BERRY

[John Wilson Croker, Anglo-Irish politician and author.] Autograph Letter Signed to John Gibson Lockhart, asking him to make an enquiry to Miss Mary Berry regarding Horace Walpole.

Author: 
John Wilson Croker (1780-1857), Anglo-Irish politician and author [John Gibson Lockhart (1794-1854), Scottish author and editor, biographer of his father-in-law Sir Walter Scott; Horace Walpole]
Publication details: 
‘W. M. [West Molsey, Surrey] 19 May 49.’ [1849]
£120.00

See his entry in the History of Parliament, and his and Lockhart’s entries in the Oxford DNB. In good condition, with thin strip of dried adhesive from mount along one edge, and tiny bit of loss at foot beneath the signature. Folded for postage.

[W. H. Berry (William Henry Berry), English comic actor and BBC broadcaster.] Two long Autograph Letters Signed to theatre historian W. J. Macqueen-Pope, full of reminiscence.

Author: 
W. H. Berry [William Henry Berry] (1870-1951), English comic stage actor associated with George Grossmith and George Edwardes, and BBC broadcaster [W. J. Macqueen-Pope, theatre historian]
Publication details: 
30 December 1947; on letterhead of Poplar Cottage, Beltinge Cliffs, Herne Bay. 6 March 1948; from Poplar Cottage.
£180.00

Berry was hugely popular during the Edwardian period and into the First World War. His greatest success was as ‘Mr Meebles’ in ‘The Boy’ (1917). See the recipient’s entry in the Oxford DNB. Both letters signed ‘W. H. Berry’, and the second with long postscript on separate 12mo leaf signed ‘W. H. B’. In fair condition, aged and worn. ONE: 30 December 1947. 4pp, 4to. ‘This letter will be quite a “rat-tat from the past” (as Geo. Graves used to say), & its many a long year since I last saw you - & much has happened since “those were the days” & carriages were at 11.

[ Margaret Gatty; children's author] Autograph Note Signed Margaret Gatty to Stephen [perhaps her grandson, Stephen Herbert Gatty?]

Author: 
Margaret Gatty [ Margaret Gatty (1809–1873), children's author and writer on marine biology. Some of her writings argue against Charles Darwin's Origin of the Species.
Publication details: 
Ecclesfield, 26 May [1860[8?]]
£45.00

One page, 12mo, staining and ink blots but text clear and complete, laid down on larger piece of paper, docketed The late Mrs. Margaret Gatty (writer for children) Editor of Aunt Judy's Magazine.

[Edinburgh, 1832: 'The first voting which took place on the Reform Bill'.] Manuscript 'Copy of Entry in the Register of Qualified Voters for the City of Edinburgh', signed by Carlyle Bell, Conjunct-Clerk, on George Berry of Antigua Street.

Author: 
Carlyle Bell (c.1779-1850), Conjunct-Clerk [joint town clerk] of the the City of Edinburgh [Great Reform Act, 1832]
Publication details: 
Entry dated 13 September 1832.
£250.00

A nice piece of Edinburgh historical ephemera. See the entry on George Berry (1795-c.1874), the first man to register to vote there following the passing the Great Reform Act, in the Proceedings of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, 1874-1875, where he is described as 'an enthusiastic "Free Trader"'. 40 x 10 cm slip of laid paper, with printed form on one side, headed 'COPY of ENTRY in the REGISTER of QUALIFIED VOTERS for the CITY of EDINBURGH.' In fair condition, lightly aged and creased, with clean vertical cut unobtrusively repaired with archival tape.

[Percy Anderson, D'Oyly Carte stage designer.] Four Autograph Letters Signed to theatrical wigmaker William Berry Clarkson, praising the work he has done on his behalf, in connection with several productions.

Author: 
Percy Anderson (1851-1928), stage designer and painter with D'Oyly Carte Opera Company and Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree [William Berry Clarkson (1861-1934), theatrical wigmaker; Gilbert and Sullivan]
Publication details: 
12 March 1912, 31 December [1912], and the other two without year; all on letterheads of 55 York Terrace, Regent's Park, N.W.
£450.00

Total of 7pp, 12mo. All in good condition, lightly aged and worn. Each folded once. All signed 'Percy Anderson'. ONE: 12 March 1912. Begins: 'Your properties are quite splendid.' He thanks Clarkson and his assistant for the trouble they have taken 'over the “M[?]”'. Ends: 'I thought everything as good as it cd be – I refer to yr work of course'. TWO: 31 December [1912]. He thanks him for his 'delightful' card, and for 'yr. good wishes & for the tickets you so kindly send me for The Miracle.

Printed notice from the Vice Consul of Boulogne, informing the town's residents that 'Divine Service will be performed in his House on Christmas day'.

Author: 
[Sir William Hamilton (1788-1877), British Consul at Boulogne-sur-Mer from 1826 to 1873]
Publication details: 
'Vice Consular Office | 23rd December 1817.'
£120.00

1p., landscape 8vo (34 x 22 cm). In fair condition, on aged paper with wear to extremities. An attractive notice, in large type, reading: 'THE VICE CONSUL hereby notifies to the British residents in Boulogne that Divine Service will be performed in his House on Christmas day. | Vice Consular Office | 23rd December 1817.' With faint circular stamp of the 'VICE CONSULAR SERVICE'. Manuscript note on reverse, in a contemporary hand: 'Duplicate of the <?> affiche in the town of Boulogne | on Saturday 24th Decr 1817'.

