ROSS

The colourful life of the 'deeply eccentric Bradford-born writer' Jaeger is the subject of a good obituary in the Scotsman, 2 October 2008. In his youth Jaeger was adopted by Lady Margaret Sackville, and moved in Edinburgh high society. While studying at Montpelier University he developed a close friendship with the Bengali poet Rabindranath Tagore. While living in Bognor Regis he made the acquaintance of Julian Maclaren-Ross, with whom he sampled the wares of Fitzrovia.

2pp., 4to. Bifolium. In fair condition, lightly aged. Reverse of second leaf, with part of red wax seal and Keswick postmark, addressed to Ross at Tadcaster, and forwarded to the Crown Inn, 'Harragate', Yorkshire. He begins by explaining that a delay to his departure for Scotland is the reason for the late reply. 'To morrow or next day we shall set out. The moment I reach Edinburgh I shall see Cathcart & immediately write you most minutely every thing regarding the Richmond Scenery | All this Party send you their best Compts.

2pp., 4to. Bifolium. In fair condition, aged and worn. Addressed, with red wax seal, on reverse of second leaf, to 'Mrs. Cockburn Ross | Pooles Hotel'. He begins by explaining why he has not replied to her letter sooner, his clerk having placed it 'with some Letters of Business'. Archibald Black, who was formerly in his service, is 'a good natured honest Creature', but he cannot advise her to hire him. On the poor mans account I would not wish to be more particular than just saying that it is not owing to any objection to his moral Character that leads me to dissuade you from engaging him'.

3pp., 4to. Bifolium. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper. He has communicated the recipient's letter, with the memorial regarding 'the amelioration of the Distillery Laws', to 'Sir Charles Ross & Brigadier Genl Mackenzie', and they have been well received. 'One of the Gentlemen submitted the Memorial to the perusal of the Lords Stafford & Seaforth who as I understand are zealous for the reform of those Laws'. Seaforth has signed.

2pp., 4to. Bifolium. Addressed, with postmark, on reverse of second leaf, 'To John Cockburn Ross Esqr. | Thorpe <?> | by Willerby | Yorkshire', and redirected to 'Crown Inn | Harrogate'. Recommending, 'in the view of preparing yr. young Son for commercial life', 'Mr. Jay who conducts the Commercial Academy', who was 'long ago in the House of Livingston & Co. Merchts at Rotterdam. He married a Daughter of Mr. Livingston and when the troubles in Holland forced him to leave it settled at Leith where he was involved in connections that proved unssuccessful from the disturbed state of Europe'.

The first two are addressed to Ross, 'of Rochester by Greenlaw', and the third to him 'of Shandwick by Parkhill | Rossshire'. Each letter with postmark in red ink. ONE: Letter of 6 November 1797. 3pp., 4to. In good condition, lightly aged and worn.

7 + [1]pp., 12mo. Stitched and unbound. In good condition, on lightly aged paper. Signed in the top right-hand corner of the first page, above the drop-head title, 'Charles Hesketh'. The final page carries a list of seven works 'By the same Author.', the latest dating from 1851. Excessively scarce: no copies on COPAC or OCLC WorldCat.

21pp., 12mo. Printed with blue ink on cream paper. Saddle-stitched with blue ribbon, in light blue printed wraps. In fair condition, aged, worn and lightly creased. An interesting document, providing local information and casting light on the protocol of a Royal Visit. The document begins: '6th April. | I. 9.05 a.m. H.E. the Governor leaves Government House, accompanied by Staff, and drives to Government Wharf. | 9.10 a.m. The Governor, Mr. Basevi and Lieutenant Harrison embark on the Governor's Barge from the Eastern Jetty. By permission of Commander Geary Hill a launch from H.M.S.

The fifteen items in fair condition, lightly aged and worn, laid down or pinned to leaves removed from an album. Items One to Three: three black and white landscape photographs, each around 15 x 20 cm. The first photograph, captioned 'November 1940', shows Ross standing in a field, in front of a platoon in two columns, shouldering rifles with bayonets. The second photograph, captioned '7. C. Coy of Batt., Herts Home Guard 1943', shows twenty-six officers, in three rows, in front of the entrance to a municipal building. The front row, seated, consists of seven senior officers with batons.

