Book Trade History

Autograph Letter Signed to Richard Phillips, author, bookseller, editor.

Author: 
William Belsham.
Publication details: 
Hammersmith, 28 July 1819.
£100.00

Political writer and historian. One page, 4to, some defects but text clear and complete. "I have inclosed a few observations, for insertion, if you have room, in your valuable Magazine [The Monthly Magazine], on the present State of the Poor, and suggesting such remedies . . ." He doubts if the measures he suggests will beintroduced and finds other people's ideas on the subject "either visionary or worse".

Autograph Letter Signed to an unnamed correspondent (prob. bookseller).

Author: 
[J.?] Wint.
Publication details: 
Idle, 25 February 1832.
£50.00

Two pages, 4to, tears, chipping, text legible and complete. "My Dear Sir,/ Not being acquained with any Bookseller in Manchester I wrote to a relation of mine to get the Dissenters' Magazine advertised in the Manchester Gazette & to request [excision] Mr. Prentice to take a few Copies of the Ist. No. on sale but [sic] a few days ago I recd a Letter from Mr. Ellerby informing me that the Advertisement would appear in the Manchester Times & that the Magazine would be sold at his shop in Piccadilly[.] Now I have no [inserted] personal disrespect for Mr.

Autograph note, third person, to de La Rue, Library, Soho Square.

Author: 
Lady Perceval.
Publication details: 
Curzon St, 10 July [1805 (postmark and librarian's[?]note).
£45.00

One page, 4to, minor defects, text clear and complete. "Lady Perceval's Compts. to <. de La Rue, & requests he will send the following Books, or, if he has them not in the Library that he will be so good as to write for them to Paris./ Gradus ad Parnassum - bonne Edition francoise-/ Les opuscules Latins[sic] de M. Le Bean/ 2 Vols./ Praed[i]um Rusticum de Vaniere [Jacobi Vanierii Praedium rusticum.. Jakob Vaniers Gedichte von der Landwirthschaft.

Autograph letter signed to R. Triphook, St James Street London.

Author: 
Henry Whittington.
Publication details: 
Theberton, Yoxford postmark 26 Aug. 1811[?]
£75.00

One page, 4to, chipped, creased, small holefold marks, other damage but text minimally affected and readable as follows: "I have recieved[sic] Puttenham and Spencer safe and must request you to send me immediately "The secret history of the court of James Ist, 2 vols demi-octavo [underlined]," and two copies of Gilchrist's letter to Gifford" which I see advertised as just published. The former, and one copy of the latter are to be put <?> down to the account of Mr Mitford of Benhall [John Mitford, misc. writer, see DNB]. I hope to recieve[sic] them soon, direct as before.

Autograph Note Signed to "Mr Wilkinson" (Robert? see Maxted).

Author: 
Duchess of Rutland.
Publication details: 
Sackville Street, 8 Oct. 1801.
£50.00

See also her letter to Triphook (#2031). One page, 4to, spike-hole reaired, usual condition, text clear and complete: "The Dss of Rutland desires Mr. Wilkinson will be so good to send her a Print of herself, from Sir Joshua Reynolds's Picture the full length, & to bring it to her House No. 28 Sackville St. in the course of this [excision] day, as she is going out of Town,[.] when the Print comes the Dss desires the Person will make a Bill of it & wait for the money -"

Autograph letters (2) t[Blandford] to a bookseller [prob. Triphook].

Author: 
Marquis of Blandford
Publication details: 
One headed "Syon Hill", no date on either.
£400.00

(12 Feb.) three pages, 8vo, small tear on fold, discoloration at edges, spike-hole text clear and readable.

Autograph Note Signed to unnamed correspondent (poss. Cadell).

Author: 
Coventry (Earl of).
Publication details: 
Piccadilly, 13 June 179[?].
£50.00

One page, 4to, some discoloration, but text readable. "Sir,/ Please to deliver to the Bearer, Mr Clarke, the Evidence on Mr Hasting's Trial from page 1204 to page 1244 so much being wanting to compleat my Numbers." Note (for dating purposes and identification of correspondent = publisher): prob. Minutes of the evidence taken at the trial of Warren Hastings ... upon an impeachment against him for high crimes and misdemeanors, etc. [London,] 1788[-94]. fol.

Autograph note, third person, to William Clarke, 38 (another hand-post office?) New Bond Street, bookseller.

Author: 
Lady Perceval.
Publication details: 
18 June 1812 (year added in another hand?).
£35.00

One page, 7.5 x 6.5" (cut back from 4to), edges discoloured, tear and small mising portion (seal torn off) not affecting clear and complete text. "Lady Perceval troubles Mr Clarke with the Inclosed to forward to <??> Sykes & Co.[not in Maxted or Brown - not a bookseller?] & Mr <?> requests the Abbe 'de <?>' Medaillons & Books may be in Mr Cs' keeping till he hears further ---"

Autograph note unsigned to "Chalmers Esq/ 37 Jermyn Street", London.

