SIEGE

[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.

[ Vice-Admiral Sir Roger Curtis, British naval hero. ] Autograph Signature ('Roger Curtis') cut from letter.

Author: 
Vice-Admiral Sir Roger Curtis (1746-1816), officer of the Royal Navy, during the American Revolutionary War and the French Revolutionary Wars, who distinguished himself at the Great Siege of Gibraltar
Publication details: 
No date or place.
£25.00

On a 1.75 x 4.25 cm rectangle of laid paper cut from letter. In fair condition, lightly aged, with paper from mount on reverse. A neat, firm signature, reading 'Roger Curtis'.

[ Lord Harris of Belmont House. ] Autograph Note in the third person [ to his bookseller ], regarding two books sent to him.

Author: 
Lord Harris of Belmont House, Throwley, near Faversham, Kent [ Lieutenant General William George Harris (1782-1845), 2nd Baron Harris, British soldier under his father in Anglo-Mysore War ]
Publication details: 
'Belmont [ i.e. Belmont House, Throwley, near Faversham, Kent ] | 16th. Decr. 1841'.
£30.00

1p., 12mo. In fair condition, with central spike-hole and a few burn marks at foot. Reads: 'Lord Harris has just recd the Illustrations to Deserted Village, but retyrns Retsch's Othello by this night's Coach, having received a copy of it about a week since.'

[ General Thomas Graham, Lord Lynedoch. ] Autograph Letter Signed ('Thomas Graham') to an unnamed party, regarding a list of individuals (Commissioners of Supply?), with reference to Lord Keith and an act of parliament.

Author: 
General Thomas Graham, 1st Baron Lynedoch [ Lord Lynedoch ] (1748-1843), Scottish politician and distinguished soldier
Publication details: 
[ Docketed as from Stratton Street, with date 31 January 1803. ]
£180.00

2pp., 4to. Bifolium. In fair condition, lightly aged. Written in a difficult hand. Docketed on reverse of second leaf in a neat hand, explaining the context: 'Genl Thomas Graham | Stratton Street | 31 Janry 1803 | wrote him first febry that Peers could not be Commssrs of Supply | 1803 | 3 Febry wrote L[or]d Keith.' Graham's letter reads: 'There is the list – except two names wch. L[or]d Keith wishes to have inserted & the mem[orandu]m. Of wch. I have mislaid – one is the Baillie of Kinkardine [sic] for the time being I think – but it wd.

[ Sir Henry Montgomery Lawrence, British soldier in India. ] Autograph Letter Signed ('H M Lawrence') to 'Sir Thomas', regarding a payment to 'Mr Hodgson', with mention of his place of birth, Ceylon.

Author: 
Sir Henry Montgomery Lawrence (1806-1857), British soldier and statesman in India, who died during the Siege of Lucknow in the Indian Mutiny
Publication details: 
Without place or date [ 1844 ].
£56.00

2pp., 4to. On bifolium. Dated in another hand in pencil '1844'. In good condition, on lightly aged paper. The letter begins: 'My dear Sir Thomas | I have at last ascertained from the Civil Auditor that Mr Hodgson drew the four hundred & fifty Rupees (450) on the 1st Feby nine days before he sailed, and that the bill was made out in his own hand writing'. He is forwarding the recipient's 'note of hand' to his agents, and assumes that 'Mr H, [...] in the hurry of departure doubtless forgot to write' to him. He concludes: 'I hope that your Ceylon trip has been of use to you.

[ Sir Ashton Lever, natural history collector. ] Autograph Letter Signed ('Ashton Lever') to 'Mr. Harrop', regarding a plan to send 'a Cargo of Potatoes' to 'our brave friends at Gibraltar'.

Author: 
Sir Ashton Lever (1729-1788) of Alkrington Hall, Rochdale, Lancashire, natural history collector [ The Great Siege of Gibraltar, 1779-1783 ]
Publication details: 
'Alkrington' [ Alkrington Hall, Rochdale, Lancashire ]. 20 October 1782.
£200.00

1p., landscape 8vo. On aged and worn paper, with a couple of light ink stains. A small cutting carrying a biography of Lever is laid down at bottom left. His 'intention relative to sending a Cargo of Potatoes to our brave friends at Gibraltar' has not met with the support he expected, so he is forced to 'give up the plan, the Subscription being no way adequate to the expence that would attend'. He asks Harrop to insert the list of subscribers in his newspaper, and to 'return those Gentlemen their Subscription with my best Compliments'.

[Edward Mason Wrench] Three hectograph duplicates of manuscripts describing his service and that of his uncle Captain Henry Kirke in the 12th Royal Lancers, during the Sepoy Mutiny [Indian Rebellion] of 1857. With typed transcript and commentary.

Author: 
Edward Mason Wrench (1833-1912) of the 34th Regiment of Foot and 12th Royal Lancers [The Indian Mutiny; Sepoy Mutiny; Indian Rebellion of 1857; Capt. Henry Kirke; Maj.-Gen. William Astell Franks]
Publication details: 
Two duplicate letters, one dated from Park Lodge, Baslow, Derbyshire, on 23 December 1907 (and 'Christmas 1907'); and the other from the same place, 'Aug 1909' and 13 September 1909. Third duplicate and typescript without place or date.
£550.00

Wrench was the son of a clergyman, and well educated and well connected (being presented to the Prince of Wales and staying at Chatsworth in his old age). His obituary in the British Medical Journal (27 April 1912), describes how, after service in the Crimea, 'he was transferred to the 4th Lancers, went to Madras with that regiment in the following month, and served with it during the whole of the Indian Mutiny. For his services in India he received the Indian medal and clasp for Central India. He returned to England in 1860, and married in 1861 his cousin, the daughter of Mr.

