OF

English ecclesiastic (1729-77; DNB). 2 pages, 8vo. On paper stained and discoloured, with several small closed tears. Amusingly bad-tempered missive.

English aristocrat and military commander (1819-1904; DNB), grandson of George III and cousin of Queen Victoria. 2 pages, 16mo. In good condition despite minor discoloration and one ink stain. He asks her to forgive him for being unable to come to her house the previous day 'as I had most fully intended to do'. Signed 'George'.

English cleric (1803-84). 1 page, 16mo. In good condition. Formal letter written in the third person. Reads 'Chester, October 28, 1875. | The Bishop of Chester presents his Compliments to the Editor of Debrett's Peerage, &c, and has the satisfaction of stating that he has found no occasion to offer any remark on the inclosed Paper.'

Fifth Bishop of Calcutta (1778-1858). 2 pages, 8vo. In very good condition. Signed 'Daniel Calcutta'. Fisher's note reads 'I sanction the return of the Rev Mr Lincke back again to Burdwan his former station pending the confirmation of the Bishop on his return | Henry Fisher | Commissary | 22d. Sept. 1838'.

Dean of St Paul's Cathedral (1815-90). 4 pages, 16mo. Heavy discoloration, and rust damage from paper-clip. He is glad that he can address his correspondent as Archdeacon, praising him for having shown 'so much judgement & ability in important positions in convocation'. Goes to great lengths declining an invitation, explaining that for health reasons he intends 'to be as far as I dare get in the South, perhaps to Sicily'. Signed 'R W Church'.

Dean of St Paul's Cathedral (1815-90). 3 pages, 16mo. In poor condition: discoloured and with rust damage from paper clip. Begins 'My dear Mr. Prolocutor | I think the best arrangement will be for the members to meet at the Chapter House to robe, not later than 10.30'. Describes the arrangements for a procession 'to the West end of the Cathedral' and a service involving 'Holy Communion with Sermon'. Signed 'R W Church'. Apologises in a postscript for not answering sooner: 'I only got the necessary information this morning.'

Successively Bishop of Lichfield and Archbishop of York (1826-1910). 1 page, 16mo. In good condition despite minor discolouration. 'Please send me a post card if you can the name of a book which your son had with him - with short accounts of some of the great <?> of the world's history'. Signed 'W D Maclagan'.

Peel (1829-1912) was a Liberal politician and Speaker of the House of Commons. Primrose (1846-1923) was a Privy Councillor, Secretary to Gladstone and Speaker of the House of Commons. Both items are 3 pages, on 16mo bifoliates. Both are creased and discoloured. Between 1873 and 1874 Peel was Patronage Secretary to the Treasury. The exchange apparently concerns an election or by-election in Exeter.

Catholic theologian, author of 'Natural Theology' (1891). All three letters are on 16mo bifoliates. The first two are 3 pages, and the last is 2 pages. All in good condition, but all with some discolouration and closed tears, and with pin marks in one corner. All three letters concern James Martineau's 'Study of Religion' (1888). In the first letter he praises 'Dr. Martineau's great work', from which he has taken notes. 'I admire the loftiness of his mind and the elegance of his style.' He apologises for the fact that there is no reference to him in his book.

English divine (1794-1868). 3 pages, 16mo. Heavily damp-damaged. Text entirely legible. 3 pages, 16mo. With attractive pencil drawing of country house, and crude plan, in pencil on blank reverse of second leaf of bifoliate (conceivably drawn by the recipient, Croker). Among his many reasons for regretting 'the haste with which I was compelled to pass thro' London' on his way to Oxford was his 'disappointment at Kensington on Saturday'.

Roman Catholic cardinal-archbishop of Westminster (1802-65). Paper dimensions approximately 2 3/4 inches by 4 inches. Grubby and creased. Reads 'Yours sincerely &c | N. Wiseman'.

