Autograph Letters

On a light-green leaf (11 x 14 cm) removed from an autograph album. Lightly aged and creased. Reads 'Hugh P. Allen | Nov 8. 1928'. Lightly docketed in pencil. Two other autographs on reverse.

On a leaf of pink paper, roughly 13.5 x 11 cm, removed from an autograph album. Lightly creased and with a thin glue stain along inner margin (not affecting text). The inscription, in a top outer corner, reads 'Noël Eadie | 21. 1. 24'. It is somewhat smudged, either having bled or been badly blotted.

On piece of laid paper paper (roughly 11 x 16 cm) cut from diary. Good, on lightly-aged paper. Under the heading 'June 25'.

On piece of laid paper (roughly 13 x 11 cm). Aged and chipped. Reads 'Yours truly | Frank Barrington Foote'. Chipping to the outer edge, very close to the last couple of letters of the signature. Foote, who frequently sang with Adelina Patti at Covent Garden, ended his days destitute in New York City.

4to: 2 pp. 35 lines of text. Good, on aged paper. Text clear and entire. Minor damage to one corner (not affecting text) through breaking open of wafer. He has received the letter with the 'observations de milord', whose 'propositions' are not 'acceptables'. Mentions a 'Mr. Tournal'. How could he offer 'Mr. Gerrard' 'les quatre cent quarante francs proposé par milord et meme les six cent francs fixé par vous?' Mentions Madame la Marquise de Sainte-Aulaire. Suggests a sum which would be acceptable to Gerrard and would thus avoid a trial the success of which would be uncertain.

12mo: 2 pp. Eleven lines of text. A bifolium, docketed on the otherwise-blank second leaf '8 June 1830 | Ld. Ellenborough'. Good: lightly spotted and with traces of grey paper mount adhering to edge on reverse of second leaf. He is enclosing a letter (not present) 'from Keene' (docketed [by Astell?] ('Kearney.)', and possibly the watercolourist W. H. Kearney). 'I must not enter into a Correspondence with him and he asks nothing definite.' Asks Astell to 'consider the matter' and to let him know his opinion on the coming Saturday.

12mo bifolium. Ellenborough's letter (15 lines of text) occupies the first leaf; with the pencil draft of Gough's reply (also 15 lines), with additions and deletions, on the recto of the second leaf. Very good, with traces of grey paper mount adhering in a thin strip to the reverse of the second leaf. Ellenborough will 'afford' Nichols 'every facility for the making of tracings from the Tiles at Southam'. If Nichols will let him know when he is coming he will 'make it a point to be here'. Suggests that Nichols might come 'after Church, about 2 o'clock, on Sunday next'.

12mo: 1 p. Ten lines of text. Bifolium. Grubby, and with the text of the letter faint. Letterhead printed in red with illustration of the firm's headquarters. Written in, or faded to, lilac, and could well be a carbon. Sending copies of the two newspapers as 'we think it probable you would like your newly published works noticed or reviewed' in them.

8vo: 1 p. 14 lines of text. On aged and spotted paper, laid down on a piece of card, and with the head of the letter (not affecting the text but causing the loss of the top half of the letterhead) worn away. Originally a 2-page 12mo bifolium, but with the text from the second page laid down below the first.

On a piece of thin card roughly 8.5 x 11.5 cm. Very good. Good signature, 7.5 cm long, neatly centred.

On a piece of paper, roughly 14 x 12 cm. Creased, and with a few pin holes (not affecting text). Edges untidily cut. Possibly the ffep of a presented book. Text in purple ink, with good firm signature (roughly 4.5 cm long). Reads 'To my very dear Friend | E. Bawden | [signed] Lionel Ellis | Siena May 1926'. The '6' in the date slightly cropped.

On a piece of laid watermarked paper roughly 11.5 cm square. Good firm underlined signature, about 8 cm long. On aged paper, with pin holes above and below, and a vertical fold about 1 cm above.

On both sides of a piece of wove paper, dimensions roughly 8.5 x 20 cm. Cruikshank's signature is approximately 9 cm long, with the final letter of his Christian name in superscript. Paper aged and creased, with central vertical fold, and wear to one edge (not affecting text). Recto reads '<...> in the interim - | That 2 door Mats be ordered for the use of the Society | Adjourned till Thursday 7th June - | [signed] Geoe Cruikshank | Monday June 4. | General Meeting of the Society | Mr Parsonage in the Chair.

On a piece of yellow paper (roughly 7.5 x 10 cm), laid down on a light-green page (roughly 14 x 8 cm) torn from an autograph album. Lightly aged and spotted, but good overall. Reads ' "Remember that if you are in the right you can afford to keep your temper. When you are in the wrong you can't afford to lose it" | [signed] J B. Hobbs.' And in a smaller hand, diagonally in the bottom right-hand corner 'Best wishes to Peter Briggs | [signed] JBH'.

16mo (13.5 x 10 cm): 2 pp. A bifolium, addressed on the reverse of the second leaf. The first leaf has been slightly trimmed at the bottom, resulting in some loss to the bottom line of the recto. A formal letter in the third person, written in a close, difficult hand. Carefully detailing the missing sections in his copy of the 'Dictionnaire Anamitique-Latin'.

Text of all three letters clear and entire. A well-written and well-informed correspondence relating to 'locomotive matters'. Letter One (14 October 1942): Manuscript. Foolscap, 4 pp. Good, on aged high-acidity paper. 'Knowing, and to some extent, at least, sharing' King's 'interest in loco matters', Pimm informs him that the Ministry of Supply 'have ordered 360 L.M.S. mixed traffics generally like the 227 that AW's [Armstrong Whitworth] bill as their last order'.