[Edward Mason Wrench] Manuscript describing events in 1855-6, during his service in the Crimean War with the 34th Regiment of Foot. With duplicated (hectograph) letter by him and handbill advertisement for talk by him, both on the Siege of Sebastopol

Author: 
Edward Mason Wrench (1833-1912) of the 34th Regiment of Foot [The Crimean War; Siege of Sebastopol; Crimea]
Publication details: 
The account of 'Events in 1855 [and 1856]' dated by Wrench from Park Lodge, Baslow [Derbyshire], 1902. The duplicated letter dated 12 December 1880. The printed advertisement for talk at the School, Baslow, and dated 14 January 1881.
£600.00

Wrench was the son of a clergyman, and well connected, being presented to the Prince of Wales and staying at Chatsworth in his old age. His obituary in the British Medical Journal (27 April 1812), describes how he went out to the Crimea in 1854. 'He had been gazetted Assistant Surgeon to the 34th Regiment in November, and joined it on its arrival in the Crimea. He served during the terrible winter of that year, and was present at the capture of the quarries, the successful assault on the Redan of June 18th, and the final capture of Sebastopol on September 8th, 1855.

[Sir Harry Calvert, Adjutant General of the Forces.] Autograph Letter Signed ('Henry Calvert') to 'Mr. Ridge', regarding the conveyance of the 'Clothing for M: General Wattevelle's [sic] Regiment' following the Siege of Cadiz.

Author: 
Sir Harry Calvert [Henry Calvert] (1763-1826), Adjutant General of the Forces [Major Generral Louis de Watteville (1776-1836); Watteville's Regiment; The Siege of Cadiz, and War of 1812]
Publication details: 
Horse Guards [London]. 17 October 1812.
£140.00

1p., 4to. In good condition, on aged paper, with slight wear to one edge. Regarding their previous correspondence, Calvert has 'directions to request' Ridge to inform him, 'if you are aware of any Steps having been taken, for conveying back the Clothing for M: General Wattevelle's [sic] Regiment, from Sicily to Cadiz - where that Corps is now stationed'. From Cadiz the Watteville's Regiment would be transferred to Upper Canada, where it would take part in the War of 1812.

[Printed pamphlet.] An Account of Warrington Siege, A.D. 1643; and of some manuscripts of that period recently discovered at Houghton Green, near Warrington.

Author: 
James Kendrick, M.D. [the Siege of Warrington, 1643; Houghton Green; English Civil War]
Publication details: 
'Read before a Meeting of the Lancashire and Cheshire Historic Society, on the Evening of Thursday, December 11th, 1852 [corrected to '1851'].' Liverpool: T. Brakell, Printer, Cook Street, 1852.
£150.00

15pp., 12mo, with six plates on art paper. In grey printed wraps with title on front cover. In good condition, lightly aged and worn. The plates include engravings by H. C. Pigeon of illustrations by S. Holden and a plan by T. B. Ryder.

Typed Letter Signed from Major A. M. Urquhart, Royal Artillery, to Rev. William Henderson Begg, giving a summary (as President of the Committee of Adjustment) of what has been done regarding his brother Captain Robert Henderson Begg's estate in India

Author: 
Major A. M. Urquhart, Royal Artillery [Rev. William Henderson-Begg (1877-1934), Rector of St Paul's and Canon of Mary's Cathedral, Edinburgh; Captain Robert Henderson Begg (d.1915); Siege of Kut
Publication details: 
The Arsenal, Ferozepore, India. 27 April 1916.
£56.00

2pp., foolscap 8vo. In fair condition, on lightly-aged paper. Captain Begg had died at the Siege of Kut Al Amara, Mesopotamia (now Iraq), and Urquhart begins by informing the Rev. Begg that the inventory which he sent of his brother's effects has 'gone astray'. 'In order to save any further delay I am forwarding you a complete list including some things recently recovered from Kirkee Arsenal. Would you kindly point out what you wish returned to you. The remaining items will be sold by auction here.' He continues with 'a summary of what has been done up to date'.

Contemporary coloured 'Sketch of the Situation of the TOWN of ST. JEAN D'ACRE, with the position of the FRENCH besieging ARMY under the command of General BONAPARTE and the BRITISH SQUADRON co-operating with GEZZAR AHMET PASHA in its Defence [...]'.

Author: 
[The Siege of Acre [Siege of St Jean D'Acre], 1799; Napoleon Bonaparte; Sir Sidney Smith (1764-1840)]
Publication details: 
On paper watermarked 'J WHATMAN | 1816'.
£450.00

A fine plan, so neatly and delicately drawn that it could easily pass for an engraving. The title concludes: '[...] its Defence under the Command of SIR SIDNEY SMITH. Kt. &ca. &ca. &ca. - on the 2nd: day of May 1799.' In landscape on one side of a piece of laid paper, 29 x 42cm, with the plan itself within a 19.5 x 32.5cm border. The drawing and the precise and detailed lettering are in ink, the whole coloured in grey, brown, pink and blue watercolour. On aged and lightly-creased paper, with a couple of small unobtrusive holes. On a scale of one and a half inches to half a mile.

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