CASTLE

See the entry on his son Horatio Ross (1801-1886) – named after his father’s friend Lord Nelson who was the boys godfather and died the year after the writing of this letter - in the Oxford DNB. 1p, 4to. Twenty-two lines of closely and neatly written text. In good condition, lightly aged and creased, with strip of paper from mount to one edge. With fold lines. The recipient is addressed as ‘My dear Sir’ and not named, and the letter signed ‘H. Ross’. Written in a spirited style.

An interesting document, neatly laid out in black with red underlining on both sides of 29 x 42 cm leaf. Painted in black lengthwise near one edge is ‘Winchelsea / 1805’, and 1805 would be a good year for the document’s composition, with Britain fighting the Napoleonic Wars and in the midst of invasion fears around the time of the Battle of Trafalgar. 2pp, large folio. On thick laid paper watermarked either ‘VI’ or ‘IV’ (depending on which side you look from). In fair condition, on aged and worn paper, with closed tears and one nick (not affecting text) along central horizontal fold.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB, together with that of the Williams family. (The recipient Joseph Lionel Williams (c.1832-1877) was son of the wood-engraver Samuel Williams (1788-1853).) 2pp, 12mo. On paper with mourning border. In good condition, lightly aged and worn. Folded twice.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. 2pp, 4to. In fair condition, on lightly aged and worn paper. Folded four times. Begins: ‘Lord Carnarvon presents his Compliments to Mrs. Page and is extremely obliged by her polite attention in sending him the Papers relating to the boundaries of Highclere - Burghclere, and Woodhay Parishes, which he has no doubt will prove extremely useful to him’. He has ‘many apologies to make for not sooner acknowledging the receipt of the Papers, but he has been for some time past incessantly occupied in attending the Committee on the Gt.

See the two men’s entries in the Oxford DNB. For the context, see the 1863 pamphlet ‘Clare versus the Queen’, in the slug to which John Clare (1820-1885) is described as ‘THE KING OF METAL SHIP BUILDERS’. 3pp, 12mo. Bifolium. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn, with folds. Docketed ‘Fitzhardinge / Lord -’. Signed ‘Fitzhardinge’ (sic). In a difficult hand.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. The recipient is presumably the Captain Charles Napier (d.1849) of the Royal Artillery who ‘received eight wounds from the bursting of a shrapnel shell’ at Waterloo (see Dalton’s ‘Waterloo Roll Call’, p.194). 8pp, 4to. Closely and neatly written on two bifoliums. In good condition, lightly aged, but folded three times into a packet, and with some closed tears to the creases. Addressed ‘To Colonel Napier / Royal Artillery’ and with the valediction ‘I will now bid you adieu & subscribe myself / Yr very faithful Kinsman / Napier’.

See the entry in the Oxford DNB for his father the 1st Marquis. 2pp, 12mo. On the first leaf of a bifolium. In fair condition, lightly aged and discoloured, with thin strip of glue from previous mount on reverse of second leaf. The recipient is not named, and he signs ‘Hastings’. The letter begins: ‘Dear Sir, / I made the necessary enquiries as to the entry in the Leicester registry (through a friend of our clergyman) & enclose his reply [not present] - I fear it is not what you wished for.’ He might get ‘more satisfactory information’ if the recipient can give a ‘better clue to go by’.

In 1883 Queen Victoria appointed Davidson Dean of Windsor and her domestic chaplain. See his entry in the Oxford DNB. Both items in good condition, lightly aged; the letter folded for postage. Both addressed to ‘My dear Jacob’ and both signed ‘Randall T Davidson’. ONE: Autograph Card Signed. Marked ‘Private’. Eighteen lines of text, covering both sides. Begins: ‘I talked the whole matter over so fully last night with Sir H.

See the two men’s entries in the Oxford DNB. 3pp, 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded twice. Addressed to ‘Dear Mr Paxton’ and signed ‘Morpeth’. Much of the letter comprises a twenty-three line quotation from a letter Morpeth has received ‘from a great friend of mine in Dublin, Mr Hamilton’ (After the transcription of Hamilton’s letter Morpeth gives his name as ‘William Tighe Hamilton Esqre [1807-1886] / Donnybrook / Dublin’.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. 2pp, 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded once. Begins: ‘Dear Curzon, / I have sent, with great pleasure, a fiver to the Literary Fund in honour of your chairmanship; but not [last word underlined] as a successful man of letters.’ He explains that had he been dependant on his books for a livelihood, he would ‘long ago have starved, and, by the Grace of the present Government, I may yet be a burden to the Royal Literary Fund.’ Curzon has minuted the letter at the head of the first page: ‘Hon J Fortescue £5’.

