MANOR

J. F. Austen was the son of John Austen VII. For his relation to the novelist see 'Jane Austen's Letters', ed. Le Faye (OUP, 2011). The present item is excessively scarce, with no copies traced on either COPAC or OCLC WorldCat. 4to, 18pp. on ten leaves, paginated [1-2], 17-24, 57-63, 79. In original brown printed wraps. Aged and worn, with rusted staples.

36pp., 12mo. In worn calf-bound account book. In good internal condition, on aged paper; detached from the worn leather binding, and with the front free endpaper (bearing the title) loose. Label pasted to front cover reads: 'Accounts | G. B. R. | Charlton | Woolwich | Leicestershire | 1797 to 1804'. The volume is the work of Wilson (who acquired the estates in 1798 on the death of his father) or of his land agent. Paginated by the writer to 64, and with the accounts for 'Land Tax paid and allowed' on pp.1-7, for 'Cash paid & allowed for' on pp.11-23, and 'Cash paid & allowed for.

A 4to volume, consisting of 224 pp, with the 1732 rentals occupying 89 pp (including a six-page thumb index) at one end, and the 1785 rentals in another hand on 24 pp at the other. Text clear and complete. On aged paper in worn vellum binding, with 'Hornchurch Rental 1732' and 'Hornchurch Rental 1785' in the two hands on cover. The 1732 rentals give details of the quarter-day payments and allowances of 51 tenants.

All texts clear and complete. Autograph item with some creasing, otherwise in good condition on lightly-aged paper. Ten items signed 'Compton Mackenzie', and two ''. Eight of the items each one page of landscape 8vo; one 8vo, 1 p; another 12mo, 1 p; the autograph note 4to, 1 p; and the card 16mo, 1 p. The first item (4to, 1 p, in autograph) is dated 22 September 1948. Having met Brett-James he thanks him for sending the proofs of his war memoir 'Report My Signals' (London: Hennel Locke Ltd, 1948): 'I was much impressed by it, and supported it strongly for a Book Society Recommendation.

12mo, 1 p. Bifolium. Ten lines. Clear and complete. Fair, on aged paper. Addressed, with three postmarks, on reverse of second leaf, to 'Capt Grindlay | North Bank | St John's Wood'. Letter of introduction for 'Mr Vivian a Subscriber to the Oriental Translation Fund', who is 'turning his mind to Hindostanee Architecture'. Suggests a date for them to meet, when 'any of your Drawings &c he would be glad to see'. Grindlay was author of 'Scenery, Costumes and Architecture, Chiefly on the Western Side of India' (1826-30).

4to, 1 page. Good, on lightly-aged paper with dog-eared corners and small stain from mount on reverse. Reads 'Dear Madam some sort of a sequel to the Ingleside [Lucas's book 'Mr. Ingleside' (1910)] is being finished this day. | Yours faithfully | [signed] E. V. Lucas'.

12mo, 1 p. Very good. He hopes she will bring her paper out soon, 'as there is room' for it, 'especially if you are careful to steer clear of mere nonsense'. Asks her to ask her 'paper' to send the cheque to him, 'and not to Peters, as he had no hand in the transaction'. He 'travelled 2,500 miles doing those articles on our war-time effort', and is 'now very glad to be back home, picking up the threads of my own work again'. He has just finished 'a comedy', and hopes 'to start another soon'.

4to: 1 p. Good, though lightly stained and ruckled, and with seal removed from bottom right-hand corner. 18 lines of text. The document describes part of a previous agreement by 'Edward Wenyefe of Brottenham' to buy the Manor of Harleston Hall from 'Richard Muskett of Walpoole in the County of Suffc', and states a new agreement by Muskett that 'the sd Edward Wenyefe shall from the day & day hereof take the wholl proffitt of the sd Tenement [...]'. Signed 'Richard Muskett' and witnessed by 'Richard Walker', 'Tho: Sparrow' and Ed: '. J. J.

On a leaf roughly 17 x 12 cms. A small strip is missing from the foot, but this does not appear to affect the texts. Aged and ruckled, with a little staining from previous mount at head and foot of printed side. In the Letter Moseley opines that 'the closing of Public Houses during the whole of Sundays would be attended with great inconvenience to the public, and I cannot therefore agree to the object of Promoters of that scheme'. Docketed in the top left-hand corner 'Mark name on list as unfavourable'. The handbill, signed in type by John Garrett, D.D.

On good-quality thick wove paper, roughly fifteen inches by eleven wide. Dimensions of plate roughly eleven inches by six and a half wide. Good, clean impression, with blank borders a tad grubby. Attractive portrait of a handsomely dressed Graves, a bookcase behind him, leaning between two tables, on one of which is a manuscript and on the other another manuscript, coins and books. Graves's dates are corrected in the Dictionary of National Biography.

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.

Politician (1822-95), son of the Tory prime minister Sir Robert Peel (1788-1850). A biofoliate letter which has been cut into an irregular shape by an autograph collector. The first leaf, 1½ inches by 4½: recto, "Drayton Manor / Oct. 31. 1862 <...>"; verso, "<...> to the stopping of his <...>. Second leaf, 4 inches by 4½: recto, "<...> by great convenience to me & I am extremely obliged. / I am yours most truly / Robert Peel". Paper ruckled, and with glue stains from mounting to the verso of the second leaf, which is docketted.