LEICESTERSHIRE

[‘A very nice little collection’: the 2nd Marquis of Hastings boasts about his picture collection.] Autograph Letter Signed regarding ‘the entry in the Leicester registry’ and a picture sent to him by the recipient.

Author: 
Marquis of Hastings [George Rawdon Hastings (1808-1844), 2nd Marquess of Hastings, 3rd Earl of Moira, 3rd Baron Rawdon], British peer and courtier [Donnington Park, Leicestershire]
Publication details: 
‘Donnington Park / Novr. 5th / 1836.’
£56.00

See the entry in the Oxford DNB for his father the 1st Marquis. 2pp, 12mo. On the first leaf of a bifolium. In fair condition, lightly aged and discoloured, with thin strip of glue from previous mount on reverse of second leaf. The recipient is not named, and he signs ‘Hastings’. The letter begins: ‘Dear Sir, / I made the necessary enquiries as to the entry in the Leicester registry (through a friend of our clergyman) & enclose his reply [not present] - I fear it is not what you wished for.’ He might get ‘more satisfactory information’ if the recipient can give a ‘better clue to go by’.

[Sir Henry Halford, Physician Extraordinary to four monarchs, including George III in his madness.] Autograph Letter Signed ('Henry Halford.'), mentioning 'the King' (George IV?), and referring to a child of 'Lady Harriet' (wife of the recipient).

Author: 
Sir Henry Halford (1766-1844), physician extraordinary to George III, George IV, William IV and the young Victoria
Publication details: 
Wistow Hall, Leicestershire. 21 August [no year, on paper watermarked 1825].
£180.00

1p, 4to. In fair condition, lightly aged. With thin strip of paper from mount adhering to the blank reverse. The recipient is not named. He informs him that he will 'not be in Town' before the following Monday, instead of the Thursday, explaining that he 'was not able to leave the King until Saturday last – and a sejour here of less than a week would hardly justify a journey of 103 miles and back again'.

[ North African Campaign, 1940-1943. ] Duplicated four-page document giving 'Some Golden rules for the desert', 'Tips for the desert' and 'Hints on desert driving for "B" vehicles'. With signature of Lt M. P. M. Ollard, Leicestershire Yeomanry.

Author: 
North African Campaign, British Army, 1940-1943 [ Lt M. P. M. Ollard of 154 (Leicestershire Yeomanry) Field Regiment, Royal Artillery; Field Marshal Montgomery of Alamein ]
Publication details: 
[ North African Campaign, British Army, 1940-1943. ]
£56.00

4pp., 4to. On four leaves. In fair condition, on aged and worn paper, with minor rust marks from paperclip. Ownership signature at top right of first page: 'Lt M P M Ollard'. The pages are numbered in type 5 [corrected in manuscript to '1'], 2, 3 and 4. The first page is headed 'Some golden rules for the desert', with subheadings 'Desert March Discipline', 'Protection', 'Navigation', 'Messing, Rations etc.', 'Maintenance' and 'General'. The next section is headed 'Tips for the desert', with subheadings 'Clothing', 'Stores and Equipment', 'M.

[ Lady Sarah Caroline Sitwell of Rempstone Hall, bluestocking. ] Three Autograph Letters Signed (all 'S C Sitwell'), poignantly describing her circumstances in the last months of her life.

Author: 
Lady Sarah Caroline Sitwell (c.1781-1860) of Rempstone Hall, Leicestershire, bluestocking and society hostess, described by Lord Byron as 'a wit and blue' [ Sir George Scharf (1820-1895) ]
Publication details: 
All on letterheads of Rempstone [Leicestershire]. One dated 23 February 1860, another dated 10 November [1860], and the last 'Thursday' [no year]
£220.00

The three items totalling 11pp., 12mo. On three bifoliums. In good condition, lightly aged. ONE: 23 February 1860. 3pp., 12mo. She begins: 'I cannot receive yr. repeated welcome remembrance of old Remp[ston]e. days, without a line of thanks for the pleasurable thoughts they awaken - a boon, to a Recluse, who lives much on the past & on the far-off present, which a friendly telescope may bring before her'. She congratulates him in graceful terms on his 'success'.

[Victorian poor law.] Manuscript volume titled 'An Assessment For the Relief of the Poor Of the Parish of East Langton In the County of Leicester. And for other Purposes chargeable thereon According to Law'.

Author: 
[The Parish of East Langton in the County of Leicester; Poor Law]
Publication details: 
[East Langton, Leicestershire.] 'Made this 26th. Day of April 1841. After the Note of Sixpence in the Pound'. Continued to 18 July 1843.
£280.00

99pp., landscape 8vo. In heavily-worn original black-cloth quarter-binding, with remains of marbled paper on boards. The volume consists of ten quarterly sections, each signed by the churchwarden and overseers, and signed off by two justices of the peace. The first assessment (26 April 1841) records 43 occupiers, and the last (18 July 1843) 55. Each opening is a complete printed form, with 16 columns covering the two pages. In the following example of an entry, the manuscript is given in square brackets: No.

