LONDON

See both their entries in the Oxford DNB. Two long letters. Both 2pp, 4to. Both letters on aged paper, creasing at the head. Each folded twice. Written in a close, elegant hand. ONE: 23 January 1957. Writing on behalf of herself and her 'friend' and business manager Alec Macbeth Beesley she begins: 'Our dear, dear Popie, | It really is fantastic. This morning I wrote you a tiny fan letter, combined with thanks for your radio mentions of me. I then carried it to the little pillar-box at the crossroads near here, in time to catch the 3.40 post.

ONE: Marsh to MP. 19 November 1951. 2pp, 8vo. In fair condition, lightly aged, with light rust spotting from paper clip. Folded twice. Pencil note by MP. Marsh begins his letter: 'My dear Popie. | Very many thanks indeed for the book. It came on Saturday, & I read nothing else till I finished it this morning. Very many congratulations too, your Achievement story is itself a big achievement, & everyone who loved Ivor will be grateful to you for it. You can imagine how many memories it revived in me, & how much it added to my Knowledge.

2pp, 18mo. In fair condition, lightly aged and creased. Folded once. Written in a close, elegant hand. Written on receipt of a presentation copy of MacQueen-Pope's latest book, the letter begins: 'My dear Popie, | Thank you so very much for St James's, Theatre of Distinction. I think I am enjoying it even more than I usually enjoy your individual-theatre books, because the St James's meant so much to me. It was the first London theatre I ever went to - long before I could read or went to a school.

1p, 4to. In fair condition, on aged and creased paper. The letter begins: 'Dear Mr. MacQueen Pope, | Please forgive me for bothering you, but you are I know, the horse's mouth as regards theatre history.' She explains that she is 'in the throes of a book on ballet' for her publishers William Collins, and she asks him to help her with 'a problem in the section on early ballet in England'. The problem concerns 'the King's Theatre Haymarket' and 'the Italian Opera House'. She gives a facts and dates, asking 'was it all one and the same theatre?

Contemporary duplicated typescript, from the Christopher Fry papers. 14pp, 8vo. Each page on a separate leaf. In fair condition, lightly aged. Fry's introductory talk is present in its entirety on pp.1-5, this is followed by an unpaginated page, then pp.8-15 with p.[10] also unpaginated. Hence p.6 or p.7, beginning the extracts from the play, would appear to be absent. On the front page, between the heading and transmission details is: 'Rehearsal: Thursday 4th June 1953: 10.00 onwards | Recording: Thursday 4th June 1953: 12.15 - 1.00 p.m. 3A | Recording of Insert: [BLANK]'.

A multi-talented figure, Denis Johnston was a protégé of W. B. Yeats and Bernard Shaw, and had a stormy friendship with Seán O'Casey. Jonathan Swift was a preoccupation of Johnston's (see his 1959 book 'In Search of Swift'), and his play about him, 'The Dreaming Dust', was first produced at the Gaiety Theatre, Dublin, in 1940. It was published in collections of Johnston's plays in 1954, 1960, 1977 and 1983. This 1988 version remains unpublished. Both typescript and letter in fair condition, lightly aged.

1p, 4to. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn. Thin strip of paper from mount adhering to edge on blank reverse. Folded three times. Signed and dated at foot: 'Leman Rede/ | 31. May 1841'. Addressed at bottom left: 'To | Mrs.

3pp, 12mo. Bifolium. In fair condition, aged and worn, but with slight water staining and damage to blank area at foot of second leaf. The male recipient is not named. The letter begins: 'My dear Sir | If you present the enclosed to the porter of the Garrick Club, I have no doubt all the Art Treasures of the Garrick will be open to your inspection.

Four-page programme on bifolium, stapled into covers of shiny art paper. In fair condition, worn and aged, with rusted staples. Folded once. The covers are printed on the outside only. On the front are two illustrations in Georgian style, with the caption 'George Barnwell's Contrition'. On the back is a drawing of 'Portsmouth Old Theatre', 'Reproduced by kind permission of Arthur Moreland.' The small signature ('Nigel Playfair') is at top right of front cover. The first page of the programme carries five 'Producer's Notes' by 'Lessee & Manager' Playfair.

