SIR

4to, 1 p. Twenty lines. Text clear and complete. Good, on aged paper, with slight traces of mount on reverse. Having read Humberstone's article on the London School of Hygiene, he is 'sending it to the printers to be set up'. He commends the article for dealing with the subject 'in an interesting and useful way'. He rejects the five plans Humberstone has sent, as they would not 'reproduce satisfactorily', and a photograph which is 'too large to go across a page', and would like 'a photograph of the elevation of the School' and 'either a photograph or an electro of the design of the Seal'.

12mo, 1 p. Eight lines. Text clear and complete. Fair, on lightly-aged paper, with slight trace of mount on reverse. In reply to his address of 'gracious lady' she must reply 'gracious sir'. She is 'so pleased' to get his commendation of her 'The Best of Friends: Further Letters to Sydney Carlyle Cockerell', and is sending his letter on 'to Sir Sydney, who has long been bed-ridden', as she knows it will give him pleasure.

On roll of vellum approximately 21 cm wide and 195 cm long. Neatly written in chancery hand, with approximately ten lines to every 10 cm length. The top part torn away, otherwise good, on aged vellum. The placename Westby is mentioned, which is found in both Lincolnshire and Lancashire, but on the other hand the document also refers to justiciars in Kent and at Westminster. An important clue may be that Sir John Blagrave and Sir Edward Yate are both listed as 'nuper vic' - presumably 'late sheriff'. The two men were High Sheriffs of Berkshire in 1624 and 1628 respectively.

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'.

4to, 1 p. Nineteen lines. Text clear and complete. Good, on lightly-aged paper. Thanking him for 'the two charming letters' which Luke wrote to Cobham and his wife. 'It is always a great encouragement when one is in a new and unfamiliar job to receive a pat on the back from someone who has been in the game all his life.' Cobham's 'loud and noisy family' make Government House 'a bit of a family home', but he will try and 'stiffen it up for State functions, receptions, etc. although noises are still apt to drift down from the upper quarters'.

12mo, 1 p. Mourning border. Nine lines. Text clear and complete. Fair, on worn and lightly-aged paper. Asks if Clarke knows 'Dutch, or Danish or both enough - to give us in the Christmas number of the Athenaeum a column upon each or one or either of those countries under a general group of "Literature of Foreign Countries in 1869"?' Requests an answer by return.

On one side of page removed from autograph album, roughly 14 x 18 cm. Very good, on lightly-aged paper. An accomplished head-and-shoulders self-caricature, with Robey directly facing the viewer, his eyes to his right, a smile on his face, a red nose, the customary tiny hat perched on his head with tufts of hair sticking out over the ears, long neck and collarless shirt. Good, firm signature in bottom left-hand corner: 'Geo. Robey.' Also included is a newspaper cutting of a photograph of Robey. The National Portrait Gallery owns five of Robey's self-caricatures.

On one side of a piece of 12mo laid paper. Fourteen lines of text, beneath the date, with the two signatures in the right-hand margin. On aged and worn paper, with bottom right-hand corner worn away, slightly affecting both signatures, but with no apparent loss of text.

4to, 1 p. Eleven lines. Text clear and complete. Good, on lightly-aged paper. Laid down on a leaf removed from an album. Stuart has sent him copy from his newspaper, with the remark of some un-named clergyman that "Teetotalism, at any rate in hard times like these, is dangerously likely to help on unrest and revolution". Far from being the 'cause of revolution', teetotalism enables people, in Joynson-Hicks's view, 'to save money which they would otherwise spend on alcoholic liquor', and so 'helps them to acquire a stake in the country and so forces a real bulwark against revolution.'

Both items good, on lightly-aged paper. LETTER: 4to, 2 pp. He is enclosing the 'circular letter recently sent out to all the shareholders of this Company, whose shares are not fully paid', but as Kitson has 'paid in full in advance of calls on the 1000 shares' in his name 'by way of Loan to the Company', he informs him of the sum to be transferred to his account. On 3 April 1889 Kitson's 'loan a/c will be closed and your shares will be fully paid'. CIRCULAR: 4to, 1 p.

12mo, 2 pp. 34 lines. Text clear and complete. Fair, on lightly-aged paper. He received Walford's manuscript and 'did free my spirit, as I promised I would, without loss of time'. The matter is now in the hands of the printer of the Daily Telegraph, who, 'at the time of going to press, is master of of the situation, and often delays, from night to night, giving a place to our best-loved paragraphs.' Turner marked his copy with 'a mem to the effect' that it should be shown to 'Mr. Arnold'.

