BRITISH

2pp., 12mo. In good condition, on aged paper, with a nineteenth-century repair to short closed tears. The letter reads: 'The Duke of Wellington presents his Compliments to Quarter Master Jones and begs leave to inform him in answer to His Letter of the 3d Inst, thaht He must apply to the General Comm[andin]g. the Army in Chief; the Duke has nothing whatever to say to the Details of the Army or to the Selection of Gentlemen to be removed from half to full pay. | London Feb. 8. 1829'.

The Oxford DNB entry on Sir Walter Besant states that, 'Concerned to cultivate better understanding with North America, Besant worked in the last two years of his life for the Atlantic Union.' In fact it was Besant who founded the club in 1900, with Conan Doyle and others, with the object, according to The Times, 22 February 1900, 'of drawing together the various English-speaking peoples and strengthening the bonds of union by the formation of ties of personal friendship among individual members'.

Both items in fair condition, on aged and worn paper. Letter One: 4pp., 12mo. Harvey begins: 'Of course I well remember the too short time when I had the pleasure of being your colleague at the British Museum.' He would like to see Aldrich's 'old Dutch masters' but may not be able to visit him at Bowes Park before 'returning to reconstruction work in France in which I am interested'. He suggests a meeting in the new year, before enquiring whether Aldrich has 'got Sir Sidney Colvin's opinion of your Old masters. He is very interested in these things.' Letter Two: 2pp., 4to.

1p., 4to. On bifolium. Very good on lightly-aged paper. Green date stamp of the Commander in Chief's Office. Docketed on reverse of second leaf with barely legible note by Somerset (he had had to learn to write with his left hand after losing his right arm at Waterloo), beginning 'Inform Messrs Cox of the intention'. Vandeleur considers that it 'would be a very great Indulgence to Mr. Gladstone to allow him the indulgence he asks provided it can be done without inconvenience to the Service'.

3pp., 12mo. On bifolium. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper. Docketed at head of first page. She begins by explaining that at her 'interview with Mr. Bell on the 8th. he suggested an alteration in an important sentence, giving me the alternative of taking the MS. home with me or of correcting the sentence in the proofs. At the time I thought the latter course would be the best, but it occurs to me that it would save expence if the correction was made now.' She asks Cazenove to 'ask Mr. O'Connor if he would kindly alter the words in accordance with the enclosed [not present]'.

4pp., 16mo. On bifolium. In fair condition, on lightly-aged and worn paper. He begins: 'No - I am not going to write the sequel to The City [his 1909 book 'The City of Beautiful Nonsense'] - but I am now hard at work on a book that is going to give me more pleasure to do than anything I have done yet. It is all laid in Ireland - which I have not written of for some years - & I believe will be as interesting to read as it is engrossing to me to write.' He asks him to 'go & see my play "Driven" when Johnson does it - some time this month in New York - & let me know - in

3pp., 4to. Bifolium. Addressed on reverse of second leaf to 'Charles R. Broughton Esqre | Foreign Office | London', and docketed by recipient on the same page 'Naples 22 June 1815 | Wm. Court | 12 July | A'. à Court has written 'Duplicate' in the top left-hand corner of the first page (he would have sent several copies of the letter in case one miscarried, but the fact that this is the one that was received by Broughton is evidenced by the docketing). In fair condition, on aged paper, with usual broken wafer.

One page, 12mo, bifolium, good condition. "Edinburgh University Free Trade Union | I am much obliged to you and your Committee for your kind invitation to the platform on the occasion of Lord Hugh Cecil's address. I greatly regret that I am unable to be present, as I have promised to address one of the Edinburgh University Societies on the evening of October 21st. | With best wishes for the success of the meeting [...]"

The notable London firm of P. S. King & Son, 'Publishers, Parliamentary and General Booksellers, Bookbinders and Printers', was in existence for more than a hundred years, having been established, according to its own account, in Parliament Street in 1819, and still active until 1941, when it became P. S. King and Staples, under which name it traded for around six years. (An advertisement for the Staples Press Limited in The Times, 14 February 1946, lists, among incorporated companies: 'P. S.