Manuscript indenture on parchment, with signatures and seals: 'Conveyance of Lands of Stapleton in the County of Leicester. Mr. Joseph Knight and Mr. John Edwards to The Baroness Noel Byron [Anne Isabella, Lady Noel Byron], and others'.

Author: 
Anne Isabella Noel Byron (1792-1860), 11th Baroness Wentworth and Baroness Byron [Lady Byron], wife of poet George Gordon Noel, 6th Baron Byron of Rochdale [Lord Byron]; John Edwards; Joseph Knight
Publication details: 
1 August 1853. [Indenture by Fry & Son, London, Law Stationers.]
£200.00

On two skins, with the usual seals and tax stamps, and further text and signatures on the reverse of the first skin, including a witnessed receipt for £450 from Knight; also a memorandum, 2 August 1853, 'Exparte The right Honorable Anne Isabella Baroness Noel Byron Widow', 'Before me | Wm. Cowdell. | A Master Extraordinary in Chancery'. The first skin carries a plan of the property (8 acres 3 rods 33 perches), to the west of the East Shilton road to Stapleton, and of Wigstones Farm, Stapleton and Kirkby Lordship, and with the road from Barwell to Kirby going through it, coloured in green.

Printed label of book from the 'Lutterworth New Book Society, 1839-40', with list of members' names. With additional information in manuscript.

Author: 
Lutterworth New Book Society, Leicestershire [lending library; circulating libraries]
Publication details: 
Lutterworth New Book Society [Leicestershire]. 1839-1840.
£80.00

1p., 12mo. In fair condition, on aged paper. The heading reads (with manuscript additions in square brackets): 'No. [358] | LUTTERWORTH | New Book Society, | 1839-40. | To be kept [7] Days. | Ordered by [Mr G. Bottrill] | Price [6/-].' Three columns follow, headed 'When sent', 'To whom sent' and 'When returned'. The middle column contains the printed names of 31 male individuals, from 'Mr. C. Burdett' to 'Mr. Stiles', with the addition of one manuscript name. Dates are written in manuscript in the first and third column. At foot of leaf: 'N.B.

Unpublished holograph poem (signed 'J. F. Hollings') by the Leicester poet and local historian James Francis Hollings, entitled 'Edgehill', regarding the English Civil War battle, 1642.

Author: 
James Francis Hollings (1806-1862), poet and local historian, President of the Leicester Literary and Philosophical Society [Leicestershire; English Civil War; Battle of Edgehill, 1642;]
Publication details: 
Without place place or place, on paper with watermarked date 1831. [Leicester, 1830s?]
£120.00

3pp., 4to. Bifolium. On wove paper watermarked 'R TASSELL | 1831'. 56 lines, arranged in seven eight-line stanzas. Presentable, despite wear and age, closed tears along crease lines, and traces of yellow-paper mount on blank reverse of second leaf. There is no sign that this item was ever published, which is surprising, as it is a superior effort, written with some conviction, the subject being one on which Hollings was regarded as an authority.

Extensive manuscript catalogue of 'Leicestershire Biography & Bibliography', compiled in 1935 by R. B. Halliday of Great Glen [i.e. the Leicester bookseller Bernard Halliday].

Author: 
R. B. Halliday [the Leicester bookseller Bernard Halliday] of Great Glen, Leicestershire [William Barton (c.1598-1678), Vicar of St Martins; Leicestershire stationers and printers]
Publication details: 
Dated 'R B Halliday | Great Glenn [i.e. Great Glen, Leicestershire] | 1935'.
£420.00

4to, [ii] + 71 pp, with numerous leaves of additional manuscript and typescript material loosely inserted, as well as laid down. A few cuttings and extracts from printed works, as well as a Typed Letter Signed (17 March 1937) to Halliday from Ralph M. Williams of Yale, describing himself as 'interested in securing books, manuscripts, or other documents by or about the eighteenth century poet John Dyer'. Neatly written out in pencil and pen, on watermarked wove paper, in sturdy buckram binding. Internally in excellent condition, tight and clean, in worn binding with staining to front board.

Substantial legal diaries, for the years 1906 and 1912, written in a variety of anonymous hands, for a firm of provincial solicitors, Bray & Price, based in the Leicestershire area.

Author: 
[Leicestershire lawyers; Harry Bray; provincial]
Publication details: 
Leicestershire; 1906 and 1912.
£400.00

Uniformly bound in worn half-calf, marbled boards, black label, gilt. Internally good and tight, on aged paper, with all texts clear and complete. The 1906 diary is titled 'Waterlow Bros. & Layton's Legal Diary and Almanac for 1906'. The diary proper is 316 pp long, sandwiched in the middle of the printed almanac (866 pp). References throughout to the Leicestershire area: Nuneaton, Monks Kirby, Earl Shilton and other places. Clients include the Stoney Stanton Co-operative Society and the Female Provident Society.

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