MAJOR-GENERAL

[‘The Tichborne Claimant’: the soi-disant Sir Roger Charles Doughty-Tichborne, held to be an imposter named Arthur Orton.] Signed Autograph inscription as ‘R. C. D. Tichborne’, with Signed Autograph inscription by Major-General Arthur Phelps.

Author: 
‘The Tichborne Claimant’ (d.1898): the soi-disant Sir Roger Charles Doughty-Tichborne (b.1829), held to be an imposter named Arthur Orton (b.1834); Major-General Arthur Phelps (1837-1920), Indian Army
‘The Tichborne Claimant’
Publication details: 
Inscription by the Tichborne Claimant dated 6 March 1893. Inscription by Phelps dated 9 December 1890.
£160.00
‘The Tichborne Claimant’

The Tichborne Case was very possibly the greatest scandal of Victorian England. See the entry for ‘Tichborne claimant’, with subheading for ‘Arthur Orton’ in the Oxford DNB. Trained as a civil engineer, Major-General Arthur Phelps (1837-1920), civil engineer, was a prominent homeopath, anti-vaccinationist, and anti-vivisectionist, who promoted his views as proprietor and editor of the Citizen newspaper. Each inscription is on one side of a single 11.5 x 18.5 cm piece of gilt-edged wove paper, presumably extracted from an autograph album.

[Major-Gen. Sir Robert Neville, soldier with the Rl Marines and later Governor of the Bahamas] Typed Letter Signed to Lieut. G. Hide, asking for assistance in getting back to Edinburgh after a trip to Scapa.

Author: 
Major-General Sir Robert Neville [Robert Arthur Ross Neville] (1896-1987), British soldier with the Royal Marines in both world wars; Governor of the Bahamas, 1950-1953; Combined Operations, Whitehall
Publication details: 
15 August 1943; on letterhead of the Combined Operations Headquarters, 1A Richmond Terrace, Whitehall, SW1 [London].
£120.00

See his obituary in The Times, 16 June 1987. 1p, 4to. On aged and lightly creased and worn paper. Folded twice, with short closed tears to edges of central horizontal crease. Addressed to ‘Dear Hide’ and ‘Lieutenant G. Hide, R.N.V.R. / 700 Squadron / TWATT.’ Signed ‘Robert Neville’. He feels ‘very guilty’ that he did not write to thank Hide ‘for the Walrus, which was, of course, an absolute Godsend to me. Sargent could not have been a more delightful or obliging pilot.

[‘Slatin Pasha’: Sir Rudolf von Slatin, Inspector-General of the Sudan.] Autograph Signature and part of Autograph Letter (vertical half- see image) to ‘Jackson’.[Jackson Pasha?]

Author: 
‘Slatin Pasha’ [Major-General Sir Rudolf Anton Carl Freiherr von Slatin (1857-1932), Inspector-General of the Sudan]
Slatin
Slatin2
Publication details: 
29 October 1907. On ‘Khartoum’ [Sudan] letterhead.
£200.00
Slatin
Slatin2

The entry for Slatin in the Oxford DNB gives a good outline of the life of this adventurer. The present item forms half of a 4to leaf, torn down the middle vertically, no doubt in order to provide an autograph. In good condition, lightly aged. Written lengthwise on the reverse, in a large bold hand, is the valediction: ‘Hoping that you are fit & well / Yours ever / R Slatin’.

[Major-General Abraham D’Aubant, who played a leading role in the 1794 invasion of Corsica, frustrating Nelson with his caution.] Autograph Note in the third person to ‘Mr Brown’.

Author: 
Major-General Abraham D’Aubant (d.1805), Colonel of His Majesty's Corps of Royal Engineers, who played a leading role the 1794 invasion of Corsica [Horatio Nelson; Lord Nelson]
D'Aubant
Publication details: 
8 July [no year]; Devonshire Place [London].
£180.00
D'Aubant

An uncommon signature. During the 1794 invasion of Corsica, D’Aubant took over as Lord Hood’s second-in-command after Hood forced Major-General David Dundas to resign, but proved even more cautious, to the frustration of Nelson and others. 1p, landscape 8vo. Laid down on part of leaf from autograph album, captioned in Victorian hand, ‘General D’Aubant’. On discoloured paper, with deeper discoloration from glue from mount. Folded twice. Reads: ‘Genl D’Aubant presents his compliments to Mr Brown, and will call upon him at 12. next Thursday 8th July / Devonshe. place.’ See image.