Whig politician (1782-1845). 2 pages, 16mo. Dusty but in good condition. 'Dear Sir, | I have stated to Mr. Grant your desire for a for your son. But I could not express myself to him so as to make the appointment a favour to myself because I had before applied to him to give such an appointment to a friend of mine for his son, & I could not in justice withdraw this application. I stated however to him that I considered that the service you did in the Boundary Commission gave you a claim upon the Government, which my friend had not.' Signed 'Althorp'.

Politician (1776-1858; DNB), later Speaker of the Commons, later 1st Baron Dunfermline. The Committee investigated the riot which took place behind Cold Bath Fields Prison in London on 15 May 1833, during which three policemen were stabbed, one of them fatally. 1 page, 8vo. Not in the best of condition: grubby, worn and creased with several closed tears. Rear repaired with archival tape. Reads 'House of Commons. | Select Committee on Cold Bath Fields Meeting | Veneris, 26o die Julij, 1833. | Right Honble Jas. Abercromby in the Chair | Ordered, | That Mr.

English sculptor (1788-1867)(DNB), responsible for the Nelson on Nelson's Column. Both letters are discoloured by age, but otherwise in good condition. The first letter is 1 page, 16mo, cropped and mounted on a larger piece of paper. 'My Dear Sir Martin | Absence from Town will I hope be a sufficient apology for my not sooner acknowledging the receipt of your card of invitation for Wednesday next - and to state that I shall have great pleasure dining with you that day.' The second letter is 2 pages, 16mo, heavily discoloured and with remains of four wax mounts in corners and elsewhere.

English divine, scholar and schoolmaster (1821-1903), Dean of Westminster. 2 pages, 16mo. In good condition except for rust stains from a paper clip. 'I am quite right am I not in <?> that I had better not trouble the Speaker about a <?> for the young Hasted Taylor? I think I gathered from you that I had better not. One word will be ample - so very much obliged to you for all the trouble which you took in writing so fully.'

King Edward VIII (1894-1972), crowned and abdicated in 1936, thereafter Duke of Windsor. Approximately 5 1/2 inches by 8 inches. Shows the Prince in bowler hat mounting a stone jetty with four associates, with three sailors in RNLI boat at bottom left. In the background two sailing boats and two empty row boats. Stamped on reverse 'SPORT & GENERAL | PRESS AGENCY LTD. | LONDON. | COPYRIGHT.' In manuscript on reverse: 'Left to R. | Sailors from C. B. | The Prince's private detective | General Seeley. | My father (bare-head) | Sir Godfrey Baring | H. R. H.'

English Tory prime minister (1750-1830). On creased and grubby slip of paper, dimensions approximately 1 1/2 inches by 4 1/2, with three small glue stains from mounting on reverse. Reads 'Very faithfully yours | Robert Peel'.

The letter of 2 pages, 4to. Discoloured, dusty and frayed. Dr Carl P. Russell has asked him to reply to Epps's letter regarding 'the preservation of outdoor Geological Sections'. Discusses this matter over two paragraphs. Says he is sending a copy of his 'Field Manual for Museums' and refers Epps to two illustrations. 'I am personally as well as professionally interested in all problems related to the preservation of natural and historical objects and will be pleased to learn of any methods you have found to be satisfactory.' The note of 1 page, 16mo.

Darwin and Huxley's 'soapy Sam' (1805-73). 2 pages, 16mo. In poor condition: damp, creased and with some decay at head, though none of this affecting text. 'I hope youo do not think that I have been remiss in not replying to your last kind letter otherwise than by telling Mr Davenport to attend to you. The truth is I have been intolerably occupied. I believe I shall have Randall with me. I hope you may have asked Dr Phillimore - & I hope that the surrounding Clergy have been invited to attend on Thursday.' Signed 'S Oxon:'.

Darwin and Huxley's 'soapy Sam' (1805-73). 1 page, 16mo. Dusty and discoloured, with remains of stub adhering to one edge. A hurried note, almost illegible. | My dear | Can <?> to <?> & <?> from 26 Pall at 25 to 11 | Yours affly | S Oxon'.