The bulk of Ross's papers is deposited in the Rhodes House Library at the Bodleian Library in Oxford. The present collection derives from Ross's sister, Mrs Paterson.

17pp. 4to. Three illustrations: one in colour on the cover, and one each in black and white on the back wrap. The last page of text, numbered 17, is on the back inner wrap, followed by a decorative presentation of a biblical text. Covering the back outer cover is a black and white decorative representation of the text 'GLORY TO GOD | ON EARTH PEASE, GOOD WILL TOWARD MEN. | IN THE HIGHEST', engraved by 'T. M.'. In coloured wraps, with attractive cover carrying a large coloured illustration of Old Janet and three others, looking at a donkey.

2pp., 4to. 41 lines. In fair condition, on aged paper. He begins by stating that 'Yellow Sands' 'only touches social questions by the accident of the plot. Socialism is a word the definition of which no two people appear to agree about. Ask a dozen Socialists what they understand by their faith & they will each tell you something different.' The opinions depicted in the play are both 'clear' and 'foggy', 'but it is [in] no sense propagandist - I hate propaganda in art.' He goes on to discuss his own views: 'I am not a socialist.

24pp., 16mo. Woodcut vignette on title-page, showing man in military uniform restraining a struggling woman, under a tree. Stitched, in plain cream wraps. Internally fair, on aged paper, in worn wraps. Ownership inscription on flyleaf of 'John Hutchinson | October 1850'. Thirteen line note by Hutchinson on rear flyleaf, concerning the Bowes family, and further manuscript notes by him on pp. 13, 17, 21 and 22. Slip of paper with another note by Hutchinson loosely inserted.

Both 4to, 1 p. Texts clear and complete. Both on aged and worn paper. Autograph Letter: He apologises for not acknowledging her letter ('I have been so busy and away a great deal') and regrets that he does not 'for the moment remember anything which would be of service to you'. Typed Letter: He regrets that 'the present is rather a bad time for what we call the free lance in literature'. He is not himself 'very much in Fleet Street and the neighbourhood', the 'bulk' of his work being done 'far from the madding crowd'.

One page, 12mo, embossed stamp slightly damaged, some staining but text clear and complete. "I perceive by your card that you were present & I much regret I did not know you. However I find you had some communication with Dr. Hodgkin & I am delighted to hear that we shall have you as a Member. I now return the charts & beg to return my sincere thanks for their use." This letter is from a colelction of letters addressed to James Wyld, cartographer. The Ethnological Society evolved from the Aborigines Protection Society and later evolved into the Royal Antropological Insitute.

One page, 8vo, sunned and grubby, two small chips, small closed tear, spike-hole (loss of two letters), text legible and complete bar two lost letters. A large cross in the white space means perhaps that the bookseller has dealt with the enquiry. "Lord Dynevor begs Mr Andrews will send him the first Voyage of Discovery by Captain Parry in Quarto, (he has got the second - but has lost the first) & whenever any account comes out of Captain Ross's present Expedition to send him a Copy directed to Dynevor Castle, Lan[?] S Wales, by the Paul Pry Gloucester Coach-| Half Bound in Linnen."

All items good, on lightly-aged paper. Ross's letter: 12mo, 1 p. Thanking Buckler for the piece of 'Orielania', and giving some information regarding the poet's connection with the college. The other items bound in grey boards with 'Edward Buckler 1936' on the spine. W. H. Buckler's monogram, with its original grey printed wraps, i + 5 pp (paginated 349-353). The title and relevant pages of the article '120. EDWARD BUCKLER' in 'Notes & Queries for Somerset and Dorset, June 1937, i + 4 pp (paginated 121-124).

4to, 21 pp and fold-out graph. In original green wraps. Text clear and complete. Fair, on aged paper, with rusty staples. Describing the case of 'a strong young Englishman, age 26, weight 154 lbs., [who] was infected in N.E. Rhodesia near the River Luangwa in September, 1909'. Fold-out graph of 'Number of Trypanosomes per c.mm.'

Five of the nine items in 4to, and the rest 12mo. All texts clear and complete. Collection in good condition on lightly-aged paper. Occasional minor traces of brown-paper mounts, and most items with punch-holes to top left-hand corners. A cordial correspondence between two colleagues. Several letters relate to Noon's soon Charles, training under Ross to be a surgeon. On 26 June 1952 (12mo, 3 pp) Ross writes discussing the son's failure in an examination..

