NOVEL

Lady Peck does not have an entry in the Oxford DNB, but the entries of her four brothers and father, supplemented by various biographies, illuminate the contents of this intimate family correspondence of more than fifty letters, in which the eldest sibling, Ethel Knox (1879-1958) features prominently. A total of 187pp, in various formats. Also present is a postcard sent from Ireland (letterhead of the Royal Hibernian Hotel, Dublin). The letters are signed 'W' and 'W F P', and almost all addressed to 'Teddie' (others to 'Evoe', 'E.

According to the Oxford DNB entry on Carter's wife the crime writer Margery Allingham (whose book jackets were among those he designed): 'Their amiable, childless marriage was funded by Allingham's increasingly successful fiction. And, although Youngman Carter assisted his wife as a sounding board for plot design, and by producing covers and illustrations for her work, he found it difficult to sell his art.

1p, landscape 12mo In good condition, with glue stain to one corner. Folded once. 'Mrs Belloc Lowndes regrets, on the score of ill health, that she cannot have the pleasure of accepting Lord [Treghre?]'s kind invitation.'

2pp, 12mo. On aged and creased paper, with two torn spike holes resulting in loss of a few letters of text. Date stamp on reverse. The recipient is not named, but is presumably the BBC producer Terence Dudley (1919-1988). Writing three months before his death, Strong begins the letter: 'My dear Terence, | How very kind of you! I [d]on't have any dignity in such matters! and I'd love to have a go, whether live or recorded.

LETTER: 1p, 4to. On aged and spotted paper. Folded once. Written in the shaky hand of a ninety-seven year-old. She thanks him for his 'letter so well written', adding: 'I don't think I wrote as well as that when I was eleven years old!' She wishes him every success with his autograph collection, and is pleased to add her signature to it. 'I will put it to the end of this sheet so that you can cut it out and paste it in where you wish.' The signature is at bottom right: 'Yours with sincere good wishes | Berta Ruck | 12th March | 1975'.

Depressed and paranoid, Lever spent his last days in Italy. For the Villa Morelli, see his Downey's 'Life in his Letters' (1906). 2pp, 12mo. On aged and creased paper, with closed tears to edges, but no loss. Folded twice. The handwriting is neat and controlled, but not always entirely legible. He begins with the news that he is returning 'the books you so kindly lent me'. Presumably referring to Charles Reade's 1866 novel 'Griffith Gaunt', Lever writes: 'Mr Reade is all you said of him, - often very amusing, & oftener very [?]'. A reference to 'the pleasanter reading' follows.

4pp, 18mo. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded twice. With envelope addressed 'To | John Arrow Kempe Esqre. | St James's Rectory | Piccadilly | W'.A long letter, with the words 'To be carefully kept' at the head of the first page. The letter begins with a light-hearted reference to her novel 'De Foix': 'My dear Godson/ | Accept the enclosed trifle - It may help you to make an excursion to the Casle of De Foix - and (vanity of authorship!) to tell me what it is like -'. After this she turns to the real theme, her will.

On one side of an irregular piece of thin paper, roughly 12.5 x 13.5 cm. From the celebrated autograph collection of Richard Monckton Milnes (Lord Houghton), and neatly mounted on a leaf extracted from an album. He writes that a few days previously he wrote to ask 'Monsieur le ministre de la marine' for 'une audience de q[uel]ques instants'. He fears that the letter did not reach him, and so renews his request. Signed 'salut et paternité | Alphonse Karr'.

1p, 12mo. In fair condition, lightly aged and creased. Folded once. Her letter has been forwarded to him and he has 'much pleasure in sending you my autograph. In order to make it a little more personal, I am sending it on one of my own private book-plates.'

1p, 4to. In fair condition, lightly aged and creased. Folded three times. After thanking Wynn for his letter he continues: 'It is a curious coincidence that in looking through a file of old correspondence yesterday I came across your letter of the 20th November 1915, which I read again with great pleasure'. Postscript: 'With good wishes to you & yours. J F.'

