REFORMER

See the entries for Mrs Maurice’s sister Octavia Hill and their mother Caroline Southwood Hill in the Oxford DNB. Book: viii + 77 + [1]. 12mo. Errata slip between pp.56 and 57. In original green cloth, gilt. Good copy, lightly aged and worn, in original green cloth binding gilt. Bookplate of Queen’s College, London, on front paste-down, stamped ‘WITHDRAWN’. Presentation inscription on recto of front free endpaper: ‘Queens College Library / Presented by Mrs C. S. Maurice / 1931’.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. With regard to the subject of the letter, the 'penny banks' that were established in mid-Victorian England to encourage thrift among the working classes, see J. W. Dirring's thesis 'The Organization and Practice of Banking in Cornwall, 1771-1922', which states that ' the Penryn Penny Bank (founded in 1861), [...] was forced to stop payment in February [1879] with its funds inaccessible in the failed Cornish Bank'. 2pp, 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged and creased, with postage folds, one of which has as short closed tear at edge.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. 2pp, 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded for postage. Smiles names the recipient as ‘P. V. de Montgomery Esq’ and signs the letter ‘S Smiles’. He thanks him for ‘the shawl, which has duly come to hand’, continuing, ‘We reached town last night, after a very pleasant ten days trip, not the least pleasant part of which was our very delightful visit to Rydal Mount’. He is sending a copy of ‘the last Edition of Stephenson [his biography of Robert Stephenson] for Mrs Montgomery. It is not a lady’s book, yet she may possibly be interested by it’.

See the two men's entries in the Oxford DNB. 2pp, 12mo. Bifolium. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn. Folded for postage. Addressed to ‘Edw Walford Esq M.A’ and signed ‘George Smith’. The handwriting is somewhat opaque, rendering the following transcription tentative. He begins by thanking him for sending a cutting ‘from the “Gossip of the Clubs” ’, before continuing: ‘In consequence of the opposition there is still against me in the Brick & tile trade, the amount of time & Correspondence [it takes?] is [?] with the [?] of the act, I find it anything but [?] to get along.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. The recipient is not to be confused with his father the botanist Dawson Turner (1775-1858), whose entry contains the following regarding the son: ‘During his final decade he lived in central London, and his untidy figure became familiar to the needy in hospitals and on the streets, whom he assisted with dedicated benevolence. He died in Charing Cross Hospital, London, on 29 January 1885, and was buried at Brompton cemetery.’ The present item was hence written within weeks of the recpient’s death. Post Card printed with red halfpenny stamp.

See her entry in the Oxford DNB. The ‘Congress’ she is referring to in the letter is the 1869 Bristol Social Science Congress. 1p, 16mo. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded twice. Reads: ‘Dear Miss Thompson / It gave me pleasure to see you at the Congress I feel sure you will have heard much here which will stimulate you to further work. / I enclose you my carte as a remembrance. / Yours truly / Mary Carpenter. -’

Barnett’s entry in the Oxford DNB accepts his ‘greatness’ and discusses its nature. 1p, 16mo. On bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded once. The subject of this letter is William Tourell, Superintendent of the East London Shoeblack Brigade, a charity of which Barnett was treasurer. The letter begins: ‘Dear Maud. / My Friend Towrell [sic] is dying of cancer. He is taking violet leaves & somehow the disease seems arrested. The doctor says he had better go on taking these leaves as they may be doing good’.

Rectangle of paper, cut down from a larger page, with corners trimmed at the diagonal. In fair condition, lightly aged. Laid down on a piece of card. Reads: 'It is good not to eat Flesh, or Drink Wine, or do anything whereby a Brother may be caused to stumble or be made weak. Romans C. 14. V. 21. | Theobald Mathew | September 12 1843'.

2pp, 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged, with traces of grey paper from mount adhering at head of second page. Folded once. Reads: 'The Baroness Burdett Coutts sends her kind compliments and thanks to Mr. Blunt and regrets that she is unable to avail herself of the kind proposal of his Father and Mother, as she has another engagement between the City and Chelsea, but her Ladyship hopes to be at the Rectory as near Six o'clock as possible'.

