MANUSCRIPT

Robert Harding Evans has been described as 'the greatest of all auctioneers of literary property'. In a career spanning three decades he oversaw the dispersal of many of the finest libraries ever assembled, from the great Roxburghe sale of 1812 to that of the Duke of Sussex in 1845, as well as those of the books of Lord Byron and the manuscripts and copyrights of Sir Walter Scott. In an undated letter to Bodley's Librarian (copy in Item Four below) Marcham states that he is 'working on Evans the auctioneer and the list will be published.

3pp., landscape 12mo. In good condition, lightly-aged, with two punch holes for placement in album to margins of each of the three leaves. He congratulates him on his catalogue, states that he is attaching a wants list (not present) and that he is leaving it to the recipient 'to make out the account as I am not good at adding - & also dont know the postage. | The Librarian at the House of Lords showed great interest in your catalogue & is writing to you for one'. He suggests sending a copy to John Hayward, and gives his address.

28pp., 8vo. Stitched into grey printed wraps. Aged and worn, with the firm ownership signature 'John Carter' in ink in the top-left corner of the front cover. A few passages are highlighted in pencil. Now scarce.

Manuscript Notebook, stiff card binding, 74pp. used, c.17 items listed per page, description of clothes and materials, and cost, total cost given at the end of each page. Author unidentified, but occasional biographical entries (e.g "Left Ireland/ Bournemouth" (1900), "W. gave me pair of corsets" (1924)), obviously well-to-do and ultimately at least middle-aged (corsets needed in 1924). Sample page (Sept. 1916-Jan/Feb 1917) "Sepr Dressmaker (May) £4/ Hat (black velvet tri-corner & gold ornament 1.10/ Veil 2[s]3[d]/Navy coat Frock 8/8/- 8.15.6/ Nov.

4pp., 8vo. 96 lines of text. On paper ruled for accounts. On lightly-aged paper, with loss to corners and at central edge, affecting a few lines of text. Accompanying the letter is a translation (2pp., 8vo) by Colin Jordan, with the assistance of Dr Loukas Christodloulos. The letter is of great interest, casting light on Leigh Fermor's activities in Crete in the period following the Second World War.

On one side of a 10.5 x 16.5 cm slip of grey paper. In fair condition, creased and lightly-aged. Reads (with manuscript text in square brackets): '[Hutchison Robertus e Coll. Exon.] | Die [5to] Mensis [Decris.] Anni [1866] | prout Statuta requirunt Examinatus in Literis Humanioribus in tribus libris et in SS. Evangeliis satisfecit nobis Moderatoribus. | Ita testatur { [J Conington | N. Pinder | H F. Tozer | David B. Monro] } Moderatores in literarum Graecarum et Latinarum Schola.' Thorley's1874-5 Lit. Hum. mark-book appears to be the earliest extant.

2pp., 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper. Eighteen lines closely and neatly written, headed 'To the Council of Bath College'. An approving testimonial: 'The Revd. Robert Hutchison, who is a candidate for the Head mastership of Bath College, was my pupil during his residence as an Undergraduate at Exeter College Oxford, and I have much pleasure in certifying to the high charater he bore for industry and good behaviour during that period. He was Scholar of the College, and his scholarship was good and sound, as he proved by getting a First Class in Moderations.

2pp., 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper. An approving testimonial, closely and neatly written over thirty lines, beginning: 'The Rev: Robert Hutchison, M.A. was educated by me at Merchant Taylors' School, and, after having reached the distinguished rank of Fifth Monitor, (or Fifth in the whole School,) was sent up by me to Oxford, and obtained by competition an open Scholarship at Exeter College.

1p., 12mo. Bifolium with mourning border. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper. Reads: '6 April 1904. | Dear Mr. Hutchison, | With all good wishes, I send, duly signed, the enclosed, received this morning. | Yours very sincerely, | F Oxon.'