Printed in black and red on piece of thick paper, 88 cm x 103 cm. In fair condition, lightly-aged. Insert map of the Golden Horn, and three sections (one of 'Mark for clearing Stefano Bank'), together with a table of conversion from 'British Units - Metres'. Printed beneath the title are six 'Cautions', with no. 2, relating to 'landing places of cables', printed in red. The title continues '[...] | under the direction of Admiral Hamelin of the French Imperial Navy. Chibuldi Bay to Dikili Rock by the Officers of H.M.S. "Spitfire" 1853.

8vo volume, on thick laid paper, in black simulated leather binding (a Black Book of Bankers, so to speak), marbled endpapers. Gilt stamp of the Bank of England on the front cover. In very good condition. The recto of the first leaf is inscribed 'To Gordon Richardson | In admiration and With every good wish On your 90th birthday | From your Friends and Colleagues of the Bank and the City and from abroad | 25th November 2005'. Around 70 signatures follow, over seven pages.

Printed in black and white on piece of paper approximately 24.5 x 27.5 cm. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper. Tipped in into modern white card mount with window frame. From his series of 'English Portraits' (1898). A facsimile of Rothenstein's initials and his dating are in the bottom left-hand corner of the engraving ('W. x R 97'), with Way's slug in the bottom right-hand corner. Fine representation of Hardy, staring warily at the viewer with hands in pockets.

Folio, 2 pp. Thirty-three lines in eight numbered paragraphs. Text clear and complete. Fair, on aged and worn paper, with pinholes at head of both leaves. The first page with mourning border for Queen Victoria. Responding to a letter to Chamberlain written four days previously, and giving details of the appointment (pension, furniture, horse allowance).

Crocker made his name in the 1930s investigating and prosecuting insurance fraud (and in particular the activities of the Leopold Harris arson gang, convicted mainly through his efforts in 1933). In 2000 it emerged that at the outbreak of the Second World War he served as Deputy Director of MI5, despite being a 'Nazi sympathiser opposed to war with Hitler [...] active in Truth, a journal openly supportive of Sir Oswald Mosley' (Independent, 30 July 2000). The folio scrapbook and its contents are lightly aged and in good condition.

A unique authorial assemblage of excessively scarce items. The nine reports total 344 pp in 8vo. They are bound together (according to a manuscript note) by the Belgian binder Claessens [Art Nouveau binder], who received twenty francs (sixteen shillings) for the job. In brown calf, with marbled endpapers, tooled in black on front cover with Barron's monogram, including a boar and a hand, with the words 'BARRON | REPORTS ON BELGIUM, | 1866 | 1867, 1872, 1873, 1875, 1876, 1879, 1880-82, 1883.' Similar title stamped in black on spine.

Folio, 1 p. Twenty-three lines. Text clear and complete. Good, on lightly-aged paper. His mother Lady Napier, who went to town the previous day, has 'taken charge of the 2 Vols of the Athenaeum' his correspondent sent him. 'Lady Napier has promised to call herself at Leicester Square & deliver the books to you'. If he should be in when she calls, Napier asks him to 'explain to her my theory as to the "Sources of the Nile", briefly embodied in the accompanying paper'.

12mo, 3 pp. Regarding the 'assigning of an income to the Regius Professor of Medicine out of the Ewelme Charity': 'I trouble you with a line to say that I have recommended the allowance of £250 a year, and that when the revenues of the Charity shall reach £1000 a year, it shall be submitted to the Court to increase the amount to £300 or £350'. Asks if there is 'any other matter connected with my office upon which you would wish for information, before I seek a week or two's repose? (of which I have had none, not even for an hour since I came into office.)'.

12mo, 3 pp. Text clear and complete. Fair, on aged paper. 'Mr Westmacott [the sculptor Richard Westmacott the younger?]' has called on him, and he has 'shown him the settlement all down my Wall - I told him that you had seen it but did not contemplate any immediate danger - he said that Mr Valpy [Henry Valpy (fl.1851-1885) of the architects Burrell & Valpy] was out of town'. Westmacott will write to Valpy, as he thinks there ought to be 'a conference with' Lakyn, who 'should be requested to make a report'.

12mo, 2 pp. 24 lines. Text clear and complete. He finds, 'upon reconsideration', that the conversation he referred to that afternoon took place two days later, and regrets that he gave Barrow 'the unnecessary trouble of sending for papers in error; & possibly attributing an inattention to the Gentleman employed at the time as a Reporter'.

