EIRE

2pp, 12mo. On first leaf of grey-paper bifolium, the blank second leaf carrying a thin strip of tape from the mount. In good condition, folded once. Signed ‘John W. Calcraft’. The recipient is not named. Thirty-four lines of text, in a somewhat difficult hand. After a reference to ‘Mrs. Cook’s letter’ he gives the details of a forthcoming production, including the dates, ending with the benefit. ‘Terms as understood 10£ per night & [?] halfbenefit. I do not usually play on the Friday Night at this time of the year as they are uniformly bad nights’.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB, which states that he had two children - Charles Horace Kenney and the actress Rosa Kenney - by his marriage to Miss Rosa Stewart at the Paris embassy in 1859. 4pp, 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged. On bifolium, with thin strip of tape from mount adhering to the reverse of the second leaf. Folded once. Sixty-six lines of text, addressed to ‘Dearest Wife’ and signed ‘Your affectionate husband / C. L.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. 4pp, 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged, with strip of tape from mount adhering to reverse of second leaf and small pin holes to one corner. With two folds. Thirty-nine lines of text. The handwriting is a paradox; neat but difficult to decipher. Addressed to ‘My dear Mlle de [Schmidt?]’ and signed ‘Charles Lever’. He begins by claiming that the speed with which he accepted her ‘most kind & cordial invitation’ for her daughter is the best proof he can give of the value he attaches to it ‘& the sincere satisfaction it affords me’.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB, as well as that of Manby who had, as the letter indicates, strong French connections. In addition to his work as Secretary to the Institution of Civil Engineers, Manby was also the business manager of the Adelphi Theatre in London. 3pp, 12mo. Bifolium. Letter of thirty-eight lines on the first three pages, with address and four postmarks (two French and two English) on reverse of second leaf: ‘C. Manby Esq. / Institution Civil Engineers / 25 Great George St. / Westminster / London / Angleterre’.

See the entries for his mother and father in the Oxford DNB. The recipient Philip Dosse (Guinness spells it ‘Dossé’) was proprietor of Hansom Books, publisher of a stable of seven arts magazines including Books and Bookmen and ‘Plays and Players’. 1p, 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded once for postage. Large signature, underlined. Reads: ‘Thankyou! [sic] I should be glad to review “Lost Demesnes” and “Classic Irish Houses” by Craig (see the enclosed) if it is sent to you.’

See her entry, and his, in the Oxford DNB. On the reverse of a colour postcard of the Radcliffe Camera in Oxford from the Old Bodleian. In fair condition, lightly aged and with slight creasing to one corner and at the head (not affecting text). To the right, in the section reserved for the address, she writes: ‘Hardy / with all very / best wishes & love / from / Iris !’. Beneath this is a pencil note identifying Amies as the recipient. At top left, in another hand (her husband John Bayley’s?) is written ‘Born before all time: / a dispute over Christ’s origin / Karl Joseph Kuschel’.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. 1p, 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged, with slight discoloration at one edge and minor repair on reverse. Addressed to ‘Dear Mrs. Bicknell’ and signed ‘Danl. Maclise’. Reads ‘I very much regret to say that I have accepted an invitation to dinner on Wednesday when I might have had the pleasure of repairing to Tulse Hill and perhaps in company with my friend and your father whom I sometimes dare to call David’.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. An unillustrated post card, apart from the letterhead. Addressed, with stamp and Paddington postmark, to ‘Dr William Roberts / Briarlea / Mortimer / Berks.’ The message reads: ‘I vote for Osbert S. [i.e. Osbert Sitwell] as next chairman Soc. Authors [etc?] / Yrs / C. Day Lewis’. Image on request.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. The recipient is presumably the lyricist Peter Claremont Parsons. Plain postcard, apart from letterhead. In good condition, lightly aged. Image on request.Postmarked (from Paddington), stamped and addressed to ‘Geoffrey Parsons esq. / 22 Westbourne Park Road / W.2’. Small signature: ‘C. D. L.’ Reads: ‘Many thanks for Peter’s Progress. [Parson’s poetry book, published that year by Hand & Flower] I’ve read it with great pleasure & amusement, & fallen foul of little except ‘legacies’ rhyming with exegesis. My memory of those H. & S.

From the Sylvia and Robert Lynd papers. Scarce: three copies on JISC and in NLI. The Lynd copies of the first and third editions of the work to which this is a response are offered separately. 76pp (vi + 66 + [4]), 12mo. Stapled. In printed card wraps with vertical red, white and blue bands on the cover. Grubby and worn, with slightly-rusted staples, and short closed tear to fore-edge of front cover. Includes four-page index.