1p., 12mo. On bifolium with mourning border. In good condition, lightly-aged. In envelope with Penny Red stamp and postmark, addressed to 'The Revd | Robert Hutchison | The Parsonage | Studley | near Oxford'. The envelope, carrying the Earl's seal in black wax, has a mourning border, with '11 Hereford Gardens' printed on the back. He is writing 'a few lines very sincerely' to congratulate Hutchison on the birth of his daughter. He is sorry that the 'otherwise happy event should be tempered by the recollection of so recent & so sad a bereavement'.

On one side of a 10.5 x 16.5 cm slip of grey paper. In good condition, lightly aged. Reads (with manuscript text in square brackets): '[Hutchison Robertus e Coll. Exon.] | Die [Xmo] Mensis [Decembr.] Anni [MDCCCLXVIII.] | prout Statuta requirunt Examinatus in Literis Humanioribus et in Rudimentis Religionis satisfecit nobis Examinatoribus. | Ita testatur { [Georgius Rawlinson | Fred. G. Walker | G. E. Thorley | G W Capes] } Examinatores Publici in Literis Humanioribus.' Thorley's1874-5 Lit. Hum. mark-book appears to be the earliest extant.

Four items, in fair condition, on lightly aged and worn paper, with slight creasing. ONE: Printed form, partially completed in manuscript. On one side of 31.5 x 19.5 cm piece of laid paper with Britannia watermark. Headed: 'PRIVATE SIGNALS for His Majesty's Brigs, Cutters, Luggers, &c. employed in Cruizing on the Coasts of the United Kingdom, Commanded by Lieutenants, viz.' Above the heading, in manuscript: 'Proof | See letter 1st. October 1812.

On one side of a 7 x 20 cm slip of grey paper. In good condition, lightly-aged. Reads: 'I certify that Robert Hutchison, Scholar of Exeter College, attended my Course of Lectures of the Lent Term, 1868: | Chs. A. Ogilvie, Regius Professor of Pastoral Theology. | Ch. Ch. | Oxford, | March 23rd, 1868.'

2pp., 12mo. On bifolium. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn. Begins: 'The Rev R .Hutchison, formerly Scholar of this College, took a First Class in Classical Moderations in Michaelmas Term 1866. He was a good and accurate Scholar both in translation & composition. Having had 'some experience in the tuition both of boys and undergraduates', Hutchinson is 'anxious to obtain definite educational work'. His ''religious views', Ince believes, are those of 'a sound and moderate churchman, and likely to exercise a wholesome & manly influence on his pupils'.

1p., 4to. On aged and worn paper. The letterhead features a photographic portrait of Dutt. Written the day after the General Election, in which Dutt came third in the Sparkbrook constituency, with fewer than two thousand votes. As Shields is leaving in the morning, he feels compelled to write to him 'to express what we all feel about the wonderful way you have handled the press job. It has been masterly, and every other constituency might well be jealous of us.' He ends with 'Millions of thanks, cheers and congratulations'. From the Jimmy Shields papers.

4pp., 12mo. Bifolium. In fair condition, on lightly aged and worn paper. Arnold, whose conversion to Roman Catholicism hindered his academic dvancement in England, was grandfather of the writer Aldous Huxley, and taught James Joyce at Dublin. At the time of writing he was running a private tutoring establishment at Oxford. He begins the letter by explaining that it has hardly been possible to reply to Hutchinson 'during term time [...] I had so much work on my hands'.

All in good condition, on lightly-aged paper. The Grand Vizier's letter, addressed to 'The Lady Strangford' and written in a secretarial hand, is 1p., 8vo, on the recto of the first leaf of a bifolium; the autograph copy of Strangford's reply is on both sides of the second leaf of the same bifolium. The English copy of her reply is 2pp., 8vo, on a separate leaf.

Lord Hennessy has characterised the subject of these items, the Northcote-Trevelyan Report of 1854, as 'the greatest single governing gift of the nineteenth to the twentieth century: a politically disinterested and permanent Civil Service with core values of integrity, propriety, objectivity and appointment on merit, able to transfer its loyalty and expertise from one elected government to the next'.

