INDIA

Two attractive small original hand-coloured copperplate engravings. Both in good condition, lightly aged, and each with slight traces of previous mount on blank reverse. ONE: Captioned at foot ‘A Freschi sculpsit | MONKEYS GATHERING TEA. | Pubd. 25 April 1812 by H. Stockdale, 41 Pall Mall’. Portrait: 10.5 x 17.5 cm. Depicts a Chinese man beneath a tree taking leaves from a monkey on the ground, whilst three other monkeys in the tree collect more leaves. TWO: Captioned at foot ‘A Freschi sculpsit | INDIAN INK.’ No place or date. Landscape: 17.5 x 10.5 cm. Depicts three men preparing the ink.

An interesting and evocative collection of ephemeral material, casting light on the social activities and entertainments of the British in India in the last months of the Indian Mutiny, also the year of the dissolution of the East India Company. No other record of this amateur ‘Corps Dramatique’, or of its conductor ‘Mrs. Comfit’, has been discovered.

One page, 12mo, fold mark, good condition. Text: Mackeson was a Bengal Army Officer. He was early employed on the N.W. Frontier of India, in the Peshawar District. When the Mutiny broke out he moved upon Lahore, & didi effective work against the mutinour Sepoy Reg[imen]ts & afterwards joined the army before Delhi with the rank of Brigadier General [&?} Major General. He fell at Delhi. I will; get more information.

Four pages, 12mo, bifolium, some faint staining, text clear and complete. I hope you will excuse my troubling you, but as you are often corresponding with ladies of a literary turn, it has occurred to me that you might be able to help me to find what I want. Our Society is just organising a Superior Girls School in Bombay. We want a throughly ladylike person to be the Head of it, a good Churchwoman & an efficient teacher. It would rank in England as a Superior Middle Class School. | If you happen to know of any suitable person I should be very glad to open up some negotiation with her.

Three pages, 4to, bifolium, poor condition, with some (crude) repair work but other closed tears on folds, requiring attention BUT text clear and complete (with odd difficult word). Some pencil notes by a later reader, inaccurately attributing to Edmund Law. Text: I regret sincerely that I cannot participate with my fellow citizens in the general expression of their sense of your high merits. Were I able to attend I would drink your health Eminent [speaker?] but most exalted when addressing his successor.

Wraps, paginated [i]-ii;105-144; iii-[iv] inc.wraps, mainly good condition, but rusty round staples, one punch-hole (with minor loss of text) characteristic of material from the papers formerly held at the headquarters of the National Indian Association and the Northbrook Society, 21 Cromwell Road, later by its former Warden, Roland Knaster.

Small booklet, 24pp., 16mo, small wormhole, through blank space of text, , rust around staple, punch-hole slightly affecting the text characteristic of material from the papers formerly held at the headquarters of the National Indian Association and the Northbrook Society, 21 Cromwell Road, later by its former Warden, Roland Knaster. Scarce. One other copy traced, in the National Library of Wales.

Three pages, 8vo, large handwriting, staining along fold marks, small closed tear at centre, text legible. Your welcome telegram to Dr [Renton?] here has been with much pleasure received by His Highness the Maha Rajah of Mysore.- In reply I am directed by His Highness the Maha Rajah, to ascquaint you that a letter from Dr Campbell, intimating all about your good self, has been received by the last Mail - Now the Maha Rajah most anxiously looks forward to have an interview with you & Dr Campbell.

Albumen silver print, 29.8 x 25.6cm, laid down on slightly larger card, small nick at the top right corner, ow a good sharp image. There's contemporary docketing at the base of the photograph. See image. Note (BL description): Photograph of the Baillie Guard gateway in Lucknow, [...] taken by Felice Beato in the 1858. The Baillie Guard gateway is the entrypoint to the Residency Complex named after Major John Baillie, who was the Resident from 1811-1815.

One page, 4to, part printed, part manuscript, minor damage on fold marks, loss of small part of the word is, small closed tear, some weakness on fold marks. See Image. Text headed Ecclesiastical Establishment | No.

22 pages, sm. folio, disbound, part of edge nibbled (see image) without loss of text, minor staining. includes a lengthy report by Consul Hill and Inclosures by French Officials listing Livret d'Engagement, and (extensive) Convention sur l'Immigration de Traveilleurs Indiens dans la Colonie de la Reunion, etc.

Two pages and one page, 4to, good condition. A. The agent details the expense of travel for Miss Pirrie, Pirrie's use of a coupon, baggage allowance (for S.S. Arcadia), enclosing a traveller's Guide [not present], concluding with stamped signature Henry King & Co.; B. Concerning the Bill of lading for Pirrie's 3 cases, shipped by the S.S. Coromandel. A paragraph asking for an Invoice is crossed out, and a sentence added: The goods have been duly cleared and forwarded. Note from source of the letters: F.W.

One page, 4to, fold marks, good condition. Judging by other correspondence accompanying this letter, Foot has probably been invited to address the Monmouth Town Branch of the League of Nations Union. Foot is sorry [he] cannot give a promise for November although I would very much like to come and be associated with your work. The imminence of an election has now to be taken into consideration.

Photograph, c.16 x 11.5cm, very good condition, tipped on to card of same size crudely taped,and with wire for hanging as with a picture, with inscription on verso, All good wishes for the New Year | Indira Gandhi. Some philistine has added to the inscription in blue ink and capitals, WITH THE PRIME MINISTER | AND HIS | GRANDSONS. See images. Note: I've not found the image on Google Images.