[ 'Mrs. George Wrottesley' [ Margaret Anne Wrottesley ], journalist and daughter of Sir John Fox Burgoyne. ] Autograph Letter in the third person to 'Mr Lacy' [ theatrical bookseller Thomas Hailes Lacy ], regarding copies of two plays.

Author: 
'Mrs George Wrottesley' [ Margaret Anne Wrottesley, nee Margaret Anne Burgoyne ] (c.1832-1883), journalist ('M. A. B.'), daughter of Sir John Fox Burgoyne [ Thomas Hailes Lacy, theatrical bookseller ]
Publication details: 
Wrottesley, Wolverhampton. 10 February 1864.
£45.00

See Mrs George Wrottesley's obituary in The Times, 10 May 1883, in which she is praised for 'her undaunted courage and unshaken endurance of difficulties displayed repeatedly during her father's mission to the East' in 1854. 1p., 12mo. In fair condition, lightly aged. The main body of the letter reads: 'Mrs. George Wrottesley will feel much obliged to Mr Lacy if he will send her a copy of the play of | "The Wonder" - | The address is to | The Honble. | Mrs. George Wrottesley | Wrottesley | Wolverhampton'. At the head of the letter she adds a query concerning 'the play of Donna Diana'.

[ Major-General Sir Henry James of the Royal Engineers, Director General of the Ordnance Survey. ] Autograph Letter Signed ('Henry James.') to Sir John Fox Burgoyne, regarding Sir Emerson Tennent and 'abstracts from Meteorological observations'.

Author: 
Major-General Sir Henry James (1803-1877) of the Royal Engineers, British army officer, Director General of the Ordnance Survey, 1854-1875 [ Sir Emerson Tennent (1804-1869); Sir John Fox Burgoyne]
Publication details: 
On letterhead of the Ordnance Map Office, Southampton. 20 November 1856.
£80.00

3pp., 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged. Addressed to 'Sir John F. Burgoyne. | Bart:'. He is sending 'a copy of the Abstracts from Meteorological observations taken at our Foreign stations, in which Sir Emerson Tennent will find the abstract from the observations taken at Columbo in the year 1853-4'. He is also sending abstracts from subsequent years which 'have not yet been printed'.

[ Sir Henry Torrens, Adjutant-General to the Forces. ] Autograph Note Signed ('Henry Torrens | Mil Secty.'), regarding the payment of 'the Extraordinaries of the Army'

Author: 
Major-General Sir Henry Torrens KCB (1779-1828), Irish soldier, Adjutant-General to the Forces
Publication details: 
Place indecipherable. 15 August <1809?>.
£180.00

1p., 16mo. In fair condition, on aged and worn paper. Reads: Dear Sir - | I am directerd by the Commander of ther Forces to request that you will pay the enclosed on account of the Extraordinaries of th Army.' Torrens was Military Secretary between 1809 and 1820.

[ George Sterling Ansel Ryerson, Canadian politician and physician. ] Autograph Letter Signed ('G Sterling Ryerson') to the Secretary, Royal Society of Arts, regarding his subscription arrears, describing his recent misfortunes. With calling card.

Author: 
Major-General G. Sterling Ryerson [ George Sterling Ansel Ryerson ] (1855-1925), Canadian physician and politician
Publication details: 
The letter on his letterhead of Peaceacres, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario [ Canada ], with monogram 'ETR'. 1 October 1924.
£120.00

LETTER: 3pp., 8vo. Bifolium with mourning border. In good condition, with the Society's stamps and annotations. He apologises for being 'behind in my annual dues', explaining that he has 'suffered severely from the war, financially & personally - my wife went down in the Lusitania - and have had my means seriously reduced'. Nevertheless he would like to renew his subscription and would like to know 'on what terms I can rejoin the Society'. Docketed in pencil and ink on reverse of second leaf: 'Elected June 1911 | Paid 2 years | taken off Dec 1916' and '2.2 for arears £5.5 up to Xmas 1925'.

[ Major-General Sir Cecil Lowther of the Scots Guards. ] Autograph Letter Signed ('H. C. Lowther | Brig. Genl.') asking for Captain Barron's credentials.

Author: 
Major-General Sir Cecil Lowther [ Henry Cecil Lowther; H. C. Lowther ] (1869-1940) of the Scots Guards
Publication details: 
On letterhead of G.H.Q., Home Forces, Horse Guards, Whitehall, S.W. [ London ]. 24 October 1916.
£35.00

1p., 12mo. In fair condition, lightly aged. One can hear the clipped tones of the military man: 'Dear Capt. Barron, | Gen. Gosling spoke & wrote to me about you. | What is your present state, duty, light duty, leave, or what? | Please let me know & tell me when you get orders to join a reserve unit, & which. | Yours very truly | H. C. Lowther | Brig. Genl.' Lowther's entry in Who Was Who reads: 'Entered Scots Guards, 1888; Capt.