3pp., 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged. Replying to a request for autographs, he is sending 'an Envelope addressed by my Father' and (writing in a postscript) another 'addressed to me by the Dean of Westminster', but he 'cannot give you one of the great Niebuhr'. He agrees with Clarke's 'feeling as to possessing something coming from, or belonging to some great or good man. It is a link - as is the signature of a loved friend or companion, with the unseen world.' He enquires after Clarke's health, and recalls 'calling at your School once - & another time at your house'.

4pp., 16mo. Bifolium. A scarce piece of First World War ephemera, on creased and aged paper. The certificate has been made out in order to enroll 'Dorothy Marion Cameron Bower' into 'Detachment [8] in the County of [Westmorland]', but has not been signed by her. The first page carries the conditions of use, the second a declaration by the signatory, and the third the permit itself, with facsimile signatures of Arthur Stanley, Chairman, and Louis Pearson, Hon. Secretary, and the actual signatures of Henry Gandy, County Director, and John Mason M.D, Commandant.

7pp., 42 x 32cm approx., fold marks, edges frayed with minor textual loss, staining, but all legible. Places names in margin (names might not be spelt correctly!): CoyChurch, Languynes, Glyncomeg, Llangunwyd, Betws Langonryd, St Bride's Minor, all in Glamorgan. Information columnised under following headings: Place| Tenants names| Commencement of Leases| Messuages & number of acres| lifes of [yeares?] in being| fines pd| Reserved rent yearly| Dayes Work| [Capons??]| Pulletts| herriotts| Improved rent or value att [?] yearely : wth any further information." See photos.

Letter: 4pp., 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged and worn. After discussing his relocation to Paris, she asks whether he has heard 'the news about our School and how we have just moved?

The three items in good condition, with light signs of age and wear. LETTER: 2pp., 8vo. A splendidly waspish missive. Topics include: her 'letter to Mickie' ('masterly diplomacy'); 'dear Miss Massey, wounded on active service for the BIS' (with references to 'Mrs.

The letter is 1p., landscape 12mo. In fair condition, with light signs of age, placed in a windowpane mount in the remains of a leaf from an album. The letter reads: 'Dear Mr Westmacot [no doubt the sculptor Sir Richard Westmacott or his son] - I have a little reunion - on Monday evening 1st Feby - pray come - I am desired by <?> to present you to her especially - that she may invite you to her next Fete'. The engraving is on a 21.5 x 13.5 cm piece of paper. Similarly-mounted as the letter, above it on the same leaf. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn.

3pp., 12mo. Bifolium. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn. She agrees to give her 'name as Patroness' to Mrs Lowther's 'theatricals', but 'cannot promise to be present at them as I have so very many engagements in May'. She concludes by noting the weather: 'glorious sunshine & cloudless blue sky'.

On 3 x 9 cm piece of card, cut from the end of a letter. Reads: 'Yours sincerely | H. H. Asquith'. In poor condition, heavily creased and marked.

On 16 x 6.5 cm strip of paper, cut from financial document. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn. Addressed to 'Mr. Townshend' on one side, with signature of witness 'Jno. Lesingham', with the signatures of 'H Fox', 'R Arundell' and 'G Lyttelton' on the other, with date 27 May 1746, next to the word Orford, and below part of a sentence relating to 'Duty on Candles'.

1p., 12mo. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn. Reads: 'Dear Mr. Williams, | Pray arrange Guests in the correct order whatever that is. I shall have frequent opportunities I hope of meeting the good Bishop.'

20pp., 12mo., paginated 116-135. Side stitched in grey card wraps with cover including contents on front. In good condition, lightly aged, in worn wraps. Inscribed at head of front cover: 'To Michael Cullis | "30 Years After" | from | E. W. F. T. | 24. viii. 43'. No copies of this offprint traced on OCLC WorldCat or on COPAC.

Black and white photographic print on 20 x 82 cm piece of paper, with image size 14.5 x 78 cm. In good condition, with light signs of age and wear, tightly rolled. Printed caption below image, and photographers' details at bottom right. The year's intake and the tutors are placed in five rows on the grass in front of the main building.