Autograph Letters

Children's Author and Editor. Two pages, 8vo, attached to slightly larger card (a page from an autograph album), good consition. Text: "I am much obliged to you for the offer of your tale, but think it better to return it as I am fully supplied at preset with material for my Magazine. Will you allow me to say that it strikes me as being better adapted for such a puvblication as the "Monthly Packet" which is intended for rather older readres than mine." DNB entry: "In May 1866 Mrs. Gatty established a monthly periodical for young people called ‘Aunt Judy's Magazine.’"

Fragment of an autograph letter, c.4" x 2",laid down on slightly larger card (from an album).Text only "I am reading ["Foreigners"?] and enjoying them. / Yours very truly / C.M. Yonge.

Fragment of a letter, subscrption only, c.2.5" x 1", laid down on slightly larger card, cut from album, "Yours v[er]y tsinc[erel]y / Bret Harte"..

Fragment of a letter, c.3.5" x 3", laid down on slightly larger card, surving text as follows: "I have no story suitable. Hope you had a pleasant trip. Very truly yours / H Rider Haggard".

Chairman of the famous pottery firm Josiah Wedgwood & Sons, Ltd (1867-1930), and High Sheriff of Staffordshire. All items are very good, if somewhat grubby. The typed letters are one page, quarto and the autograph, one page, octavo. All are signed 'Frank H Wedgwood', and most are stamped and docketed. One letter from 1918, two from 1919, one from 1924, five from 1925 and two from 1926. Mostly brief.

Managing Director of the famous pottery business ('saviour of the firm') and the fifth in the family to bear the name (1899-1968), Member of Parliament. All six items in good condition, though grubby, and with the first three bearing pin holes in one corner (not affecting text), the hole in the first letter being decidedly marked. All but one item docketed and stamped. Letters one, two, three and six are one page, quarto; letter four, two pages, 12mo; letter five, one page, 12mo; letter six, one page, quarto. All but the third item, which is signed 'Wedgwood', are signed 'Josiah Wedgwood'.

Indian civil servant (1854-1935) whose posts included those of Under-Secretary to the Governments of Bengal and India. All four items signed 'Chas. S. Bayley'. All four items one page, 12mo. The last three, all on grey paper, very good; the first somewhat grubby and creased, and with two paperclip rust stains in one corner. LETTER ONE (addressed to 'Mr. Digby'): He is returning Menzie's letter (not present) and feels sure that 'the Indian Section Committee will be pleased to learn that the Council have agreed to appoint a joint committee to consider the question of the Birdwood medal.

British railway engineer (1836-1918). Both items very good, and both stamped and docketed, and signed 'J. Wolfe-Barry'. LETTER ONE: one page, octavo. 'I have much pleasure in accepting the Office of Vice President of the Society and shall be glad, as an ex-officio member of the Council to be summoned to its meetings'. LETTER TWO: one page, octavo (landscape). 'I want to propose William Archer Tait D.Sc Civil Engineer for admission to the Royal Sy of Arts. His address is 9 Victoria Street S.W. Please take the necessary steps'.

Artist and art historian (1835-1906), President of the Royal Society of British Artists. Both items very good, if somewhat grubby, and both stamped and docketed, and signed 'Wyke Bayliss'. Both postcards with postmark over printed stamp. POSTCARD ONE: 'I was dining last night with Dr Richardson and he said he should be glad if you could let him have some more cards of invitation for my lecture on the 25th. May I ask you (if you think proper) to send them a dozen, in addition to htose you have already sent.' POSTCARD TWO: 'I send by this post the MS of my paper, for the printer.

English civil engineer (1840-1907), who built the Forth Rail Bridge and worked on the Metropolitan and District Railways of the London Underground. Both items one page, octavo, on grey paper. Both in good condition, stamped and docketed. The note, signed 'B. Baker', reads 'I am sorry to say the Glasgow University Jubilee will prevent me and I have no doubt others from beingn at Marlborough House on the 14th.' The slip reads 'With Sir Benjamin Baker's Compliments.'

