LORD

1p., folio. Good, on lightly-aged paper, with slight staining to blank reverse. Fairly written out on a piece of Britannia laid paper. 'Lord Chamberlain's Office | 10th. November 1849. | The Lord Chamberlain thinks it right to draw the attention of the Manager of the Theatre Royal Covent Garden to The Queen's Proclamation of the 6th. Instant, in which Her Majesty, for the Reasons therein stated, earnestly exhorts that the Public Day of Thanksgiving, the 15th. Instant be reverently and devoutly observed'.

12mo, 1p. Text clear and complete. Good, on lightly-aged paper. She is happy that her correspondent is enjoying himself, and looks forward to seeing him the following day, 'to take a friendly dinner'. An initialed pencil note in a contemporary hand at the head of the page reads 'The celebrated Lady who prosecuted Lord Wm Paget - Cassidy - others for getting into her Bed room at night in Paris to endeavour to carry her off & marry her for her large fortune to Cassidy | [signed] ' The incident - a great scandal of the age - was alluded to in 1844 in the Annual Register and other papers.

Card, c.11 x 7cm, [RECTO] date "Ist Novr 1807" in manuscript as are the figures in acolumn after categorisation as follows: "Redeemed by Annual Million &c [£] 66.968.173 | Do.[corrected in ms. to] on acct of Loans 61.622.815 | Do. by Land Tax 22.942.813 | Do. by £1. pr. Ct. pr. Ann . on Imp. Loan 814.723 | Total £ 152.340.529 | The sum to be expended in the ensuing Quarter is £2.529.224.155. [VERSO] [Manuscript] The Rt Honble Lord Melville". It appears that Melville and, presumably, others, received monthly notice of the size of the National Debt and other figures.

Folio, 3 pp. Fair, on lightly-creased and aged paper. The lengthy form is printed, and completed with typewritten additions and its own 'Registry No.'

On both sides of the card, which is not addressed, having fitted inside an envelope. Aged, but with text clear and complete. Inviting Constable to play golf with him at Littlehampton. He can be there at 12.28 pm. 'I go to Coates on Friday'.

4to, 24 pp, paginated 3-27. Lacking title-leaf; otherwise with text clear and complete under drop-head title (lacking the initial 'Carta de Junius Lusitanus' which would have been part of the missing title leaf) with Latin motto ('Palmam qui mecuit ferat.'). Disbound. On aged paper with slight wear to extremities. Addressing British Foreign Secretary Palmerston with regard to the United Kingdom's position on the Septembrist Revolt in Portugal in 1846. COPAC and WorldCat only lists three copies: at the British Library, Harvard and King's College London.

12mo, 2 pp. Nine lines. Text clear and complete. Addressed by Churchill on reverse of the second leaf, with red wax seal, and his frank: 'Witney Dec. thirty one 1826. | Mr. Faden | Map Seller | Charing Cross | London. | [signed] Churchill'. On aged and lightly-creased paper, with a spike hole. Asking Faden to 'send him a small Case map of Gloucestershire, as soon as possible', directed to him by 'Pratt's Gloucester Coach, to be left at Witney'.

4to, 1 p. Nine lines. Text clear and complete. On aged, creased and worn paper. He asks Wilde to send, by a Leicester coach, 'the four Sheet Map of Spain published by the late Mr. Faden, fitted into a travelling Case, to Lord John Scott, Aylestone', billing Montagu 'at Dilton Park near Windsor'.

12mo, 3 pp. Text clear and complete. Worn and aged, with pinholes and unobtrusive repair to closed tears. The 'kindness' Wyld has 'always shewn to the Poles' makes Stuart sure that he will attend to his recommendation of 'Captain Thadeus Grubski, one of the Polish Refugees who bears a very high character'. By employing him Wyld would 'render an essential servie to a deserving man much in need of it, and confer a favor as well on this association in general', and on Stuart in particular.

Both 12mo, 2 pp. On bifoliums, the first with mourning border. Both texts clear and complete. Aged and lightly creased, with the first item bearing traces of being mounted in an album. Letter One: He hopes to be 'present at the next Sessions', and will be 'quite prepared after the County business is over, to attend the Committee of Subscribers to Sir William Heathcotes Portrait'.

