EARL

2pp, 4to. She begins by apologising for the tardy response to his letter, explaining: 'During these past months we have been very busy and I have found it almost impossible to find time for writing private letters beyond those to my immediate family.' She apologises for the fact that she was 'just going out when I met you in London last November. I did not then realise that you had come especially to see me.' The letter ends: 'Your tour of Canada and The States must have been extremely interesting.'

1p, 8vo. In good condition. Laid down on part of leaf from album. Reads: 'Lord Albemarle presents His Compliments to the Mayor Elect, and is sorry to find that It is not in his power to have the Honor of dining with him at Yarmouth on Michaelmas Day next.'

Pepys's house at Brampton is the subject of an article by Chris Partridge in the Observer, 30 May 2004, which states that 'The first earl, Edward Montagu, was Pepys's cousin and patron, giving him the political clout to further his career in the Navy Office. In 1927 the then earl gave the Pepys House Trust a 100-year lease at a peppercorn rent, and it has been open to the public ever since. All three items in good condition, lightly aged. Drinkwater's second letter and Chappell's draft reply pinned to one another. ONE: Drinkwater to Chappell, 31 May 1933. TLS. 2pp, 4to.

The recipients Todd [or Tod] and Romanes, Writers to the Signet, were prominent Edinburgh solicitors, acting for Trotter's kinsman Robert Trotter, R.N., one of the sons of Rev. Robert Trotter (c.1732-1807) of Windyhaugh, 'minister of the dissenting congregation of Morpeth during the long space of 51 years'. 2pp, 4to. Bifolium. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn, with thin strip of paper from mount adhering to the reverse of the second leaf, which is addressed, with postmarks and endorsement signed by 'J. R.' (John Romanes), 'To | Messrs.

2pp, folio. On a single leaf. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn, with thin strip of paper from mount adhering to inner edge of first page. Folded twice. Good firm signature of the king ('George R.') at top left of first page, which has a thin mourning border. Left hand margin of first page with embossed £1 10s tax stamp. Written out ('By His Majesty's Command') in a secretarial hand, and addressed 'To The Husband for taking up all Goods consigned from Barbadoes and the Leeward Islands on Account of the Duties of Four Pounds and one Half Pounds per Centum'.

The Athenian Letters, primarily written by Hardwicke and his brother Charles, enjoyed considerable vogue on the publication in 1781 of the second edition (a first edition of ten copies had appeared in 1741). The present item relates to a projected third volume of the 'Miscellaneous State Papers', the first two volumes of which had been published by Strahan and Cadell in 1778. John Topham (later Librarian to the Archbishop of Canterbury) and Thomas Astle worked together on the public records at Westminster. The present item is 1p, 4to. Bifolium.

The frank is on a piece of paper cut from the front of an envelope. In good condition, lightly aged, laid down on part of leaf from album. The frank is set out in the customary manner, with the signature 'Boyle' at bottom left, and the address reading: 'Woolverhampton [sic] July | seventeenth 1848 | Miss L: Inglis | Milton Bryand [sic] | Wooborn'. The recipient is probably Mary Louisa Inglis (d.1853), sister of Sir Robert Harry Inglis (1786-1855), Conservative politician and Lord of the Manor of Milton Bryant (or Bryan), Bedfordshire.

1p, 4to. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged and worn. Franked on reverse of second leaf, with seal in red wax broken into two pieces, and franking postmark: 'Frome – November twenty fifth 1814 | Messrs: Wulliamys | Watch Maker's | Pall Mall | London | Boyle'.

3pp, 12mo. Bifolium with mourning border. In fair condition, lightly aged, with traces of mount adhering to blank reverse of second leaf. Folded once.

1p., foolscap 8vo. In good condition, lightly aged. On bifolium, folded twice into the customary packet, which is endorsed on the reverse of the second leaf: 'Dated 14th. June 1869. | The Right Honorable Lord Penrhyn | to | David Glynne Griffith Gentn | Commission as Lieutenant in the Royal Carnarvon Militia'. Added in another hand at foot: 'Gazetted 18th. June 1869.' . The twenty-three line commission of 'David Glynne Grifffith Gentleman (late Lieutenant 3rd. Regiment' is in a secretarial hand, signed at the foot by Penrhyn as 'Her Majesty's Lieutenant of the County of Carnarvon'.

