[Charles Daly, London bookseller.] Autograph Letter Signed to Cardinal Nicholas Wiseman, complaining of a fraud practised on him by the Birmingham bookbinder Thomas Male, by 'representing himself as patronized by' Wiseman.

1p., 8vo. On bifolium. In fair condition, on aged paper with a few small closed tears to edges. Addressed on reverse of second leaf, with broken red wax seal, Penny Red stamp and postmarks, to: 'Revd. Dr. Wiseman, | St. Mary's College | Oscott | Nr. Birmingham'. 22 lines of text, closely and neatly written. Daly begins: 'I am sorry to trouble you by laying before you the Letters [not present] of a man of the name of Thomas Male - Bookseller & Bookbinder residing at St. Mary's, who has by representing himself as patronized by you got Credit from me to the Amount of £11 . 9 . 11 - and very shortly after declared himself Insolvent & has taken the benefit of the Act after putting me to some Costs.' He asks Wiseman to 'observe his Letter No. 2 which is in answer to mine requesting a reference as to character - this Letter to me stating that he lived at the Lodge of the College, by the desire of his Lordship, & for the convenience of Father Phelan, quite threw me off my guard, and I made no farther inquiry, but sent the Goods, conceiving that no man could be hardy enough to give such a prompt reference to such Gentlemen if he did not deserve the fullest confidence.' He is not writing to make 'any the most distant claim' on Wiseman: 'I only wish to shew that some how or other your name has been used by this man for, in my opinion, a fraud, & in the hope that you will not suffer this person to act in a similar way again.' He concludes by expressing himself 'fortunate, in escaping as I have done, with so small a loss & no disgrace - for under the full impression of the rectitude of the man I laid two of his Letters before two respectable Booksellers, Messrs. Bickers & Darling, requesting them to send him, if they had them, some of the Catholic Divinity & Catholic Books which he said were for the College, but fortunately for me, they declined sending them.' The BBTI states that Daly traded from before 1832 to 1855, and has him at these two London addresses before Greville Street: 14 Leicester Street, Leicester Square; 19 Red Lion Square. The BBTI also has Thomas Male trading at Duke Street, Birmingham, as bookbinder from before 1834 to after 1835.