks.

Scottish nobleman (1847-1900) and author. Two pages, folio. Folded twice. First leaf of a bifoliate. On very good paper watermarked 'J WHATMAN | 1897'. Very good, but second (blank) leaf of bifoliate somewhat grubby. Facsimile signature 'Bute'. Long letter announcing the completion of his 'Arms of the Royal and Parliamentary Burghs of Scotland' (Blackwood, 1897) and appealing for information for his forthcoming 'Arms of the Baronial and Police Burghs of Scotland' (Blackwood & Sons, 1903).

12mo: 3 pp. Good, on lightly-aged paper. Concerns Pryor's posthumous 'Flora of Hertfordshire' (1887), which contained an introduction co-written by Hopkinson. Four copies of the book are being presented to Mrs Pryor 'by our Society'. 'This is partly the cause of the delay in sending them to you, for we had to wait for authority from the Council of the Society, to present them.' The rest of the letter concerns the large paper edition of the book, a copy of which Hopkinson offers to procure for Mrs Pryor 'at the subscription price'.

4to, 1 p. Bifolium. Text clear and complete. Fair, on aged and stained paper. Addressed, with three postmarks, on the reverse of the second leaf, to 'Messrs. Brett & Clements Stat[ione]rs - | near the New Church | Strand | London'. Asks for his 'Sunday's Paper' to be sent to him 'at Buckingham as usual', as he is leaving Leamington the following Saturday. 'You have not explained to me the difference of the Charge of the Newspapers from the last years to the one I have lately paid for, by doing of which you will oblige | Sir, | Yr humble Servant'.

INDENTURE OF 1672: 'ex[ecute]d. by Rich: Lighfoot Clerk to ye Trustees', on one side each of two large vellum skins. Wear at folds, affecting the occasional word or phrase. Docketed on grubby reverse of first skin. Borders in red, and with attractive hand-drawn Royal Crest within large initial at head. 'Betwene the right honourable ffrancis Lord Hawley Sr. Charles Harbord Knight his majesties Surveyor generall Sr. William Howard of Tandridge in the County of Surrey Knight Sr.

4to bifolium: 4 pages. Closely written. Very good, on aged paper. Address on the reverse of the second leaf, which carries two postmarks and a strong impression of his red wax seal. Wolff's letter to Combes covers the whole of the recto of the second leaf. His father-in-law Edward Weston having died eight years before, he desires 'the Business touching Mr Westons Legacy to my Children to be finally concluded on'.

The main text is printed on one side of a piece of paper roughly 28 x 13.5 cm, headed 'Upwards of Thirty Thousand Copies Of the "Manchester Weekly Times," with Eight-page Literary Supplement, are Issued Every Saturday.' The main block of text, in a variety of types and point sizes, consists of 27 lines ending 'The Proprietors respectfully solicit instructionsn to insert your Advertisement.' Describes the newspaper's merits and boasts that it is 'one of the Largest and most complete Weekly Papers published'.

Originally on a piece of paper roughly 405 x 315 mm, with the dimensions of the print roughly 295 x 250 mm. In poor condition: torn and stained and laid down on a piece of thin card, and with the extremities of the margins chipped. Loss to top-left and bottom-right corners. The loss to the top corner includes a corner of the print (roughly 40 x 20 mm), but this only features the sky. A scarce item, with the caption continuing 'The Balloon ascended at 3 O clock in the afternoon and descended safe near Tilbury Fort in Essex at 20 Minutes past four'.

12mo, 2 pp. Seventeen lines of text. On lightly aged and creased paper. Attractive arts and crafts letterhead. Sending his 'mosts profound sympathy in the danger which threatens Chelsea'. He will sign 'the paper [...] with the greatest of pleasure', although he anticipates 'very little good as a possible result'. Suggests a time at which the paper can be sent to him.

Each plan printed in black on one side of a piece of paper, with areas picked off in blue, green, orange, pink and yellow. Plan No. 1: 72 x 86 cm. Plan No. 2: 88 x 68 cm. Plan No. 3: 76 x 89 cm. The first two very good on lightly aged and creased paper; the third as the first two apart from some wear along a crease resulting in two areas of loss each roughly 2 1/2 x 1 1/2 cm. The various properties (over seventy lots) are numbered, with names of the proprietors of neighbouring estates given.

8vo: 211 pp. In original brown cloth binding, with title in gilt on front board. A good tight copy, on aged paper with occasional spotting, in worn binding with fraying at head and tail of spine. Four-page list of subscribers at rear. Fifteen chapters, with subjects including Wat Tyler, John Cade, Wingham College; the Oxenden and Palmer families, and the manor house of the Archbishops of Canterbury.

