HOUSE

Fragment of letter in Gladstone’s autograph, with his signature, on both sides of 10 x 6 cm rectangle. In good condition, with one vertical fold. Five lines on recto read: ‘<...> It was most kind of you to send me the delightful pearl studs - & to write so friendly a letter. Lady Paget gave me a set’. Recto reads: ‘<...> & preserve your kind thought | With many thanks to you & Mrs Robson | Always | W E Gladstone’. See image.

2pp, 4to. 34 lines of closely-written text. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded twice. Addressed to ‘Mr. Poole’. After expressing a hope that they will be meeting Poole now that they are both on the council of the Royal Historical Society, he explains that he is writing in relation to his redrafting of ‘the early part of Percy for the Complete Peerage’, noting that ‘the present draft is certainly alarming’. He is taking it ‘down to 1245’ and finds it ‘full of snags’. He has ‘just finished a draft of Jocelin, Agnes de Percy’s husband’, and L. C.

Typed (cyclostyled or similar?) Letter Signed as above, three pages, 12mo. very good condition, apart from small rusty hole where formerly stapled.

One page, 8vo, fold marks, good condition. Text: I enclose you a check for the amount of my bill which I shall be glad to know you receive safe- As you say your Father is collecting autogreaphs I have enclosed you a few which he may like to have. See image.

The recipient is Lady Ann Cullum (1807-1875), widow of Sir Thomas Gery Cullum (1777-1855) of Hardwick House, Bury St Edmunds. 1p, 12mo. On grey paper. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded twice. The salutation of the letter ('My dear Lady Cullum') is in English, the rest in French. Written at a turbulent period in Guizot's life, following the Revolution in 1848, with the overthrow of the monarchy and its ministry of which he himself was head.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. The present item dates from 1807, the year in which Bathurst sold the celebrated Apsley House ('No. 1 London') to the Duke of Wellington's brother the Marquis Wellesley, who sold it on to the Duke ten years later. It is now the Wellington Museum. This item casts an interesting light on the initial sale. 2pp, 4to. Thirty-four lines of text. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded four times. He is disappointed that the unnamed male recipient (presumably Wellesley's agent) has not called on him.

Frank on 7 x 13 cm panel cut from front of envelope. In good condition, lightly aged, laid down on part of leaf from album, with the reverse carrying part of the frank to a letter from another unidentified individual, with free postmark from 1826. Byron's frank has the customary red-ink postmark at top right ('FREE | 8 DE 8 | 1826'), and is laid out by him in the customary fashion: 'Portsmouth December Seven | 1826 | The Honble. Mrs. Collingwood | Hawkhurst | Kent'. Byron's signature 'Byron.', at bottom left, is only underlined, and not enclosed within the two parallel lines as required.

Two printed items, both in fair condition, lightly aged and worn. ONE: 'London County Council. Order of Proceedings on the occasion of the opening by His Majesty the King, accompanied by Her Majesty the Queen, of Ken Wood, at 3.30 p.m., On Saturday, 18th July, 1925.' Signed in type at end by Clerk of the Council 'Montagu. H. Cox', at 'The County Hall, | Westminster Bridge, S.E.1. | 18th July, 1925.' 7 + [2]pp, 12mo. Stitched pamphlet with one loose leaf. The text begins: 'His Majesty, accompanied by Her Majesty, will leave Buckingham Palace attended by members of the household-in-waiting.

One page, cr. 8vo, grubby, fold marks, but text clear, as follows: I am very sorry it will not be in my power to be present at the quarterly General Board of the Royal Naval Asylum, as an Appointment has for some Time past been made for a Court of the Trinity Corporation to swear me in as an Elder Brother , on that day.

One page, 12mo, staining and ink blots but text clear and complete, laid down on larger piece of paper, docketed The late Mrs. Margaret Gatty (writer for children) Editor of Aunt Judy's Magazine.

7pp, 32mo. On two bifoliums, stitched together. In good condition, lightly aged. Signed 'Agnes Strickland'. A nice letter with interesting content. Begins: 'Feeling all the kindness of most friendly invitation so sensibly as I do, it gives me the greater regret to be compelled to forgo the pleasure you offer me, of joining my friends Mr. & Miss Mackinnon in your charming home on the 8th of Octr.

