ANTI-SLAVERY

See the 2017 biography by Jane S. Poole, ‘Frances Rolleston / British lady, scholar and writer of Mazzaroth’. 1p, 32mo. Fourteen lines, written in a small hand on one side of a slip of paper. In fair condition, aged and worn, with glue from mount adhering to reverse, which is addressed ‘For / Miss Hilditch’. The letter reads: ‘My Dear Miss H./ / from your love of the scriptures & knowledge of divine truth your impression of my work is most valuable to me. I send more “Authorities”. do they amount to proof? I think they do.

Sitter, artist and engraver all have entries in the Oxford DNB. No copy in the National Portrait Gallery. In good condition, lightly aged, on good paper with small embossment of castle. Dimensions of paper, 14.25 x 22.5cm. Dimensions of print, 12.5 x 17.75cm. Oval portrait, 10 cm wide and 13 cm high. Without date or place, but produced as the frontispiece to Stockdale’s 1809 memoirs. A half-length portrait of Stockdale, his face turned to the left, with white cravat and powdered hair, loosely wrapped in a coat.

One page, folio, signs of extraction from album (left margin has residue of separation), good condition, in her calligraphic writing, good condition. She begins by quoting St Mark's Gospel, Verily I say unto you, wheresoever this gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world, this also that she hath done shall be spoken of, for a memorial fo her.

Four closely-written pages, 12mo, bifolium, good+ condition. He is about to leave England after a long and arduous stay, and reviews the current situation as he finds it - antagonism of the Anti-Slavery Society, support of Thomas Clarkson, favourable statistics, his principles and credo, new colony, etc etc.

One page, 12mo, bifolium, vestiges of glue from laying down, fold marks, good condition, text ("lithographed" is pencilled on the recto of the second leaf) clear and complete: "Ladies Committee for the Address from Women of Great Britain & Ireland to the Women of the United States on Slavery. [...] Sir | I beg to forward the enclosed papers for publication in your journal.

One page, 12 x 11.5cm, minor staining, mainly good condition. "He who asserts that 'the black man has no rights which white men are bound to respect' is a heathen in principle and a pirate in practice. | JRGiddings". Giddings is quoting the Dred Scott decision.

One page, cr.8vo, faint staining (foxing?) but text clear and complete. "the Duke of Devonshire has only today received Mr Wards letter cponcerning the box at Drury Lane. Mr Heaton [his agent] Old Burlington St will transact the business with the committee upon this letter being shown to him." He succeeded to the title on the death of his father in 1811.

3pp., 4to. Bifolium. 65 lines of text. Good, on lightly-aged paper. Addressed, on reverse of second leaf, 'To | Charles Sumner Esq. | Boston', with docketed date giving year. He writes that he had hoped to see Sumner before leaving Boston. 'Will you give my best regards to your friend Dr. Lieber, and assure him of my sincere obligations for his unsolicited & therefore more acceptable kindness.' He is 'in all respects' pleased with his 'situation' in New York: 'It is every wise more independent - & more "uninterfered-with" than ever; besides opening a large field and better prospects'.

4pp., 4to. Bifolium. 89 lines of text. Good, on lightly-aged paper. Addressed, with red circular postmark, on reverse of second leaf, to 'Revd. Samuel J. May | South Scituate'. Hillard describes 'Dr. Follen' as 'an intimate and dear friend to me'. He looks back 'with melancholy pleasure upon the happy hours' he spent in the society of 'so pure and elevated a being'. He has 'never known a better man; I do not know that I may not say, that I have never known so good a man.

3pp., 4to. Bifolium. Good, on lightly-aged paper. Addressed, with broken seal in black wax, on verso of second leaf, to 'James Montgomery Esqr'. 80 lines of text. He has been twice that day to Montgomery's Sheffield mansion the Mount 'to enquire about you - the first time in vain, and the second nearly so.

Campaigner against slavery and colonial exploitation in Africa (1874-1940) and Liberal MP for North Hackney, 1923-24. All four items one page, quarto. All in good condition, though on somewhat discoloured paper. Two items docketed in pencil and two bearing the Society's stamp. ITEM ONE: He hopes to be present at Dr. Max Horn's lecture, and wants to know whether the Society is 'publishing the lecture by Mr. Wilson Fox on Imperial Resources'. He thinks he should join the Society, 'if not now soon after the war', and asks to be sent the conditions of membership.

Landscape 8vo (roughly 12 x 20 cm), 1 p, 8 lines. On creased and lightly aged paper. Text clear and entire. Stephen is afraid that Valentine's 'poor protegée will not [...] get much out of her claim!' Stephen cannot help her 'because litigation in a colony can only be conducted by a solicitor resident within it, and bad as we are reputed to be at home, they are far worse in the Colonies!' However he has 'written a strong professional letter for her that may perchance obtain an answer'.

Politician, anti-slavery (1756-1835). Two pages, 4to, fold marks, good condition. He congratulates the Lord Mayor "for the very exemplary exertions You have made to diminish & correct the licentiousness & riot of the Smithfield Fair - Everybody bears witness to the activity & intelligence with which your Magistrates Duties in general are executed; but it requires much more than ordinary Zeal to devote the Night as well as the Day to such objects . . . to the temporary quiet of the Metropolis at a season otherwise dedicated to Uproar . . .".