MRS

Felix Mendelssohn was his godfather. See the entry on his father Ignaz Moscheles (1794-1870) in the Oxford DNB. Moscheles discusses his acquaintance with Kate Terry and her husband Arthur Lewis in his 1896 reminiscences ‘In Bohemia with Du Maurier’. 1p, 12mo. On first leaf of bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged and creased, with part of mount adhering to the blank second leaf. Addressed to ‘Dear Mrs Lewis’ and signed ‘Felix Moscheles’. He asks her to ‘let the bearer have the necklace you spoke of the other day’, as he ‘can just use it this morning’.

See her entry in the Oxford DNB. Neatly written out on a 6 x 11 cm piece of paper, laid down on a slighty larger piece of card. In good condition, lightly aged. Reads: 'Frances Trollope / Carlton [sic] Hill / 3d Feby 1843'. Mrs Trollope had the house named Carleton Hill built in 1840, just outside the village of Carleton. The cold climate proved unbearable, and she sold the residence in the year of this autograph. See Image.

See her entry in the Oxford DNB. 1p, 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged and worn, but with traces of grey paper and glue from mount adhering to the blank reverse. Folded once. In her neat controlled hand, with good firm signature, the letter reads: 'Dear Mr. Courtney / I shall be so grateful if you will put this in to the Telegraph, to morrow: / Yours sincerely / Mary A. Ward'.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. Both letters are in good condition, lightly aged, and both folded once. Both addressed to ‘Mrs Sturgis’, and both signed ‘R B Haldane’. The year in both cases is in the first decade of the twentieth century, but the last digit is hard to decipher. ONE: 27 January [1901?]. 2pp, 12mo. On the first leaf of a bifolium. He fears that he will not reach Leatherhead (where the Sturgis had a country house) before ‘the late train after dinner on Sat. the 21st.’ He plans to ‘send down a servant ahead’, and himself ‘come at bedtime’.

See her entry in the Oxford DNB. An attractive and unusual item of correspondence, neatly written out in her distinctive handwriting. 1p, 12mo. On leaf of onion paper, carefully laid down on thicker backing. In good condition, slightly discoloured. Folded three times for postage. Reads: ‘A little little heart! So little! but anything “in the way of” a heart should not be flouted, nor scouted, & so I pray you to accept my very little heart - / It’s not worth the thanking for, only don’t send it back to me. / Nellaline. / March 17: 89:’.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. 2pp, 12mo. On bifolium with mourning border. In good condition, lightly aged, and folded once for postage. The recipient is the novelist George Meredith's daughter Marie Eveleen (Mariette; 1871-1933), wife of Henry Parkman Sturgis (1847-1929), American-born banker and Liberal politician. Addressed to ‘Mrs Sturgis’ and signed ‘Frank Dicksee’. He is sorry to hear of her illness, but ‘fortunately the summer is coming & long before it is here I trust you will be yourself again’.

See her entry in the Oxford DNB. The valediction of a letter, cut away for an autograph collector. On a slip of paper, around 7.5 x 1.5 cm. On lightly discoloured paper, with tear through signature, attached to piece of card with archival tape. Reads: ‘Very sincerely yours / Ellen Wood’.

A nice item of Victorian charitable ephemera. The Society (later the Hepburn Starey Blind Aid Society) was instituted in 1864, and according to p.5 of the present item the phrase ‘Hall of Light for the Blind’ was ‘Given to Somers Town Blind Aid Society by a Blind Chinese Christian lad’. No copy of this item, or of any other material relating to the Society found on either WorldCat or JISC. 24pp, 12mo. Stitched. In good condition, lightly aged and worn. The front cover is laid out in decorative fashion: ‘“The Hall of Light.” / Somers Town / Blind Aid Society.

See her entry in the Oxford DNB, which carries a quotation pointing out her ‘unerring sense of admiration for herself’. What the present collection of well over a thousand cuttings assembled by her from newspapers and magazines appears to indicate is that the admiration was to a certain extent also felt by the general public; and taken as a whole the collection serves as a memorial to a once-celebrated English public figure, a woman making her mark on society in the age of suffrage. The first volume (1887-1899) is 117pp, folio: firm and tight in brown leather half binding.