Author: 
Greenwood & Co.
Publication details: 
London, 4 Dec. 1830, 13 Regent Street, P[all] Mall".
£45.00

One page, 4to, bifoliate, some damage, but text complete and legible. "Chalmers Esq. to Greenwood & Co./ Greenwoods Atlas. Subscription to first and second parts coloured -------£7-7-0//". Verso "George Grantham". Verso of bifoliate leaf (recto blank) brief address as above and a note "G Greenwood/ County Maps/ Dec. 1830/ £7.7.0".

Invoice to Jeffery, bookseller.

Author: 
[W?.] Parsons.
Publication details: 
No place or date (see Maxted: John Parsons, London bookseller,1801 (from Pendred).
£45.00

One page, c.6 x 4", trimmed or part of page, edges discoloured, spike-hole, but text clear, possibly incomplete. "Mr Jeffery willl please to pay for the following Books Viz./ Plutarch's Lives £1-2/ Grose's[?] Ethics --6[s]/ F[?]uller's Thinking 4[s]/ ,Sketches?> -2[s]/ Bi[e?]ntons[sic] Characters 3-6/ Browne's Morals 2.6//£2= =/ RichBorough [??= in Kent, perhaps Parsons there?]" Vertically written in a different hand, "Acct the Contents/ W[?]. Parsons".

Autograph letter signed to Triphook.

Author: 
W.S. Roscoe
Publication details: 
Liverpool, 21 Sept. 1816.
£125.00

Poet, son of William Roscoe (1782-1843). One page, 4to, spike-hole, edges stained, fold marks, text clear. "I beg to enclose a Bill for £20.8.0 - for £12 due for & £8.8. - from Mr Roscoe / In the letter I believe there was some exchange of Books but I apprehend the account is correct tho' I have mislaid the particulars - / May I beg you to make my compliments to Mr & to believe be . . .". Some figures added in another hand ("5.8/3.3").

Two autograph Notes Signed to James Maclehose (publisher) and {James Maclehose].

Author: 
J.M. Mackenzie.
Publication details: 
No date (addressed to Maclehose) and 1 Melville Street, Portobello, 6 July 1842.
£80.00

One page and two pages (1842), 12mo, bifoliate, former has recipeint's name on verso of second leaf, textsa clear and complete. (No date) "My dear Sir,/ There are two commas wanting in the last proofs. I have indicated their proper places; and I charge you to see them supplied under pain of being indicted before the Editor himself for treasonable insubordination." (1842) "My dear Sir,/ I will send you, by Friday's post, the first part of the next article, and by Monday at the latest, the second.

Autograph Note Signed to "Mr McCreery/ 21 Took's Court, Chancery Lane

Author: 
"Mr Parry".
Publication details: 
No place, 21 Feb. [postmark 1824].
£45.00

One page (prob. from larger sheet divided since part of an address survives at bottom, 4to, poor condition but text clear and complete. "When Mr Parry returns the enclosed Proof (which he begs to have again soon) for press, he will be able to send copy enough to complete the next sheet. What he now transmits is all he has ready. / Saturday Evening - Febry 21st." Could this be the Arctic explorer?

Autograph Note Signed to an unnamed correspondent.

Author: 
Charles Butler.
Publication details: 
Lincoln's Inn, 15 Sept. 1820.
£75.00

Legal and misc. writer (1750-1832). Part of page (trimmed), 5 x 5", stained but text clear and complete. "I wished to see you, on your return from Clark, tomention my doubt whether the manuscript, which I put into your hands, is proper in its present state, for insertion in the review, which [excisions] you notived [excison] to [inserted] me;- If you will have the goodness to return it to me, I will endeavour to cast it into a more proper form for your publication:-".

Autograph Note Signed to unnamed correspondent.

Author: 
Arthur Taylor.
Publication details: 
No place, 28 May (no year).
£45.00

Printer to a publisher. One page, 8vo, some marks, mainly good. "Sir/ You must be quite aware that it is not usual for a Printer to be sent about to seek Payment out of the proceeds of a work./ I must again request that you [underlined] will arrange the settlement, which has already been deferred far beyond the time." There is an Arthur Taylor in Brown (i.e -see also Todd - good info.

Autograph letter signed to Dulau & Co., Booksellers, Soho Square, London.

Author: 
O.G. Gregory (Olinthus Gilbert).
Publication details: 
Royal Military Academy, Woolwich, 11 August <1807> (fragmentary postmarks).
£65.00

One page, 8vo, with damaged address page with no loss of text, letter grubby but text clear and complete. Mathematician (1774-1841). "Gentlemen./ A week ago I sent you a remittance of £4. by the Barrack Coach, the receipt of which I requested you to announce to me by letter. As I heard nothing from you, I troubled you with a letter on the subject, on Friday last, to enquire after the arrival of the former packet, and to repeat the order I had then sent.

