PACIFIST

[Alfred Webb [Alfred John Webb], Anglo-Irish Quaker nationalist, Irish Parliamentary Party MP in the British Parliament.] Autograph Letter signed to 'Miss Burgess' [of Norwich], listing and discussing Irish autographs he has procured.

Author: 
Alfred Webb [Alfred John Webb] (1834-1908), Anglo-Irish Quaker nationalist, anti-imperialist and anti-racist, Irish Parliamentary Party MP in the British parliament and Dublin printer
Publication details: 
18 January 1890. Lisnabin, Dartry-park, Rathmines, Dublin [Ireland].
£80.00

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. The present item is from a collection of Irish nationalist autographs assembled by Miss Burgess of Norwich. 1p, 8vo. On recto of first leaf of bifolium. In fair condition, lightly aged and creased. Folded for postage. Addressed 'To Miss Burgess' and signed 'Alfred Webb'. Date and location in another hand, the rest in Webb's autograph. Begins: 'Dear Madam, / Those autos. you have of our MP's are some of which I have most. Unfortunately others you want I have only of a private character, & I do not like cutting off the signatures.' He is sending those of J. E.

[Sir Charles Trevelyan and the Union of Democratic Control.] Typed Note Signed ('Charles Trevelyan') to E. Dinnage of Cambridge, enclosing a receipt ‘for payment of literature already sent’.

Author: 
Sir Charles Trevelyan [Sir Charles Philips Trevelyan, 3rd Baronet] (1870-1958), Liberal politician, a founder of the anti-First World War group the Union of Democratic Control
Trevelyan
Publication details: 
11 February 1915. On letterhead of The Union of Democratic Control, 37 Norfolk Street, Strand, W.C., London.
£65.00
Trevelyan

See his entry in the Oxford DNB, which states that after his resignation from government in protest against the impending war, ‘Around him he rallied those few brave, independent spirits who shared his views. Together they helped to found the Union of Democratic Control, in A. J. P. Taylor's judgement 'the most formidable Radical body ever to influence British foreign policy' (A. J. P. Taylor, Politicians, Socialism and Historians, 1982, 103). Trevelyan became the union's principal advocate in the Commons.

[Laurence Housman, writer, artist and radical activist, brother of the poet A. E. Housman.] Typed Card Signed to Rev. A. H. Sayers of the Monmouth Town League of Nations Union, confirming that a car should be sent to collect him.

Author: 
Laurence Housman (1865-1959), writer, artist and radical activist, brother of the poet A. E. Housman and illustrator Clemence Housman [Rev. A. H. Sayers of the Monmouth Town League of Nations Union]
Housman
Publication details: 
9 November 1936; Longmeadow, Street, Somerset.
£45.00
Housman

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. The postcard, with stamp printed on it, has the typed address: ‘The Rev. A. H. Sayers, / Orchard Close, / Monmouth’. Aged and worn, with a dog-eared corner and minor rust spotting from a paperclip. Stylised signature. Reads: ‘Many thanks for your offer to send a car to meet me at Severn Tunnel Junction, on November 20th. I will look out for it. / Yours / L Housman’. From the Sayers papers, with other material indicating that Housman was giving a talk for the Union. See image.

[‘I must speak as a full pacifist’: Laurence Housman, writer, artist and radical activist.] Three Typed Letter Signed to Rev. A. H. Sayers regarding a talk he is to give to the Monmouth Town League of Nations Union, and his book ‘The Unexpected Years

Author: 
Laurence Housman (1865-1959), writer, artist and radical activist, brother of the poet A. E. Housman and illustrator Clemence Housman [Rev. A. H. Sayers of the Monmouth Town League of Nations Union]
Publication details: 
3 and 5 November 1936 and 22 February 1937; all three from Longmeadow, Street, Somerset.
£80.00

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. All three letters 1p, 8vo. The third letter in good condition, lightly aged; the first two in fair condition, on creased and chipping cartridge paper, with a few spots of rust from a paperclip. All three folded for postage. All three signed ‘Laurence Housman’. ONE (3 November 1936): Begins: ‘Dear Mr. Sayers, / I am rather perturbed to find that the meeting I am asked to speak at is the Annual of the League of Nations Union. The request for me to speak came from the Peace Pledge Union, and no indication was given that it was not a Peace Pledge meeting.