2pp., 12mo. Bifolium. Tasteful letterhead including the firm's device within an oval, printed in sepia. In good condition: on aged and lightly-worn paper. King was the leading London parliamentary bookseller, and it is interesting to see him apparently offering a work of his own to other publishers. The letter reads: 'Dear Sir | We beg to acknowledge with thanks your offer of a translation of Herculano's "O Monge de Cister," which we much regret our inability to accept - our hands being very full just now, & all our arrangements for some time to come made.

Drop-head title: 'At the Court at Windsor, the 26th day of September 1846. | PRESENT, | The QUEEN's Most Excellent Majesty in Council.' 12pp., foolscap 8vo. Paginated 1-12 and in two columns. No printer's slug. Signed in type at end 'Wm. L. Bathurst.' In fair condition, on aged paper with chips and short closed tears to central vertical fold. Spine repaired with archival tape. The first page headed in black ink manuscript 'Natal', and in red ink '144'. No other copy traced.

14pp., 12mo. Stitched and unbound. In very good condition, lightly aged and worn. The 'Memorandum' is by Campbell, with a 'Prefatory Note' by Selby-Bigge, dated May 1915. Divided into two main sections: 'Class Teaching on the Consultation Day' ('Health Talks' and 'Sewing Class') and 'Classes held other than on the Consultation Day' ('Mothercraft, Hygiene, &c.', 'Sewing Class', 'Cookery', '"Advanced" Classes', 'General Arrangements' and 'Teachers'). Final section on 'The Local Education Authority'.

22pp., 4to. Stapled and unbound. In fair condition, aged and worn, with stamp, shelf-marks and red label of the Board of Education Reference Library.

16pp., 4to. Frontispiece and ten half-page black and white photographic illustrations. Stitched. In grey printed wraps. In good condition, lightly aged and worn, with stamps, shelf-mark and red label of the Board of Education Reference Library. Loosely inserted is a printed circular (1p., 4to) from W. F.

The volumes for 1923-1924 and 1925-1925 both subtitled 'Interchange of Teachers Between the Universities of Great Britain and Ireland and those of other Countries'. The five volumes uniform, stapled and unbound. 12mo: 48pp., 40pp., 31pp., 33 + [1]pp., 33 + [1]pp. The volume for 1924-1925 with 'Supplementary List, with three-page 'Corrections of Original (printed) List' loosely inserted. All five in good condition, on aged and worn paper. The five with shelfmarks, and four with the red label of the Board of Education Reference Library.

The three volumes all in original grey printed wraps. 1895: iv + 106pp.; 1904: 112 + [1]pp., 8vo; 1916: 65pp., 8vo. All three in good condition, on lightly aged and worn paper. The three volumes with stamps, shelf marks and red labels of the Board of Education Reference Library. All three volumes include lists of members. No copies on COPAC or OCLC WorldCat.

36pp., 12mo. Stapled and unbound. In good condition, on lightly aged and worn paper, with rust to staple. With manuscript shelf-marks (of the Board of Education Reference Library). Compliments slip of the Universities Bureau of the British Empire tipped-in onto front cover. The first page begins: 'MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS of a Deputation of Representatives of the Universities of the United Kingdom and of certain other institutions doing work of University standard, which waited upon the President of the Board of Education (the Right Honourable H. A. L.

171pp., 8vo. In original blue printed wraps. In good condition, on aged high-acidity paper, with chipping and wear to the wraps and first and last leaves. Ainsworth's ownership inscription at head of title-page. From the Board of Education Reference Library. Scarce: no copies on COPAC or OCLC WorldCat.

ALS, on letterhead of 28 Mallord Street, Chelsea; 11 March 1923. Regarding an invitation, he cannot 'promise to come' as he is 'going to America very soon and in consequence my time is very crowded; - in addition, I am preparing for an exhibition at the end of the month'. With note by MG concerning the Lynd's home at 32 Queen's Gate.

21pp., 12mo. Printed with blue ink on cream paper. Saddle-stitched with blue ribbon, in light blue printed wraps. In fair condition, aged, worn and lightly creased. An interesting document, providing local information and casting light on the protocol of a Royal Visit. The document begins: '6th April. | I. 9.05 a.m. H.E. the Governor leaves Government House, accompanied by Staff, and drives to Government Wharf. | 9.10 a.m. The Governor, Mr. Basevi and Lieutenant Harrison embark on the Governor's Barge from the Eastern Jetty. By permission of Commander Geary Hill a launch from H.M.S.

