SPORTS

1p., 8vo. With red ruled border. On bifolium, folded into customary packet and docketted on reverse of second leaf. In good condition, lightly-aged. With embossed and ink tax stamps.

3pp., 12mo. Bifolium. In fair condition, on aged and worn paper, with closed tear along gutter and traces of mount on black reverse of second leaf. He fears she will think him 'but faithless' when he asks that she does not wait for him that day, 'as if Lord B. comes in to Edinbh. as I expect him to I cannot depend on getting away from home as early as 2'. He suggests that they go to Arthur's Seat the following day, and in a postscript explains that his sons have delivered the present letter 'en passant to school', and that they will wait 'for a verbal answer' on their way home.

1p., 8vo. In fair condition, on aged paper with wear to extremities. Addressed to 'F. Gardner Esq | Little Coggeshall | Essex'. The letter is signed 'Wm Ford | Per Pro' and reads: 'Dear Sir | In reply to your kind enquiry the cost to improve the shooting of your little .410 would be about 10/- if a double gun as near as I can tell without seeing it. | Trusting to be favoured with your kind command'. The letterhead contains a mass of text at the head and filling the left-hand margin.

[4] + 288pp., 8vo. In vellum-style cream cloth binding with flap and front pocket. Internally in good condition, lightly-aged, in somewhat grubby binding. In manuscript across front cover: 'May 1927 May 31 1929 | Morgan Motor Company Limited'. The volume gives a valuable sidelight into the finances of an iconic British firm, during a boom period in its history, and place the company squarely at the centre of a network of other firms within the motoring industry.

4pp., 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper. He requests him to have 'a warrant issued, in my favour, for a Buck from The New Forest, as soon after this letter reaches you, as may be convenient - and that you will give the instructions for its disposal'. He gives three numbered instructions regarding the warrant's packing and dispatch, adding 'going by the Luggage train is essential, in order that the expence may not be excessive'. In a postscript he asks that the buck be 'killed & dispatched ' when the weather is 'suitable'.

Not published. A fair copy, neatly written out over 8pp., 4to. 175 lines, in heroic couplets. On two bifoliums of wove paper, each with hunting-horn watermark of 'G R'. A well-written production, with valuable content regarding a loathsome practice which persisted in England until 1835.

Of the twelve letters, nine are to her sister Ellen Alice Webb ('Nell'), two are to her father the Oxford gunmaker George Webb (d.1892, of 85 High Street, and later 36 Iffley Rd), and one is to both father and sister. They total 57pp, in a variety of paper shapes and sizes (10pp., 32mo; 20pp., 16mo; 23pp., 12mo; 4pp., 4to). In good condition, on aged and worn paper. One letter lacking the final section, including signature. As Barry H.

1p., 8vo. On recto of first leaf of a bifolium. Very good, lightly-aged. Nicely printed, in a variety of types and point sizes: 'Cricket and Lawn Tennis. | SEASON 1888. | Well Oiled & Seasoned CRICKET BATS | BEST MATCH BALLS, | Stumps, Pads, Gloves, &c. | The Demon, Champion, Challenge, Match, Eton, and other Racquets. | LAWN TENNIS BALLS, | By Ayres, Phillips (seamless), Feltham, Bussey, | and Slazenger. | A LARGE STOCK AT ALL PRICES. | AN EARLY INSPECTION RESPECTFULLY SOLICITED. | SPECIAL TERMS TO CLUBS. | T. J.

Both items in very good condition, lightly aged. ONE: Printed in blue on a 26.5 x 21 cm piece of light-green paper. In very good condition.. In a variety of fonts and point sizes. Among a number of different products advertised are 'Smokeless Cartridges', with the notice: 'T. M. WATKINS has for many years given special personal attention to, and has been highly successful in, the filling of Cartridges and Nitro Compounds, and can confidently recommend his make as the very best, and for shooting qualities equal, or superior, to anything in the market.' Also 'Schultze, E.C., or S.S.

An attractive piece of Victorian commercial printing. Printed in black on a 31.5 x 21 cm sheet of grey paper. In very good condition, lightly-aged. Beneath the words 'John Blanch & Sons' | Hammerless Ejector Gun | (PATENT)' is the engraving (roughly 8.5 x 15 cm), showing the area around the hinge-pin and trigger of the gun, with a cartridge.

Both items in very good condition, lightly-aged. ONE: 16mo (11.5 x 8 cm) green-card bifolium, printed in blue, with engraving in gold of the 'Club Badge' on front cover. On cover, beneath the names of the patron (the Earl of Jersey) and officers: 'FOOTBALL. | Captain - J. G. COWPER. Sub-Captain - A. M. BARROWS. | Captain Second Team - W. MORRAY. | Sub-Captain Ditto - W. HEMMING. | COLOURS - BLUE & WHITE.