1p, 8vo. Aged and worn. Four folds. Panel from envelope attached to reverse, with postmark and address to 'Chas. Thompson Esqr. | 34 Bedford Street | Covent Gard.' He has 'already so many unpublished Plays' in which he has 'the right of Representation', that he must 'decline making any further purchases at present'. But even if he were 'inclined to make further purchases, it would most certainly be in Copyright and not in rights to print - which I suppose is what you mean by the term Printing Copyright'. He is however still 'much obliged to you for the offer'.

2pp, 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged, with traces of grey paper from mount adhering at head of second page. Folded once. Reads: 'The Baroness Burdett Coutts sends her kind compliments and thanks to Mr. Blunt and regrets that she is unable to avail herself of the kind proposal of his Father and Mother, as she has another engagement between the City and Chelsea, but her Ladyship hopes to be at the Rectory as near Six o'clock as possible'.

3pp, 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged, but with traces of glue on blank reverse of second leaf, which has a vertical closed tear the length of a fold line in blank space beneath signature. The male recipient is not named. The letter begins: 'Dear Sir | Do not think me intrusive but I cannot resist offering you in writing the warm thanks of my heart for your Protest against that hateful thing known as Vivisection'. She has read with 'feelings of thankfulness the expression of your opinion which Mr Froude stated with his own to Mr Cross'.

3pp, 12mo. Bifolium. In fair condition, aged and worn. Folded twice. Only the conclusion of the letter is in Holyoake's hand. It carries an unusually large and bold signature. In reply to a letter of Watson's he states that he was not aware of the 'paper in the Westminster Gazette [...] until four days after its appearance'. He asks him to send 'the Leader referring to its appearance which you mention', and commends Watson's son for bringing it to his notice. Holyoake does not know if the matter has 'been mentioned elsewhere in Newcastle'.

2pp, 12mo. On bifolium. Twenty lines of text. In fair condition, aged and worn, with chipping and short closed tears to extremities. Folded twice. Addressed on reverse of second leaf to 'Joseph Blunt Esqre.' Signature underlined with a flourish.

2pp, 18mo. In good condition, lightly aged, with a couple of emendations. The subject is Coxe's 'History of the House of Austria', which was 'Printed by Luke Hansard and Sons, for T. Cadell and W. Davies, in the Strand'. The letter begins: 'Mr. Coxe wishes to keep back for a week or two sheet 3z, because he intends to divide the first Volume into two parts; and therefore desires Mr Hansard not to strike off that Sheet; and will trouble Mr Hansard to transfer the commencement of Ferdinand's reign from p 542.

In 1821, along with Ricardo, Malthus, James Mill, and others, Tooke founded the Political Economy Club. Although Carlyle is unlikely to have had him specifically in mind, Tooke is the archetypal 'Professor of the Dismal Science'. 2pp, 18mo. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded twice. Twenty-eight lines of text, neatly and closely written. He has 'deferred acknowledging' his answer to her 'kind invitation' to dinner on the coming Saturday until seeing his son, who has been 'out of town on a fishing excursion'.

1p, 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged. The recipient is not named. An interesting letter, indicating the relationship between two major theatrical figures in Victorian London. The main body of the letter reads: 'Dear Sir, | You really must excuse my incurring any such responsibility as that you would impose upon me. I am unable to controul Mr.

In 1821, along with Ricardo, Malthus, James Mill, and others, Tooke founded the Political Economy Club. Although Carlyle is unlikely to have had him specifically in mind, Tooke is the archetypal 'Professor of the Dismal Science'. 2pp, 18mo. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded twice. Twenty-eight lines of text, neatly and closely written. He has 'deferred acknowledging' his answer to her 'kind invitation' to dinner on the coming Saturday until seeing his son, who has been 'out of town on a fishing excursion'.

1p, 4to. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn. Thin strip of paper from mount adhering to edge on blank reverse. Folded three times. Signed and dated at foot: 'Leman Rede/ | 31. May 1841'. Addressed at bottom left: 'To | Mrs.

Four-page programme on bifolium, stapled into covers of shiny art paper. In fair condition, worn and aged, with rusted staples. Folded once. The covers are printed on the outside only. On the front are two illustrations in Georgian style, with the caption 'George Barnwell's Contrition'. On the back is a drawing of 'Portsmouth Old Theatre', 'Reproduced by kind permission of Arthur Moreland.' The small signature ('Nigel Playfair') is at top right of front cover. The first page of the programme carries five 'Producer's Notes' by 'Lessee & Manager' Playfair.