Painter and art historian (1918-91). The two items are both very good, attached to one another by a staple in a corner. The copy of Samson's letter (one page quarto, very good, on yellow paper) explains that the Society is 'endeavouring to arrange a course of three Cantor Lectures next Spring on modern philosophies - art, architecture and music', and invites him to deliver the first of these. Gives details of the fee, dates, etc. Gowing's letter: one page, octavo. 'I am honoured by your invitation to give the first of the Cantor Lectures next year. But I must refuse it - I'm very sorry.

English mediaeval and art historian (1898-1974), Director of the Courtauld Institute of Art. One page, landscape octavo. Good, but with one corner creased and grubby, and with staple holes in another. 'I should be much honoured to be nominated as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and should much appreciate association with that body and all the work it does.' Signed 'T. S. R. Boase.'

Author. One page, 8vo, fold mark, good condition. "in your letter of November 2nd last, you were kind enough to say that you would take the necessary steps for my election to the Royal Society of Arts if I decided to reconsider my original inability to accept your Council's invitation. / I should be pleased now to join in due course if you would put my name forward."

Dilke, the 2nd Baronet (1843-1911), was a disgraced politician and author. All items 12mo and very good. All three docketed, bearing the Society's stamp, and signed 'C. Wentworth Dilke'. The first item is addressed to Menzies personally and the other two to 'The Secty.' ITEM ONE: one page. He has received the letter of 9 February and is 'pleased to send you a subscription though not much in town'. ITEM TWO: two pages. Would like to know 'whether ladies are admitted as guests and how often'.

English scientist (1899-1973), Professor of Biochemistry at the University of London, and President of the Royal College of Physicians, 1962. Both items one page, 4to, and both good, though creased and with a few small staple holes. First item addressed to 'The Secretary' and second to Luckhurst. Both signed 'E. C. Dodds'. ITEM ONE: He has signed the form and is 'very glad to have an opportunity of being considered for Fellowship by your Council'. Asks whether his subscription is required with the application. ITEM TWO: Requests that 'the necessary forms' be sent to 'Mr.

Parsee shipping magnate (1857-1939). One page, quarto. Creased and discoloured, with a little spotting. Reads 'I am your Society's Life member since past many years | I shall feel obliged if you can procure me some recipe for making anti-fouling paint for use no steel steamers bottoms.' Signed ''. Docketed as answered over the Society's stamp.

British Poet Laureate (1904-72). Day-Lewis's letter, 1 page, 8vo. On grey paper. Good, but lightly creased and with a few staple holes. Thanks Mercer for the 'kind invitation'. 'I am afraid I could not manage to prepare the paper you suggest for January 24, since I have to be busy till near the end of this year on a play.' Suggests deferment to February or March. Signed 'C. Day Lewis'. Docketed by '' on 24 July 1961, 'We can offer other times, I think, in March.' and with 'Mar 21 | 2.30' beneath this in pencil.

Three pages, 8vo, conjoint leaves, wear at spine, not affecting text. "After many wanderings your letter of Feb 13th. has caught me here. I have been out of England since the middle of January,/ Your letter refers to a previous one wh. I have never received. / I am afraid that I cannot throw much light on the subject wch you refer. There is a big monument on the tope of Spion Kop, a column, wh. may be in the form of an obelisk but it is to the memory of the men who fell then generally, though I think, if I remember rightly, there are a number of individual inscriptions.

The Examiners' Office in early C19th England. Winburne has made suggestions for improving the Examiners' Office. Dancer replies with a review of the nature and problems of the Office, the nature of witnesses (unclean, diseased), the place of interview (a prison room, etc.). Dancer describes the onerous nature of the examiner's job, the need for experience, and finally refers to the "most eligible plan" which is in minutes supplied to Winburne.

The recipient Joshua Sharpe (c.1716-86) was a solicitor of Lincoln's Inn, and counsel for various American colonies before the Board of Trade and Privy Council. His brother Horatio was Lieutenant Governor of Maryland. Two pages, folio. Grubby, frayed and worn, with some closed tears and minor fraying and loss to extremities, and minor loss to text. Appears to concern the investigation into a case brought against an English ship by the owners of the Spanish vessel Sancta Barbara ('Patron Joseph de la Torre').