Autograph letter, initialled, with several third person uses of the name, to Jefferies [sic] Bookseller, Pall Mall.

Author: 
Sir John Henderson
Publication details: 
No place, 25 July 1808.
£100.00

Three pages, 4to, grubby, chipped, text faded in parts but readable and complete. "Sir/ On calling today at Mr Jefferies's [sic] Shop, to pay for & take away a Suetonius [underlined] & a Sallust [underlined] which he bought (after giving his name)[parenthesis underlined] desired to be set apart for him, a few weeks ago. Sir John Henderson, was to his great Surprise, told by Mr Jeferies's Shop=man, that the two books in question were Sold by Mr Jefferies to some other person [phrase underlined from "to"] & could not be found.

Autograph note, third person, to Bohte, bookseller..

Author: 
T.H. Horne (Thomas Hartwell Horne)
Publication details: 
No date (time of Leipzig catalogue mentioned).
£75.00

Bibliographer, Biblical scholar, polemic (1780-1862). One page, c.9 x 5", small portion torn without apparent loss of text which is clear and apparently complete. "Mr. Horne will be obliged to Mr. Bohte to procure for him the undermentioned articles, from the "Leipzig catalogue". viz./ H[K?]argii, M.A.T. Synopsis Historia Religionis et Ecclesia Christiana. Edit. 2. 8vo- (catalogue pr. 8/-/ Munter (Fr.) Symbolae ad interpretationem Novi Testamenti, ex Marmoribus et Numis veteribus, maxime graecis. 4to (Catalogue p.259)".

Autograph Note Signed to unnamed correspondent (publisher or printer).

Author: 
George Johnston.
Publication details: 
Berwick on Tweed, 23 April [1849].
£45.00

Scottish naturalist (1797-1855).One page, 8vo, sl. discolorationm good condition. "My Dear Sir,/ As the printing of my book now draws near to a close, I write to have proofs of the Plates you have in hand at your early convenience, that we may have the copies worked off." Poss. An Introduction to Conchology; or elements of the natural history of molluscous animals. JOHNSTON. George. M.D., of Berwick London, 1850. 8o.

Autograph letter signed to Bohte ("Compliments to Mrs Bohte")

Author: 
D.G. Wait (Daniel Guilford Wait).
Publication details: 
Redland House, W. Bristol, 10 April 1824.
£65.00

Hebraist and Biblical scholar (1789-1850). One page, edges discoloured, chipped, text complete and clear. "I was mentioning to a friend here Ebert's Bibliographisches Lexicon, who wishes much to see it: Mrs Wait [prob. mother, he was unmarried re. DNB] will leave town on Sunday, when she will arrive on Saty ["for" excised] on her way to this place. Would you entrust me with a copy to shew him, & direct it to me on Saty morng. to the care of Mrs Wait, at Mrs Bowdens 33 Gt Coram St. Brunswick Square? & if he does not take the copy, I will bribng it back.

Autograph letter signed to R. Triphook.

Author: 
Rutland (John Henry Manners, 5th Duke of Rutland).
Publication details: 
Belvoir Castle, 20 Feb. 1825.
£75.00

(1778-1857). Two pages, 8vo, slight tears on fold marks, sl. discoloration, mainly good and clear.

Autograph note signed to "Mr. Caulfield At Mr. Jeffrey's Bookseller Pall Mall".

Author: 
Unidentified. (Taylor?).
Publication details: 
Friday P.M. (no date, wm. 1802; dated "March 1st. 1805" at the top in another hand in pencil.
£35.00

One page, 4to, some discoloration and damage, but text clear and complete. "We fully expected you the night before last but your note of yesterday morning left not a doubt in our minds but that you would have been punctual to your appointment, it is highly necessary that we should see you, therefore pray return some answer that may dissipate doubt and suspense, is very busy staining the wals of the room and has therefore desir'd me to communicate his ideas --" I cannot identify the writer of the letter of "Ireland who may be the witer John Ireland (d.1808, DNB) of "Hogarth Illustrated".

Autograph letter, third person, to Triphook.

Author: 
Lord Thurlow (Edward Hovel-Thurlow, 2nd Baron Thurlow).
Publication details: 
Grosvenor Place, 26 March 1829[?].
£125.00

Minor poet (1781-1829). One page, 8vo, some discoloration at the edge, but good. "Lord Thurlow returns his thanks to Mr Triphook for his obliging note; and purposes to have the pleasure of calling upon him tomorrow. Lord Thurlow especially wishes to retain the Prayer Book of Mr Evelyn, valuing it highly. He has marked 4 ["3" excised] books in this day's sale; & requests Mr Triphook will be so good as to purchase them for him.