Two pages, 12mo, bifolium. good condition. Text: Herewith I return the Proofs, corrected to the best of my ability. The speech is wonderfully well reported I think. | I have not touched any speech but my own. | Lady Edwardes joins me in kind regards to Mrs. Phillips & yourself; & I assure you we look back with pleasure to our stay under yur roof. [...] He is, perhaps, referring to his speech at the Church Missionary Society's Meeting in London, in May, 1860(?).

[iv].80pp., 8vo, beige paper wraps, dusted, good condition. Reprinted from the Cornhill Magazine of November 1863. This edition scarce, copies recorded in BL, North Carolina and Australia.

[6] + viii + 266pp, 8vo. With four-page 'Select Bibliography' and three two-page lists of errata tipped-in at the rear. In plain brown cloth, with green printed dustwrapper glued-down (by publisher) onto the endpapers by the flaps. In good condition, lightly-aged, in lightly-worn dustrapper with closed tear at rear. Inscribed on the front free endpaper: 'To | Mr. Christopher Fry, | With best compliments | from the Author, | S. n. Ray | 7.4.98'. Fry makes around fifty autograph corrections to the text, giving a list of them over the rear endpapers.

3pp, 12mo. Bifolium. In fair condition, on aged paper with traces of glue from mount on reverse of second leaf. The letter begins: 'Dear Miss Cole - | It is kind of you to invite Mr Raj - I have forwarded yr message to him, & told him to answer it himself. He is a very good young man studying just now for his degree in London University - a friend of [Kesemb Amrinder Senj?] & a member of the [Brahur Somcij?] (Church of the One God - of India)'. She knows nothing else about him, but 'the [Brahures?] all come to him by right'.

On both sides of 16 x 12.5 cm leaf, with rounded edges, torn from an autograph album. In good condition, lightly aged and creased. Firmly and elegantly written on one side, just over the centre: 'Lovat Fraser.' Towards the head of the other side, in a large somewhat untidy hand, with intermittent underlining: 'Curzon of Kedleston'. Beneath this: 'Milner'. No other writing on either side.

On 12mo leaf, intended to be inserted in a book. In good condition lightly aged and worn. Centred on the page the inscription reads: 'With the author's kind remembrances. | W W Hunter. | Oaken Holt. | 1895.' The reverse is blank.

On 5.5 x 10 cm. piece of paper cut from the conclusion of a letter. Lightly aged and ruckled, with closed tear repaired on reverse with archival tape. Traces of previous mount on reverse. Reads: 'Believe me, | Yrs [last word underlined] very sincerely | Albert Edward'.

1p., 12mo. In fair condition, with central spike-hole and a few burn marks at foot. Reads: 'Lord Harris has just recd the Illustrations to Deserted Village, but retyrns Retsch's Othello by this night's Coach, having received a copy of it about a week since.'

ONE: Lady Wenlock's letter to 'My dear Mr. Rees'. 3pp., 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged. 'I am sure you could hardly be more glad that [sic] I was when I heard this appointment was satisfactorily settled. I was miserable at the prospect of you & Mary going on in the same routine here for months without this desireable [sic] change'. After all Rees's wife has 'gone through' it is particularly important for her to have a 'thorough change': it is inevitable that she should 'suffer from just now after so much sorrow & fatigue'.

1p., 12mo. In fair condition, aged and worn. He writes to inform him that 'Mr Bertie Williams Wynn's political views are strictly Conservative & in accordance with those entertained by the great body of the Carlton Club'. Wnn is 'still anxious to become a Member of the Club', and Combermere gives his Shropshire address.

3pp., 12mo. Bifolium with mourning border. In fair condition, lightly aged, with closed tear at head of first leaf. He thanks him for 'transmitting two copies of your “Epitaphs [sic] from the Greek Anthology” - one for myself, the other for our College Library'.

2pp., 12mo. Bifolium. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn, with slight glue staining on blank reverse of first leaf. The letter begins: 'My dear Mr Rees. | I beg to congratulate you & myself on your elevation to a membership of the Viceregal Legislative Council – you on your well-earned elevation – myself on the pleasure of your companionship while at Calcuttah. [sic]' He is pleased to note that Rees's 'youth & the fact of your being comparatively a junior have not been regarded insuperable obstacles or unpardonable crimes'.

Four pages, 12mo, very good condition. His correspondent's letter eventually reached him in Paris where he'd resided since the last August "in coinsequence of my son-in-law the Baron de Montalembert being appointed by the French Government Minister at the Court of Wurtemberg [...] but political reasons, and the difficulty of procuring a suitable house in that small capital have hitherto prevented our joining him." His daughter has to go through a "Municipal marriage" under the Napoleonic Code to establish her children's legitimacy.

3pp., 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper. The recipient is unnamed. The letter begins: 'Sir | The President of the Board of Control has been pleased to present me with a Seminary Cadetship for Mr Robt. Campbell a youth of 16, son of John Campbell Esq of Kilberry in the County of Argyle.

1p., 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged. Hamilton can 'confidently recommend' Peeke 'as a reliable honest & capable footman. He is very steady, a trifle slow at taking in <?> but remembers all he is told. He is a good valet. Lord George is sorry to lose him.'

2pp., 12mo. With postmarked frank (again signed 'Hardinge') addressed to 'Colonel Abbott C. B. | Addiscombe'. In good condition, lightly aged and worn. He is pleased that Abbott is 'to receive a mark of distinction from the Queen, which combines the satisfaction which your Services have given at Addiscombe [Abbott had become lieutenant-governor of Addiscombe Seminary in 1851] with those which you so efficiently & ably performed in the field in India'. He hopes to shake him at the hand 'at the Levée'.