IRELAND

Six substantial ledgers (the heaviest 37 x 41 x 8 cm, and the widest 39 x 52 x 3 cm), containing itemised accounts providing a mass of information regarding the tobacco industry and economic history in Ireland, and one of Dublin's notable employers, whose sales in the 1950s were in the tens of millions. (On 9 December 2004 the Irish Times described the closure of the plant as marking 'the end of an era'. The firm's first Dublin factory, at 56-75 Botanic Road, was constructed by G. & T. Crampton in 1923, and is now the Botanic Business Centre.

37pp., 8vo. Stitched and unbound. In fair condition, on aged and worn paper with spotting to front cover. In manuscript (Ward's hand?) at head of title-page: 'Thomas Gladstone Esq | MP | 6/A/Albany'.

15pp., 8vo. Stitched and unbound. In good condition, lightly aged, with central vertical fold. In small print. In the conclusion of the speech - 'greeted with repeated rounds of applause' - he states that he 'cannot be a party to severing that Church and State under which it is the glory and the privilege of the state to uphold the light of the Reformation in the midst of Ireland'. Scarce: only two copies on OCLC WorldCat, at the British Library and Illinois, and no copy at the National Library of Ireland.

The full title reads: 'The Speech of the Lord Chancellor delivered in the House of Lords, June 29th, 1868, on the Motion for the Second Reading of a Bill, intituled An Act to prevent, for a limited Time, new Appointments in the Church of Ireland, and to restrain, for the same Period, in certain respects, the Proceedings of the Ecclesiastical Commissioners for Ireland.' 47 + [1]pp., 8vo. Stitched and unbound. In good condition, lightly aged and worn, with central vertical fold. The final page carries a list of 'Publications issued by the National Protestant Union'.

2pp., 4to. Closely written, with forty-three lines of text, in a somewhat difficult hand. In fair condition, on aged and worn paper with closed tear and creasing at head of leaf. The letter is written to a relation, after Flood has been shown a letter by 'yr Cousin, L[ad]y Flood', in which the recipient complains of having been 'injur'd or slandered'. It is Flood's intention in the letter to show that 'the business &c has been wholly misunderstood'. He also states that 'the view of imploying you proceeded from friendship strengthened by connexion'.

The two letters in good condition, on lightly aged paper. ONE: 2pp., 12mo. He begins by stating that he 'knew Leonard pretty well in the 2nd Life G[uar]ds., he was a good fellow, but rough and wild - he came from Mullingar, my local capital, a good man with a horn but too heavy for a groom'. He could not give Leonard 'a better character than the regiment has done', and if 'his knee is too bad for him to soldier it probably would prevent him being a groom anywhere [...] he occasionally came before me for punishment - and as a fellow countryman I took an interest in him'.

2pp., 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged. Headed 'Private'. Reads: 'I shd. be glad to see you on the Surrey Bench before I leave office, if you still wish it, & if I can accomplish it. The first of these ifs you can answer. Please let me have a line.' The recipient was presumably the lawyer William Rowcliffe (1840-1922).

1p., 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged. He is obliged for Brown's letter, 'pointing out misprints in my father's works. | Such communications are always valuable.' He is happy to say that 'young Bliss is working very well, & we shall make a good business man of him'.

4pp., 12mo. Bifolium on grey paper. In good condition, lightly aged and worn. He writes that Marzials is 'some days too late' with his 'kind offer', as both Birrell and his wife have read 'with great pleasure' Marzials's book on Victor Hugo. 'It was a difficult task. (I mean the Life, not the reading of it) I am no judge on such a subject – being a very stay at home sort of fellow, but anyhow you succeeded in pleasing me. What a sensible, <?>, shrewd sort of fellow he was in what way may be called ordinary things.

One page, cr. 8vo, possibly laid down in album previously (residue of glue etc),chipped with minor loss of text, text clear. "I took the liberty to send to you [...] the Revd Mr [Ryan?Byas?] prize Essay upon the State of Ireland for your consideration.