On piece of good quality art paper, 15 x 19 cm. In good condition, in grey card frame. Shows a cheery Acton in profile, drawn in grey and black. Signed in ink on drawing 'b.g.b. | 82', with 'Sir Harold Acton at the Arts Club 20.I.82' in pencil at foot. On the reverse of the drawing Bagnall has written 'Brian Bagnall | Sir Harold Acton at a private view of Russell Forman paintings Arts Club 20.I.82'.

Seven items, all in very good condition on lightly-aged paper. Trevelyan's idiosyncratic and hypochondriacal character comes through strongly in this correspondence, ostensibly concerned with his application to become a magistrate, but largely devoted to the state of his health. ONE and TWO. Manuscript copies of short letters from Trevelyan to Thorp and the Duke of Northumberland. Both dated 22 October 1832, and both 4to, 1 p. Requesting 'a Dedimus, as a commencing Magistrate'. THREE. Manuscript copy of letter from Trevelyan to Thorp. 23 October 1832; Netherwitton, Morpeth. 4to, 1 p.

LETTER: 4to, 4 pp. 81 lines of closely-written text. Written on the spot, and posted in England, with redirection address from Dublin to Gedling Lodge, Nottingham in another hand. Two penny red stamps, and four English postmarks, with Russell's small seal in red wax. PLAN: Folio (42.5 x 27.5 cm), 1 p. Clearly drawn and keyed to the letter, showing Comorn and environs, the rivers Danube and Waag, and the positions of the various parties. Captions include 'hills strongly entrenched by Rebels' and 'High Ground old French Entrenchments where the Troops are now posted in Tents & Huts'.

The 1909 letter a little foxed but fair overall, the other items all good on aged paper. ONE: Letter, 4 January 1909; Allington. 12mo, 2 pp. He is enclosing a document (not present) which will show 'that the Bishop will replace me. It only remains for me to place my resignation in your hands for communication to the Com[mitt]ee., with an expression of my thanks to them for their cordial support & of good wishes for the continued prosperity of the League'. He is 'off to Switzerland this afternoon'. TWO: Note, 20 October 1910; on Allington letterhead. 4to, 1 p.

On rectangle of paper, 11 x 5.5 cm, cut from front frank. Aged and spotted, with closed tear at head repaired on reverse with archival tape. The whole in Amherst's hand, with his signature (as usual on frank) in bottom left-hand corner between two horizontal lines. Launched in 1805, the Pomone was a 38-gun Leda-class fifth rate Royal Navy ship, built by Josiah and Thomas Brindley at Frindsbury. She saw action during the Napoleonic Wars, primarily in the Mediterranean, and was wrecked off the Needles in 1811.

Folio, 2 pp. On first leaf of bifolium, with the verso of the second leaf docketed, under the heading 'King's Warrant'. Text clear and complete. Fair, on aged paper. Headed '(Copy)', and with 'George R' in a bold hand in the top left-hand corner. Although the signature is almost certainly not in the hand of the king, the document is docketed in pencil: 'Signature of his late beloved Majesty King George III on Copy of a Warrant retained by General Saml. Townsend'.

12mo, 1 p. Mourning border. Twelve lines. Text clear and complete. Fair, on aged paper, with small scrap torn away from top right-hand corner. By that evening's post, they have received 'the sad intelligence that my sister in law, Lady Camilla Sinclair has died at Thurso Castle'. Her brother Sir George Sinclair and his family 'are in great grief', and she is 'under the melancholy necessity of sending an apology' for cancelling 'our engagement to you which we had anticipated with so much pleasure'.

12mo, 2 pp. Ten lines. Text clear and complete. Good, on lightly-aged paper. Jones's letter has been forwarded to him, but he cannot give him 'the information you are seeking', so he has sent to letter on to 'Mr. of the British Museum, asking him to reply to it'.

12mo, 4 pp. 41 lines. Text clear and complete. Fair, on aged paper, with slight discoloration to edges. 'It was high time that in England, whence so many mountain climbers and tourists go to the Alps, a protest should be raised against the ruin wrought in Switzerland by the construction of tourist railways up the slopes of the mountains'. Deplores the 'irretrievable harm' already done to 'some of the noblest landscapes in the world, [...] easily accessible from the populous cities of Central and Western Europe, such as those on the shores of the Lake of Lucerne'.