12mo: 1 p. Dimensions of leaf 11 x 9 cm. Twelve lines of text, headed 'P. 320'. In poor condition: grubby and aged. Laid down on piece of grey paper removed from autograph book. 2 cm closed tear in bottom left-hand corner affecting a couple of words of text. Difficult hand. Criticising a note, giving references to three works. Ends 'I don't see any use in printing this letter - but Sir F. Madden will tell you better. | JM -'.

12mo: 2 pp. Sixteen lines of text. Good, on aged paper, with a strip from the previous mount adhering at the head of the reverse. Docketed in a contemporary hand 'Jacob Bell' and 'M. P. for St. Albans 1851.' He thanks him for taking the trouble to search 'the last document which fortunately is found much to my surprise in a store room in my own house'. He 'cannot account for the accident' and apologises once again.

12mo: 1 p. Good, on aged and lightly-ruckled paper. Text clear and entire. Difficult hand. Asks the recipient to 'allow the Bearer to see the L<?> Papers laid on the Table yesterday'. Also asks that the papers 'be printed as soon as possible as I shall mention them in the house'.

16mo (11.5 x 9 cm): 1 p. On aged paper with a diagonal crease towards top right-hand corner. In a shaky hand. Reads 'With much pleasure I accept your hospitable invitation for Nov. 20, at 1/4 to 8; - and am | Very truly Your's | [signed] J. Doran'.

12mo: 1 p. Seven lines of text. Monogram in red in top left-hand corner. On creased and aged paper, with pinholes at head (not affecting text). Scan on request.

On a piece of paper roughly 4 x 7 cm. Very good, on slightly discoloured paper. Reads '<...> 34 years of His Maies <...> | [signed] Arlington'. The second of the two versions of Arlington's signature reproduced by Rawlins ('Five Hundred Years of British Autographs', p.63, no.8). Arlington was the first 'A' in the CABAL ministry, the name made up of the initials of the five privy councillors who conducted Charles II's government after the fall of Clarendon in 1667: Clifford, Arlington, Buckingham, Ashley and Lauderdale.

Total thirteen pages, mainly 8vo, fair to good condition, texts clear and complete. Jocular, often obscurely, and in a difficult hand, subjects include: an invitation to ride; Furniss missing the Cardinal; trip to Calais; Paris trip for "Mr Punch"; "night gatherings of clubs"; Lord Rosebery; another ride, giving directions, suggesting meeting at Tenniel's place, and concluding with cartoon of a mill on top of a hill (obvious destination); reference to the Punch table and something confidential happening involving the proprietors.

Total four pages, 8vo, dusted but text clear and complete. (Sept.) He is sorry to have missed him and has to go to Dumfries the following day "on Territorial Force business". He looks forward to luncheon during the subsequent week. "If you care to put a fly over Loch Elrig, pray do so, and tell Hannan you require the boat. There are good trout up to 3lb in the loch. | I hope you are not going to allow the Wye to be polutted. That would indeed be an inhuman outrage." (Oct.) He appreciates the three photograpsh Hutton has sent of the "House of Elrig.

One page, 8vo, grubby but text clear and complete. He introduces a colleague from his Green Room, Frederick Mervin, whom he describes as a good fellow as well as an actor and singer of ability. He hopes his correspondent will make Mervin's "trip to the Colonies pleasant to him (presumably Australia) . "I hear all the news about you from your brother Alfie when I meet him. I trust this new venture will be hugely successful." Note: Lyster opened in Melbourne with a new company but died in Nov. 1880, presumably shortly after receiving this letter.

Six pages, 8vo, some edges dusty but mainly good condition. (1892) He can't leave the House of Commons at 5 o'clock. (March 1905) Thanks Hutton for a copy of the Proceedings at the Banquet of the British Cotton Growing Association, and for references in it to Balfour's contributions to the "movement". (Nov. 1905) Thanks for a copy of the Second Annual Report of the British Cotton Growing Association, and is pleased with the movement's progress. With: A memo (a pencilled note explains), on 13 Jan. 1903, "drawn up by McNiel & corrected by Mr Balfour".

One page, 8vo, good condition. Boddy of letter in secretrarial hand, signed "Yours sincerely | C Bradlaugh". Text: "Protest against war in the Sudan. | Dear Sir | I should be obliged if you would kindly add to the letter you have received from me that S Storey Esq MP & Professor Beesly have also consented to attend & speak at the St James Hall meeting on April 2nd."

On a piece of paper roughly 5.5 x 13 cm. Good firm signature (8 cm long) on lightly aged and creased paper. Reads 'Faithfully yours | [signed] Marie Corelli'. Fragment on reverse reads '<...> education nowadays <...> hope you <...> induced to <...> estimable'.

12mo: 3 pp. Good, on lightly aged paper. Small spike hole through both leaves of the bifolium. Text clear and entire. Execrable hand. Begins 'I certainly shall not secede from my conditional Promise'. Paragraph describing the weather ('The Heat of the Weather here is intolerable.') 'I agree entirely with respect to the Character of our worthy departed friend. It is a great loss to this Part of the Country.'

Dimensions of paper 3 x 8 cm. Good, firm signature, on lightly aged and spotted paper. The flourish beneath the signature (paraph) has been cropped.