12mo, 2 pp. Fair, on lightly aged and creased paper. Although it is 'unnecessary' , she is writing 'in Sidney's name to implore for your Vote & interest on Friday next as against the Govt. - Independently of the grave question at issue as regards India no friend of Lord Canning's can be indifferent to the base & ungenerous treatment he has received'. Sidney is writing to the Bishop of Salisbury 'in the same sense', and if he cannot come to London for the vote, he will, she hopes, 'send his proxy'. Docketed on reverse 'Authoress'.

The Earl of Darnley's four letters (all signed 'Darnley') total 27 pp in 12mo; Lady Darnley's eight letters (all signed 'H. Darnley') total 26 pp in 12mo. All items in good condition, on lightly-aged paper. Darnley's first letter, 16 September 1853 (12mo, 12 pp), is unusually blunt for the period, and revealing on the etiquette of the period. It begins: 'I trust that the change in your mode of addressing me was accidental, and I have therefore not imitated it, and have used one word which you omitted [presumably 'Dear'].

Folio, 1 p. On bifolium. Docketed on reverse of second leaf. Good, on lightly-aged paper. Martin having written to him on 16 September, 'renewing [his] application to be permitted to retire with the Rank and Half pay of Captain', Somerset is 'directed by the General Commanding in Chief [Rowland Hill, 1st Viscount Hill]' to acquaint Martin 'that His Lordship can only repeat the Substance of the communication which I was desired to address to Mr. Daly on the 4th. Instant on the same subject, viz - that it is wholly out of Lord Hill's power to comply with your request'.

12mo, 1 p. Mourning border. Twelve lines. Text clear and complete. Fair, on aged paper, with small scrap torn away from top right-hand corner. By that evening's post, they have received 'the sad intelligence that my sister in law, Lady Camilla Sinclair has died at Thurso Castle'. Her brother Sir George Sinclair and his family 'are in great grief', and she is 'under the melancholy necessity of sending an apology' for cancelling 'our engagement to you which we had anticipated with so much pleasure'.

All 4to, with the letters totalling 22 pp, and the list of 'Funghi, East Kent' of 15 pp. All items clear and complete. Three leaves with light staining (one with short closed tear), otherwise all in good condition, on aged paper. All three in envelopes (lacking stamps), addressed by Clifton and with his seal in red wax. ONE. 4 October 1889. 4to, 12 pp. Begins: 'It seems a long time since we had a ramble on the Cuxton and Ralling hills from Cobham, and when I killed a viper; and I have been much amused at the apparent incredulity of a brother B.O.U. at the Dumpton Park rarities!

12mo, 1 p. On recto of first leaf of bifolium. Addressed, with broken red wax seal, on verso of second leaf. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper. Knowing of Bell's 'attachment to the Civil Law', he invites him to a breakfast, where he will 'meet with Justinian, & a few select jurists'.

Printed, in a variety of types and point sizes, on one side of a piece of landscape 8vo paper. Text clear and complete. On aged and creased paper, which has been laid down on a backing of pink card. In full reads 'FOXES. THE COMMITTEE appointed to investigate into the melancholy circumstances attending the malicious POISONING of the FOXES IN THE PARISHES OF Buckland Filleigh and Sheepwash, Will sit daily, during Lent, (weather permitting) at the TOWN HALL, TORRINGTON. | LORD AQUEDUCT, Chairman. | PETER BLUNDERHEAD GRUBB, Secretary. | N.B.

Folio, 29 + [i] pp. Disbound. Text complete and clear. Fair, on lightly-aged paper. Faint accession stamp at head of title. 'In accordance with the request of Viscount Palmerston, conveyed in Mr. Fitzroy's letter of the 31st day of October 1853, the Board have instituted very extensive inquiries among those acquainted with the means for the prevention of smoke, a great part of the evidence thus received being given in abstract in the Appendix to this Report.' The appendix runs from p. 11 to p. 29. Scarce: the only individual copy on COPAC at Southampton.

4to, 1 p. 7 lines. Clear and complete. Fair on aged and lightly-creased paper. He is returning 'the leaf of your Peerage', which is 'quite correct in the part more immediately concerning me & in all other's [sic] as far as I have observed'. He makes a suggestion regarding Lord James Stuart'.

Square of paper, neatly torn from letter. Lightly-aged and creased. On one side firm signature ('Yrs truly | Dudley Coutts Stuart'), with docketting at foot ('Lord Dudley Coutts Stuart | "The friend of the Poles" -'). On reverse: '<...> a select Committee - A short time I obtained a return of a memorial presented him to the Court of Directors'.