See the entries on the various members of the Tree family in the Dictionary of National Biography. 4pp, 12mo. Bifolium. Thirty-eight lines of text. In good condition, lightly aged, with pin holes to corner. Folded once. Good firm signature ‘Maud Tree’. She does not want her to think that she is ‘losing sight of the Sunday Matinée’. She had to wait for Sir Oswald Stoll’s answer, ‘& it was kind, but it said regretful No’. She then wrote to Sir Alfred Butt ‘for the Palace or the Empire. His answer was also a sad No. - But now Mr. George Grossmith has offered me His Majestys or the Winter Garden.

See her entry in the Oxford DNB. Both letter and invitation have been repaired with archival tape after being torn in half; otherwise in good condition, lightly aged. ONE: Letter of 11 March 1904. 2pp, 12mo. She has ‘heard from Mr. Tierny’ that Miss Parker and her sisters ‘have very kindly offered to sing in the Anthem on the occasion of my daughter’s wedding. It is most kind of you to give your time in this way, and we are sure that the music will be a very great addition to the service.’ She hopes that the sisters will see her ‘in the Library after the service’.

Paper, 15 x 9cm, trimmed with minimal loss of text, some staining, text clear and legible. Pay to Lady Montfort's Bearer the sum of Eighy seven Shillings & charge the same to | Your Humble Servt. | Arthur Murphy. A bold and impressive signature. Note: A, He studied at Jesuit run Saint-Omer, France, and was a gifted student of the Latin and Greek classics. He worked as an actor in the theatre, became a barrister, a journalist and finally a (not very original) playwright. He edited Gray's Inn Journal between 1752 and 1754.

1p, landscape 12mo In good condition, with glue stain to one corner. Folded once. 'Mrs Belloc Lowndes regrets, on the score of ill health, that she cannot have the pleasure of accepting Lord [Treghre?]'s kind invitation.'

9pp, 12mo. On twi bifoliums and a single leaf, only the first of the bifoliums carrying the letterhead. In good condition, on aged paper. Folded once and in an envelope with 'Whist for 2. | Rules by Miss Stanton.' on cover. The letterhead has the feel of the 1920s, but the handwriting is Victorian, and presumably that of an old spinster. The first bifolium carries a separate set of instructions over four pages, headed 'Whist for two', and concluding: 'Hope you can read it excuse blots for I cant see what I have written'.

1p, 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded once. Referring to her son Francis Romano ('Cecco') Oliphant (1859-1894), she writes: 'Dear Mr. Payn | I send you with this in a registered packet by book post a story written by my youngest son, called "The Grateful Ghosts" which he wishes me to submit to you.' Her opinion is that the story 'would bear compression but that is usual to youthful productions'. She will be 'much gratified' if Payn likes it 'and can use it', and feels sure he will give it his consideration.

See the appreciative entry on Buckstone by Donald Roy in the Dictionary of National Biography. Interesting and informative letters, shedding vivid light on the day-to-day workings of early-Victorian theatre, written by a leading London actor-manager and dramatist and sent to a provincial actor-manager, regarding the arrangement of engagements, benefits, and plays. Of particular interest is the fourth letter, which refers to Mrs Fitzwilliam [Fanny [Frances Elizabeth] Fitzwilliam, née Copeland] (1801-1854), with whom Buckstone toured New Orleans and the South, c. 1840-1841. Five items.

1p, 16mo. In good condition, lightly aged, with slight damage to blank reverse caused by removal from mount. Reads: 'Dear Mrs. Suckling – if it be you that is C. S. - I can't come into Town – but shall always be glad to see you here.'

2pp, 12mo. Creased and worn. Folded once. She explains that she and her husband and daughter are on the way to Rome, where they will stay at the Hotel Molaro for six days, and expresses the hope that 'we may have the pleasure of seeing you & Mr. Story during that time, if you are at home'. She admits that she feels 'a considerable hesitation about letting any of our friends in Rome know of our coming', as they are 'so overdone with “forestieri” at this time of year'.

See Mrs George Wrottesley's obituary in The Times, 10 May 1883, in which she is praised for 'her undaunted courage and unshaken endurance of difficulties displayed repeatedly during her father's mission to the East' in 1854. 1p., 12mo. In fair condition, lightly aged. The main body of the letter reads: 'Mrs. George Wrottesley will feel much obliged to Mr Lacy if he will send her a copy of the play of | "The Wonder" - | The address is to | The Honble. | Mrs. George Wrottesley | Wrottesley | Wolverhampton'. At the head of the letter she adds a query concerning 'the play of Donna Diana'.