1p, 12mo. In fair condition, lightly aged and creased. Folded once. The salutation 'Dear B. J.' and valediction 'Yours | Jack' are in Priestley's autograph; the rest is typed. Maire Lynd's letter was 'a delight surprise', Priestley being unaware that her son was 'in the film business'.

1p, 12mo. On aged and creased paper. Folded twice. Written in purple ink. Firm signature, underlined with diagonal downstroke. Reads: 'Decr. 18 | My dear Williams, | What are you doing this Christmas? Will you come down here? | Your always | William Black'. The reverse carries pencil notes of Italian and French musical compositions in another hand.

1p, 12mo. In fair condition, aged and worn. Folded twice. 68 lines of text, written in a minute, neat hand. Folded twice. Black has numbered the page at top right '206'. The text begins: '[...] seemly and maidenly thing [...]', and ends 'she seemed to know beforehand what he had to say.' Black's entry in the Oxford DNB describes his 1884 novel 'Judith Shakespeare: A Romance' (published in America with the subtitle 'Her Love Affairs and Other Adventures') as 'a romance about the dramatist's daughter'.

Weyman is largely forgotten now, but he was admired by Robert Louis Stevenson and Oscar Wilde, and Graham Greene singled him out for regular re-reading among the authors of 'the key books in my life'. 1p, 4to. In fair condition, lightly aged, with pin holes to one corner. Folded twice. He is 'relieved' that Balfour thinks 'it will do. Yes, if you will kindly send it me I will look it over again & get it typed.' He has 'not seen the Church for some years', and will be grateful if Balfour will note any inaccuracy. He supposes that if the work is received within a fortnight 'it will do'.

3pp, 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged, with traces of paper from mount adhering to blank reverse of second leaf. Folded twice. Written in his usual difficult hand. He begins by stating that her note was forwarded to him from Knebworth. The letter continues: 'I had previously requested my Sol[icito]r.

3pp, 16mo. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded once. Begins: 'My dearest Aunt Agnes | Thank you very much indeed for your last letter. I send with this the announcement of my new book "Knight Errant", & if it would not trouble you to pass on the cards to any likely readers I should be very grateful.' She gives news of her children Amy and Maurice, and is enclosing 'a list of all the children of the family & their birthdays' (not present).

3pp, 16mo. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged, with minor traces of mount adhering to the blank reverse of the second leaf. An energetic letter, giving a sense of the writer's character, in wild and truly atrocious handwriting. It would appear to be addressed to 'Mackenne', but the recipient's name is in fact 'Mackinnon', an associate of Lady Ann Cullum, widow of Sir Thomas Gery Cullum of Hardwick House, from whose papers the item derives.

On both sides of the card. In good condition, lightly aged. The recipient is not named. Reads: 'Dear Sir | I should like to see the [Sandwith?] portrait, & will take an early opportunity of calling at the Club. Perhaps, in case you are not there, you will kindly instruct the poert to shew it me when I call. The signature looks like H. [Sandwiths?] writing – but he certainly wore moustache & whiskers from 1850 onwards.'

3pp, 12mo. Bifolium of grey paper. Good firm and elegant signature: 'Anne Thackeray'. In good condition, lightly aged, with minor traces from two labels from mount adhering at head of second leaf. Folded twice. The recipient is Lady Ann Cullum (1807-1875) of Hardwick House, widow of Sir Thomas Gery Cullum (1777-1855), 8th Baronet of Hardwick. She was a regular correspondent of Thackeray's, eight of whose letters were in the same album.

4pp, 16mo. Bifolium. Forty-two lines of text. Letterhead of family crest in gold and red. In good condition, lightly aged, with traces of white paper mount adhering to last page. Three fold lines. The editor's 'obliging Note' affords her 'sincere pleasure to have the opportunity of expressing her gratitude to him in person', and she asks him not to call some day the following week (she is 'going out of Town' the week after), but not in the morning, as she has 'much business, of a disagreeable and imperative nature to transact now'.

