JUDICIAL

The third letter gives an excellent indication of Birkett’s pride in his use of language. See his entry in the Oxford DNB. The recipient Vere Henry Collins (1872-1966), was an author and grammatical stickler. All three signed ‘Norman Birkett’. In fair condition, lightly aged and little grubby. The first letter with a small hole to one corner, and the two leaves of the last letter held together with a pin. ONE: ALS, 9 July 1953. 1pp, 4to. He is adding Collins’s book to his ‘select library on “words”’.

Interesting items, casting light on the nitty-gritty of Victorian constituency politics. Both are signed 'W. S. Robson' and addressed to 'B. Piffard Esq'. Both in good condition, lightly aged, with the second a little spotted. Each on a bifolium. ONE (26 May 1885): 3pp, 12mo. He has been informed 'that it is now the wish of the Watford (or Divisional) Association that I should visit the Division & address meetings there.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. From the Piffard papers. 1p, 12mo. On first leaf of bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded twice. Reads: 'Lord Justice Fry would be obliged if Mr Piffard would send him a Micro-slide of Conidia bearing Hyphae of Eurotium repens, isolated & stained by a new application of Iodine Vapour. He encloses 2/- in stamps.'

2pp, folio. On bifolium endorsed on reverse of second leaf. In fair condition, lightly creased and aged. Three folds. Embossed with five pound tax stamp at head. Printed in copperplate, with the details of the appointee 'John Amhust Philpott of Cranbrook in the County of Kent, Gentleman' filled-in in manuscript. Circular stamp of the Court of Justice at end of document with two signatures: 'Entd. | H. R. W.' and 'Entered 14th June 1876 | E W Williamson | Deputy Registrar of Solicitors'.

On one side of an 8 x 10 cm piece of paper. Aged and worn, with light offsetting from another document. The two signatures (both 'A. E. Cockburn') are at the right hand corners. The verdict and sentence ('Guilty | 6 Mo. Imprisonment') are written between two lines centred at the left-hand margin. The purport of the document is unclear: it may be that the judge was required to record the verdict and sentence in this way for the clerk of the court.

ESTC R1431. 4pp, folio. Bifolium. Paginated 1-4. Aged and worn, with text clear and entire. Drophead title reads: 'THE | CHARGE | GIVEN BY THE | Ld. Ch. Justice Jefferies, | AT THE | CITY of BRISTOL, | Monday, September 21. 1685. | In his Return from his Western Campaigne.' Jeffreys is a byword for cruelty as a result of his handling Bloody Assizes following Monmouth's Rebellion, and the present text does nothing to dispel that judgement.

ESTC R21335, which states: 'Attributed to George Jeffreys. Cf. BM.' 1p, folio. Aged and worn, with fraying to edges, but with text clear and entire. At top right, in pencil, in an eighteenth-century hand, 'Dupl' (i.e. duplicate). The heading reads: 'THE | Lord Chancellor's | PETITION | To His Highness the | Prince of Orange, | On His Entrance into LONDON.' Beneath rule at foot: 'LONDON, Printed for S. M. 1688.' For the context, see Jeffreys' entry in the Oxford DNB.

On 1 x 4.5 cm. slip of paper, cut from a letter. In good condition, lightly aged. A good clear signature, neatly underlined, with the cross-stroke of the initial T looping down in calligraphic style. A few words of text from the letter on the reverse.

3pp., 12mo. Bifolium, with Foss's letter (33 lines) on both sides of the first leaf, and the page of extracts by the recipient (38 lines) on the recto of the second leaf. Good, on lightly-aged paper, with one corner of the first leaf cut away. The letter is addressed to 'My dear Sir', without any indication of the recipient's identity.

Judge (1792-1853) and author. One page, 12mo. In very good condition. Reads 'My dear Mrs Adolphus, | I lament to say that severe illness makes it impossible for me to leave the house, & consequently to dine with you & <?> today. I hoped better things yesterday. | Sincerely yours | Robert Comyn'.

Lord Chancellor of England (1825-1921), author of the monumental 'Laws of England'. One page, 4to. In good condition though somewhat grubby. Folded twice, and with embossed House of Lords stamp and armorial stamp in red ink in top left-hand corner. Opening ('My dear Judge') and salutation ('faithfully yours | Halsbury') by Halsbury, the rest in secretarial hand. Reads 'I have to thank you for your letter of the 11th., and for the arrangements which have been made, at Mr. Justice Stirling's request, and of which I entirely approve'.