LONDON

4pp, 16mo. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged. The letter begins: 'My dear Mr Archer | I am sorry to be open to the reproof, which I feel contained in your very natural supposition that I am in my duties before this time, but in truth here I am till tomorrow - when I [?] Mrs Bright Children & all, we make our best speed towards Saville [sic] Row [his London address] & when I am there, towards the end of the week, I will do my best to furnish myself with the information you want & which at present I have not got'.

3pp, 12mo. Bifolium with mourning border. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn. Folded twice. He reports that he 'wrote a line to Gladstone about the condition of the East urging the Govt. to take it up either by Equalization of Poor Rates, Emigration or Alteration of License System or all of these'. He considers that 'a good case is made out' and the measures he suggests 'wd do something'. He wonders whether the recipient might be able to 'put a few statistics together'. He thinks that 'the worst part is the permanent depression of the trading class wh takes away all vitality'.

See McCulloch's entry in the Oxford DNB. He was appointed Comptroller of H.M. Stationery Office in 1838. 1p, 16mo In good condition, lightly aged. Folded once. Reads: 'Mr. McCulloch presents compts to Sir James and Lady Em. Tennent, and begs to thank them for their kind invitation to dine with them on the 5th proxo, which he has much pleasure in accepting.'

See Mackenzie's appreciative entry in the Oxford DNB, which points out that in his day he was 'regarded as the finest ever Scottish musician'. The recipient Mrs Florence Russell worked for Mackenzie as an administrator at the Royal Academy of Music, to which he acted as principal between 1887 and his retirement in 1924, and of which she was herself a former student.

See Mackenzie's appreciative entry in the Oxford DNB, which points out that in his day he was 'regarded as the finest ever Scottish musician'. The recipient Mrs Florence Russell worked for Mackenzie as an administrator at the Royal Academy of Music, to which he acted as principal between 1887 and his retirement in 1924, and of which she was herself a former student.

Corder (whose sister was the artist and forger Rosa Corder, sitter to Whistler and lover of Charles Augustus Howell) had bought Looe Island (subject of two books by its subsequent owners the Atkins sisters) in 1921 with the proceeds of the sale of his collection of first editions. The recipient Florence Russell was an official at the Royal College of Music, and other material addressed to her by the Principal Sir A. C. Mackenzie is offered separately. 2pp, 12mo.

Phelps's entry in the Oxford DNB gives the background to the present letter, stating that Phelps 'married Sarah Cooper (1810/11–1867) on 11 August 1826; she was just sixteen. However, their marriage was very happy: they were a devoted couple, and Sarah later served as Phelps's dresser. Phelps preferred home life with her to clubs or social gatherings. His other delights were angling and shooting, and he purportedly knew every trout stream in England. They had three sons and three daughters, including William Robert (1828–1867), who became chief justice of St Helena, and Edmund (d.

A nice item, in which, writing to a friend in London, Moulton describes, and encloses a holograph copy of, the poem she has written that very day for the following day's New Year's Eve party to celebrate the engagement of Longfellow's youngest daughter Anne Allegra to Joseph Gilbert Thorp Jr. (1852-1931). 4pp, 12mo. Bifolium. Aged, worn and creased, with damage resulting in loss of a couple of words of text, due to tearing of the letter away from mount. The letter covers three pages, the last written lengthwise, and is forty-six lines long.

A very nice item relating to one of the greatest and best-loved of all cricketers: his signature to a scorecard of his final innings in first-class cricket, in which he scored a hundred, accompanied by a newspaper cutting describing the event. Official scorecard with serial number, printed on both sides of a 24 x 12.5 cm piece of card. Priced at twopence, and headed: 'This card does not necessarily include the fall of the last wicket | 2d. Lords [MCC device] Ground | Middlesex v. Surrey | Saturday & Monday, August 28, 30, 1937. (Three-day Match.)'.

On one side of a slip of laid paper cut from the end of a letter: roughly 4 x 17 cm, the reverse being blank. In good condition, lightly aged. Good neat signature to the valediction of a letter. Reads: 'I am my d [Phippen?] | (in great haste | Yours very truly | Jos: S: Munden'. Munden eas the subject of one of the "Essays of Elia" (Charles Lamb).