The Peace with Ireland Council was founded in November 1920 by Lord Henry Cavendish Bentinck, following a meeting at the House of Commons by a group concerned at the deteriorating situation in Ireland following the introduction of the Black and Tans, and spurred on by the treatment of former MP Annan Bryce and his wife Violet. Among those involved were the historian Basil Williams, who acted as treasurer, and the suffragette Margaret Buckmaster (daughter of Lord Buckmaster) who served as honorary secretary. From the Sylvia and Robert Lynd papers.

The Peace with Ireland Council was founded in November 1920 by Lord Henry Cavendish Bentinck, following a meeting at the House of Commons by a group concerned at the deteriorating situation in Ireland following the introduction of the Black and Tans, and spurred on by the treatment of former MP Annan Bryce and his wife Violet. Among those involved were the historian Basil Williams, who acted as treasurer, and the suffragette Margaret Buckmaster (daughter of Lord Buckmaster) who served as honorary secretary. From the Sylvia and Robert Lynd papers.

From the papers of Sylvia and Robert Lynd. A scarce piece of Pearse ephemera: no other copy traced. 1p, 12mo. On a piece of discoloured laid paper, worn, with crease to one corner. The full title of the book, which was edited by Desmond Ryan, was ‘The story of a success, being a record of St. Enda's College, September 1908 to Easter 1916’.

From the Sylvia and Robert Lynd papers. Scarce: no copy on JISC, but in NLI. 16pp, 12mo. Stitched. No wraps. The outer covers spotted, and the back cover grubby, otherwise in good condition, lightly aged. One vertical fold. The author’s position, supported with statistical analysis, is that ‘The present position is indefensible as it stands; and it is becoming worse.

Although large numbers of Irishmen had willingly signed up to fight for the British cause in the First World War, by April 1918 a shortage of troops moved the British government to propose conscription in Ireland. This was violently opposed by republicans, and O’Neill convened an Irish Anti-Conscription Committee which met at the Mansion House in Dublin. Strikes and protests followed, and although a law was passed, conscription was never implemented in Ireland. These two items are now extremely scarce.

Two items from the Robert and Sylvia Lynd papers. The first item is well represented in academic libraries, no copy of the second has been found. Item Two below asserts that ‘Under these Acts the Home Minister of Northern Ireland is furnished with what are practically dictatorship powers’, which are ‘now a permanent part of Northern Irish law’. (Robert Lynd’s interest in the matter was no doubt heightened by the fact that he was himself an Ulsterman.) ONE: Printed pamphlet.

See his entry in the Dictionary of National Biography. From the papers of Sylvia and Robert Lynd. Scarce: only three copies on JISC (Oxford, NLS and BL). 24pp, 12mo. Stapled. In blue printed wraps with flaps. Colophon on first page, with small indistinguishable device: ‘THE FIRST BOOKLET / set, printed and published by the / Janus Press at Bickley in Kent / 1933’. Title-page: ‘AN IRISH IDYLL / CHARLES DUFF / [crude vignette of shamrock] / Janus Press’. Information on reverse of title includes: ‘An Irish Idyll was first used by / The British Broadcasting Corporation / on the 12th.

From the papers of Sylvia and Robert Lynd. A scarce item: five copies on JISC. In NLI, but not in the British Library. Bigger, a notable antiquary and republican (see Dictionary of Irish Biography), is the friend to whom Sir Roger Casement entrusted the ‘black box’ of incriminating documents, which Bigger destroyed after Casement’s execution. 12pp, 16mo. Stapled. In good condition, lightly aged, with lightly-rusted staples.

From the papers of Sylvia and Robert Lynd. Scarce: this number is lacking from the run in the National Library of Ireland. The title as one word ‘INISFÁIL’ on cover, but as the two words ‘INIS FÁIL’ on first page. 12 pp, 4to. Stapled in light-green printed wraps. In good condition, lightly aged, on high-acidity paper, in lightly-worn wraps carrying advertisements.

From the papers of Sylvia and Robert Lynd. Scarce: copy in NLI, and three on JISC (LSE, Oxford and Cambridge), but not in BL. 30pp, 12mo. Stapled in wraps of shiny paper, with title and publication details on front cover (which is part of pagination). Text clear and complete, but in poor condition, aged and worn, with heavy creasing around spine. MacDonnell advocates ‘the adoption of proportional representation and the transferable vote’, which ‘would involve a radical, but simple representation of the electoral map of Ireland’.

