LEVESON-GOWER

[Granville George Leveson-Gower, 2nd Earl Granville, as Gladstone’s Colonial Secretary.] Confidential unsigned Autograph Letter [to J. T. Delane, editor of ‘The Times’], regarding British involvement in the treaty following the Franco-Prussian war.

Author: 
Lord Granville [Granville George Leveson-Gower (1815-1891), 2nd Earl Granville], Colonial and Foreign Secretary in Gladstone’s first ministry [John Thadeus Delane (1817-1879), editor of The Times]
Granville
Publication details: 
‘July 13 / midnight. [1870]’ On embossed letterhead of the Colonial Office [Whitehall].
£450.00
Granville

See the two men’s entries in the Oxford DNB. 4pp, 4to. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged, with negligible remains of windowpane mount adhering at edges of reverse of second leaf. Folded for postage. The item - an immediate artifact with the feel of history in the making - is unsigned and headed ‘Confidential’.

[Lord Granville [Granville George Leveson-Gower, 2nd Earl Granville], Liberal politician.] Original unpublished Autograph Poem (‘Oh! Mr. Delane, Oh! Mr. Delane’) to the editor of The Times, with reference to Landseer, Sir Robert Peel and others.

Author: 
Lord Granville [Granville George Leveson-Gower (1815-1891), 2nd Earl Granville], Leader of the Liberal Party in the House of Lords [John Thadeus Delane (1817-1879), editor of The Times]
Publication details: 
23 June 1861. On letterhead of 16 Bruton Street, London, W.
£120.00

See both men's entries in the Oxford DNB. 3pp, 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, folded twice for postage, and with negligible remnants of windowpane mount adhering at edges of blank reverse of second leaf. A pleasant specimen of ‘Vers de société’ (The recipient's entry in the Oxford DNB states that 'In the social circles which Delane frequented [...] he was welcomed as a delightful companion').The poem consists of twenty-two lines in heroic couplets, unsigned and without any other text. The poem reads as follows: ‘Oh! Mr. Delane, Oh! Mr.

[Francis Egerton, 1st Earl of Ellesmere, politician and poet.] Autograph Note Signed, to Octavian Blewitt, stating his intention to vote for his election as Secretary to the ‘Literary Fund Society’ [Royal Literary Fund].

Author: 
Francis Egerton [formerly Leveson-Gower] (1800-1857), 1st Earl of Ellesmere, politician and poet [Octavian Blewitt (1810-1884), Secretary of the Royal Literary Fund]
Publication details: 
[February 1839?]
£40.00

See the two men’s entries in the Oxford DNB. 1p, 12mo. With mourning border. In good condition, with negligible remnants of windowpane mount adhering at edges of blank reverse. Written with a light touch, making the dating doubtful. Signed ‘F Egerton’ and addressed to ‘O. Blewitt Esq.’ Reads: ‘Sir / In reply to your letter I beg to state that it is my intention to vote for you in the election to the Secretaryship of the Literary Fund Society.’

[ Lord Francis Leveson-Gower, later Earl of Ellesmere. ] Autograph Letter Signed ('F Leveson Gower') to Viscount Melville, as Chief Secretary for Ireland, regarding the post of Vice Admiral for the Province of Munster.

Author: 
Lord Francis Leveson-Gower [ later Francis Egerton, 1st Earl of Ellesmere ] (1800-1857), Conservative politician and patron of the arts [ Robert Saunders–Dundas, 2nd Viscount Melville (1771-1851) ]
Publication details: 
London. 30 March 1830.
£180.00

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'.

[Hon. Capt. Francis Egerton, R.N.] Autograph Letter to 'John Bowring Esqre', regarding the writing of his 'Journal of a Winter's Tour in India, with a Visit to the Court of Nepaul'.

Author: 
Hon. Capt. Francis Egerton (1824-1895), Royal Navy [Francis Leveson-Gower; Sir John Bowring (1792-1872), Governor of Hong Kong; John Murray, London publisher]
Publication details: 
[London?] 'Monday <June?> 20th' [1852].
£180.00

1p., landscape 12mo (16 x 20.5 cm). Addressed on reverse 'To | John Bowring Esqre | 6 Freeman's Court | Cornhill'. In good condition, lightly aged and worn. Folded into a packet for hand-delivery. Written in a crabbed, difficult hand. Begins: 'Tomorrow I will send you a copy of my Character [clearly 'The Life and Character of the Duke of Wellington', which is however generally ascribed to his namesake the Earl of Ellesmere], which you will see

Blaquiere

is just now in demand. Also a work which i can only lend him.

