IPSWICH

[John Lee, astronomer and mathematician.] Autograph Letter Signed ('J. Lee.') to George Ransome of Ipswich, urging him or 'some delegate' to attend 'our peaceful congress', 'the Hartwell Peace Festival'.

Author: 
John Lee [born John Fiott] (1783-1866), astronomer and philanthropist [George Ransome (1811-1876), Secretary of the Ipswich Museum; Hartwell Festival of Peace and Temperance]
Publication details: 
'Hartwell [i.e. Hartwell House] near Aylesbury'. 4 August 1851.
£56.00

1p, 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged. Lee and his wife held regular festivals of 'Peace and Temperance' in the grounds at Hartwell, and he writes that he hopes Ransome has received the prospectus of the festival which he sent him. He and his wife would be pleased were Ransome to attend, and he offers him 'a Bed in our house, or to secure one for you in Aylesbury'. In a postscript he states: 'If you cannot come or your Brother; I hope that you will send some delegate, or MP. to represent Ipswich at our peaceful Congress'.

[John Lee, astronomer and mathematician.] Autograph Letter Signed ('John Lee.') to 'Miss May' [daughter of astronomer Charles May], regarding the procurement of lodgings for a meeting of the British Association of Science at Ipswich.

Author: 
John Lee [born John Fiott] (1783-1866), astronomer, mathematician, antiquarian, barrister, numismatist and physicist [Charles May (1800-1860) of Ipswich, astronomer]
Publication details: 
On embossed letterhead of Totteridge Park School, Hertfordshire. No date. [1840s?]
£56.00

3pp, 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged. Neatly and closely written. At the end of the letter Lee names the recipient as 'Miss May | Carr Street | Ipswich'. (She was the daughter of Quaker astronomer Charles May, a partner in the firm of civil engineers Ransomes and May.) Lee begins by stating that he and his wife 'are anxious to come to Ipswich on tuesday the first of July in order to attend the meeting of the British Association of Science'.

[John Manning, Norwich physician.] Autograph Letter Signed ('J Manning') to Philip Bowes Broke of Broke Hall, regarding an 'interval of Sanity' in the 'state of mind' of James Bobbet, with reference to 'Dr: Venn'.

Author: 
John Manning (1730-1806), physician at the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital [Philip Bowes Broke (1749–1801) of Broke Hall, Ipswich]
Publication details: 
Norwich; 5 November 1776.
£250.00

See Manning's entry in Munk's Roll. The recipient was father of 'Broke of the Shannon', the naval hero Admiral Sir Philip Bowes Vere Broke (1776-1841). 1p, foolscap 8vo. On aged and worn paper, with tide staining at one edge, which is repaired with archival tape, and thin strip of paper from mount on the blank reverse. Addressed at foot to 'Ph: B: Broke Esqr: | Broke's Hall | Near Ipswich'.

[Robert Hamilton of Ipswich, Irish army physician and medical author.] Autograph Letter Signed ('R: Hamilton') to Sir Charles Brian Blagden, Secretary, Royal Society, praising that body in regard to a 'trifling performance' presented to its library.

Author: 
Robert Hamilton (1749-1830) of Ipswich, Irish army physician and medical author [Sir Charles Brian Blagden (1748-1820), medical officer in the Army and Secretary of the Royal Society, London]
Publication details: 
Ipswich; 10 February 1788.
£250.00

1p, 4to. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged, with thin strip from mount adhering to reverse of second leaf, which is addressed, with broken seal in red wax, to 'Dr. Blagden | Secry. to the | Royal Society | London'. After thanking Blagden for the trouble he has taken 'in transmitting the thanks of the R: Socy. To me for the trifling performance I sent to the Library', Hamilton continues: 'I consider myself as honoured by its reception.

[ Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School, Ipswich, Suffolk. ] The first 22 numbers of the school magazine, bound together with title-leaf: 'The Elizabethan. Auspicio Laeti Venerato Nomine Eliziae

Author: 
Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School, Ipswich, Suffolk, established 1399, now Ipswich School [ S. H. Cowell, Ipswich printer and bookseller ]
Publication details: 
Ipswich: Printed and Sold by S. H. Cowell, Old Butter Market. London: Simpkin, Marshall, & Co., Stationers' Hall Court. Twenty-two issues bound together with new title page. 21 February 1852 to 3 December 1853.
£180.00

The 22 issues (originals, not a resetting of the text) are continuously paginated, each being 16pp. long, and totalling 352pp., 8vo. Preceded by a title-leaf for 'Vol. I.' and two-page index. Frontispiece engraving of 'Queen Elizabeth's New Grammar School and Chapel, Ipswich.' A differently-inked variant of the same illustration faces the first page of No. 6. In brown morocco half-binding, title in gilt on spine, marbled boards. Internally sound and tight, in worn binding with damage to marbling on back board, and the first leaf of the first issue somewhat grubby.

[ William Newnham, medical practitioner and author. ] Autograph Letter Signed ('W: Newnham') to Dawson Turner, on reverse of printed handbill advertisement for his 'The Reciprocal Influence of Body and Mind'.

Author: 
William Newnham (1790-1865) of Farnham, Surrey, medical practitioner and author [ Dawson Turner (1775-1858), banker, botanist and antiquary ]
Publication details: 
Letter dated from Farnham, 27 November 1841. Undated prospectus by London publishers J. Hatchard and Son, 187 Piccadilly, and J. Churchill, Princes Street, Soho..
£100.00

On a 12mo bifolium of laid paper, with the printed advertisement on the recto of the first leaf, and the manuscript letter on the verso of the second. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper folded twice. The advertisement is headed 'Preparing for Publication, in One thick Volume, 8vo., Price 12s. Cloth,' and consists of a reproduction of the title-page. The letter, addressed to 'Dawson Turner Esq', states that, as a member of the Royal Society of Literature, Newnham has 'taken the liberty of addressing the present announcement to each one of my fellow members'.