[ Major-General Sir John Clayton Cowell, Master of the Queen's Household and Governor of Windsor Castle. ] Autograph Note Signed ('J. C. Cowell') to the Lord Bishop of St Helena [ Piers Calveley Claughton ], presenting a portrait of Prince Albert.

Author: 
Major-General Sir John Clayton Cowell (1832-1894), PC, KCB, Master of the Queen's Household and Governor of Windsor Castle [ Piers Calveley Claughton, successively Bishop of St Helena and Colombo ]
Publication details: 
On embossed Windsor Castle letterhead. 29 November 1860.
£50.00

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'.

[ Major-General Sir Benjamin Charles Stephenson, Surveyor-General of the Board of Works. ] Autograph Letter Signed ('B C Stephenson') to 'Lieutt: Lawrence R:N:' about an invention.

Author: 
Major-General Sir Benjamin Charles Stephenson (c.1766-1839), G.C.H., Surveyor-General of the Office of Works
Publication details: 
Office of Works [London]. 19 March 1823.
£56.00

1p., 4to. In good condition, on lightly aged and worn paper, with a short closed tear along a crease and slight loss to one corner. He regrets that 'it is not in my power to afford any Official Assistance, in promoting the use of your very Ingenious, & Valuable Invention; as the Business of this Department is exclusively confined to the Building, & <?>, belonging either to His Majesty, or the Public, such as Palaces, Public Offices &c.' He suggests a number of organisations to which Lawrence should apply., 'as the Departments most likely to encourage your useful Undertaking'.

Printed prospectus for 'The Crown Jewels and other Regalia in the Tower of London'.

Author: 
Major-General H. D. W. Sitwell, Keeper of the Jewel House, Tower of London; Clarence Winchester [The Dropmore Press]
Publication details: 
Published at The Dropmore Press Limited, 9 Great James Street, London WC1. Undated [before the publication of the book itself in 1953].
£38.00

4pp., 4to. Bifolium. In very good condition. Covering the whole of the front page is a beautiful coloured illustration of the Imperial State Crown, with no text. The following three pages are printed in black and purple, with the second page carrying the publication details; the third page a full-page note from the editor; and the last page an advertisement for Sir John Wilson's 'Royal Philatelic Collection'. No copies of this item traced on either COPAC or OCLC WorldCat.

Autograph Signed corrected draft of 'Memorial of Major general Charles Viscount Grant de Vaux' to the Earl of Bathurst, requesting the transfer of a previous grant of land in Canada to his native island of Mauritius.

Author: 
Charles Grant, Vicomte de Vaux [Major-General Charles Viscount Grant de Vaux] (1749-1818), soldier and author, born on the island of Mauritius [Henry Bathurst, 3rd Earl Bathurst (1762-1834)]
Publication details: 
Grant Cottage, King's Road, Sloane Square [London]. 21 January 1813.
£800.00

2pp., cr.8vo (30 x 18.5cm). In fair condition, aged and worn, with slight damage to one corner, resulting in loss of one word of text. 62 lines of text, with deletions and emendations, and the thirteen lines of the conclusion largely rewritten. Headed: 'To the Right Honorable | the Earl of [sic] Bathurst | His Majestys Principal Secretary of State for the Colonial & War Department, | &c &c &c | the Memorial of Major General Charles Viscount Grant de Vaux | Shewest [sic]'.

[Printed pamphlet.] The Training of the Anti-Aircraft Searchlight Spotter. By Major L. E. C. M. Perowne, R.E. (Revised Edition.)

Author: 
Major L. E. C. M. Perowne, R.E. [Major-General Lancelot Edgar Connop Mervyn Perowne (1902-1982), Royal Engineers, Commander, 17th Gurkha Division]
Publication details: 
Date and place not stated. [A revised reprint from The Royal Engineers Journal, September 1938.]
£120.00

24pp., 8vo, with one extra plate on art paper, and five full pages of diagrams in text. Stapled, in blue printed wraps. With two ownership inscriptions on the wraps, both of Royal Artillery personnel: the first of S. M. Dawes, and the second of '483 S/L Batt RA', i.e. Jack Lynden Batt (b.1922), of 155th Battery, 172nd Field Regiment, Royal Artillery. This offprint is excessively scare, with no copies listed on COPAC or WorldCat.