[George Charles Brodrick, Warden of Merton College, Oxford.] Autograph Card Signed ('George C Brodrick') to 'Mr. Leveson-Gower', regarding two 'anti English articles' in the North American Revew, one by Lloyd Stephens Bryce.

Author: 
George Charles Brodrick (1831-1903), Warden of Merton College, Oxford [Lloyd Stephens Bryce (1851-1917), American journalist; the North American Review]
Publication details: 
On letterhead of Merton College, Oxford. 20 February 1900.
£40.00

On both sides of the 11 x 9 cm card. Very good, with light signs of age. He feels he must thank him for 'two numbers of the North American Review, both containing interesting articles'. despite 'their anti English spirit'. He was glad to read 'Bryce's article' to which he feels 'some injustice has been done'.

Autograph Letter, in the third person, from Lord Stafford [George Granville Leveson-Gower, 1st Duke of Sutherland and 2nd Marquis of Stafford] to 'Mr. Nichols' [John Bowyer Nichols], regarding a work by 'Mr. Dallaway'.

Author: 
George Granville Leveson-Gower, 1st Duke of Sutherland and 2nd Marquis of Stafford (1758-1833), hugely-wealthy English nobleman [John Bowyer Nichols (1779-1863), proprietor of Gentleman's Magazine]
Publication details: 
27 April 1831.
£75.00

1p., 4to. Bifolium, addressed on reverse of second leaf by Stafford to 'Mr. Nichols | 25. Parliament St. | Westminster'. Very good, on lightly-aged paper, with seal cut away from second leaf and thin strip of stub along one edge. The letter reads: 'Lord Stafford received from the late Duke of Norfolk a Copy of Mr. Dallaway's work, & has since subscribed to one by Mr. Dallaway & Mr. Cartwright - if the volume referred to by Mr. Nichols is an additional work Lord Stafford will be happy to have it. | Ap. 27.

Autograph Letter Signed ('Granville') from Granville George Leveson-Gower, 2nd Earl Granville, vice-president of the Board of Trade, to John Lewis Ricardo, Member of Parliament for Stoke upon Trent, about the 'irregular' nature of certain evidence.

Author: 
Granville George Leveson-Gower (1815-1891), 2nd Earl Granville, Liberal Home Secretary, 1851-1852 [John Lewis Ricardo (1812-1862), Member of Parliament for Stoke upon Trent; Thomas Rowe Edmonds]
Publication details: 
Bruton Street [Mayfair, London]. 31 May 1851.
£56.00

1p., 4to. Fair, on lightly-aged paper. Granville explains that 'Edmonds' (the economist Thomas Rowe Edmonds (1803-1889)?) asked him before the House of Commons Committee about giving Ricardo 'the evidence - the Committee saw it was quite irregular', but if Ricardo 'can manage to call on me at the Bd. of Trade tomorrow (Saturday) at about 12 o clock, I will show you what you want'. Postscript reads: 'Pray come at all events on Monday at one to the Committee'.

Autograph Letter Signed ('Granville') from Liberal Foreign Secretary Granville George Leveson-Gower, 2nd Earl Granville, to a 'Baron', stating his position on whether Louis Napoleon's 'mischievous motions' will bring about war in Europe.

Author: 
Granville George Leveson-Gower (1815-1891), 2nd Earl Granville, Liberal Home Secretary, 1851-1852 [Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte (1808-1873), Napoleon III, Emperor of the French; France]
Publication details: 
Bruton St [Mayfair, London]. 20 February 1852.
£90.00

4pp., 12mo. Bifolium. Good, on lightly-aged paper. Of great interest, as giving the informal position of the British Home Secretary on what was at the time the most important problem facing him. Granville would only last as Foreign Secretary for a week after writing this letter, as Russell's Liberal Government would fall on 27 February. Ironically, his elevation to the post of Foreign Secretary the previous Boxing Day had been due to Russell forcing Palmerston's resignation over his unauthorized recognition of Louis Napoléon's coup d'état. The letter is addressed to 'My dear Baron'.

Autograph Letter Signed to unnamed male noble correspondent.

Author: 
Granville Leveson-Gower, 1st Marquis of Stafford and 2nd Earl Gower
Publication details: 
Trentham July ye 10th. 1771'.
£38.00

English aristocrat and Whig politician (1721-1803). One page, quarto. In poor condition: grubby, discoloured and creased. Reads 'My Lord | Mr: Boothby of Ashbourne (who yr: Lordship may possibly know something of from his living in the neighbourhood of <?> forest has sollicited me much to apply to yr: Lordship for leave of Absence for his son who is a lieutenant in Ld: Drogheda's regiment to settle some family affairs, the time he wishes to have him with him [sic] is a month or two, if not unreasonable.

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