4pp, 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged, with two smudges on second page. Folded once. With reference to her letter 'to Mr. Somerset of March 11th. re the portrait of Charles II (as Prince) in academic robes', he has had the picture by William Dobson photographed and encloses a copy (not present). He discusses Charles's dress in the picture in some detail, adding that 'The portrait (27 x 28 1/2 inches) has been in my possession since 1918 when it was bought at Christie's Nov. 29 lot.

See Anna Gurney's entry in the Oxford DNB. The recipient and her husband had spent some time in Rome in 1842, and in 1838 had befriended the Alpinist Henriette d'Angeville at Geneva. 4pp, 4to. Bifolium with mourning border and watermark year 1840. In good condition, lightly aged, with minor traces of glue from label on outsides of gutter. The letter begins: 'My dear Lady Cullum | I think You & Sir Thomas may be home by this time & I must wish to enquire how you both are after your long wanderings.

24pp, 4to. Stapled pamphlet. Aged, and with spotting to covers, creased closed tear at foot of spine, and slight loss to bottom out corner of back cover. With one vertical fold. The cover is printed in black, with a charming cartoon by 'C. F.' in red ink of five happy birds singing and flying around with musical scores in wings, with one bird on box with conductor's baton tapping a music stand.

An interesting collection of material relating to the preparations for the historic first Secret Session in the House of Lords, from the papers of Neville Digby Bosworth Smith (1886-1964) of the Privy Council Office. The material dates from the five days preceding 25 April 1916, when the House of Lords having voted in favour of the measure, it held a secret session to debate a motion regarding conscription following the passing of the Military Services Act 1916. (For a contemporary account of the parallel proceedings in the other house, see Sir C. P.

1p, 8vo. In fair condition, creased and aged. The only piece of Waithman's autograph is his signature at the foot: 'R Waithman'. The rest of the document, apparently in Holste's hand, reads: 'Henry Holste of 22 Bush Lane Merchant, maketh Oath and saith, that he has been resident in London above Fourteen years, and that from the first day of January 1812 to the first day of September 1823. he has not been out of England for a single day | Henry Holste. | Sworn at the Mansion house this Twenty fifth day of August. One thousand eight hundred and Twenty five | R Waithman | Mayor'.

1p, 8vo. In fair condition, lightly aged and creased. The only piece of Waithman's autograph is his signature at the foot: 'R Waithman'. The rest of the document, apparently in Schmidt's hand, reads: 'John Schmidt Native of Hamburg residing at No 77 Westmoreland place City Road, Merchant maketh Oath & saith that he first arrived in London in the Year 1795. and has continued to reside here up to the present time with the exception of a few Months, but that he has not left England for a single day since the Year One thousand eight hundred and eight. - | J. Schmidt.

3pp, 16mo. Bifolium. Aged and ruckled, with light damp staining. No salutation, but apparently complete. From the papers of Lady Ann Cullum (1807-1875), wife of Rev. Sir Thomas Gery Cullum of Hardwick House. ]Begins: 'I am very sorry, that I could not keep my promise to day to call upon You, - Believe me that it was impossible, but I cant leave Carlsbad without telling You at least how glad I waws to have made Your acquaintances.

For Lady Craven's colourful life see her entry in the Oxford DNB. 1p, 8vo. In fair condition, on aged and worn paper. Folded four times. Begins: 'Mr. Thomas, I will thank you to send my Carriage by a Western Waggon, immediately here - directed to Hr. S. Highness The Margravine of Anspach Brandenburg house, near Hammersmith, and I hope as I have waited so long for it that it will be a well seasond [sic] Carriage - & reasonable in Price, which if it is, and finish'd to my Satisfaction, you may depend ont that it will not be the last by many which you will make'.

3pp, 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged, with traces of paper from mount adhering to blank reverse of second leaf. Folded twice. Written in his usual difficult hand. He begins by stating that her note was forwarded to him from Knebworth. The letter continues: 'I had previously requested my Sol[icito]r.