The two letters are in fair condition, lightly aged and soiled. ONE: 'Friday' (docketed date June 1838). 2pp., 12mo. Applying for 'the Post of Guard to Any of the Roads', on behalf of 'James Poyntz of Tralee'. On the reverse Lichfield has written 'sorry cannot'. TWO: 'Friday' (docketed date 19 June 1840). 2pp., 12mo. 'Mr Maurice O'Connell presents his Compliments to Lord Lichfield and begs to recommend bearer John Keating for employment as a Letter Carrier - Mr M O'C will feel much obliged by Keating's appointment'. Docketed by Lichfield on reverse: 'a test - but negligible chance'.

3pp., 12mo. Bifolium. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn. Recommending for employment in the Post Office 'Mr. Paul Scollard, who is a young man of most respectable connexions, but whose circumstances are such as to render a very humble situation an object to him - If a vacancy should soon occur in the Letter Carrying Department, I would respectfully solicit the appointment from Your Lordship for him'.

3pp., 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged and worn. For information on the eccentric Moran see F. David Roberts' article 'Who Ran the London "Globe" in the 1830's, 1840's, and 1850's?' (1971). The letter begins: 'My Dear Webster | If you want a useful subsidiary piece producible without cost or trouble. It contains a part that of Frederick William of Prussia admirably adapted for your own filling up.

36 items, in fair overall condition, with some evidence of age and wear. ONE: Manuscript tables of trials, presumably in Torrens's autograph, apparently of Vacheron Constantin chronographs. 8pp. in landscape 8vo, with a final page folding out to large 4to. With additions in red ink and pencil. On nine leaves, wrapped in grey paper and stitched together. In fair condition, aged and worn. On front cover in pencil: ''Dr. Torrens | Dr. Torrens'. Dated at head of first page 25 April 1912, with heading: 'Best Vacheron trial movt.

4pp., 12mo. In fair condition, lightly aged, with closed tears along the fold between the two leaves of the bifolium. Trench's publishers were 'John W. Parker & Son, West Strand'. The letter begins: 'I heartily wish that I could go to the press at once with the 3rd. Edition of the Parables. [ 'Notes on the Parables of Our Lord', first published in 1841 ] I have been however working hard at them & they are nearly ready.

2pp., 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged. Addressed to 'My Dear Lord Chief Baron'. He is coming 'to Town for my waiting for a few days', and hopes that Pollock's 'important time could allow of you to see me for a few minutes'. He is willing either to call on Pollock, or receive a visit from him, 'at any time you would kindly appoint'.

1p., 12mo. In fair condition, laid down on part of brown paper leaf from album. Annotated at head in a contemporary hand: 'Author of the life of Burke'. Reads: 'I shall feel obliged if you can forward the accompanying letter to its destination under a cover. It contains an inclosure which I do not like to entrust to the common channel, but with the cover I shall deem it safe.' In a postscript he reports that he is returning to Margate the following day, 'to scribble'.

3pp., 16mo. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged, with traces of stub adhering to blank reverse of sevond leaf. He is 'very much flattered' at Waddington's 'wishing to include sonnets of mine in your proposed selection. You are quite welcome to those you have named, or any others of mine.' He hopes he will 'include some of Hartley Coleridge's beautiful sonnets', and asks him to accept 'a vol. of sonnets by my Father, the late Sir Aubrey de Vere. Wordsworth spoke of his sonnets (my Father's) as the best modern sonnets he was acquainted with'.

On 8 x 18.5 cm piece of paper cut from a letter. In good condition, lightly aged and creased, with thin strip of staining from mount at head. The signature side reads: '[...] but it might not be on Saturday, as on that day my House will be in a bustle - | I remain | Your Obedt: Humle: Servt | Garvagh | To | Mr Lackington | [...]'. The other page reads: '[...] letter in its first arrival - and to day I presume is not one that either yourself or Mr Dry could wish the Pictures to be turned out of doors in.'

1p., 4to. In fair condition, aged and worn. The breaking open of the wafer has resulted in slight loss at the beginning of Maturin's signature. Addressed on reverse to 'William Spooner Esqre | at Mr Millikin's | Grafton Street'. (His not writing of 'Dublin' implies that he is writing from the same place.) Maturin was the great-uncle of Oscar Wilde, who adopted the name 'Sebastian Melmoth' during his self-exile on the continent.

2pp., 12mo. On lightly-aged paper with a number of vertical fold lines. The reference to Sir John Bowring dates the letter to before his death in 1872. With reference to Julia Ward Howe (author of the 'Battle Hymn of the Republic') and her husband Samuel Gridley Howe she writes: 'Dr. & Mrs.