3pp, 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged, but with traces of glue on blank reverse of second leaf, which has a vertical closed tear the length of a fold line in blank space beneath signature. The male recipient is not named. The letter begins: 'Dear Sir | Do not think me intrusive but I cannot resist offering you in writing the warm thanks of my heart for your Protest against that hateful thing known as Vivisection'. She has read with 'feelings of thankfulness the expression of your opinion which Mr Froude stated with his own to Mr Cross'.

3pp, 12mo. Bifolium. In fair condition, on aged paper with traces of glue from mount on reverse of second leaf. The letter begins: 'Dear Miss Cole - | It is kind of you to invite Mr Raj - I have forwarded yr message to him, & told him to answer it himself. He is a very good young man studying just now for his degree in London University - a friend of [Kesemb Amrinder Senj?] & a member of the [Brahur Somcij?] (Church of the One God - of India)'. She knows nothing else about him, but 'the [Brahures?] all come to him by right'.

Rectangle of paper, cut down from a larger page, with corners trimmed at the diagonal. In fair condition, lightly aged. Laid down on a piece of card. Reads: 'It is good not to eat Flesh, or Drink Wine, or do anything whereby a Brother may be caused to stumble or be made weak. Romans C. 14. V. 21. | Theobald Mathew | September 12 1843'.

2pp, 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged, with traces of grey paper from mount adhering at head of second page. Folded once. Reads: 'The Baroness Burdett Coutts sends her kind compliments and thanks to Mr. Blunt and regrets that she is unable to avail herself of the kind proposal of his Father and Mother, as she has another engagement between the City and Chelsea, but her Ladyship hopes to be at the Rectory as near Six o'clock as possible'.

3pp, 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged, but with traces of glue on blank reverse of second leaf, which has a vertical closed tear the length of a fold line in blank space beneath signature. The male recipient is not named. The letter begins: 'Dear Sir | Do not think me intrusive but I cannot resist offering you in writing the warm thanks of my heart for your Protest against that hateful thing known as Vivisection'. She has read with 'feelings of thankfulness the expression of your opinion which Mr Froude stated with his own to Mr Cross'.

On 4 x 11 cm slip of paper. Reads: '[...] them. | With many thanks for yr kindness believe me | very truly yrs | Frances P Cobbe'. On reverse: '[...] information. | Have you ever seen a very curious French book [...]'.

1p, 12mo. Aged and creased, with closed tears and chipping repaired on reverse with archival tape. Reads: 'Dear Dr Hodgson. | Could you kindly send me your paper & speech on Edn. of Girls. We are waiting for it now & very anxious to finish up. | Yours sincerely | Isa Craig.'

2pp, 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged. Addressed to 'B. Nicholson, Esq., | Brooks's, | St. James's Street, S.W.1.' (Nicholson was the son of Harold Nicholson and Vita Sackville-West.) She begins by thanking him for his 'kind letter and charming gift of your drawings of St. Nectaire', adding: 'as an author my vanity is flattered by your appreciation of “Romanesque France”'. She is glad she has helped 'a certain number of people in getting to know some of the beauties of France', but feels 'something of a fraud about the book as without the help of my friend Mr.

2pp., 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged. She is responding to his 'kind wish, on the occasion of our last pleasant interview, that our intercourse might be Socially, if not professionally, renewed', by inviting him to dinner, in the hope that she may be 'so fortunate as to find you disengaged, & kindly disposed to favour me with your company'. Swanwick is associated with the foundation of both Somerville Hall, Oxford, and Girton College, Cambridge.