The eleven items are in fair condition, lightly aged and worn, laid down on two heavily-worn leaves removed from an album. An interesting slice of social history, relating to introduction into England of a phenomenon which began in the Unites States in the 1850s. Nine of the items relate to spelling bees in Kennington, managed by the compiler of the material T. W. Williams, and one to a 'Grand Spelling Bee' in Guildford.

On 4 x 18.5 cm slip of paper cut from the end of a letter. In fair condition, on aged and lightly creased paper, with two folds and small strip of tape discolouration running along bottom edge, but not affecting any text. Reads: '[...] increased. | I remain Dear Sir | Yrs. very sincerely | John Abernethy | Bedford Row | 8th. June'.

The collection in fair condition, lightly aged and worn. The sixteen letters having a total of 37 pp, 12mo and 16mo. Thirteen letters signed 'J M Morton', one 'J. M. Morton', two 'John M Morton'. A request for 'a couple of orders' is addressed to 'B. Webster Esqre. | Theatre Royal | Haymarket', with postmark of 17 October 1837. A very interesting and spirited correspondence, shedding light on the relationship between Victorian playwright and producer.

The two letters in fair condition, lightly aged and worn. Both with contemporary annotation at head of first page. ONE: From 13 North Crescent, and signed 'John M Morton'. 2pp, 12mo. Addressed, with a second signature, to 'J. P. Harley Esq'. Begins: 'Tho' not quite finished, you will see enough of the drift of the piece, to enable you to say whether you fancy it or not. I have written it out without amendments, which are rarely made, if you approve - I began Dainty (you remember the name?) for Mr. [Humby?], but broke down'.

1p, 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded twice. The recipient is not named, but the item derives from the papers of James Payn, the editor of the Cornhill Magazine, London. Gallenga begins: 'My dear Sir. | The last time I saw you - it may be 20 years ago - you were leaving London to write for Chambers in Edinburgh.

3pp, 12mo. Bifolium. Fifty-one lines of text in a close neat hand, the last page written lengthwise. In good condition, lightly aged, with traces of white paper mount adhering to blank reverse of second leaf. Folded once. The letter is signed 'Barry Pain'. The recipient is not named, but is James Payn, editor of the Cornhill Magazine, who had just published the story that made Pain's name, 'The Hundred Gates'.

1p, 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded once. Referring to her son Francis Romano ('Cecco') Oliphant (1859-1894), she writes: 'Dear Mr. Payn | I send you with this in a registered packet by book post a story written by my youngest son, called "The Grateful Ghosts" which he wishes me to submit to you.' Her opinion is that the story 'would bear compression but that is usual to youthful productions'. She will be 'much gratified' if Payn likes it 'and can use it', and feels sure he will give it his consideration.

Two items in the hand of George Whitley, surgeon, of Halton, Cheshire (not to be confused with his namesake the epidemiologist George Whitley (1816-1881), for whose career see Fraser Brockington, 'Public Health in the Nineteenth Century', 1965). The two items are accompanied by the front board of a volume, with the following ownership inscription and note on the pastedown: 'George Whitley, Surgeon, | St. Thomas' Hospital. | London. | Novr. 22. 1819. | NB. See in this Book a Copy of a Letter to Lady Cunliffe pr. Mr. [?] Surgeon, about an Ulcerated Leg of her House Keeper, Mrs.

2pp, 4to. On two letterhead leaves with border in blue. The following endorsement printed at the foot of each leaf: 'ANNA PAVLOVA wrote after visiting the School: "It is with pleasure that I record the very good impression made on me both by the School and your method of training. I wish you the fullest success which I think your School deserves"'.

Four items, in good condition, lightly aged. The three letters with date stamps of the Society of Arts, and two with pencil annotations. All three signed 'Cloudesley Brereton'. ONE: ALS of 4 January 1900. 2pp, 12mo. He thanks him for his 'kindly intervention with the Board of Education', which he believes 'will in time bear good fruit'. He has been 'thinking over' Wood's 'suggestion of giving a lecture on the Rural Schools of France', and would 'much like to take it up if you have still a vacant date & you do not want it too soon - as I am just now overwhelmed with work'.

A nice collection of material, including five letters in which an American actor writes to a London friend while on a visit to England. The recipient of McDonough's letters is John Jabez Stocken (d.1892), head of a leading City of London firm of tobacconists, and an antiquary. (His son Frank Lacy Stocken (1867-1937) was later an actor under the name 'Frank Lacy'.) From the correspondence it is clear that McDonough stayed with Stocken during his stay in England.