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.

8vo: 14 pp. One plate and two diagrams in text. Stapled and unbound. In original grey printed wraps. Dogeared and grubby, with central vertical crease. Presentation copy. Ross is described as 'Assistant to the Professor of Natural Philosophy in the University of Glasgow.' He was Lecturer in Natural Philosophy at the University of Glasgow 1908-12, before moving to the University of Western Australia, where he was Professor of Physics and Mathematics,1912-29, and Professor of Physics, 1929-52.

12mo bifolium (leaf dimensions 21 x 13 cm): 4 pp. On lightly-aged and creased paper, with a little spotting. Strikingly simple stylised illustration (14 x 9 cm) by Ross on cover, depicting a girl with long blonde hair, large black bow an elongated neck. The 'special appeal' (whose patrons are the king and queen) aims to raise £100,000 for 'The Brompton Hospital for Consumption'. The second page lists the Appeal's officers, and the third gives the cast list for Byng's play, including Ernest Thesiger, Viola Tree, Florence Desmond and Cicely Courtneidge.

8vo, iv + 38 + [ii] pp. Strangely paginated, the leaves in fact numbering 28. Advertisements front and rear. Bifolium advertisement for the 'World Wide Atlas' tipped in at end. In original printed wraps with strikingly-modern illustration by Edgar Wilson on front, and full-page advertisement for Carl Hentschel & Co, photo-engravers on back, featuring an attractive Arts and Crafts design. Internally clean, but with the leaves loosening, in wraps discoloured with age and chipped at spine (but with the text and illustration clear and entire).

One page, 12mo. Very good, on lightly aged paper mounted on piece of card. Reads 'London | July 28/13 | Master M. Bull | I append autograph as requested | Yours truly | John Oxenham'.

Three pages on octavo bifolium. On creased, aged paper with pinholes and a little staining at head, but with text clear and entire. An interesting and intriguing document, docketed 'Rough idea of title.' The intention is to produce a 24-page magazine the size of Dickens's 'All the Year Round', to be priced at sixpence. 'Two pictures only - One on cover under title to be changed every week by Phiz - Large two page picture in centre to be hand coloured.

Three pages, 12mo. On aged paper, with some foxing, a few closed tears and wear to extremities. Glue and strip of mount adhering to blank verso of second leaf of bifolium. Text clear and entire. He is in 'a maelstrom of work and worry' and asks Ross 'a question which you are almost certain not to be able to answer!' Asks if he has 'seen Tom Smith's crackers', and if so, whether he observed 'anything specially and eminently notable'.

Both items (previously pinned together) in good condition, with text clear and entire, on aged paper. Woollett's letter (one page, 12mo, 'Reading, Bay') places at Prenderville's disposal the letter 'which you have seen in the Library here from Captn. Ross of the Northumberland when conveying Napoleon to St. Helena [...] I have no objection to your sending the copy to any periodical for publication'. Prenderville has copied the letter onto five pages (each c. 32 x 20.5 cms) of around thirty lines each, spread over the rectos of three bifoliums.

English essayist and biographer of Charles Lamb (1868-1938). One page, quarto. Good only, on discoloured and creased paper. Lucas finds Ross's 'Heads and tales, etc.' (London: Rich & Cowan, 1934), a collection of interviews with the famous, 'incorrigibly lively'. 'I do not share all your sympathies but you have made a very entertaining thing out of question and answer. While I was reading, it occurred to me that a new kind of interview might be based on the "Questions I should not put to So-and-so". To G[eorge]. B[ernard].

Miniature painter and chemist (1802-75) with Carlisle and Newcastle connections. The recipient (1794-1860) was a miniature-painter and member of the Royal Academy. Both letters in poor condition, on discoloured, worn and stained paper, but with no loss to text. In LETTER ONE (two pages, 12mo) he states his willingness to meet Ross 'to talk over the matter to whicy your letter of yesterday refers', undertaking to 'enage with Mr. Thorburn to meet us'.

(1864-1947). Chemist, Director of the International Institute Examinations Enquiry, and first Vice Chancellor of the University of Dhaka. One page, folio. Very good. Marked 'Personal' and bearing the Society's stamp. He is sorry Menzies has been ill and hopes 'the cure is radical and that you will soon be quite all right again.