Two printed documents: the first carrying Major Graham's 'Memorandum' of 'suggestions respecting the mode of taking a Census in each of our Colonial Posssessions', together with his observations on the making up of 'Statistical Abstracts', a specimen 'Form of Return' and a covering letter; the second a circular letter from Earl Grey, instructing colonial governors 'to cause a Return of the Population of the Colony under your Government to be prepared'. For the background to these two documents, see A. J.

An apparently-unique Manuscript – signed by Lord Stanley as Secretary of State for War and the Colonies, and dated from 'Downing Street, | 30: July 1842' – of what W. P. Morrell describes in his 'British Colonial Policy in the Age of Peel and Russell' (1966) as a 'Circular Dispatch to Governors of West Indian Colonies', regarding the 'Act to amend the laws for the regulation of the Trade of the British Possessions abroad' (5 & 6 Vic. c. 49). The document discusses the act with regard to 'the West Indian Colonists' and 'the British Possessions in South America and the West Indies'.

1p., foolscap 8vo. In good condition, lightly aged. On bifolium, docketed on reverse of second leaf: 'Dated the 9th. August 1870. | The Right Honorable Edward Gordon Lord Penrhyn | to | Lieutenant D: G: Griffith | Commission promoting him to be Captain of and in the Royal Carnarvon Rifle Militia.' Added in another hand at foot: 'Gazetted 16th. Augt 1870.' . The twenty-four line commission (appointing Griffith 'vice Kneeshaw resigned) is in a secretarial hand, signed at the foot by Penrhyn.

1p., 4to. In fair condition, lightly aged. Franked on the other side, with broken seal in red wax and postmark: 'London Feby: the 3 1795 | Miss Poole | Chichester | Egremont'. Unsigned, and in Hayley's untidy hand. Reads: 'Tuesday | 5 oclock | I have not been able to call on the Sheffield Travellers today but having caught a Frank from my noble Friend of Petworth I will dispatch my Servant without losing another post | adio'. Hayley later introduced his friend Miss Harriet Poole (‘the Lady of Lavant’) to William Blake, who would join him on visits to her villa in Lavant.

1p., 8vo. Slight damp damage along left-hand margin, otherwise in fair condition. Reads: 'My Lord, | I have been honoured with your Lordship's Letter of this day's date; and I will lose no time in giving fresh authority to the Secretary at War to issue the pay and allowances to the Lamerton and Milton Abbott Corps, according to the amended return now transmitted to me by your Lordship.' Docketed on reverse.

An attractive Chiswick Press item (on the firm's own paper), possibly printed for Beatty himself. No other copy traced, either on OCLC WorldCat or on COPAC. 3pp., 12mo. Printer's slug at foot of otherwise-blank reverse of second leaf. On laid paper with 'Chiswick Press' watermark. Aged and worn, with pin-hole through top inner corner of both leaves, and light staining at foot of first page. Reprinting a speech thanking the US Atlantic Fleet 'again, again, and again for the great part the Sixth Battle Squadron has played in bringing about the greatest naval victory in history'.

4pp., 4to. In red ink on bifolium of printed music paper. In fair condition, on lightly aged and worn paper, with a few minor smudges. The song is andante, and the lyrics begin: 'Pierrot, lovesick And out of tune, Took his guitar and sang to the moon. Sang all night With mouth awry, Whilst light clouds drifted across the sky.' Also included is a Post Office Telegram from 'Aunt Margery' to 'Lady Catherine Sackville Fishers gate Withyham', 29 July 1946: 'Terribly disappointed held up missed train by one minute best love'..From the Sackville papers.

1p., 12mo. Mourning border. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn. 'Dartmouth' neatly written in another hand at head. With reference to a forthcoming subscription appeal for a book by the recipient the letter reads: 'Revd. Sir, | With reference to your note of the 30th. April, I must beg to stipulate that you neither print mine, to which it refers, nor insert my name in any list of subscribers that you may circulate, my subscription may be entered, if you please, as that of a friend fo the Revd J. Hermby'.

1p., 12mo. With mourning border. In good condition, lightly aged. Reads: 'Dear Sir | There is no need to notice the enclosed, beyond sending the writer a copy of the Report, as soon as it is out.'