The fifteen items in fair condition, lightly aged and worn, laid down or pinned to leaves removed from an album. Items One to Three: three black and white landscape photographs, each around 15 x 20 cm. The first photograph, captioned 'November 1940', shows Ross standing in a field, in front of a platoon in two columns, shouldering rifles with bayonets. The second photograph, captioned '7. C. Coy of Batt., Herts Home Guard 1943', shows twenty-six officers, in three rows, in front of the entrance to a municipal building. The front row, seated, consists of seven senior officers with batons.

1p., 12mo. Good, on lightly-aged paper, with minor traces of glue from mount on blank reverse. He informs Walford that he is returning 'the notes of my career having made some slight alterations'. He suggests that it would be 'well for me to compare the proof with the drafts'.

1p., 4to. In good condition, on a lightly aged and worn leaf removed from an album. The poem is twenty lines long, arranged in five four-line stanzas. The first stanza reads 'Dear Sister, Christian Heroine! | Stranger to me thy form & voice - | I venerate that zeal of thine, | And while I blush, for thee rejoice'. The second stanza is somewhat heretical: 'Nor Male nor Female is in Him | Who Born of Woman, both hath sav'd: | She conquers every terror grim, - | She thousand deaths for Him has brav'd!' The third stanza begins: '"A woman slew him:" Gideon'ss son'.

1p., 12mo. On bifolium. Good, on lightly-aged paper with spike hole, and parts of the second leaf (addressed by Douce to 'S. Turner Esq') torn away. The letter begins: 'My dear Sir | I hope that you will have the goodness to write to Walker, unless otherwised arranged with Derby, on the subject of dispensing with his attendance, so as to prevent the business from going on till after Xmas as his letter indicated in case Thursday were not

146pp., 12mo, in autograph, almost entirely consisting of poetic compositions, with numerous emendations; with a further 35 cuttings of poems laid down (33 of them by Edwards) and another two cuttings of another two poems loosely inserted. Also loosely inserted are two poems (totalling 7pp., 4to): 'To Ill Health', dated September 1835; and 'The last hope', 28 December 1869. In contemporary dark-green crushed morocco binding, gilt, recently rebacked by Ipsley Bindery with new enpapers. All edges gilt.

2pp., 4to. Bifolium. In good condition on aged paper, with 2 cm closed tear. Addressed to 'Mrs Crofton Vandeleur' and dated 'Antigua April 20th 1807.' Headed 'Duplicate', and in a neat secretarial hand, but with the genuine signatures of 'Edward Byam | President of the Council' and 'Jno. Taylor | Speaker of the Assembly'.

Shrubsole was a frequent contributor to the Manchester Guardian, and its obituary of 21 May 1927 was headed 'DEATH OF GREAT SHEERNESS GEOLOGIST WHO WON FAME THROUGHOUT THE WORLD' ('Experts in every continent sought his wonderful advice, and it was during his researches at Sheppey that he made many valuable discoveries. Below we are able to give a detailed account of his brilliant career. He was a frequent contributor to the columns of the "Guardian" up to the time of his death.'). 3pp., foolscap 8vo, in a bifolium. Printed in three columns of small print.

2pp., small 4to. On two leaves of watermarked paper. Hurriedly-penned abbreviated memoranda. Although related, it is not clear whether the two leaves are sequential. The first is headed 'The Comanche tribe'. After a couple of lines Evans describes 'Crossing Arkansas R[iver] on the way we got to their Wigwam & smoked We were 3/4 <?> arguing re buying of skins I had rep. rifle hairy. The door of wigwam lifted by a string. I lifted door saw the ground cov[ered] with horses feet.

23pp., foolscap 8vo. On six bifoliums of laid paper with 1833 Britannia watermark of Gilling & Alllford. Good, on lightly aged and worn paper. Folded into the customary packet, and docketed on reverse of last leaf 'Copy Letter to the King from the Princess Olive'. The document was written shortly before Serres' death, and does not appear to have been published.

A supporter of William Pitt, and later of the Liverpool ministry, Blackburne was regarded as an assiduous - if lacklustre and increasingly eccentric - country member. The present collection provides a valuable insight into the network of mercantile figures (e.g. cotton magnate Henry Sudell) and members of the local gentry (Sir Nicholas Ashton, Sir Henry Philip Hoghton) required to return Blackburn to parliament at a particularly difficult election, with reports and advice coming from various quarters.