COURTENAY

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. The two items in good condition, lightly discoloured, and each folded twice. Both addressed to ‘Doyne . C . Bell’. ONE (17 December 1886): 2pp, 12mo. On first leaf of bifolium. Signed ‘J. Callcott Horsley. He explains the reason for not writing sooner: ‘I waited to see how our wants were likely to be as to small pictures’. The picture that Bell describes ‘must be a very interesting one’, and Horsley would ‘much like to see it’.

A tenuous Titanic item: at the time of writing Simon, as solicitor-general, was representing the Board of Trade at the British enquiry into the sinking, at the address on the letterhead. See his entry and Ilbert's in the Oxford DNB. Joyce Violet Ilbert (1890-1957) was the youngest of Sir Courtenay's five daughters. 3pp, 12mo. On bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged and worn. Folded twice. Written in pencil. Signed ‘John Ilbert’.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. The identity of the recipient is unclear. Written on one side of a small (12 x 9.5 cm) plain card. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn, with one vertical crease. Reads: ‘Dear Walter / Enclosed is, as you may see, addressed to Speaker Court. I opened it & think it may be for Miss Erskine. If not, will you send it on to Lady Ilbert. Nothing is known of it here. / Yours sincerely / James W Lowther’. Lady Ilbert was wife of the Clerk of the Commons, Sir Courtenay Ilbert, from whose papers the item derives.

See the two men’s entries in the Oxford DNB. In good condition, lightly aged and discoloured. Folded twice. The salutation ‘Dear Sir Courtenay’ and valediction ‘Yours v. truly / Devonshire’ in his autograph, the rest type. Addressed to ‘Sir Courtenay Ilbert, G.C.B.’ He is ‘hoping to arrange a small and informal gathering to consider the future of the Law School at the Universities of Leeds and Sheffield’, and asks Ilbert to join ‘a certain number of gentlemen’ who will be lunching with him at Devonshire House on a named date, ‘With that object in view’.

See his entry, and that of Lady Ilbert’s husband, in the Oxford DNB. The three items in good condition, lightly aged, and folded for postage. ALS ONE (19 December 1910): 1p, 12mo. ‘I am sorry you have had domestic anxieties. They are the most poignant.’ He continues: ‘It would delight me to have a peaceful hour with you and Ilbert, without prejudice to Fisher and his wife.’ Signed ‘M.’ ALS TWO (2 July 1911): 2pp, 12mo.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. A protege of Prince Albert, Bell worked for the Privy Purse from the time of the Great Exhibition, and served as Permanent Secretary to the Keeper of the Privy Purse from 1876 to his death. Signed ‘John Gilbert’ and addressed to ‘Doyne C. Bell Esquire / &c &c.’ 1p, 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded once for postage. Reads: ‘Dear Sir, / I remember the small picture painted in 1851. H M The Queen holding a drawing Room at St James’s Palace. / I did not intend to paint a larger picture and never did’. See Image.

ONE: Typed Letter Signed from 'Bertie' (i.e. Herbert van Thal) to 'John' (i.e. J. C. Trewin). 15 March 1978. On letterhead of the London publishers Weidenfeld & Nicolson. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn. The letter reads: 'My dear John, Alas, they do not think that they would be able to sell this Eugene Aram idea here, without the backing of a television programme or a film to back it up. But Orbis recently asked me if I had any ideas, and I have sent it on to them. Will let you know what they have to say.

At the time of the second letter Mansel was serving his only stint in Parliament, a brief period as Liberal MP for Penryn and Falmouth. ONE (ALS, 13 February 1921): 4pp., 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged. He expresses great disappointment regarding the misunderstanding which meant that he and his wife missed coming to lunch with the Mansels.

The three items in fair condition, lightly aged and worn. Postage stamp and paper beneath torn from third letter,, resulting in loss of full date All three signed 'George Saintsbury'. Saintsbury's handwriting is difficult to decipher and the following description only gives a phrase from each of the letters. Mansel had pretentions as a poet, and the first two items at least appear to concern volumes which he had sent Saintsbury. ONE (15 January 1911): 2pp., 12mo. Explaining that he has been compelled to 'make it a fixed rule to decline giving <?> opinion on poetry'.

3pp., 8vo. Autograph postscript of nine lines on otherwise-blank reverse of second leaf. On aged and worn paper, with holing to one corner from stud which attached the leaves together. He was pleased to hear from Mansel, and understands from his letter that 'notwithstanding your disabilities you manage to put in a deal of work'. He continues: 'I shall be particularly interested in your plays, which are more in my line than music. He quotes Mansel's 'notes on the print of my hand', which he finds 'particularly interesting, in view of the fact that they were made more than 11 years ago'.

7 + [1]pp., 8vo, with fold-out pedigree. Unbound and stitched. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn. The 25 x 42 cm fold-out is headed 'Pedigree illustrative of the marriages of the daughters and coheirs of Sir Nigel Loryng, K.G., XXth Founder of the Order of the Garter, and of the families with whom they and their descendants became allied, namely: Haryington, Peyvre, Cogan, Fitz Waryn, Broughton, Courtenay, St.

The cutting consists of the two outer columns of pp.11 and 12, measuring 42 x 15.5 cm, with the article on Marie Lloyd, consisting of forty-four lines of text, covering roughly 12 x 6 cm of the inner column. Good, though a little aged and frayed at extremities, with the article with one small spot covering a word, but with the text entirely legible. First sentence reads 'Percy Courtenay, of 196, Wickham-terrace, Lewisham High-road, was brought up on a warrant before Mr.

Parliamentary legislative draftsman (1841-1924), Benjamin Jowett's literary executor. Three pages, 12mo. Very good, with traces of glue to blank verso of second leaf of bifoliate. Docketed in pencil. 'Miss Flora Shaw has asked me whether I could send you an early copy of the paper which I am to read at the Imperial Institute to-morrow afternoon. | The paper has not been printed, & the only spare copy which I have is the rouggh copy from which I had another typed for my own use. | I fear that this is very illegible.