[Printed notice (with 'Address') of the formation of 'The Bible Association of St Peter's Church, in Ipswich'.] At a Meeting of Several Friends to the British and Foreign Bible Society, Held at St. Peter's Parsonage, Ipswich, October 5th, 1812.

Author: 
[The Bible Association of St. Peter's Church, in Ipswich; Suffolk Auxiliary Bible Society; The British and Foreign Bible Society, London; Rev. Edward Griffin]
Publication details: 
Printed by John King, County Press, Ipswich. 1812.
£56.00

3pp., 8vo. Bifolium. In fair condition, on worn and lightly-aged paper. The first page is headed: 'At a Meeting of Several Friends | to the | British and Foreign Bible Society, | Held at St. Peter's Parsonage, Ipswich, | October 5th, 1812, | The Rev. Edward Griffin, in the Chair, | It was resolved, | [...]'. Eight resolutions in small print follow, covering the whole of the first page.

[W. S. Cowell Limited, Ipswich printers.] The firm's 'Address Book', containing thousands of signatures of British printers, publishers, artists and book illustrators over a forty-year period, sumptuously-bound with unique printed prelims.

Author: 
W. S. Cowell Limited, Ipswich printers [Beatrice Warde; Ruari McLean; Francis Meynell; Sebastian Carter (Rampant Lions Press); Charles Batey; Brooke Crutchley; Hans Schmoller; Ralph Steadman]
Publication details: 
W. S. Cowell Limited, 8 Butter Market, Ipswich, Suffolk, England; 23 Percy Street, London, W.1. Dating from between 7 June 1952 to 20 March 1991.
£900.00

Founded in 1818, the Ipswich firm of W. S. Cowell Ltd ('The Press in the Butter Market') grew into one of the leading British printers, known for its high-quality catalogue work. The firm's papers are in the Suffolk Record Office at Ipswich, whose catalogue entry provides a good summary of its history.

Autograph Letter Signed ('FitzRoy Kelly') from Sir FitzRoy Edward Kelly to J. T. Barry, declining to join his 'excellent association' [the Metropolitan Association?] on the grounds that it is incompatible with 'the office which I now hold'.

Author: 
Sir Fitzroy Edward Kelly [Fitzroy Kelly] (1796-1880), English judge and Tory politician [J. T. Barry; the Metropolitan Association]
Publication details: 
New Street. 9 August 1845.
£40.00

3pp., 12mo. Bifolium. Fair, on lightly-aged paper. It is not 'from inattention or indifference' that Kelly has left Barry's letter unanswered. 'I think it would be inconsistent with my duty in the office which I now hold to become a member of your very excellent association'.

Autograph Letter Signed ('F Barham Zincke') from the antiquary and radical Foster Barham Zincke to 'My dear Mr Flower' [Sir William Henry Flower], regarding the latter's five-month stay in Egypt.

Author: 
Rev. Foster Barham Zincke (1817-1893), English antiquary and radical pamphleteer, educated at Wadham College, Oxford [Sir William Henry Flower (1831-1899), Director of the Natural History Museum]
Publication details: 
Wherstead Vicarage, Ipswich. 28 May <1874?>.
£220.00

4pp., 12mo. Very good, on lightly-aged paper, with minor traces of stub adhering to margin. He has received Flower's 'catalogue'. 'I was sure you wd. be delighted with Egypt. It has so much to tell us about man & nature. The early stages of mans progress, & the variety of nature.' Zincke would like 'time to look into things & to think about them': he was in Egypt 'only as many weeks as you were months'.

Handbill carrying two satirical political poems, 'A New W[h]ig Song, To a Barbarous OLD Tune.' and 'The Ballad of the Burgesses, To BOBBING ADAIR. | Tune - "ROBIN ADAIR." '

Author: 
[Victorian political satire; Liberal Party; John Bright; Robert Alexander Shafto Adair, MP for Cambridge 1847-1852, 1854-1857; Sir Hugh Edward Adair of Flixton Hall, MP for Ipswich 1847-74]
Publication details: 
Date, place and printer not stated. [1850s?]
£180.00

Two pages, printed on the recto of the first leaf and verso of the second of a yellow wove-paper bifolium. Leaf dimensions 22.5 x 14.5 cm. Grubby and creased, but with text clear and complete. The first poem, 'A New W[h]ig Song', begins 'In our town there's a street, with a chapel and shop, | Where a gay pole once hoisted of late is let drop, | There a fam'd Barber deals with his w(h)ig as he wills, | From full bottom'd P----r to little scratch M--ls.' References to 'shot-yellow A---r [Adair]' and 'M----y, the close button'd Barber'.

8 Autograph Letters Signed by [two different?] J. B. Fraser[s?] to the artist Shirley Slocombe.

Author: 
R. D. & J. B. Fraser, of Ipswich, Felixstowe & Dieppe. [ANTIQUES, FURNITURE]
Publication details: 
1899-1907.
£50.00

The firm, apparently antique dealers (although it also bought and sold false teeth), was established in 1833. All items are addressed to Slocombe, with whom the family (to whom he was perhaps related by marriage?) were clearly on intimate terms. Grubby, dusty, creased, dogeared and with several closed tears. The first six letters are from J. B. Fraser, the first four being on the letterhead of 'R. D. & J. B. FRASER, LIMITED.' ('ESTABLISHED IN THE REIGN OF WILLIAM IV.') Letter 1 (Ipswich, 4 Jan 1899, 4 pages, 8vo), from J. B. Fraser, concerns 'Edith', who is recovering from illness.

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