DOWDESWELL

[Foyles Literary Luncheon for Sir Angus Wilson, 1980.] Autograph Letter Signed from ‘Dolly’ [Mrs A. G. Dowdeswell] to ‘Philip’ [Philip Dosse of ‘Books and Bookmen’], with reference to Wilson, Melvyn Bragg, Simon Young of John Murray, Ian Jack.

Author: 
[Foyles Literary Luncheon for Sir Angus Wilson, 1980] ‘Dolly’ [Mrs A. G. Dowdeswell, Secretary, The Johnson Society of London] [Philip Dosse (1925-1980), publisher ‘Books and Bookmen’; Melvyn Bragg,
Publication details: 
27 August 1980; on letterhead of 26 High Street, Biddenden, Kent.
£75.00

See the entries for Angus Wilson and Christina Foyle in the Oxford DNB. ‘Dolly’ is clearly the ‘Mrs. A. G. Dowdeswell’ who was secretary of the Johnson Society of London in the 70s and 80s (arranging luncheons) and named as a member of the Johnson Society at least as late as 1992. The recipient Philip Dosse was proprietor of Hansom Books, publisher of a stable of seven arts magazines including Books and Bookmen and Plays and Players. See ‘Death of a Bookman’ by the novelist Sally Emerson (editor of ‘Books and Bookmen’ at the time of Dosse’s suicide), in Standpoint magazine, October 2018.

Autograph Letter Signed ('Francis Paget') from the future Bishop of Oxford, Francis Paget of Christ Church, to 'Mr. Dowdeswell' [Rev. Edmund Richard Dowdeswell], suggesting his brother-in-law Rev. Henry Lewis Thompson as a lecturer.

Author: 
Right Rev. Francis Paget (1851-1911), Bishop of Oxford and Dean of Christ Church [Edmund Richard Dowdeswell (1845-1915); Henry Lewis Thompson (1840-1905), Rector of Iron Acton; Mandell Creighon]
Publication details: 
Christ Church, Oxford. 20 July 1887.
£45.00

4pp., 12mo. Good, on aged paper, with one small spot at head of first page. He feels sure that 'if Canon Creighton [Mandell Creighton, then Canon of Worcester] could be persuaded to undertake the Lectures he would do the work far better and far more worthily than I can hope to do it', but he does not know Creighton well enough to ask him to take his place. 'And so, in view of your letter, I think that I had better look forward to coming and doing my best: though I greatly fear that the work may be less thoroughly prepared than it shold be'.

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