Manuscript 'Inventory of Plate and other articles bequeathed by the Fifth Codicil to the Will of The Right Honourable John Manners Earl of Hardwicke, to go and be held and enjoyed with the Title and Honours of Hardwicke.' Signed by the trustees.

14pp., small 4to. Good, on lightly-aged paper, in ruled notebook, in worn black morocco binding, with marbled endpapers, and the following stamped in gilt on the front cover: 'The Right Honble John Manners | Earl of Hardwicke deceased | Inventory of Heirlooms'. The inventory proper - neatly written out in black ink and is annotated in the margin in red ink - is divided into six sections: 'Plate and Plated articles bearing the Hardwicke Coronet with the Coat of Arms or Crest or marked with the single letter "H" and Coronet, above'; 'Articles specifically mentioned in the said Fifth Codicil'; 'Memorandum by Order of Mr. Justice Russell dated the 16th July 1923'; 'Extract from Letter from Lord Hardwicke in reply dated 5th September 1923'; 'Memorandum' (beginning 'Since the sale last above recorded and the investment of the net sale proceeds in £417. 2. 2 Three and a half per cent Conversion Stock') [containing a 'List of Goods belonging to the Earl of Hardwicke and still left on sale']; and 'Memorandum' (beginning 'That in or about the month of June 1926, all the above mentioned articles were sold by the above mentioned Mr. John William Thomas'). The main inventory is contained in the first section, with the other parts supplying additions, including 'A copy of Tasso in two volumes translated by the Testator's late Great Aunt Elizabeth Countess of Hardwicke'. There are also several accounts, and transcripts from letters by Woollcombe and Hardwicke. With the genuine signatures at the end of the second section of 'The Trustees of the Will of the late Right Honorable John Manners Earl of Hardwicke': '[the 7th Earl's widow] Edith M. H. Hardwicke', '[the 7th Earl's son Charles] Hardwicke', 'Alfred E F Yorke', 'Alexander. G. Yorke', 'Rich Woollcombe'. One of the marginal notes reads: 'Messrs. Green & Abbott of 33 Davies Street Berkeley Square who prepared this inventory were not able to find the 5 Silver salt spoons'. The first page reads: 1920. H. 755 | In the High Court of Justice | Chancery Divsion | Re plate & plated articles &c bequeathed by 5th. Codicil to will of Earl of Hardwicke | And Settled Land Acts 1882 & 1890 | This Inventory marked R.W. was produced and shewn to Richard Woollcombe at the time of swearing his affidavit therein this 16th. day of March 1920 before me | R Hill | A Commissioner for oaths.'