Autograph Letter Signed from Rustam Khan to Lieutenant-Colonel H. C. Tytler, Commandant, thanking the officers of the 17th Regiment of Bengal Cavalry [Bengal Lancers], for conferring on him 'the honorary rank of captaincy'.

Author: 
Captain Rustam Khan, 17th Regiment of Bengal Cavalry [Bengal Lancers] [Major-General Sir Harry Christopher Tytler (1867-1939)
Autograph Letter Signed from Rustam Khan to Lieutenant-Colonel H. C. Tytler
Publication details: 
4 May 1912.
£120.00
Autograph Letter Signed from Rustam Khan to Lieutenant-Colonel H. C. Tytler

12mo, 3 pp. 38 lines. Text clear and complete. The two leaves attached along the margins. Signed in Devanagari and European ('So: Rustam Khan Captain') scripts. He acknowledges 'receipt of the Commission conferring on me the honorary rank of captaincy with a deep sense of gratitude to you and all the Officers of the Regiment'. States that he will 'ever cherish a grateful remembrance of all that the Officers and Regiment have done for me'.

Copy of manuscript 'King's Warrant' [King George III], declaring 'Major General Saml. Townsend, discharged from further accounting for the Sum of £17464. 14. 8 received by him for Recruiting Service from the end of the year 1778, to 24th. June 1786.'

Author: 
[Major-General Samuel Irwin Townsend (1732-1794), 19th Foot; American War of Independence; King George III'; William Pitt the Younger; Edward James Eliot; Sir John Aubrey]
Major-General Samuel Irwin Townsend
Publication details: 
'Given at Our Court at Saint James's this First day of May 1787 in the Twenty Seventh Year of Our Reign.'
£280.00
Major-General Samuel Irwin Townsend

Folio, 2 pp. On first leaf of bifolium, with the verso of the second leaf docketed, under the heading 'King's Warrant'. Text clear and complete. Fair, on aged paper. Headed '(Copy)', and with 'George R' in a bold hand in the top left-hand corner. Although the signature is almost certainly not in the hand of the king, the document is docketed in pencil: 'Signature of his late beloved Majesty King George III on Copy of a Warrant retained by General Saml. Townsend'.

Autograph Letter Signed ('J Crowe') by John Crowe, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Norwich Union Fire & Life Insurance Societies, to Major-General John Hall, regarding 'the misconduct of the Secretary Mr Thos Bignold Senr.'

Author: 
John Crowe, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Norwich Union Fire & Life Insurance Societies [Major-General John Hall (1770-1823) of Park Hall, Mansfield Woodhouse; Thomas Bignold (1761-1835)]
Publication details: 
16 November 1818; Union Office, Norwich.
£280.00

Folio, 2 pp. On the rectos of the two leaves of a bifolium. On laid paper watermarked 'Gilling & Allford 1816'. Text clear and complete. Good, on lightly-aged paper. The first page contains a letter addressed to 'General Hall' from 'Union Office | Norwich 16th Novr. 1818', forty lines long and signed 'J Crowe'. The second page is headed 'Norwich Union Life Insurance Society | Statement of the particulars of the misconduct of the Secretary Mr Thos Bignold Senr.' It contains a six-point indictment of Bignold, totalling thirty-seven lines.

Secretarial Letter, Signed by Cameron, to Dickson, complaining that the latter's charges for work on the Ordnance Survey are 'very high'; ALS, 'Robt. H. Forman" of the War Department to Dickson; copies of Dickson's replies to both men.

Author: 
Major-General John Cameron, Director-General of the Ordnance Survey, 1875-1878 [William Dickson, Clerk of the Peace of the County of Northumberland; Alnwick]
Major-General John Cameron, Director-General of the Ordnance Survey
Publication details: 
London and Alnwick. All from 1855. Cameron's letter on letterhead of the Ordnance Map Office, Southampton.
£150.00
Major-General John Cameron, Director-General of the Ordnance Survey

All four items with text clear and complete. Good, on lightly-aged paper. The four items pinned together and placed in the stamped envelope of Cameron's letter, addressed to Dickson as 'Clerk of the Peace of the County of Northumberland | Newcastle upon Tyne'. Casting interesting light on the workings of the Ordnance Survey. Letter One: Cameron to Dickson ('for Lieut: Colonel James | Director, absent on duty'), 19 September 1855. 4to, 1 p.

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