8vo: 12 pp. Very good, in original blue cloth account book of twelve leaves, with title on label on front board. Label of Waterlow & Sons inside front cover. The entries spread across six sets of two facing pages, all ruled with red printed lines and in boxes and with the following seven categories printed at the head: 'No. on Plan'; 'DESCRIPTION.'; 'State of Cul[ivatio]n.'; 'Value per Acre'; 'Statute | A. R. P. [i.e. acreage]'; 'Value. | £ s.

The notes, on three 12mo bifoliums, cover three pages, with a few lines on a couple of others. In excess of eighty lines. Very good. Brief chronology and list of notable residents, presumably an outline for the description of the district in Besant's 'London' (1892) or another of his many writings on the city.

Seven pages. On four skins of vellum, each roughly eleven inches by nine wide. Attached with green ribbon, and with various stamps and two wax seals. Good: lightly aged and creased. The premises are at 77 and 79 North End, Croydon.

Three pages, octavo. On aged, dampstained paper with a few nicks, but with text entirely legible. Addressed on verso of second leaf of bifolium to 'F. W. Keppel Esqre | Lexham Hall near | Swaffham | Norfolk', with two postmarks ('Swaffham | Morning Post' in black and maltese cross containing date in red) and red wax seal. An unusually intimate agent's letter, of significance to Windsor local history. Keppel's letters 'are always most acceptable to us "Old folks"'. Despite some 'little Relapses', Mrs Pearce's health continues 'tolerably well'.

20 items. Various formats (see below). Showing signs of age, and with some foxing, fraying and creasing, but in very good condition overall. Collection indicates that Hazlehurst, who was born in Grappenhall, Lancashire, to an illiterate mother, was a capable individual entrusted with responsible positions. ITEMS 1 TO 5: Certified Copies of Hazlewood's birth and marriage certificates (birth certificate in poor condition, but with text entirely legible), his wife's birth and death certificates, and his parents' marriage certificate.

4to and 8vo. Somewhat grubby and creased, but in good condition otherwise. The six items, all addressed to Messrs Coutts & Company, are, in chronological order: ITEM 1, 5 manuscript pages, 4to, headed 'Duchy of Cornwall, | Buckingham Gate, S.W. | 1912.

An important piece of local history. Neatly engrossed on one side of piece of stained and discoloured parchment, dimensions approximately 24 inches by 22 inches. Signed at foot by Lediard and with his seal (in poor condition). Signatures of five witnesses on reverse. In poor condition but with text mostly legible. Four holes, two of them affecting text, at intersections of folds in document.

Bathurst (1790-1863), an alumnus of Christ Church, Oxford, was Lord of the Manor of Lidney. One page, 12mo. Good, on creased, grubby and discoloured paper, with traces of mount adhering to reverse. Begins 'I send you a Pamphlet, which I dare say began in my brain in the cotyledonous or radicle state as early as when we bothered at Usk Sessions, one day or other you will perhaps read it'. Ends 'I am glad to find you are better than at the beginning of the Circuit'. There is no record of Bathurst's pamphlet in the BL.

Architectural draughtsman (1780-1847). Three pages, quarto. Good, but heavily folded and with some loss to second leaf of bifoliate from breaking of red wax seal, the remains of which still adhere. Addressed, with postmarks, on verso of second leaf of bifoliate 'Robt. Rising Esq | Horsey. | To the Care of Robert Cory Junr Esq | Yarmouth'. Rising, of Horsey Hall, was a Norfolk landowner, and Cory (1776-1840) an antiquary. A long and interesting letter. He regrets that he has been unable to spend 'a few happy hours with you and of doing justice to the Chief Magistrate of that Gt.

1 page, 8vo. Creased and discoloured, with some wear to extremities and a small spike-hole at centre. He encloses sixteen pounds for the payment of the bill of 'Mr Holder', and enquires whether 'Mr Halsey' has paid over the fifteen pounds he owes.

Poet and miscellaneous writer (1817-90), called 'the Lancashire Burns'. The recipient Broadfield (1831-1913) was a Mancunian worthy. Two pages, 12mo. Very good, with four stubs from previous mounting adhering to blank verso of second leaf of bifoliate. He thanks Broadfield for his letter 'anent that quaint invader of the House of Lords. I will call at the office when I come to Manchester, and get the particulars of the story from Mr. Lang. | You mention our old friend, S. P. Robinson. I am glad to hear that he is still "to the fore." I had an impression, somehow, that he was laid up.

Artist (1894-1966) and principal of Brighton School of Art. One page, octavo. Good, but lightly creased and with staple holes in the top lefthand corner. Date stamps in grey and red ink. Letter concerns the suitability of Alfred Charles Hull as a member of the Academy. Benney knew Hull 'for many years as a master at Shoreham Grammar School' and elsewhere. 'Mr. Hull is an extremely charming fellow and would socially fit in very happily with the Society. It is a little difficult, however, for me to say whether he is of fellowship standard.