EARL

Lord Chancellor of England (1751-1838). Dimensions roughly four and a half inches square. Paper spotted and discoloured. Traces of previous blue-paper mount adhering to blank reverse. Unobtrusive archival-tape repair to closed tear. Reads 'May God support him in the Time of his great Calamity! | I shall be infinitely obliged by your allowing me to hope that thro' you I may occasionally hear of his Health | I remain, Dear Sir, | Yr obliged Servant | Eldon'.

Governor of New Zealand (1853-1911). Two pages, 4to. Grubby, foxed and discoloured, and with traces of archival tape adhering to second leaf. 'I am entirely at one with you in thinking that there is no reason in cottage building why one should sacrifice appearance and picturesqueness to mere cheapness. I went very carefully over your cottage, and [...] I thought it the most practical of all those that were exhibited, and it was for that reason that I wrote for what I thought was a treatise upon the subject.

English politician (1762-1847). One page, 4to. Stained, and with several closed tears and one small hole at foot; traces of previous mount adhering to blank reverse. Formal letter in the third person. 'Lord Harrowby presents his Compliments to the Lord Mayor Elect and the Sheriffs and is sorry that his absence from London will prevent his having the honour of attending the dinner at Guildhall on Monday the 9th of November.'

Wife (1900-66) of the Conservative Prime Minister Harold Macmillan, and daughter of the Duke of Devonshire. Three pages, 12mo. Grubby, creased and stained (perhaps with tears?). She was 'up in Stockton' the previous week, and heard that her correspondent's son was ill. 'Having children of my own, I know how very precious they are & how terribly one feels it when anything is wrong with them. It is dreadful when one sees such little things ill & one feels it is so cruel that it should happen to them.

Lord Chancellor of England (1825-1921), author of the monumental 'Laws of England'. One page, 4to. In good condition though somewhat grubby. Folded twice, and with embossed House of Lords stamp and armorial stamp in red ink in top left-hand corner. Opening ('My dear Judge') and salutation ('faithfully yours | Halsbury') by Halsbury, the rest in secretarial hand. Reads 'I have to thank you for your letter of the 11th., and for the arrangements which have been made, at Mr. Justice Stirling's request, and of which I entirely approve'.

Stanhope (1805-1875) was styled Lord Mahon until his father's death in 1855. Signed 'Mahon' on fragment of document (dimensions 3 inches by 4 inches). Ruckled and discoloured as a result of previous mounting. Until 1846 Mahon was Secretary of the Board of Control for India, and the document would appear to be a fragment of a receipt for his salary.

Sydney (1805-1890) became 1st Earl Sydney in 1874. The front part of an envelope, dimensions roughly 3 inches by 8 inches. In good condition, but with traces of previous mounting on otherwise-blank reverse. Circular crested seal in red wax, roughly 1/2 inch in diameter. Reads 'H M S. | The Secretary to the Board of Ordnance | Pall Mall | London | Sydney'.

Dimensions: 5 inches by 7 inches. Somewhat grubby and with ink stain at foot. Headed 'THE MASTERS OF FOX HOUNDS ASSOCIATION, | TATTERSALLS, ALBERT GATE, LONDON.' Standing order to Dalkeith's bank, Coutts & Co of 59 Strand, to make an annual payment on 1 May to the Herries Farquhar branch of Lloyds one pound, as his subscription to the association. Signed 'Dalkeith'. Docketed by the bank and pinned to a 'Tattersalls' letterhead, roughly 5 inches by 7 inches, carrying a note which reads 'With the Secretary of the M. F. H. A's compliments.

Dodington (1691-1762); Oxenden (1694-1775) and Yonge (1693-1755) were Whig politicians and allies of Sir Robert Walpole. The document would appear to relate to their positions as Commissioners of the Treasury. Dimensions 3 1/2 inches by 4 inches. Somewhat discoloured with age, but in good condition and with good clear signatures: 'Geo: Dodington | Geo Oxenden | Wia: Yonge'. The printed fragment to the left of the signatures reads: '<...>ceipt of His | <...> said [in manuscript] 34.

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'.

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'.

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.

One page, 8vo. Giving licence to his tenant Richard Finlow of Liverpool to transfer the freehold of a property in Bootle to John Plumbe of Bootle, painter. The property is "on the marsh at Bootle [...] adjoining the new Road leading from Sand Hills to Bootle afsd. called Derby Road". Signed "Derby". Slight discolouration and with holes from pinning, but in good condition overall.

Nondescript Tory politician (1780-1858). 2 pp, 12mo. "I do not feel right & am naturally apprehensive! / Should it come on - am I - after so short an interval to take the <?> remedy? I am now going out & shall return before hour - / your faithful servt / Haddington".

One page, 4to. Difficult handwriting. "Sir / On my return to this Cottage from Houghton I had the favor of your letters. I enclose a letter to Ld. Sandwich [...] I also enclose a letter to Sr. Horace Man [...]" Sir Horace Mann (1701-86) was British envoy at Florence. Docketted on verso of second leaf, "Ld. Orford, inclosing one to Ld. Sandwich wch was imediatly [sic] delivd. [...] Ensign Commis at Patna." Creased, and with loss to second leaf from removal of a seal.