From the Sylvia and Robert Lynd papers. A scarce piece of Abbey Theatre ephemera: the National Library of Ireland has a copies of the programmes for later revivals of the play in the Joseph Holloway collection (1918-1920), but does not have this one. ‘The Prodigal’ was Riddall’s only play. It ran for five performances between 30 September and 3 October, Riddall having died earlier in the year. It was revived in 1916, 1919 and 1923. 4pp, 12mo. Stapled into grey Abbey Theatre wraps. In fair condition, aged and worn, with one vertical fold.

From the papers of Sylvia and Robert Lynd. A scarce and historic document: copy in the NLI, and three on JISC (LSE, Oxford and BL, the latter also possessing a copy of the ‘Fortieth Thousand’). On the cover ‘Sinn Fein’ is written without the accent on the ‘e’; while the heading to p.5 has it with the accent. Cover carries a crude outline map of Ireland, crossed by two thick lines, with caption ‘The Cross of Gold’. A frail survival, on discoloured and worn newspaper stock, with chipping to edges and dogeared corners.

From the papers of Sylvia and Robert Lynd. Scarce: the only copy on JISC at Bristol University. Not in NLI or BL. 16pp, 12mo. Stapled. In green printed wraps. Heavily worn, with lightly-rusted staples, and with the back wrap separated. The centre pages carry a map of ‘The Real Position in Ulster’, with explanatory note. Begins with ‘Facsimile of Message from the Hon. A. Fisher, Premier of the Australian Commonwealth.’, dated 16 February 1912. Quotations (some with portraits) from individuals from South Africa, Canada, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, Australia, New Zealand.

According to his entry in the Oxford DNB, Shee entered the House of Commons as Member for County Kilkenny in 1852, and promptly took charge of the Irish Tenant Right Bill. ‘On 16 February 1854 Shee brought in a bill which, with the exception of three clauses, was the exact counterpart of Sharman Crawford's bill of the previous session, but it met with little encouragement.’ Shee’s speech is reproduced in his ‘Papers, Letters, and Speeches in the House of Commons, on the Irish Land Question’ (London, 1863).

From the Sylvia and Robert Lynd Papers. Scarce: one copy on JISC (Bristol University), and at the NLI, but no copy in the BL. The Lynd copies of the first edition of this title, and of the response by T. S. Frank Battersby, ‘60 Points against Home Rule’ (answering point by point many of those made here), are offered separately. [4] + 52pp, 16mo. Stapled. In green printed wraps. In fair condition, on aged paper, with dogeared corners, staples slightly rusted, in worn wraps. Preceded by index and preface, of two pages apiece.

From the Sylvia and Robert Lynd Papers. Scarce: five copies on JISC, and at the NLI, but no copy in the BL. The Lynd copies of the third edition of this title, and of the response by T. S. Frank Battersby, ‘60 Points against Home Rule’ (answering point by point many of those made here), are offered separately. [4] + 52pp, 16mo. Stapled. In green printed wraps. In fair condition internally, on browned newspaper stock, with dogeared corners, staples slightly rusted, in brittle and chipped wraps, with some damage repaired with archival tape.

From the papers of Sylvia and Robert Lynd. Eight copies on JISC, but now scarce. 16pp, 12mo. Stapled. In fair condition, on aged high-acidity paper. With heavily-worn remains of front cover, of brittle green paper, carrying the title and publication details. Drophead title ‘THE / GOVERNMENT OF IRELAND’ on p.1. The first part titled ‘Historical’, with subtitle ‘The Rule of a Nation by a Nation’. The second part titled ‘Four Suggested Plans’, with subsections ‘The Home Rule Act of 1914’, ‘The Government of Ireland Act of 1920’, ‘Dominion Status’ and ‘The Republic’.

3 pp, foolscap 8vo. In good condition, lightly aged. Central horizontal fold. Each page on a separate piece of paper, with the three pieces stapled together. In small print (not typed).

From the papers of Sylvia and Robert Lynd. Four copies traced: National Library of Ireland, Trinity College Dublin, the British Library and Oxford University. BL identifies the author as ‘Thomas T. Shaw’; another source states ‘Thomas J. Shaw’. 47pp, 8vo. In green printed wraps. Stapled. Lightly aged, in worn wraps, and with slight blooming at head of first few leaves. The author goes about the ‘self-imposed task’ of his ‘little brochure’ with copious statistical evidence, including an eight-page appendix of tables.

See his brothers’ entries in the Oxford DNB. 4pp, 12mo. Bifolium. Folded once. In good condition, lightly aged, with slight rust spotting at head of last page. Erroneous attribution to Earl Brassey in small type at the head of the first page. Addressed to ‘B. Hobbie Esq’ and signed ‘Albert Brassey’. He doubts whether you will be able to attend the public meeting at Oxford on 28 May.