3pp, 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged, with traces of paper from mount adhering to blank reverse of second leaf. Folded twice. From the Cullum papers, Simpson being a neighbour of the family. Having 'just come in from a longish walk', he is sorry to have missed Lady Cullum.

Arthur Sidgwick's long entry in the Oxford DNB concludes with the following assessment: 'a university liberal of rare consistency and stamina: a progressive bridging Victorian and Edwardian generations, and pre-eminent among the male dons who made a place for women's higher education in Oxford'. At the time of the present letter he was nearing the end of a 'brilliant' undergraduate career at Cambridge, with the winning of many prizes: 'In 1863 he was second in the first class of the classical tripos and fourteenth senior optime in mathematics, and was also president of the union.

Four items, all in good condition, lightly aged, the three letters with stubs and labels used in mounting in an album. In addition to the pleasant picture they paint of the court gathered around the blind king in the last year of his kingdom's existence (with an interesting reference to the new palace he had built his wife at Marienburg), the three letters indicate a surprisingly cordial state in nineteenth-century Anglo-German relations.

See the separate entries on the Gibsons in the Oxford DNB, which notes 'her eclectic salons, attended by diplomats, writers, politicians, and, after 1848, European exiles. Regular guests included Dickens, Thackeray, Hugo, Lady Morgan, the Disraelis, Cobden, and Louis Napoleon'. (Dickens wrote part of his last novel, 'The Mystery of Edwin Drood', at the Gibsons' London house.) The present item is from the papers of Arethusa's mother Lady Ann Cullum (1807-1875), wife of Rev. Sir Thomas Gery Cullum (1777-1855) of Hardwick House. 4pp, 12mo. Bifolium.

5.5 x 10 cm piece of paper, cut from the front of an envelope. In good condition, lightly aged. Reads: 'Immediate | The | Lord Archbishop of Canterbury | W Gladstone'. The signature is in the customary place, in the bottom left-hand corner.

Scudamore's entry in the Oxford DNB does not refer to the financial difficulties which he describes in this interesting letter, surprising in the light of his royal patronage and success as an author. 3pp, 4to. Bifolium, addressed on reverse of second leaf, with postmark and seal in black wax, to 'The | Revd. Sir Thomas Cullum | Bart | Hardwick House | Bury St Edmunds'. Forwarded, in another hand, to 'Sir T G C | No 3 | Porto del Popolo | Rome'. In good condition, lightly aged, with minor trace of mount adhering. Folded four times.

An interesting item in the field of Victorian Egyptology. The subject is what Owen describes here as 'one of the oldest Statues of an Egyptian Notable in the British Museum'. Its current Museum Number is EA103, and it has been in the Museum since 1835, but the details of its acquisition are unclear. In his translation Birch calls the sitter 'the Royal Scribe, Amenhelp', but the current BM description begins: 'Scribal statue of Amenhotep son of Hapu: of black grano-diorite. Hieroglyphic texts are inscribed on the papyrus unrolled on his lap and on the statue plinth.

See Clarke's entry in the Oxford DNB. The present letter, signed 'Charles Mansfield Clarke', was written (from Caston, where Clarke's son-in-law Walter Patridge was rector) a few weeks after the death on 3 July 1856 of Clarke's wife of fifty years, Mary Anna (née Squire), by whom he had two sons and five daughters. Lady Clarke's own husband had died a year and a half before, on 26 January 1855. 4pp, 12mo. Bifolium with mourning border. In good condition, lightly aged, with minor traces of mount on reverse of second leaf. Folded once.

See Mitford's entry in the Oxford DNB. At the time of writing he had been retired for five years from the editorship of the Gentleman's Magazine, a post he had held for seventeen years. 3pp, 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged, with minor traces of mount adhering to the blank reverse of the second leaf. Folded twice. Forty-four lines in a close hand.

3pp, 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged, with thin strip of paper from mount adhering to blank reverse of second leaf, one corner of which has been slightly damaged by the opening of the wafer. Folded twice. The letter begins: 'Mme. Goldschmidt presents her best Compliments to Lady Cullum and begs to express her sincere thanks for the most beautiful flowers she received this morning from Lady Cullum and which certainly do “enliven” her drawing room at the Hotel'.