Autograph Letter Signed ('A Berry') from Agnes Berry, sister of the poet Mary Berry and friend of Horace Walpole, to the Berry sisters' landlady the Hon. Mrs George Lamb of Richmond, describing Mary Berry's ill health.

Author: 
Agnes Berry (1764-1852), sister and companion of the poet Mary Berry (1763-1852), and friend of Horace Walpole [Hon. Mrs George Lamb [Caroline 'Caro George' Lamb'] of Devonshire Cottage, Richmond]
Publication details: 
Curzon Street, London. 7 December [1840s?].
£90.00

2pp., 12mo. 30 lines. Good, on lightly-aged paper. She begins by explaining that it was 'by an entire mistake' that Mrs Lamb's money (presumably the rent for Devonshire Lodge, owned by Mrs Lamb) was not paid, and that the mistake is 'now cleared up, & the money is to be paid this very morning by Coutt's into your Banker's'. Her sister Mary is not able to pass on this information herself, as 'she has been for above a fortnight so very unwell as not to be able to write, or occupy herself in any way - a severe fit of & Influenza has confined her, & kept me in great agony about her'.

Autograph Letter Signed ('M Berry') from the diarist Mary Berry, sister of Agnes Berry and friend of Horace Walpole, [to her publishers Longman & Co] regarding proofs [of her book 'A Comparative View of the Social Life of England and France'].

Author: 
Mary Berry (1763-1852), author and diarist, sister and companion of Agnes Berry (1764-1852), and friend of Horace Walpole [Longman, Rees, Orme, Brown & Green, publishers, of Paternoster Row, London]
Publication details: 
'Petersham Wedy. Mony' [1828].
£180.00

1p., 12mo. 12 lines. Good on lightly-aged paper. She is requesting 'an alteration to be made in the Contents of Chapr 9. to the necessity of which I had not adverted till I saw that Chapr. in Print'. After correcting the chapter she 'desired a Revise', but 'foolishly forgot to Revise the Contents of the Chapr.' 'It cannot however be too late & must be done, as the Chapr: ends with Mr Fox'. The work referred to is clearly Miss Berry's 'Comparative View', published by Longman, Rees, Orme, Brown & Green in 1828, the ninth and last chapter of which does indeed end with Charles James Fox.

Autograph Manuscript Signed ('M Berry') by the diarist Mary Berry, sister of Agnes Berry and friend of Horace Walpole, a flight of fancy headed 'Devonshire Cottage to its well-beloved Mistress [Hon. Mrs George Lamb], Greeting -'.

Author: 
Mary Berry (1763-1852), author, sister and companion of Agnes Berry (1764-1852), and friend of Horace Walpole [Hon. Mrs George Lamb [Caroline 'Caro George' Lamb']; Devonshire Cottage, Richmond]
Publication details: 
[Devonshire Cottage, Richmond.] 29 June and 1 July 1844.
£220.00

4pp., 12mo. 75 lines. On bifolium. Very good, on lightly-aged paper. The entire document is in Mary Berry's autograph. The letter proper, of 57 lines, is signed 'Devonshire Cottage / a true Copy / M Berry', the joke, such as it is, being that Mary Berry has copied out a document written by Devonshire Cottage itself to its owner, the Hon. Mrs George Lamb (Caroline, or 'Caro George' Lamb, from whom the Berry sister's were leasing it).

Autograph Letter Signed ('M Berry') from Horace Walpole's friend Miss Mary Berry to the politician and wit Richard 'Conversation' Sharp, commenting on his volume of 'Epistles in Verse'.

Author: 
Mary Berry ['Miss Berry'] (1763-1852), author and diarist; sister and companion of Agnes Berry (1764-1852), friend of Horace Walpole [Richard 'Conversation' Sharp (1759-1835), politician and wit]
Mary Berry ['Miss Berry']
Publication details: 
7 April 1828; Petersham.
£230.00
Mary Berry ['Miss Berry']

12mo, 4 pp. Bifolium. Good, on lightly-aged paper. Her 'constant practice' has always been to return her thanks for the gift of a poetry volume 'before I could possibly have had time to read it', but in this case 'this caution was impossible for I received your little Vol: in all the hurry of leaving town, & I may say England, for I shall not return to London before our departure'. She is glad she was not able to write before reading the poems 'with the attention they merit & with all the pleasure they have given me'.

Autograph Note Signed ('J B. Hobbs') and Initialled ('JBH') to Peter Briggs.

Author: 
Sir Jack Hobbs [Sir John Berry Hobbs] (1882-1963), Surrey and England cricketer
Publication details: 
Date and place not stated.
£45.00

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'.

Autograph Signature ('J B. Hobbs.').

Author: 
Jack Hobbs [Sir John Berry Hobbs, 1882-1963], English cricketer
Publication details: 
Date and place not stated.
£18.00

On piece of paper roughly 2.5 x 5 cm. Laid down on leaf of cream paper, 8.5 x 12 cm, from an autograph album. In slightly faded blue ink, and with a crease to the bottom left-hand corner, affecting the lower loop of the 'J'.

Autograph Letter Signed to [Berry Bros, Wine Merchants].

Author: 
W.C. Whitney
Publication details: 
Hotel Royal, Naples, 12 March 1895.
£56.00

Financier and sportsman (see American DNB). One page, 4to, good condition. He asks for more Dagonet Brut to be sent to the Grand Hotel, Rome. He wants to be informed if there are any difficulties and would like them to find 50 dozen more. "You may find it in the hands of relaible houses in which case purchase it for me."

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