From the archive of Cheney & Sons, 'General, Commercial & Artistic Printers, Banbury'. The calling card of partner John Cheney describes him as a 'Printer in Gold, Silver, and Colours', with 'Specialities in the best class of work', and the company's high standards attracted clients from London's West End. For more about the firm see 'John Cheney and his descendants, printers in Banbury since 1767' (1936), and the Victoria County History volume for the County of Oxford, Banbury Hundred. The eight items are in very good condition, lightly-aged.

The ten items are in very good condition, lightly-aged. Six of the items (the three fixture lists and three of the certificates) carry slugs, with the printers' details not stated on the other four items. ONE to THREE: Three 16mo (10.5 x 7 cm) booklets, each of 8pp: 'Fixtures, 1890-91', 'Fixtures, 1891-92', 'Fixtures 1892-93'. Uniform in design, and attractively printed in green, blue and lilac card covers and papers, with the Club's crest embossed on each front cover in gold. Each pamphlet carries the following inside the front cover: 'Object.

On a piece of 6 x 10 cm paper. Laid down on leaf removed from autograph album, next to a newspaper cutting of a photograph of Drobny at play. Three autographs on slips of paper laid down on the reverse of the leaf: one of 'Leonard Cheshire' and two of Hugh Foot (one 'Hugh Foot' and the other 'Hugh Caradon').

The seventeen signatures are on a piece of 8.5 x 11 cm paper, laid down on a leaf removed from an album, captioned '"ENGLAND" RUGBY FOOTBALL TEAM | 1954'. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper. Present (with one unidentified) are the signatures of Vic Leadbetter; Ted Woodward; Phil Jones; John Kendall-Carpenter; <?>; Jeff Butterworth; Pat Quinn; Eric Evans; Tug Wilson; Peter Young; Dickie Jeeps; Gordon Rimmer; Peter Yarranton; Rob Stirling; Martin Regan; Sandy Sanders; Reg Higgins. It may be that the item is misdated, as this exact team did not play in the Five Nations of that year.

Bannister achieved his record on 6 May 1954 at the Iffley Road Track in Oxford, with Chris Chataway and Chris Brasher providing the pacing. The signature ('Roger Bannister') is firmly written on a piece of 4 x 9.5 cm paper, laid down on an 11 x 16 cm leaf removed from an autograph album. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper. Laid down next to it is a 14.5 x 5 cm black and white photograph of Bannister running, cut from a magazine.

Letter: 2pp., 4to. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper, in a windowpane mount. Addressed to 'Mr Georges | East Beach St | Hastings'. He begins by explaining that he did not call on Georges while in town as he was indisposed, and goes on: 'with respect to the drawing it is a portrait of a game keeper in the service of Charles Dixon Esqre Stanstead Park the identical drawing was never exhibited but about five years since I had a longer drawing of the same figure with more game dog and other matter, painted for the above gentleman'.

1p., 12mo. In good condition, on lightly aged and worn paper. The note reads: 'My dear Sir | You and your Brother are quite welcome to come and fish here, on any day that you like; and I only hope that you may find any sport. | Believe me| Very faithfully Your's [sic] | Churchill'.

4pp., 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, aged and with spike hole through the two leaves. According to Woodville's entry in the Oxford DNB he 'had expensive tastes, moved with a fast bohemian and sporting set, and enjoyed big-game hunting, pig-sticking, fishing, and, it is said, many extramarital affairs', and the present item supports that evaluation. After requesting the three double rooms he states: 'Our party is: Ourselfs. [sic] Mr. & Mrs. A. Broadwood Col. & Mrs. Holman'. He asks to be informed 'if it is allright [sic]' at his London address of 107 Queen's Gate, SW.

1p., 4to. In fair condition, on lightly-aged paper, with vertical closed tear at head neatly repaired with archival tape. Ornate letterhead, including an engraving of a sportsman looking through a telescope, while standing beside a dead stag, with a gamekeeper beside him, both men in kilts. The letter is signed 'Robert Hall & Co.', with the rest of the text in another hand.

The four letters totalling 16pp., 12mo. Each on a bifolium. All four good, on lightly-aged paper. Chatty and informative letters, in the bored tone of the English upper classes, and exhibiting a shocking casual racism. One: From Dâk Bungalow, Rawal Pindi, 20 July 1899, and Rowberry's [sic] Hotel, Murree, 23 July 1899. 4pp., 12mo. He apologises for a hurried letter of the previous day. 'I began my journey very badly by calling a high caste mahomedan who was snoring in my carriage a Scor - (pig) he got very irate.