Written over the front of a 6 x 9.5 cm calling card of 'Mrs. Ormiston Chant, | 49, Gower Street, W.C.' In good condition, lightly aged. Eve has written his initials in red ink over the note. Reads: 'Dear Mr Eve | Please excuse Clement for being late this morning. We are starting for Grindewald, and are anxious for him to see us off at Charing Cross. He will be at school by 11 a.m. | Yours sincerely. | L. Ormiston Chant.' For information on Eve, see P. G. Naiditfh, 'A.E. Housman at University College, London: The Election of 1892' (1988).

1p., 4to. In fair condition, lightly aged, with traces of stub adhering to reverse. Addressed on reverse, with broken seal in red wax and postmarks, to 'Miss Beavan | Brynry Hydd [ i.e. Bryn yr Hydd] | Glasbury | Hay | South Wales'. An expansively-written note, above a similar signature, reading: 'May I request you to read the accompanying Circular, and to give it your favourable consideration?'

2pp., 12mo. On lightly-aged paper with a number of vertical fold lines. The reference to Sir John Bowring dates the letter to before his death in 1872. With reference to Julia Ward Howe (author of the 'Battle Hymn of the Republic') and her husband Samuel Gridley Howe she writes: 'Dr. & Mrs.

2pp., 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged. Barnett and his wife will be 'up at Oxford on Saturday, May 2nd' and he gives their itinerary: 'We shall be Engaged on the Evening of Saturday: & on Sunday I preach in Balliol Chapel: & attend a meeting in Balliol Hall in the Evening.' If Wells could 'slip a meeting in, at any time, which would leave these times free', Barnett would be 'very glad to come to it'.

On 5.5 x 11.5 cm piece of paper, cut from the end of a letter. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper, laid down on part of leaf from album. Reads: 'Yours faithfully | Isa Craig | R. A. Arnold Esq'.

1p., 4to. In fair condition, on aged and worn paper, with slight damage to corners caused by removal from album. For the context of the letter, see Oastler's entry in the Oxford DNB, which explains that he was nearing the end of a three and a half year sentence at the Fleet Prison, for 'debts accumulated during his stewardship at Fixby', the charge being a 'Pretext', his 'campaign against the new poor law' having proved 'incendiary'. The letter begins: 'Maria! | This comes from thy own Papa, to wish thee a Happy new Year.

2pp., 12mo. In fair condition, lightly aged, and slightly creased at foot. He apologises for being unable to attend a meeting, 'which I had given up, hearing that Sir C. Trevelyan had, already, promised to undertake the duty'. As president, he must attend 'an important Lecture' at the Victoria Institute, 'the Committee having fixed the day, supposing me to be free'.

On 4 x 13.5 cm. strip of paper, cut from the front panel of an envelope. In fair condition, lightly aged. Addressed to 'John Head Esq | Ransome Sims & Head | Ipswich', with the underlined signature 'Samuel Plimsoll' at bottom left.

2pp., 12mo. In fair condition, on lightly-aged paper. He assures de Boinville that he 'much regrets his want of leisure to peruse the MS. that M de Boinville has been so good as to send him'. He concludes with the complaint that he is 'really so occupied that heh has not time for the discharge of the several duties that are imposed upon him'.

On 5 x 17.5 cm strip cut from the end of a letter. In fair condition, on lightly-aged paper. Reads: 'With kind regards | Yours sincerely | Victor Horsley | J. Davidson E. MD. &c.'

1p., 12mo. Good, on lightly-aged paper. The letter reads: 'My dear Ella: | It wd be very kind if you cd come to see me as I have never recovered & am downstairs again. - Will you come to tea to-day or tomorrow. I want somebody to play with me!'

1p., 12mo. Good, on aged paper. She states that she will be 'happy to wait on Sir Stafford Northcote at 4 oclock on Wednesday the 30th instant as you mention'. Docketed by Benthall on reverse of second leaf of bifolium, 'Miss Carpenter | Oct: 15. 1867. | Will wait on you on Oct: 30. at 4 o'clock'. Benthall was described in Wisden as batting 'in an exceedingly pretty style, cutting beautifully to the off, and has made some capital scores in the best matches'.