Donne was a neighbour of Lady Cullum's, having moved to Bury St Edmunds in 1846. The present letter is written following Thackeray's near fatal illness of 1849, during the writing and serialisation of 'Pendennis'. The recipient Lady Ann Cullum (1807-1875), wife of Sir Thomas Gery Cullum (1777-1855) of Hardwick House, was a close friend of Thackeray's. 1p, 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged. The letter is complete from salutation to signature, but Donne has written '(over)' in the bottom left-hand corner of the page, suggesting a postscript.

The Times, 16 February 1860, announces 'the new drama, called A TALE OF TWO CITIES', at the Royal Lyceum Theatre, 'Sole Lessee and Directress, Madame Celeste'. ('Madame Céleste' [Céline Céleste-Elliott] (c.1815-1882) was a French dancer and actress.) 3pp, 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded three times. The recipient is not named. The letter has a large signature ('Henry Betty.') with florid underlining.

1p, 4to. On leaf of aged, worn and creased cartridge paper. Addressed to 'A. T. Q. C., | Care of The Editor of | The Speaker, 115, Fleet Street, E.C., London.' An interesting letter, touching on English and American journalistic practice, 'sensational' copy, plagiarism and fin-de-siècle Paris. The context is not entirely clear: one reading is that the recipient reported on or reproduced in the Fleet Street newspaper the Speaker one of Heilig's 'sensational letters to the American Sunday papers', only to have it 'cribbed' by Pearson's Weekly.

1p, 12mo. In fair condition, lightly aged, with traces of grey-paper mount on blank reverse, and minor discolouration at one edge from glue used. The actor Henry Leigh Murray (1820-1870) is identified in pencil as the recipient. The letter begins: 'My dear Sir, | You are quite welcome to a P[rivate]. Box if there is one to spare'. He asks him to 'call or send to Mr. Massingham at the Box Office at 1/2 past 4 o'clock who has received instructions to attend to your wishes, if all the Boxes are not let by that time'.

See Meadows' entry in the Oxford DNB. The recipient of the letter is not named, but it comes from the album of the actor Henry Leigh Murray, which also contained a letter regarding a theatre box from Charles Kean (offered separately). 1p, 12mo. 1p, 12mo. In fair condition, lightly aged, with traces of grey paper mount on reverse, and slight discolouration at corners from glue. Written with mock-pomposity, and beginning: 'My dear Sir | I hereby give you notice that Mr C. Kean has delivered unto me a Card for a Private Box for to-morrow Augt. 19th.

3pp., 12mo. On bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded once. With date stamp of the RSA, and endorsement in blue pencil. He is writing to inform Wood that 'a relative of mine has written a paper on a subject of importance regarding the connection of fat [containing glycerin] with manufacture of explosives in Germany - and showing how that Country is approaching a crisis - when her supply of fat will be approaching exhaustion'.

1p, 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged, with pin hole to one corner. Folded twice. The surname in Stock's signature underlined in green. She is 'greatly honoured' by Samson's invitation, '& it is a thing I should have loved to do. But the sad fact is, I am getting too senile to be sure of being able to keep a discussion in hand as a competant [sic] chairman should'. The letter concludes: 'I fear I am a bad example of an 82 year-old in view of what Sybil Thorndike does at 90!'

An attractive volume, nicely and crisply printed by Alexander Spottiswoode, New-Street-Square, ten years before Beckford's death. A good tight copy, lightly aged and spotted, rebacked in remains of original brown cloth binding, with chipped black labels, gilt. Bookplate of a John Murray on front pastedown (mermaid with looking-glass and comb, motto: 'TOUT PREST'). An attractive item, nicely and crisply printed by Alexander Spottiswoode, New-Street-Square. A 12mo volume, continuously paginated to 364, but with an additional pages *97-*128 inserted after p.128.

A treasure trove of socio-medico-legal information, in seven out of a total of ten volumes of notes by a protégé of Sir Bernard Spilsbury (two of whose autopsies are described in detail), with descriptions of his autopsies (1931) and his own reports as coroner of numerous inquests by him (between 1931 and 1945), in cases of murder, suicide (mainly Lysol and gas poisoning) and accident, such as: 'Self induced abortion', 'Septic foot - cutting toe-nail', 'Arm caught in machinery', 'Fall from barge into R[iver]. Lea', 'Burns at home | Clothing caught fire', 'Fall fr.