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.

Printed on one side of a piece of laid paper 28 x 23.5 cm. The hand-coloured engraving (showing Mathews in riding garb with long whip in foreground, and a coach and four in the background) is 16 x 22.5 cm. Fair, on aged paper, with wear and slight loss to extremities (not affecting the engraving or text), and the reverse showing signs of removal from an album. Above the engraving are the words 'BANG UP - RANDOM, OR TANDEM.' and beneath are the publication details, followed by the full title: Some Push Along With Four In Hand, While Others Drive At Random. Written by J.

4to, 2 pp. On bifolium. Good, on lightly-aged paper. Text clear and complete. The letter, of 39 lines, requests Herbert's opinion of 'the feasibility of a plan for the domestication of the Primated Grouse of the western prairies in this section of the country'. He writes because 'some few passages in your own writings have led me to know that one who has the heart of, and a desire to be a true sportsman, would not, if requesting a favor at your hand be overlooked'. Signed 'Titrao Cupido | Box 841 O.O. | Cleveland Ohio'. This has been lightly crossed-out in pencil, with the signature 'Jno.

12mo, 1 p. On bifolium. Thirteen lines of text. Clear and complete. Fair, on aged and creased paper, with slight rust marking from hooks. Semi-literate, and redolent of the area and period. He asks Devon (not Captain Thomas Barker Devon, RN, who had died in 1846) to 'pardon the Liberty I have taken in writen [sic]' to him. He knows 'the Great difficulty that Gentlemen have in Getting good made peal [sic] Flys and firm Tied ones', and is enclosing 'a few of my Own Making & you will Greatly Oblidge me by your Trying of them'.

Printed, in a variety of types and point sizes, on one side of a piece of landscape 8vo paper. Text clear and complete. On aged and creased paper, which has been laid down on a backing of pink card. In full reads 'FOXES. THE COMMITTEE appointed to investigate into the melancholy circumstances attending the malicious POISONING of the FOXES IN THE PARISHES OF Buckland Filleigh and Sheepwash, Will sit daily, during Lent, (weather permitting) at the TOWN HALL, TORRINGTON. | LORD AQUEDUCT, Chairman. | PETER BLUNDERHEAD GRUBB, Secretary. | N.B.

4to, 6 pp, with a seventh leaf carrying the title 'The Ludlow Hunt Alphabet. An Adaptation.' (The title at the head of the poem itself is 'The Ludlow Alphabet. An Adaptation.') A genuine typescript, and not a reproduction. A poem of 128 lines, divided into 32 4-line stanzas. Fair, on aged paper, with the last leaf laid down on a leaf of an autograph album, with traces of a newspaper cutting on the reverse. Consisting of playful references to members of the Hunt, arranged alphabetically. First stanza: 'A's for Allcroft, on chestnut | With frontlet of blue.

4to, 2 pp. Bifolium. Addressed ('H. Davidson Esqr | | No 3 North Charlotte St | Edinb') and docketed ('Offer | The Clyde Salmon Fishing Company. | For Menzies Fishings in Holy Lock'), with two postmarks, on the reverse of the second leaf. Twenty three lines of text (including four-line initialled postscript), clear and complete. Good, on aged paper, with hole in second leaf from breaking of wafer. Discussing proposed terms, ending 'Or in place of a sent will give the net proceeds of every tenth fish after marketing -'.

Book: 8vo: xi + 259 pp. Eighteen plates (with the seventh plate, 'A Death Trap', as frontispiece). Fair copy, on lightly aged and foxed paper. In original green binding, gilt, with wear to hinges, corners and head and tail of spine. With autograph inscription of 'V. R. Balfour-Browne, Oxford. February 1901.' A nice association between two notable individuals in the world of field sports. The letter, addressed to 'Dear B. B.', is 12mo, 2 pp, in bifolium; in good condition; laid down by the blank second leaf to the recto of the book's fly leaf.

Both volumes 4to, and uniform in dark-green leather bindings. A total of 195 manuscript pages. The journals reveal the author to be a man of leisure and means, fully able to induldge his taste for freshwater fishing, at camps with 'canoemen', cook, and canoes. The English sections indicate that he was a clubman, that he worked in the City (with possible business interests in Liverpool), and lived in West London with (sister?) 'Lola' and his mother. 'Alick', presumably a brother, is occasionally mentioned. (It may be that he was the Walter A.