[Arun Manilal Gandhi, peace activist and grandson of Mahatma Gandhi.] Three Typed Letters Signed to the playwright Christopher Fry, concerning his contribution to a book to be titled ‘World Without Violence’.

Author: 
Arun Manilal Gandhi (born April 14, 1934), peace activist, grandson of Mahatma Gandhi [Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi], founder of the M. K. Gandhi Institute of Nonviolence [Christopher Fry, playwright]
Publication details: 
5 October and 15 November 1993, and 24 March 1994. All three on letterhead of the M. K. Institute for Nonviolence, Christian Brothers University, Memphis, Tennessee, USA.
£90.00

As a pacifist of Quaker stock the recipient Christopher Fry would have been sympathetic to Gandhi’s goals. See Fry’s entry in the Oxford DNB. The three items in good condition, lightly aged and with slight creasing along one edge. All three 1p, 4to, and signed ‘Arun Gandhi’ and folded twice. ONE: 6 October 1993. He thanks him for his ‘positive response’ to the invitation to ‘contribute a statement for our forthcoming book WORLD WITHOUT VIOLENCE’, to be published to commemorate his grandfather’s 125th birthday. He concludes with details of an extended deadline. TWO: 15 November 1994.

[Sir Charles Trevelyan and the Union of Democratic Control.] Typed Letter Signed ('Charles Trevelyan') to 'Mr. Armstrong [the journalist George Gilbert Armstrong]', offering to review his book.

Author: 
Sir Charles Trevelyan (1870-1958), Liberal politician, one of the founders of the Union of Democratic Control, prominent group opposing the First World War [George Gilbert Armstrong (1870-1945)]
Publication details: 
On letterhead of The Union of Democratic Control, 37 Norfolk Street, Strand, W.C. London. 31 March 1916.
£50.00

1p., 4to. Aged and creased, with closed tears and damage to extremities. He will be 'very glad if you will instruct Allen's to send me a copy of your book. I will review it, though I cannot promise to do it in any particular month for the "U.D.C".' The organisation will be glad to 'enclose a number of your circulars, if you will have them sent. Not more than a thousand.'

[Alys Pearsall Smith, first wife of Bertrand Russell.] Autograph Letter Signed ('Alys Russell') to 'Mr Armstrong' [radical journalist George Gilbert Armstrong], regarding his 'valuable little pamphlet'.

Author: 
Alys Russell [born Alyssa Whitall Pearsall Smith] (1867-1951), American Quaker activist, sister of critic Logan Pearsall Smith, first wife of Bertrand Russell [George Gilbert Armstrong (1870-1945)]
Publication details: 
On letterhead of 11 St Leonard's Terrace, Chelsea, S.W. [London] 29 June 1917.
£220.00

She thanks him for sending his 'most interesting & valuable little pamphlet', which she will give to her friends to read, hoping that it will 'really help at this most difficult time'. She is struck by his 'footnote about “The Freedom of the Seas”', and wishes she 'could really understand that subject'. She ends by asking (disingenuously?) if anything has been written which 'puts your point of view at more length & simply enough for an ordinary mortal to take it in'. The pamphlet referred to is presumably Armstrong's 'Peace with Security' (1917).

[ Quakers and pacifism in the eighteenth century. ] Printed form ('No. 40.'), a warrant of distress for 'one of the people called quakers', who has failed to provide a substitute to serve in the militia.

Author: 
Quakers and pacifism in the eighteenth century [ W. Strahan and M. Woodfall, Law-Printers to his Majesty; T. Cadell, Bookseller in the Strand, London; Francis Newbold (b.1768), Macclesfield surgeon ]
Publication details: 
Printed by W. Strahan and M. Woodfall, Law-Printers to his Majesty; for T. Cadell, and sold only by the said T. Cadell, Bookseller in the Strand. Late eighteenth century ('in the year of our lord one thousand seven hundred and [blank]').
£120.00

1p., foolscap 8vo. In fair condition, on aged and worn laid paper, 1.5" closed tear. A printed form which has not been completed in manuscript. At top right: 'No. 40.', and the royal coat of arms at head. A rare and interesting piece of pacifist and Quaker ephemera, and a testament to nonviolent resistance.