Page from an autograph album, 16.5 x 12cm, containing autographs as follows: "Compliments of | Count Primo Magri | from Bologna | Italy || Comtess [sic] M L Magri (Mrs Genl Tom Thumb)", filling the page. Overleaf signatures of C. W. Couldock, American Shakespearian Actor; Theodore Thomas, American conductor; M.W. Whitney and another ("W.. Fort"[?]).

On one side of a 2.5 x 11 cm slip of paper, cut from the end of a letter. Reads 'Yours very sincerely | Louisa Molesworth'.

2pp., 12mo. Bifolium with mourning border. On lightly aged and ruckled paper, with slight damage at head of gutter. The letter would appear to concern a contribution intended for 'The Juvenile Forget Me Not', the annual Mrs S. C. Hall began editing in the late 1820s. begins: 'My dear Mrs. Hall | I sent you the story or rather the bit of a story you have - because you asked for it. Therefore if you like it, the pay is not to be considered - But at the same time if you dont like it, pray dont think of using it out of courtesy.

2pp., 16mo. Bifolium. In fair condition, on lightly aged and worn paper, with the second leaf neatly placed in a windowpane mount. The letter begins: 'I am delighted to see your handwriting again - It will give me the greatest pleasure to avail myself of Mrs Hargreaves kind invitation.' She explains why the following Wednesday will suit her best, and proposes to 'drive over arriving at Silwood about one o'Clock and if it is quite convenient for Mrs. Hargreaves to send me back in the afternoon, that will be very kind of her'.

Written lengthwise on front of a 9 x 15.5 cm. envelope. In good condition, lightly aged. Reads: 'A. E. W. | I had a list of the autographs in thy literary collection but unfortunately have mislaid it. If there is a duplicate it wont make any difference because this is an uncessary little note of | D. M. C.' The page also carries annotations in another hand in light pencil.

A total of 41pp., 4to. Complete run of ten issues (a second edition, expanded to 63pp., appeared in the same year). In black cloth binding, with manuscript note on front pastedown: 'George H M Ricketts - | Lent to Mr Blackman with a hope that he will read it & circulate it amongst his friends.' Eight of the ten numbers are of 4pp.; one (no.4) is of 6pp; and another (no.10) of 3pp. Uniform in design and all printed in blue ink.

An interesting letter regarding a celebrated Victorian scandal. In 1884 Frederic had come to England with his wife and five children as the London correspondent of the New York TImes. He set up a second household with Kate Lyon, with whom he had a further three children. Lyons was a Christian Scientist, and when Frederic suffered a stroke in 1898, she tried to cure him by faith healing, but he died. At the instigation of Mrs Frederic, Lyon was tried for manslaughter, but was acquitted. 3pp., 12mo. Bifolium with mourning border.

1p., 12mo. On bifolium, addressed on reverse of second leaf to '- Ward Esqr. -'. In fair condition, on aged paper. The note reads: 'My dear Sir, | Presuming an old acquaintance, I request the favour of your presenting the enclosed to the Committee'.

Jardine, dubbed by the press 'the Poor Man's Pastor', travelled to France to perform the ceremony. As a result, his vestry committee resigned and he resigned his living, emigrating to the United States. The cuttings are laid down on 19pp of a Victorian folio volume, in superior brown calf binding, tooled in gilt, with marbled endpapers, and 'HARMONY OF THE GOSPELS' stamped on the spine. As the title on the spine indicates, the volume contains the manuscript of a harmony of the gospels, covering 127pp, with the text written around columns of printed text cut from a printed bible.

4pp., 12mo. Bifolium with mourning border. In fair condition, on lightly aged and worn paper. He begins: 'My dear Mrs. Roper - | I have been rather long in fulfilling my promise to write - but I must lay all the blame on this most attractive International from which I can hardly tear myself away! My journey was a very pleasant one on Tuesday with agreeable fellow-passengers, there was another Bouquet besides mine in the carriage - but tell dear Annie it would bear no comparison with mine!

3pp., 12mo. Bifolium. In fair condition, on aged paper, with small rust hole to second leaf affecting two words of text. He begins in the hope that she is 'quite well & Plenty of Business'. He reports the death of his mother the previous may: 'she only lasted 5 Months after I left her'.