BARON

On an irregular piece of paper, 18cm. high and 23cm. wide at the extremities. In fair condition, on aged and worn paper. Torn from a larger leaf, with one side carrying manuscript additions completing printed text ('In Repayment of Loan on the Eighteenth, 2s. Aid, Anno 1739.'). In manuscript: 'The most Noble Sarah Dutchess Dowager of Marlborough, the Right Honble Francis Earl of Godolphin, the Right Honble William Lord Sundon Executors of the late most Noble John Duke of Marlborough'. The signatures are on the reverse, with more manuscript text.

(The title ends: '[...] the said title, honour, and dignity.') 52pp., folio. With large fold-out 'Pedigree of the Barony of Barnard'. In brown printed paper covers with red ribbon spine. In fair condition, on aged and worn paper, in worn and chipped wraps. Mainly consisting of 'Proofs to be adduced in support of the case of Henry De Vere Vane, claiming to be Baron Barnard of Barnard Castle, on his claim to the said peerage'. and an appendix in five parts. On the death in 1890 of the 4th Duke of Cleveland, the line of succession to the dukedom was left unclear.

3pp., landscape 12mo. In good condition, lightly-aged, with two punch holes for placement in album to margins of each of the three leaves. He congratulates him on his catalogue, states that he is attaching a wants list (not present) and that he is leaving it to the recipient 'to make out the account as I am not good at adding - & also dont know the postage. | The Librarian at the House of Lords showed great interest in your catalogue & is writing to you for one'. He suggests sending a copy to John Hayward, and gives his address.

3pp., 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged. Replying to a request for autographs, he is sending 'an Envelope addressed by my Father' and (writing in a postscript) another 'addressed to me by the Dean of Westminster', but he 'cannot give you one of the great Niebuhr'. He agrees with Clarke's 'feeling as to possessing something coming from, or belonging to some great or good man. It is a link - as is the signature of a loved friend or companion, with the unseen world.' He enquires after Clarke's health, and recalls 'calling at your School once - & another time at your house'.

On 16 x 6.5 cm strip of paper, cut from financial document. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn. Addressed to 'Mr. Townshend' on one side, with signature of witness 'Jno. Lesingham', with the signatures of 'H Fox', 'R Arundell' and 'G Lyttelton' on the other, with date 27 May 1746, next to the word Orford, and below part of a sentence relating to 'Duty on Candles'.

1p., 12mo. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn. Reads: 'Dear Mr. Williams, | Pray arrange Guests in the correct order whatever that is. I shall have frequent opportunities I hope of meeting the good Bishop.'

In good condition, with slight crease to one corner. Informing him that he will be 'very glad to present your petition when the House re-opens'.

On one side of 7.5 x 12 cm piece of paper cut from front panel of envelope. Postmarked 'Shooters Hill | Penny Post'. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper. Laid out in the customary fashion, all in his hand, and reading: 'Dover December twenty six | 1845 | Lt. Colonel Richd Jones | R Horse Artillery | Woolwich | Kent | Fitzroy Somerset'.

On 1.5 x 5 cm strip of paper. In fair condition, lightly aged. Cut from letter.

For more on Seymour, who held diplomatic posts in Italy, Portugal, Belgium and Russia, see his entry in the Oxford DNB. The 4.5 x 7.5 cm card carries the words 'Sir Hamilton Seymour | Ministre d'Angleterre' in copperplate. Above this Seymour has written, in a difficult hand, what appears to be: 'My dear Baron Ward | I want you to shew your finess [sic] in your placing Machen & Mr Caird. | Yrs.'

3pp., 12mo. Bifolium. Aged and worn, with glue stains and slight damage to second leaf from mounting. At the time of writing Cox was curate at Wantage. Russell begins the letter by stating that he will be visiting his mother and will not 'return to Watford before Friday night. - On Saturday morning I hope I may have the good fortune of finding you at home to talk over matters in connexion with my marriage on the 5th. of May.' (to Lady Emily Villiers, daughter of George Villiers, 4th Earl of Clarendon). He thanks him for taking his room at the Clarendon Hotel, before concluding.

On 1 x 4.5 cm. slip of paper, cut from a letter. In good condition, lightly aged. A good clear signature, neatly underlined, with the cross-stroke of the initial T looping down in calligraphic style. A few words of text from the letter on the reverse.

On letterhead, cropped down to 7.5 x 9 cm. In fair condition, on lightly-aged paper. Reads: 'March 10. 91 | B. C. | Alas! I am rusticating! | Aberdare'.

ONE: Letter. 1p., 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged. He cannot attend the breakfast club, as he is to be best man to a friend in Wimbledon at that time. He is 'rather too old for the character but all his other friends are married'. He would 'prefer the chat but, alas, it cant be managed'. TWO: Note. 1p., 12mo. In fair condition, on aged paper with slight damage at foot. He regrets that, being out of town, he will be unable to 'join the breakfast club' at the recipient's house.

2pp., 12mo. In fair condition, on lightly-aged paper, with slight smudging to second page. Annotated by the recipient 'read & burn'. He explains that he is 'just off to Eastbourne', and asks her to send on her letter 'to The Editor [of the Morning Post]', adding that it is 'a risk to send to me'. He concludes by explaining that he and his wife have 'given our present long ago & I am subscribing to a Kensington one. We cannot subscribe to all.'

1p., 12mo. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper. Reads: 'Dear Mr. Fisher | I am so sorry I cannot attend the meeting. Unfortunately, I am absolutely obliged to attend to my newspapers all day long. | Yours faithfully | Alfred Harmsworth'. The Daily Mail was little more than two years old at the time of this note.