See their entries in the Oxford DNB. Castle was a pioneer for woman in British politics and a champion of the welfare state; and Ashley, said to have been the first totally deaf democratic representative in the world, was a campaigner for the rights of the disabled.. Both items in good condition. The ANS is on a 16mo leaf of pink paper. On one side: ‘To Pip / who has lightened our load and brightened our lives for so many years. / Bless you! / Barbara Castle / 11. 7. 73.’ On the other: ‘To PIP THE POPular / With every good wish / Jack Ashley / P.S. And lots and lots of fun. / JA’.

172pp., 16mo (10 x 6.5 cm.). In original green leather quarter-binding, with marbled endpapers and label on front cover: 'No 1 | DECEMBER | 1837 | 1838'. Aged and worn, with the contents of the volume detached from the binding, and the signatures loose through breaking of the stitching. In pencil beneath the binder's ticket on the front pastedown: 'Hogarth | 10 Powis Place', with this address continuing at the foot of the first page: 'Gt Ormond St'.

2pp, 18mo. In fair condition, lightly aged and creased. Folded once. Written in a close, elegant hand. Written on receipt of a presentation copy of MacQueen-Pope's latest book, the letter begins: 'My dear Popie, | Thank you so very much for St James's, Theatre of Distinction. I think I am enjoying it even more than I usually enjoy your individual-theatre books, because the St James's meant so much to me. It was the first London theatre I ever went to - long before I could read or went to a school.

A fragile survival. One page, 20 x 22cm, small closed tears, foxing, minimal loss of two or three letters, text fully legible as follows: "Whereas it is requisite and necessary that [an?] Advance of Money should be made for paying for the Repairs at Sterling [sic] & Dumbarton Castles in North Brittain. We have therefore pursuant to an Ord[e]r this day of the Board Imprested unto James Luly the sum of Twenty pounds And we desire the Honble Harry Mordaunt Esq.

An interesting intimate letter from the Duke of York, credited with having done more to reform the British Army than any other man, to the future Prime Minister Grenville, who at the time was Paymaster General of the Forces. Of particular note is the Duke's desire to go to war, 'for I am sure we never have had for these two Centuries so favourable an opportunity of humbling France'. 4pp, 12mo. Bifolium. In fair condition, aged and worn, with thin strip of paper from mount adhering to reverse of second leaf. Folded three times. Sixty-one lines of text.

Eleven volumes, 1890-1900, each of around 50pp, 16mo. Uniform (but for a few decorative features) in grey printed wraps. The sixth annual report (November 1891) has an attractive frontispiece illustration of 'Proposed New Buildings, when completed'; the seventh (December 1892) has two plates showing the interior of the mission building 'when used as church' and 'when used as hall'. The other volumes each have frontispiece maps of the environs of the 'Mission Hall' and 'Missioners' House'.

3pp., 12mo. Bifolium. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn. Two days before the writing of this letter the London Gazette had announced (10 November 1846) that Napier, then Deputy Adjutant-General in Ireland, had been promoted to Lieutenant General. The letter, in which he writes to his Commander in Chief in Ireland, is headed 'Private'.

The recipient's name, given at the foot of the last page, appears to read 'Mr. L. Newland' or 'Newlaw'. This may be J. W. Newland, was an English daguerreotypist and magic lanternist who travelled from New Orleans, through Central and South America, to the Pacific, New Zealand, Australia, England, and finally to Calcutta between 1845 and 1857. 2pp., 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged. He has submitted the recipient's letter to the Queen, 'together with the Daguerrotypes that accompanied it'.

1p., landscape 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged. Six lines of text, headed by the date, signed 'Roger Kemys Recever', with two-line addition signed 'Roger Kemys'. The document records the receipt of the 72s 4d which is the part of 'Marten Flower' of the £6 19s due to Lord Berkeley 'for ye felons goods by band', and for £3 10s. Docketed on reverse.

2pp., 4to. Bifolium. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn. The recipient (who dockets the reverse of the second leaf) is not named. He has received the letter in which the recipient, as Chairman, has requested him 'in pursuance of the 8th Resolution agreed to at that Meeting, to accept the office of Vice-President'.