Lord Chancellor of England (1751-1838). Dimensions roughly four and a half inches square. Paper spotted and discoloured. Traces of previous blue-paper mount adhering to blank reverse. Unobtrusive archival-tape repair to closed tear. Reads 'May God support him in the Time of his great Calamity! | I shall be infinitely obliged by your allowing me to hope that thro' you I may occasionally hear of his Health | I remain, Dear Sir, | Yr obliged Servant | Eldon'.

One page, 12mo. Grubby, discoloured, stained and with slight wear to head. Apparently a circular with word 'Dorset' inserted in manuscript. Enquires on behalf of the Council of the Society of Antiquaries 'whether it would be agreeable to you that your name be submitted to the Society for the office of Local Secretary of Dorset for the quadrennial period ending 23rd April 1925'. Signed 'Ralph Griffin'.

Art historian (1867-1948) and Keeper of Prints and Drawings at the British Museum, 1912-32. Four pages, 12mo. Good, but somewhat grubby with a few small stains. Interesting, and characteristically subtle solicitation. He has been examining the book of drawings his correspondent sent the previous week, but is unable to say who formed the collection: 'my colleagues in the library cannot tell anything from the elephant stamped on the binding'. 'The little drawings are mostly old but not of any great merit'.

English lawyer (1802-74) and Master of the Rolls, 1851-73. The recipient (1817-80) was a noted chemist. Two pages, 16mo. Very good, but sumwhat dusty and grubby. Reads 'My dear Sir Benjamin | I am much oblig'd to you for your kind. [sic] I am not aware of the circumstance, or rather the rule you mention or I should not have committed thte 'indiscretion' of asking you to sign my sons recommendation'. Signed 'John Romilly'.

Dimensions. Paper stained, discoloured and ruckled. Trimmed and mounted on a piece of brown paper. Reads 'Shall feel extreemly [sic] obliged if you will have the goodness to allow the Landscape on Copper sent to be placed on the Walls for the ensuing Exhibition at the Royal Academy has [sic] it will confer an obligation on | Sir/ | Your Most Obedient | Servant | G Kirkley | Landscape on Copper | George Kirkley | No. 3 Gilhams Fields | Worship Street'.

Australian magician and escapologist (1892-1978). One page, 8vo. Very good, but with some loss to edge by removal from mount. Letterhead reads 'THIRD WORLD TOUR | The Great Levante | FAMOUS AUSTRALIAN ILLUSIONIST | WITH HIS MAGICAL EXTRAVAGANZA "HOW'S TRICKS" | This Week: [Chelsea Palace, | London.] | Next Week: [Town Hall, | Pontypridd.]' He thanks him for his letter, returns his card, and encloses a photograph as requested.

Two pages, 12mo. Very good. She is sorry that her correspondent should have 'taken the trouble to call twice & have found me out, but I am working at the school just now, & am very not returning as a rule until the evening | So I trust you will excuse my calling with kind regards to yourself & Mr. Middleton Walker'. Signed 'Constance Williams' and docketed in pencil, 'a very clever sculptor in wood'. Not traced.

Three pages, 12mo. Good, but with a couple of closed tears on crease and with the remains of a brown-paper mount adhering to the blank verso of the second leaf of the bifoliate. The letter (2 pages) reads 'The coming coach drove my husband [Sir Francis Palgrave, 1788-1861, civil servant and antiquary] into London before he had well finished his note [see below].

Two pages, 4to. Very good, though on rather discoloured paper, and with strip of previous mount adhering to right-hand edge of verso. Johnston desires the settlement of the 'account of Incidental Expenses incurr'd during the period of [Johnston's deceased brother, A. Johnston's] command' in St Domingo.

English Chancellor of the Exchequer (1766-1851). One page, 4to. Formal letter in the third person. Very good, with remains of brown-paper stub adhering to the verso of the blank second leaf of the bifoliate. 'Mr. Vansittart presents his Compliments to Mr.