Evocative artefacts of the interesting connection between Powys and the man who supplied him with the books for his translation of Rabelais. On 24 September 1940, in 'Letters to Sea-Eagle', Powys gives a lengthy account of 'Our Jew Book-Pedlar' and the bombing by the Germans of his Russell Street address.

On one side of 4.5 x 10.5 cm piece of paper, cut from end of letter for autograph hunter. In good condition, lightly aged. Reads: 'Believe me, dear Mr Browne | Yours very sincerely | Katharine Tynan Hinkson | Robert Browne Esq.'

Perrin's entry in the Oxford DNB describes the renewed interest in her work in recent years. 1p, 4to. In good condition, lightly aged and creased. Folded twice. The salutation is to 'Mr. Wheeler', this being Stephen Wheeler, from whose papers it derives. She suggests an early lunch 'on Friday next 30th', as she and her husband 'have to catch a train about 4 o'clock'. 'We shall much look forward to seeing you.'

2pp, 16mo. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged and worn, with traces of glue from mount adhering to blank reverse of second leaf. Folded twice. She signs 'Anna Eliza Bray', and the letter is a response to a request of an autograph of the artist Thomas Stothard (1755-1834), father of her late husband Charles Alfred Stothard (1786-1821). She writes that she is 'much gratified' by Spence's 'appreciation of Mr. Stothard, not only as an Artist, but as a man: he was indeed truly estimable'.

Carleton's controversial reputation is dealt with in his entry in the Oxford DNB. 1p, 12mo. In fair condition, aged and worn. Folded twice. In response to a request for an autograph, he writes: 'My dear Mrs. Banks | You wish to have my humble name - You have however more than my name – You have my esteem and my highest respect – and I feel proud in [ratifying?] this by the subscription of Yours most faithfully and respectfully - | Wm. Carleton -'.

Admired by both Scott and Byron, Galt's novels are, as his entry in the Oxford DNB states 'so accurate in their account of social change that historians such as G. M. Trevelyan have recommended them as authentic social history'. 1p, 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged, laid down on paper cut from leaf of an album. Folded twice. Addressed to 'Wm. Stewart Esqr.' The letter relates to Galt's 'Autobiography', published in the same year, in which Galt states that 'a visit from Mr. William Stewart, the principal proprietor', led to his appointment as editor of the Courier.

3pp, 12mo. Bifolium. In fair condition, aged and lightly creased. Folded twice. Addressed 'To the Editor of the Courant'. Having been made Recorder of Hull in 1852, Warren begins his letter from that place: 'Sir, | Some friend has sent to me your paper of Thursday, last, containing a very kindly notice on my late Charge to the Grand Jury here.

The letter congratulates the recipient on the engagement of her daughter Ada Maud Broadwood to the Anglo-American sculptor Thomas Waldo Story (1855-1915). Ada Maud Story was the daughter of Mary Davison and Thomas Capel Broadwood, and the granddaughter of the New Orleans jurist Alfred Hennin. In Rome in 1883 she married Story, who was the son of sculptor and writer William Wetmore Story. The couple were friends of the artist James McNeill Whistler. 3pp., 16mo. Bifolium, folded once.

Good bold signature, on 5 x 10 cm slip of paper, cut from the end of a letter. In fair condition, lightly aged. Reads: 'Believe me | Yrs. most sincerely | Charlotte E L Riddell'.

In addition to his distinguished career as a playwright, Fry had some success in Hollywood. He completely rewrote (uncredited) the screenplay of 'Ben-Hur' (1959), and was responsible for the screenplay of the Dino De Laurentiis epic 'The Bible: In the Beginning' (1966), directed by John Houston. The present item is a treatment for a film that did not make it into production. It is [1] + 71pp, 8vo. Each page on a separate loose leaf. With thin card covers, also loose, the front cover carrying a duplication of the title-page, and the back cover blank. In good condition, lightly aged.