[Lord Alfred Henry Paget, Chief Equerry and Clerk Marshal to Queen Victoria.] Autograph Letter Signed to Charles Manby, Secretary of the Institution of Civil Engineers, regarding a planned trip ‘to Barnaby’, with a reference to Thomas Brassey.

See his entry and Manby’s in the Oxford DNB. 4pp, 12mo. On bifolium with mourning border. In good condition, lightly aged, folded, with thin strip of tape from mount adhering to reverse of second leaf. Addressed to ‘My dear Manby’ and signed ‘Alfred Paget’. He begins by saying that there seems to be nothing ‘here about’ to prevent him from going with Manby ‘to Barnaby [presumably Nathaniel Barnaby, Assistant-Constructor of H.M. Navy] for the 18th.’, but he will be ‘glad to hear from you when you, Brassey [the celebrated contractor Thomas Brassey (1805-1870)] &c start that we may all go together. Also the hour & what is to be done.’ He hopes ‘there will be no attempt at a public dinner afterwards’, as he has ‘no notion what to say on such an occasion, or what is the process gone through’. ‘Before the time comes’, he asks him to ‘write me out a sketch of [?] career, works &c.’ He concludes ‘It is not like speaking on the hustings or I should not want to trouble you’.