[Charles G. Mortimer, lyricist and Catholic writer.] Collection of 54 autograph song lyrics and poems by him, mostly holographs (signed 'CGM'), noting the sale of each (to music publishers and magazines). With Autograph Letter Signed to his typist.

After leaving Dulwich College Mortimer was a classical scholar at Brasenose College, Oxford. In 1933 he was received into the Roman Catholic Church, after which he became a schoolmaster in Catholic schools, most notably Stonyhurst. According to his profile in the Catholic Herald, 5 August 1938, Mortimer was 'well-known as a composer and lyric writer, and his work has been broadcast from the early days of broadcasting. | Recently he has contributed " uncle-duty " to the [BBC] Children's Hour. | During the last few years his occupations have included Catholic journalism (a great deal for the "C[atholic].H[erald].") and writing books and pamphlets - particularly on his pet subject the Reformation period.' Mortimer set Kipling's 'A Smuggler's Song' to music, and there is some of correspondence with Mortimer in the Kipling collection at Syracuse. The present collection of 54 original lyrics and poems by Mortimer totals 62pp., 8vo; 35pp., 4to. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper. Also included is an Autograph Letter Signed (2pp., 12mo) from Mortimer to his typist, 2 April 1934: 'Dear Miss Banks | Here are a number of MS copyrights all sold - keep these if you will as a memento of yr. work, for which I never cease to be grateful'. Almost all of the manuscripts are holographs, with a few of them with minor emendations, and most carrying directions from Mortimer for the typist (for example, 'Title first line of song. | 3 copies as usual. | CGM'). An interesting collection of popular 'Empire' lyrics, by an author who certainly knew his market. Mortimer has written 'Sold' in pencil at the head of the first page of most of the manuscripts, occasionally with additional information, such as, 'Chappell & Co.', 'Boosey', 'HMV', 'Joseph Williams', 'Catholic World', 'Ireland', 'U.S.A.', 'set by CGM', 'my 2nd.' Titles: All adown to Devon ['set by CGM']; All the lights of London; Beating up the Channel; The Bells of Spring; Blackbird, sing again!; Blessed Robert Bellarmine. A Sonnet; Canterbury bells; The Challenge of Spring; Child Fancies. The Sea; Come along, lad; The Crown of England; A Courting; The Dream tryst; The Drums of Life; The Explorer. A Sonnet; Fairy Moon; The Ferryman; Follow the Steam; A Golden Thread; Happiness; Harvests; Hitch yr. waggon to a star!; If I knew a bunny; "Listening-in"; Little Drowsy Town; Love & Time; Love-in-a-mist; My lad; My Ship [dated 9 March 1921]; Nesting; On Tip-toe; The Poacher; The Prison; The old Sea-road; Reaction. A Sonnet; Reflections; The Road of Dreams; Science. A Sonnet; Smugglers; Solitude. A Sonnet; A Song of Bluebells; A Song of Cornwall ['my 2nd']; The Songs of England; A Song of Evening; A Spring Symphony; Stars of Love; Story of the Vagabond; Thalassa!; Thank God for the evening; The Tides; The Weddin'; What sing the Birds?; What's the good of fretting?; When the wind's in the Chimney.