12mo, 3 pp, on separate loose leaves. Forty lines. Text clear and complete. Good, on browned paper. Laid out for printing, and with the page numbering 21 to 23 (from 12 to 14). Loosely inserted in a folder with 'Original Manuscript of Elbert Hubbard' printed on the front, which also carries two accession marks.

Both items good, on lightly aged and creased paper, with both texts clear and complete. The Minstrels' Gallery referred to in the letter was held in the vicinity of Hamilton's estate Sandon Hall, Staffordshire. Written a few months before Hamilton's death in the celebrated duel with Lord Mohun. Bromley to Hamilton: Autograph Letter Signed, 8vo, 1 p. 23 lines of text. Bifolium, addressed on reverse of second leaf 'To his Grace Duke Hamilton in St. James's Square | London.', and docketed 'Mr: Bromley 7:th June 1712 about the Minstrill court & that Holden the Attorney had with drawen'.

4to, 1 p. Text clear and complete. On aged and creased paper. He is returning the score, and asks Hedgely to 'copy the three voice parts of the two canons Criste Eleison & Crucifixus & the Voice part of the Soprano Song, Gratias Agimus', and to send the whole back 'as soon as you can finish them'.

Autograph Letter: 4to, 1 p. 10 lines. Text clear and complete. Fair, on lightly-aged and creased paper. Inviting him and his family to dine with him and Lord and Lady Glasgow. Secretarial Letter: 12mo, 3 pp. Bifolium. Text clear and complete. Good, on lightly-aged paper. Sending the 'narrative of my son's singular adventure', which he has 'been induced to draw up [...] for the purpose of supplying The Author of "Waverley," with "new materials," for his intended History of that extraordinary character'.

4to, 36 pp and a manuscript title-page. All texts clear and complete. Disbound (from a commonplace book?) and apparently complete. Fair, on aged, brittle gilt-edged paper, with a few closed tears (in particular to the last couple of leaves). The book is presumably in Mrs Macdonald's hand, and the only indication to her identity is the final note (see below), signed 'F. M. M.', which shows her to have been an educated member of the middle classes. Divided into three parts. The first part is 'Useful Remarks for the Mistress of a House' (25 pp, paginated from 1 to 23).

4to, 3 pp. Bifolium. Twenty-two lines. Text clear and complete. Fair, on aged paper, with minor damage repaired with archival tape. Franked, with broken red wax seal and two postmarks, to 'Captain Saml Brown R.N.', at Inverleith House, Edinburgh. Despite the fact that Martin has 'given the Credit of every improvement in the Service', Napier happens to know 'that other people are deserving of more credit than him', and he wishes to 'bring forward some great names like yours' to 'the Lords & the Country' at the second reading of the Navy Officer Bill.

12mo, 1 p. Aged, grubby and creased, with slight loss to bottom left-hand corner, and closed tear to one margin. Requesting 'one or two choicest leather trout-fly books with plenty of pages, but not those with printed descriptions of flies'.

12mo, 2 pp. Twenty-one lines. Text clear and complete. Good, on lightly-aged paper, with punch-hole to the top left-hand corner. As a colleague of Horder's father (senior surgeon and the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital) Noon has offered a 'collection of aphorisms', which Horder feels will be 'of the greatest value, indeed it is exactly what I want'. He asks for Noon's memories of 'personal dealings': 'These are especially useful in the early days, when of course my own memory does not serve.' Concludes: 'We all thought he'd have another 10 years ahead, so it has been a sad shock.'

Both items good, on lightly-aged paper, each with a punch-hole to the top left-hand corner. Letter One: 12mo, 1 p. Concerning 'the Committee' and two surgeons. Letter Two: 4to, 1 p. Twenty-three typed lines and a four-line autograph postscript. Possibly relating to the Royal College of Physicians. Discussing his concerns 'about our means of getting C's in the Region'.

12mo, 1 p. Bifolium. On aged and foxed grey paper. Reads 'June 20th | Dear Barnes | Selection Committee will be pleased if you will play for England v The Rest at Lords 29th. | Yours faithfull | [signed] Hawke'. Hawke was an England selector between 1899 and 1909, and Barnes, one of the finest bowlers in English history, made his international debut in 1901. I'm sure someone will tell me if this was Barnes's first game for England.