[ Mabel Dearmer, author and pacifist. ] Autograph Letter Signed to 'Dearest Molly'

Author: 
Mabel Dearmer [ Jessie Mabel Prichard Dearmer, née White ] (1872-1915), English illustrator, writer, nursing orderly and pacifist
Publication details: 
On letterhead of St. Mary's Vicarage, Primrose Hill, N.W. [ London ] 23 April [ 1909 ].
£180.00

2pp., 4to. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn. A warm and characteristically solicitous letter. She has heard 'such a sad account' of the recipient, and hopes she is 'quite well & fit again now'. The Dearmers 'couldn't manage Paris but we should have loved it - There has been so much - boys' holidays & my book & now another new play! I am sending you "Gervase" - I always think of correcting the proofs at Alnmouth and the sunshine there - & your little red cap with the tassel!' She asks if 'Mrs.

[ Charles Gilpin, Quaker MP for Northampton, pacifist, abolitionist and author. ] Autograph Note Signed to 'Mr E Whittingham', regarding his movements the following day. With newspaper cutting of obituary and engraved portrait.

Author: 
Charles Gilpin (1815-1874), Quaker Member of Parliament for Northampton, abolitionist, pacifist and author
Publication details: 
On House of Commons letterhead. 'May 8th. | 1.30 AM!!' No year.
£40.00

1p., 12mo. In fair condition, lightly aged with minor burn mark to fore-edge. Reads: 'Dear Mr E Whittingham, | I fear I cannot be in St as usual tomorrow - I will endeavour to run down in the course of the day -'. The newspaper cutting of an obituary of 'The Late Mr. Charles Gilpin' is unattributed and undated. The portrait, apparently cut from the same newspaper, is 14 x 13 cm., and depicts the head and shoulders of 'The Late Mr. Charles Gilpin, M.P.', looking rather dazed.

[ Reginald Reynolds, left-wing writer. ] Autograph Letter Signed ('Reginald Reynolds') to Francis Leslie Watson, complaining of his exclusion from a BBC radio programme on Mahatma Gandhi, one of whose closest English friends he claims to be.

Author: 
Reginald Reynolds [ Reginald Arthur Reynolds ] (1905-1958), British Quaker and left-wing writer and pacifist, husband of Ethel Mannin [ Francis Leslie Watson (1907-1988), biographer; Mahatma Gandhi ]
Publication details: 
20 Jubilee Place, Chelsea, London SW3. 13 October 1956.
£80.00

1p., 4to. Sixteen lines of closely-written text. The letter begins: 'On my return yesterday from a lecture tour in America I happened to hear of the series on Mahatma Gandhi that you have compiled, with Maurice Brown, for the Third Programme.' He complains that, although Watson had previously had his assurance that he was willing to participate in such it programme, it is 'rather hurtful to find that you have evidently decided to cut me out of the programme.

[ The World Passport. ] Two Typed Letters Signed from Garry Davis to Michael Korn [the bookseller Eric Korn], regarding 'World Government and World Citizenship', together with Korn's 'World Citizen' 'Identity Card'.

Author: 
[ Garry Davis [Sol Gareth Davis] (1921-2013), international peace activist and creator of the World Passport; Eric Korn [ Michael Eric Korn ] (1933-2014), antiquarian bookseller ]
Publication details: 
One letter dated 5 March 1949 (no place); the other undated, from 17 rue Notre-Dame des Champs, Paris. The identity card without place or date.
£200.00

IDENTITY CARD: Bifolium. 12 x 8 cm. Printed in black and grey on outer covers and in black over green inside. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn. Cover headed 'IDENTITY CARD' with 'WORLD CITIZEN' in a variety of scripts around a circular logo of human figure. Internal statement: 'This card certifies that the holder is registered as a world-citizen. He will try to recognise his responsibilities as a member of the World Community.' Korn is 'No 12030'. Filled-in in ink for Michael Korn of 62 Aberdare Gardens, Hampstead, London.

[Printed handbill.] Military and Naval Forces. Married or Single. Conscripts or Volunteers | Which and Why?'

Publication details: 
'Printed for and Published by ARNOLD LUPTON, 7, Victoria Street, S.W.' 31 December 1915.
£125.00

10pp., 12mo. Stapled and unbound as issued. Worn and stained, but with contents complete. Signed in type at end: 'ARNOLD LUPTON.

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