Gravesend

[Pocahontas; Lyndon B. Johnson [Lyndon Baines Johnson; 'LBJ'], 36th President] Typed Letter Signed, as a senator, regarding a visit to America by 'the rector of St. George's Church at Gravesend' (in England, where Pocahontas is buried).

Author: 
Lyndon B. Johnson [Lyndon Baines Johnson, known as ‘LBJ’] (1908-1973), 36th President of the United States of America; a Democrat who succeeded John F. Kennedy, to whom he had served as Vice-President
Johnson
Publication details: 
24 September 1951. On letterhead of the United States Senate Committee on Armed Services [Washington, D.C.].
£450.00
Johnson

The present item is a genuine signature. It has been compared with a number of examples from the 1950s, including one from the same year of 1951, all of which differ, and Johnson is not known to have used an autopen until he became president (in 1968 it was dubbed ‘The Robot That Sits In For The President’ by the National Enquirer). 1p, 4to. On a leaf of wove paper, with US government American eagle watermark. In fair condition, lightly aged, and folded twice for postage. There is some light wear to the left of the signature, having a negligible effect on its final uptick.

[Lieut-Col. John Stuart Bligh, 6th Earl Darnley, amateur cricketer.] Autograph Note Signed, giving ‘Mr. F. York’ permission to ‘take some photographic views’ of Cobham Hall, Gravesend. With stamped envelope, addressed in Autograph.

Author: 
Lieut-Col. John Stuart Bligh, 6th Earl of Darnley [formerly Lord Clifton] (1827-1896), amateur cricketer, father of the England captain Ivo Bligh, 8th Earl of Darnley [F. York, London photographer]
Publication details: 
5 September 1868. On embossed letterhead of Cobham Hall, Gravesend.
£50.00

See his son Ivo Bligh’s entry in the Oxford DNB. 1p, 16mo. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded twice. Reads: ‘Sir: / You are welcome to take some photographic views of this place: - you will please to ask to see the Houseeeper when you come. / I remain / Yours faithy / Darnley’. In worn envelope, self-stamped with pink penny stamp and two postmarks, one from Gravesend. Addressed in Autograph by Darnley to ‘Mr. F. York / Alfred Villa / Lancaster Road / Notting Hill London W.’

[Lord Graves confronts ‘the principal blackmailing editor’.] Autograph Letter in the third person from William Thomas Graves, 3rd Baron Graves, to Charles Molloy Westmacott, editor of ‘The Age’.

Author: 
Lord Graves [William Thomas Graves (1807-1870), 3rd Baron Graves of Gravesend] [Charles Molloy Westmacott (c.1788-1868), editor of ‘The Age’ newspaper]
Publication details: 
‘Berkeley Castle | October 25th. 1831’.
£60.00

Westmacott was notorious for accepting money for the suppression of stories: Michael Sadleir has described him as ‘the principal blackmailing editor of his day’. The present communication may be related to the scandal surrounding the death of Graves’s father the previous year: he had committed suicide on learning that his wife (mother of the couple’s twelve children) was having an affair with the Duke of Cumberland. 1p, 12m. Folded twice. In fair condition, lightly aged. Reads: ‘Lord Graves presents his Compliments to Mr. Westmacott, begs to return him his thanks for the explanation which Mr.

4 Autograph Letters Signed from John Stuart Bligh, 6th Earl of Darnley, and 8 Autograph Letters Signed, Autograph Card Signed, and 5 invitations from his wife Harriet Mary, Countess of Darnley, all to Rev. Charles William Shepherd of Trotterscliffe.

Author: 
John Stuart Bligh (1827-1896), 6th Earl of Darnley, of Cobham Hall, Kent, and his wife Harriet Mary (1829-1905) [née Pelham], Lady Darnley [Rev. Charles William Shepherd (1838-1920) of Trotterscliffe]
6th Earl of Darnley
Publication details: 
1853, 1855, 1889; from various addresses including the House of Lords and Cobham Hall, Gravesend, Kent.
£325.00
6th Earl of Darnley

The Earl of Darnley's four letters (all signed 'Darnley') total 27 pp in 12mo; Lady Darnley's eight letters (all signed 'H. Darnley') total 26 pp in 12mo. All items in good condition, on lightly-aged paper. Darnley's first letter, 16 September 1853 (12mo, 12 pp), is unusually blunt for the period, and revealing on the etiquette of the period. It begins: 'I trust that the change in your mode of addressing me was accidental, and I have therefore not imitated it, and have used one word which you omitted [presumably 'Dear'].

Letter Signed "Sidmouth" to an unnamed correspondent.

Author: 
Viscount Sidmouth, statesman (DNB), here "Home Secretary".
Publication details: 
Whitehall, 8 Dec. 1817.
£120.00

Two pages, 4to, copperplate text by secretary, fold marks, marks of sellotape (half inch square at most) at edge, small chip bottom corner,m text cleqar and complete. Sidmouth, who has received a letter in favour of the condemned John Vartie, forger, informs his correspondent that "the Case of this unfortunate Person had the most full and deliberate consideration, at the time when the Report was made to the Prince Regent in Council.

Autograph Letter, signature and significant part of date missing

Author: 
John Duncombe
Publication details: 
-1667
£250.00

Commissioner (Office of the Master General of the Ordnance). Duncombe is instructing a Mr Sherborne of the Tower of London to go to Chatham, Gravesend and Woolwich to see "how many gunnes are mounted & of w[ha]t nature". He expects a report the following morning. The barbarian who cut the signature off also cut off the date, but this letter could well predate the Dutch raid up the Thames Estuary in June 1667 which particularly affected the fleet at Chatham, and indicate preparations.

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