Autograph note signed to Rodd, Bookseller, Newport St., Long Acre, London (Thomas Rodd, prob. the Younger).

Author: 
Orford (Horatio, Third Earl of Orford)
Publication details: 
Wolterton, 18 Dec. 1827 (but see note below).
£65.00

(1783-1858). Thomas Rodd and Son NOT in Brown or Maxted! One page, 4to, fold marks, text clear and complete. "Mr Rodd,/ I am surprized that the vols. of Humboldt have not been yet sent home, as they were to have been done as soon as possible, and desire that they may be returned to Berkeley square immediately bound or unbound, - the Atlas shd. be sent on receipt of this, it never being intended to have it bound -" Addresss page part of conjoint leaf as foloows: "eighteen/ Aylsham, December {eighteen from above] fifteen 1825/ [address]/ [frank]Orford".

Two Autograph Notes Signed to A. "Mr. [Andrew] Wilson, Oriental Press, Wild Court, Wild Street, Lincolns Inn Field.

Author: 
L.D. Campbell. (Lawrence Dundas Campbell)
Publication details: 
A. Stratford Place, Sunday, no date [1804?] and B. St. Alban's Hotel, St. Alban's Street, Wednesday, no date [1808].
£80.00

A. One page, 8vo, bifoliate, spike-hole, fold marks, minor damage, corner nearly detached, text clear and complete. "Dear Sir./ I beg you will do me the favour to let me know immediately on receipt of this, the exact quantity of tonnage it will be necessary to apply for in order to send 500 [underlined] Copies of the Register to Calcutta, 300do. to Madras, and 100 [underlined] to Bombay.

Autograph letter, incomplete, to Josiah Taylor, bookseller (Maxted, Brown).

Author: 
Unknown.
Publication details: 
01/10/26
£75.00

Two pages, 4to, corner torn off with seal (must have been delivered by hand), text clear. Do errors and changes indicate a draft? - but sealed? "Sr. / I am but just now returned from a long tour in the North of England Scotland &c which has prevented me seeing & replying to your very kind communication of the late Mr Rivetts Letters [two words underlined] from Athens &c.

Autograph note, third person, to Triphook, Bond Street.

Author: 
Lord Yarborough (Charles, Ist Earl of Yarborough
Publication details: 
Brocklesby, [Co. Lincoln] 5 July 1822.
£45.00

One page, 8vo, chipped, edges discoloured, tear on fold mark, text minimally affected and readable. Ld Yarborough will be obliged to Mr. Triphook to send the Cour[t] Calendar for 1822. also the same for France; teh new English Peerage if a good [underlined] one. O'Meara's Exile of Napoleon, if good. the Botanical Magazine, & the Print of Sheridan."

Autograph Letter Signed [to the editor of the North American Review].

Author: 
William Edward Hartpole Lecky
Publication details: 
16 February 1891; on letterhead '38, Onslow Gardens, S.W.'
£36.00

Two pages, 12mo. Very good. Thanks his correspondent for 'your kind letter & for the hospitality you have given me in the North American Review. I hope you will be able to bring out my article in the March Number as the political Kaleidoscope changes so quickly that some part may appear belated if it is long delayed.' Asks for a change to be made if it is not possible to bring the piece out in the March issue. Signed 'W E H Lecky'.

Autograph Note, third person, to "Messrs Blackwoods' Printing Office".

Author: 
John Wilson [ Christopher North ]
Publication details: 
No place or date.
£68.00

One page, trimmed, 6 x 5", some defects but text clear and apprently complete, as follows: "Professor Wilson wishes the enclosed LIst to be set up immediately [underlined]; & a proof of it to be ready in the [shop?] [phrase underlined] at 10 O'Clock tomorro morning [underlined] as it will be wanted at 1/2 Eleven." A further instruction, "Set it up in the same [?]" is crossed out. An interesting insight into Wilson's relationship with Blackwood's printers.

Autograph Postcard Signed to Kenneth Bredon, of Bredon's Bookshop in Brighton.

Author: 
Nicolas Bentley
Publication details: 
Postmarked 24 September 1974; 'The Old School, Downhead, Shepton Mallet, Somerset.'
£35.00

One page, very good. Postcard illustration of Marie Taglioni. In Bentley's distinctive neat hand. 'If & when Angus & Robertson's traveller shows you a book called Dead Funny, illus. by Bill Tidy, pubs. Ask & Grant, I hope you'll feel compelled to place a huge order: The Grant is Arabella's husband, just breaking into publishing (mad!) How are you & Billie? We should love to see you both, but I doubt that you ever come this way. If you do, you can count on a warm bed & reception. Try & make it sometimes.' Signed 'Nick'.

Syndicate content