On 14 x 12 cm section cut from front panel of envelope. In fair condition, lightly aged. Cropped postmark at head. Laid out in the customary fashioni, and reading: 'Holkham. Augt. Twenty Third | 1830 - | Willm. Barth Esq | Yarmouth | Norfolk | T W Coke'. Manuscript note at foot in another nineteenth-century hand: 'Mr. Coke, M.P. of Holkham Norfolk - afterwards 1st. Earl of Leicester'.

2pp., 12mo. Bifolium. In fair condition, lightly aged. Addressed on reverse of second leaf, with red wax seal, to 'Mr. Andrews | Bookseller | New Bond St.' (BBTI has John Andrews at 167 New Bond Street from before 1831 to 1857.) The letter reads: 'Mr. Andrews - | As the French Play is popular you may be able to transfer to other Customers one or two of the Tickets you have taken for me this evening.

On small square of laid paper. In fair condition, aged and worn, with loss to one corner from opening of the wafer, and tape staining to two edges. Received 19th June 1814 of Messrs. Snow & Co a Box of Jewells [sic] The Property of Lady Elizabeth Palk which was deposited with them about the latter End of June, last year - | Shaftesbury'.

Written (perhaps appropriately) in a somewhat childish hand.

1p., 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged. Reads: 'Dear Sir William | Many thanks for your letter | We will be with you tomorrow Tuesday by 11. o'c'.

3pp., 12mo. Bifolium. In fair condition, lightly aged. Docketed on reverse of second leaf 'Mr Coke of Holkham'. 33 lines of text. Coke's handwriting is atrocious. Phrases which can be made out are: '[...] to comply with my tenants wishes [...] to supply them with good [...] I should recommend [....] this is the best advice I can give you. | From the Member for Oxfordshire, [...] but he has it in such abundance [...]'.

1p., 4to. In fair condition, lightly aged, with traces of stub adhering to reverse. Addressed on reverse, with broken seal in red wax and postmarks, to 'Miss Beavan | Brynry Hydd [ i.e. Bryn yr Hydd] | Glasbury | Hay | South Wales'. An expansively-written note, above a similar signature, reading: 'May I request you to read the accompanying Circular, and to give it your favourable consideration?'

1p., 4to. Bifolium. Addressed with postmarks, on reverse of second leaf, to 'Mr. Simpson, | Clothiere, | St. Martin's Lane | London.' In fair condition, on aged paper. Docketted with Harcourt's dates. The letter reads: 'Sir, | Captain Sir Murray Maxwell having signified his intention of offering himself as a Candidate for Westminster at the ensuing Election; I shall be much obliged to you if you will give him Your Vote upon that occasion.' In the 1818 general election Maxwell (1775-1831) was defeated by less than 400 votes, losing to Sir Samuel Romilly and Sir Francis Burdett.

2pp., 4to. In good condition, lightly aged and worn. On behalf of 'the Executive Committee', he thanks him and 'the Sub Committee' for the letter 'reporting the conclusion of the arrangements for Reception of the Belgians at Wimbledon', and declares the arrangements satisfactory. The letter concludes with a resolution of the Executive Committee, requesting the Sub Committee 'to continue their labours in this department until after the Departure of the Belgians from Wimbledon'.

In good condition, lightly aged. Front panel (9.5 x 13.5 cm) of envelope neatly placed in a thin windowpane mount, bearing frank, with two postmarks, one the red frank and the other in black from 'BRENTWOOD | 18', addressed in the prescribed fashion by St Vincent: 'Brentwood fifth May 1811 | Edward Hawke Locker Esq | 47 Davies Street | Berkeley Square | London'. Signature at bottom left: 'S. Vincent'.

2pp., 12mo. Bifolium. In fair condition, lightly aged, with small paint stain to first page. He will be 'most happy' to see Basing, '& to talk over this serious question'. He suggests arrangements and concludes: 'But anyhow there shall be ample time for convocation: for the matter ought not to be hurried.' At the time of writing the Marquis of Salisbury, a Conservative, was Prime Minister. The 'serious matter' may be the Naval Defence Bill, enacted on 31 May of the same year.