Piece of paper, approximately 15 x 21 cm, torn from the second and concluding leaf of a bifolium. Aged and worn, with repair to a closed tear. Burke's signature is at the foot, preceded by writing in another hand, thus: 'Hugh Mc. Mahon respectively. | I am, | Sir, | Your Obedient Servant, | J H Burke'. On the reverse, in ink: 'Chief Secretary Office D.C | Authority to discharge John & Hugh McMahon | also | Edward, Patrick & Bernard Mc.Swine | on entering into Bail self £2. with two Sureties £5 each.' Beneath this, at foot: 'Recd. & Ansd. | Discharged'.

Ruthven was born in Ireland, the son of Galway landowner Clifford Trotter. He was a master mariner, a Younger Brother of Trinity House, a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, and wrote several nautical manuals. At the time of his retirement as commodore of the Orient Line of ships in 1911, Ruthven had completed forty-five years at sea and thirty years in command of Orient steamers (Orient Steam Navigation Company, Limited – hereafter OSNC).

Each letter 1p., 12mo. Both in fair condition, lightly aged and worn. Each in a different secretarial hand, both headed 'R v Corbett'. The first letter reads: 'The accused has been sentenced to 7 years penal servitude. Mr. Lawrence mentioned to the Judge privately the question of postponing sentence but the latter would not adopt the course suggested.' The second reads: 'I will certainly instruct Lawrence as to the circumstance to which you refer so that your application may be made to the Court'. From the Harington papers.

6 + [1]pp., 8vo. In fair condition, aged and worn, with slight damp staining at head. The report, by 'G. R. Dawson, Chairman', is on pp.1-5; p.6 carries resolutions 'Extracted from the Minutes, | James Marshall, Secretary.' Much of the report is taken up with 'a Qui tam Action [...] brought by the Bank of Ireland against the Provincial Bank [...] the object of the Bank of Ireland in that Action, was to question the right of the Provincial Bank to exchange its Notes in Dublin; a right which, from the commencement of business until that time, it had exercised without challenge'.

32pp., 8vo. Stitched. With leaf tipped-in carrying a one-page addendum transcript of a 'Letter from His Eminence Cardinal Manning', 1887. In good condition, lightly aged and worn. In illustrated wraps printed in green and yellow, the front cover carrying an illustration of 'St. Patrick receiving the Commission at Rome from Pope Celestine I. to preach the Gospel to the Irish People'; the back cover with illustration of 'St. Patrick preaching to the Irish Chieftains at Tara'. Over the last five pages, in small type, is a 'List of Contributors'.

1p., 4to. Bifolium. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper. Docketed on reverse of second leaf: 'Lord Frs. Lewson [sic] Gower | 30. Mar: 1830 | Vice Admiral for the Province of Munster'. Headed 'Private'. He was unable to answer Melville's letter 'without previous communication with the Ld Lieutt'. In response to Melville's 'question whether there is any Peer in the Province of Munster to whom it would be proper to offer the vacant Vice Admiralty jurisdiction, I have now to communicate the Ld Lieuts opinion, in which Mr Peel concurs, that it would be admirable to offer it to Ld Donoughmore'.

3pp., 4to. Bifolium. In fair condition, lightly-aged, with traces of grey paper mount adhering to blank reverse of second leaf. Thirty-seven lines of text. The letter is written to the anonymous author of 'Decimal coinage. The plan of the mathematicians rejected by commercial and practical men' (London: Ridgway, 1858), who has sent his work to Monteagle.

One page, 16mo (trimmed unevenly), signs of removal from album, minor staining, some text faded, most hard to read (either written in haste or characterusticlally illegible - or both). "You are right in [premising?] that I have many irons in the fire [also &?] that I am not [?] to be [?] [general?] use as to the [Cambridge?] [?] if there are [?] [sales?] I shall be happy to lend a hand, so far as it may be in my power."

Card, c.11 x 9cm, verson blank, minor staining, text clear and complete: "Mr John O'Connor would be pleased if Mr and Mrs Fawcett would do him the honour of dining with him at the House of Commons on Thursday next at 8 o C. RSVP | 30-12-12"