2pp., 12mo. Bifolium on grey paper. In fair condition, lightly aged and creased. He writes: 'It really costs me a great deal to say no to any wish that you and the Academy may express: but I do not like to alter my conclusion, at all events at present, in regard to the pictures. I hope you will not think me illiberal, but I have so great an objection to their incurring the risk of an unnecessary journey that I hope you will not ask me.'

(The title ends: '[...] the said title, honour, and dignity.') 52pp., folio. With large fold-out 'Pedigree of the Barony of Barnard'. In brown printed paper covers with red ribbon spine. In fair condition, on aged and worn paper, in worn and chipped wraps. Mainly consisting of 'Proofs to be adduced in support of the case of Henry De Vere Vane, claiming to be Baron Barnard of Barnard Castle, on his claim to the said peerage'. and an appendix in five parts. On the death in 1890 of the 4th Duke of Cleveland, the line of succession to the dukedom was left unclear.

The collection is of great interest, providing a mass of information regarding the Victorian building trade. The owner of the volume, W. H. Dudley, would appear to be a War Office official, and, as described at the end of this entry, it contains manuscript details of two contracts. The ten printed schedules - totalling [34 + 17 + 14 + 10 + 12 + 13 + 12 + 10 + 16 + 11 =] 149 pp., folio - are uniform in design and format, bound together in a contemporary half-binding, with brown leather spine and corners, and marbled boards. All ten are in good condition, on lightly-aged paper, in worn binding.

2pp., 12mo. He 'unfeignedly' feels his 'unworthiness to be placed among those sons of Eton whose portraits are intended to grace the pannels [sic] of the College Hall'. He will comply with the Provost's wish, 'as soon as opportunity permits, & after I have learnt from you the most suitable mode of carrying your design into execution'.

1p., 4to. In good condition, with light signs of age and wear. Watermark reads: 'T & F H | 1861'. (The document must date from between this year and the end of the Duke's minority in 1868; and Arundel is not named on it, its connection with this place is confirmed by the presence of land agent Captain E. H. Mostyn..) Neatly printed in two columns within a border. Thirteen toasts, from 'The Queen' to 'The Law Agents and the Stewards of Manors'. The toast to the Queen followed by 'God Save the Queen', each of the other twelve toasts followed by a 'Glee'.

148pp., small 4to. In contemporary red leather half bindings with marbled boards and edges and gilt tooling. In very good condition, on lightly-aged paper, in lightly aged and worn binding. Signed on reverse of front free endpaper: 'J. Borthwick | 1820', and on the page facing this: 'General Account | book. | N.B. The Vouchers are tied up with Labels marked for the respective years. Where particulars will. | See also my Journal.

1p., 12mo. In good condition, on aged paper, in aged franked envelope ('J. Cowell') addressed to 'The Right Reverend The Lord Bishop of St. Helena.' Reads: 'My Lord - | I am desired by His Royal Highness, Prince Alfred, to forward you the accompanying portrait of himself. | Believe me | My Lord | Yours faithfully. | J. C. Cowell'.

3pp., folio. Bifolium. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper. Laid out in the customary fashion, with two tax stamps, one embossed and the other in black ink. Signed 'Cardiff' beside a good impression of his seal in red wax. Witnessed by 'L. Dutens' and 'D G Jacmar'. The indenture is 'Between The Right Honourable John Lord Cardiff of Cardiff Castle in the County of Glamorgan of the first Part John Smith of Wilton Gilbert in the County of Durham Gentleman of the second Part and Thomas Shafto of Dunston in the said County of Durham Esquire off the third Part'.

[2] + 170pp., 8vo. On 172 leaves, held together by a steel stud. In good condition, lightly aged, with discoloring to first leaf and the last seven leaves dogeared. The names of the crew are given on the first covering page, and the cast of characters (but not the names of the actors playing them) on the second. An interesting artefact, indicative of the continuing reassessment and reinterpretation of the works of one of Britain's great writers.

[4] + 74pp., 8vo. In good condition, aged and worn. In worn red cloth binding, with title in gilt on spine and front cover. A brief description of the more than 800 items in the collection, which was arranged in ten volumes. Occasional entries feature quotations. Of interest is Vol. I, item 58: 'Winston Churchill, M.P., from Government House, Natal, in which he says: - | [five line quotation from the letter follows]'. See also vol.4, item 11: 'Napoleon I.