1p., landscape 12mo. In good condition, lightly-aged, with minor traces of glue from mount on reverse. With a large firm signature, the text reads: 'Admit the Bearer to the Gallery of the House of Lords | Byron. | Monday | March 7th 1846'.

1p., folio. In fair condition, on lightly aged and worn paper. He is sending 'de nouveaux ordres du Roy pour retenir à Bicêtre le Ne. Esprit Prosper', and refers to a 'Pension de Deux cent livres qui serez payee par son pere'.

2pp., 12mo. Bifolium. On aged paper, with minor damp staining. If the recipient has 'come home' he invites him to dine. 'We have already such a preponderance of the female sex, from ladies staying here, that I am sorry we cannot ask any more.' If his son is 'still at Sandridge instead of you we shall be glad to have him as your locum tenertem here also'. He is directing the letter 'accordingly', 'but out of the multitude of your name in Crockford [the clerical directory] I dare not make a shot at his Christian name'.

Both pamphlet and reservation in fair condition, with light signs of age and wear. Pamphlet: Titled: 'Sir Walter Runciman's Dinner, Connaught Rooms, Great Queen Street, Kingsway, W.C. | Friday, April 11th, at 7.30. | Alphabetical List of Guests with Allocation of Seats and Plan of Grand Hall.' 26 + [1]pp., 12mo. With fold-out 'Plan of Grand Hall | Showing Numbered Tables'. With lightly-rusted staples. Fifty-two tables of the great and the good, with the fifty sitters at 'Table "A"' including Lord Denman, Augustine Birrrell, H. H.

On 8 x 14.5 cm panel cut from front of envelope. In good condition, lightly-aged. All in Lyndhurst's hand, it reads 'His Grace | The Duke of Wellington KG | &c &c &c | Lyndhurst'. As is customary, the signature is between two horizontal lines, in the bottom left-hand corner.

2pp., 12mo. On bifolium with mourning border. In fair condition, on aged and worn paper, with 6cm vertical closed tear to first leaf, affecting a couple of words. The reverse of the second leaf carries a broken seal in black wax, and is addressed to Clanricarde. The letter begins: 'My dear Ld C: | We are in a great difficulty at the H. of Lords today for want of a third Peer.' He will esteem it a great favour if Clanricarde 'will come at ten and enable me to go on with the Causes - for otherwise there will be the whole expence thrown upon the packs'.

2pp., folio. In good condition, on lightly aged paper. He is directed to 'make up and transmit to this Office an account Current of the receipt & application of the [...] Sum of £277,450, duly attested upon oath & accompanied by the necessary vouchers & authorities in support thereof'. The money is made up of 'various bills of Exchange drawn by you upon their Lordships on 4th. Novr: 1810 payable to M. T. Sempayo [Sampayo]'.

On 4 x 9.5cm piece of paper. In fair condition, aged, and with rust staining from staple to left of signature.

1p., 12mo. In good condition, lightly-aged. He writes that he has had 'a very fine p' sent to him, and asks if Pearson might accept it. 'If you dont care about it yourself you may have friends here to whom you might like to give it. Only, unluckily, I must have back the top'. He ends with a complaint regarding a 'Bronchial cough'.

The pedigree is written out by Crisp on one side of a 37 x 95 cm piece of paper, folded twice into a 37 x 23.5 cm packet, printed on the front of which is: 'Visitation of England and Wales. | DRAFT PEDIGREE. | Please return to Frederick Arthur Crisp, F.S.A., "Grove Park Press," 270 Walworth Road, London, S.E.' The same address is embossed at the head. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper. 'Barnard, B.' in manuscript in top right-hand corner of cover, underlined in red. Dated on cover '1905', but with latest entry for 1918.

2pp., 12mo. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper. Attached by one corner to a leaf from an autograph album. 23 lines of text in a difficult hand. He thanks him for his 'notice in L<?>, & for the long & valuable as well as kind & flattering notice of my Novels'. He considers that the review is 'written with great talent - & is altogether the best of the kind notices of these works which I can remember to have seen'. He invites him down to Knebworth and asks whether he has 'succeeded with Lord Malm[esbur]y'.

3pp., 4to. Bifolium. In fair condition, aged and creased. An interesting piece of ephemera, relating to one of the most significant events in the history of modern Britain. The recto of the first leaf carries Hill's circular letter, with facsimile signature, beginning 'The National Health Service Bill is upon us. | In order that the profession my be financially armed for any conflict which might arise, the Council of the B.M.A.

The collection of 26 items is in fair condition, aged and lightly worn. The 24 black and white photographic prints, of which there are 23 different images and one image duplicated in a smaller size, range in size from 29 x 24.5 cm to 8.5 x 11.5 cm. The pictures are tender and affectionate, in an informal style unusual for Baron. One picture, stamped 'UNRETOUCHED ROUGH PR<...>', shows Owen sitting on Baron's knee, on a wooden bench, the two smiling. The four largest are studies of Owen's smiling face, staring into the camera.

Three black and white prints, ranging in size from 12 x 17 cm to 10 x 7.5 cm. The contact sheet is 12.5 x 13 cm. The four items in fair condition, lightly aged and worn. One of the three pictures shows a smiling Baron outdoors with a young blonde boy (his son?), who is holding a camera tripd; another shows him standing with his arm on the shoulder of another man (his brother?), both on skis in the snow; and the third shows him in a heavy wool coat, on the steps of a European building, with a man in Slavic costume. The last is inscribed on the reverse: 'May 1940 |