British Liberal politician (1864-1932; DNB). 1 page, 4to. In good condition though dusty. 'My dear Landa, | Thank you very much for your kind note, which I greatly appreciate. [manuscript interpolation: '^ It was a difficult Parliamentary job.'] I also appreciate the [kind] note about the speech in your papers.' The reference may be to what the DNB calls Maclean's success in soothing the teachers, 'at that time furious at the cuts in their salaries'. He died of a heart attack brought on by overwork a few months later.

Violet Mary Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound (1889-1965), daughter of the Earl of Minto and wife of newspaper proprietor John Jacob Astor, 1st Baron Astor of Hever. 1 page, 8vo. Large coffee stain to one corner not affecting signature. She thanks her correspondent for a 'nice letter with regard to my year of office as President of the Women's Journalist Association', regretting that she was, 'in reality, so inactive a President.

Soldier and Tory politician (1893-1996), at 6 ft 7 inches the tallest ever Member of Parliament. 1 page, 16mo. Dusty but in good condition. He asks Landa to forgive him for not having thanked him earlier for assisting him with his lecture 'The Jew in Parliament'. He is grateful for 'the extremely valuable notes which you allowed Mrs. Knollys to take, and I feel that I can face my audience with equanimity and confidence.' Pencil notes on reverse giving addresses of W. A. Rutkowski, Samuel Lipman and Aaron Samuels.

British geologist (1792-1871). Paper dimensions approximately 1 1/4 inches by 4 inches, somewhat discoloured by glue from mounting. Reads ' | Rod I Muchison'. Docketed on reverse.

Lawyer and bibliophile (1772-1840), Baron of the Court of Exchequer. Front part of envelope, dimensions approximately 3 1/2 inches by 5 inches. In good condition. With red postmark. Reads 'Bakewell December Eighteen | 1836 | C. A. Thiselton Esq | 4 Cambridge Place | Camberwell New Road | London | Bolland'.

English aristocrat and Tory politician (1773-1848). Conclusion of letter cut into slip of paper, dimensions approximately 1 inch by 5 inches. In good condition with three small glue stains from mounting on reverse. Reads 'Believe me | ever faithfully yrs | Carlisle | Castle-Howard | Sepber 26 . 1830'. Reverse reads '<...> knowledge <...> it is singular that so much opposition should exist to so'.

Theologian and ecclesiastic (1818-91). 1 page, 16mo. In good condition although discoloured by the glue with which it is attached to a slightly larger piece of card. 'My Cambridge publishers are Deighton Bell & Co In London Bell & Daldy - | Yours truly | Henry Carlisle -'.

Last of the cursitor Barons of the Exchequer (1788-1856). 2 pages, 16mo. In good condition though grubby. 'As I am afraid my former letter may not have reached you, I venture again most earnestly to request your support being convinced that the fate of the contest may probably be determined by a small number of votes, & that consequently the personal attendance of every friend to the cause of which I am an humble advocate becomes of the most serious importance under these circumstances you will I trust excuse the earnest manner in which I urge my present applications.'

Father of Queen Victoria (died 1820). On piece of paper roughly 3 1/2 inches square. In very good condition. Fragments of seven lines of letter on reverse. These, and the valediction ('<...> yours | most faithfu') are written in a secretary's hand, and the signature 'Edward' is deliberately written over the words '26 December 1808 | HRH The Duke | of Kent' which are lengthwise and downwards. Docketed 'Lr. to F. Marshal H. <...> | The Duke of Kent 29 D<...>'.

English Conservative politician (1799-1880). 4 pages, 16mo. Creased and somewhat grubby, with minor damage at head of one leaf caused by previous mounting, but in good condition overall. He has received his correspondent's note and will 'be glad to aid the objects of the conference in any manner in my power'. He cannot however 'comply with the request of the Committee that I will preside over Section B. on Tuesday next'. He has to 'present the prizes at the Society of Arts on that morning'. There is also 'important evidence in a Committee of the H. of Coms.