3pp, 12mo. Bifolium. In fair condition, aged and worn, but with slight water staining and damage to blank area at foot of second leaf. The male recipient is not named. The letter begins: 'My dear Sir | If you present the enclosed to the porter of the Garrick Club, I have no doubt all the Art Treasures of the Garrick will be open to your inspection.

2pp, 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged, with traces of grey paper from mount adhering at head of second page. Folded once. Reads: 'The Baroness Burdett Coutts sends her kind compliments and thanks to Mr. Blunt and regrets that she is unable to avail herself of the kind proposal of his Father and Mother, as she has another engagement between the City and Chelsea, but her Ladyship hopes to be at the Rectory as near Six o'clock as possible'.

3pp, 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged, but with traces of glue on blank reverse of second leaf, which has a vertical closed tear the length of a fold line in blank space beneath signature. The male recipient is not named. The letter begins: 'Dear Sir | Do not think me intrusive but I cannot resist offering you in writing the warm thanks of my heart for your Protest against that hateful thing known as Vivisection'. She has read with 'feelings of thankfulness the expression of your opinion which Mr Froude stated with his own to Mr Cross'.

1p, 8vo. Aged and worn. Four folds. Panel from envelope attached to reverse, with postmark and address to 'Chas. Thompson Esqr. | 34 Bedford Street | Covent Gard.' He has 'already so many unpublished Plays' in which he has 'the right of Representation', that he must 'decline making any further purchases at present'. But even if he were 'inclined to make further purchases, it would most certainly be in Copyright and not in rights to print - which I suppose is what you mean by the term Printing Copyright'. He is however still 'much obliged to you for the offer'.

On 7.5 x 14 cm piece of laid paper, laid down on part of a leaf from an album. In fair condition, on aged and spotted paper. The letter reads: 'G Dr. respects to Miss Lusada - begs she will please to accept the enclosed - 3 more Letters will follow - wch. shall be sent. to Miss Lusada - Dr. is gone to dine with Mr. Morgan, who desires his Compts. and informs Miss L. that he will send to her soon the little Mathematician'. The recipient was in fact Abigail Lousada, the bluestocking daughter of Isaac Barrow Lousada [sic] of Devonshire Square.

4pp, 16mo. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged. The letter begins: 'My dear Mr Archer | I am sorry to be open to the reproof, which I feel contained in your very natural supposition that I am in my duties before this time, but in truth here I am till tomorrow - when I [?] Mrs Bright Children & all, we make our best speed towards Saville [sic] Row [his London address] & when I am there, towards the end of the week, I will do my best to furnish myself with the information you want & which at present I have not got'.

3pp, 12mo. Bifolium with mourning border. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn. Folded twice. He reports that he 'wrote a line to Gladstone about the condition of the East urging the Govt. to take it up either by Equalization of Poor Rates, Emigration or Alteration of License System or all of these'. He considers that 'a good case is made out' and the measures he suggests 'wd do something'. He wonders whether the recipient might be able to 'put a few statistics together'. He thinks that 'the worst part is the permanent depression of the trading class wh takes away all vitality'.

See McCulloch's entry in the Oxford DNB. He was appointed Comptroller of H.M. Stationery Office in 1838. 1p, 16mo In good condition, lightly aged. Folded once. Reads: 'Mr. McCulloch presents compts to Sir James and Lady Em. Tennent, and begs to thank them for their kind invitation to dine with them on the 5th proxo, which he has much pleasure in accepting.'

Phelps's entry in the Oxford DNB gives the background to the present letter, stating that Phelps 'married Sarah Cooper (1810/11–1867) on 11 August 1826; she was just sixteen. However, their marriage was very happy: they were a devoted couple, and Sarah later served as Phelps's dresser. Phelps preferred home life with her to clubs or social gatherings. His other delights were angling and shooting, and he purportedly knew every trout stream in England. They had three sons and three daughters, including William Robert (1828–1867), who became chief justice of St Helena, and Edmund (d.

A nice item, in which, writing to a friend in London, Moulton describes, and encloses a holograph copy of, the poem she has written that very day for the following day's New Year's Eve party to celebrate the engagement of Longfellow's youngest daughter Anne Allegra to Joseph Gilbert Thorp Jr. (1852-1931). 4pp, 12mo. Bifolium. Aged, worn and creased, with damage resulting in loss of a couple of words of text, due to tearing of the letter away from mount. The letter covers three pages, the last written lengthwise, and is forty-six lines long.