PEERAGE

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. The recipient is presumably the Captain Charles Napier (d.1849) of the Royal Artillery who ‘received eight wounds from the bursting of a shrapnel shell’ at Waterloo (see Dalton’s ‘Waterloo Roll Call’, p.194). 8pp, 4to. Closely and neatly written on two bifoliums. In good condition, lightly aged, but folded three times into a packet, and with some closed tears to the creases. Addressed ‘To Colonel Napier / Royal Artillery’ and with the valediction ‘I will now bid you adieu & subscribe myself / Yr very faithful Kinsman / Napier’.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. In good condition, lightly aged, with paper from mount on reverse. Folded once. On 6 x 10 cm piece of paper, cut from conclusion of letter. Good firm signature. Reads: ‘[...] European troops / [...] quartered them. / Yours sincerely / Elphinstone’. See image.

2pp, 4to. 34 lines of closely-written text. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded twice. Addressed to ‘Mr. Poole’. After expressing a hope that they will be meeting Poole now that they are both on the council of the Royal Historical Society, he explains that he is writing in relation to his redrafting of ‘the early part of Percy for the Complete Peerage’, noting that ‘the present draft is certainly alarming’. He is taking it ‘down to 1245’ and finds it ‘full of snags’. He has ‘just finished a draft of Jocelin, Agnes de Percy’s husband’, and L. C.

ONE: Letter. 1p, 16mo. In fair condition, aged and worn, with thin strip of paper from mount adhering to reverse. He is returning 'the slip for Debretts Peerage & Baronetage, revised, corrected & with the blank spaces filled up'. He will be resident on the Isle of Wight for the next six weeks, and 'would not delay answering your communication until I return to London in October', although 'materials would have been accessible for affording further particulars'. He ends by stating that he 'always has a copy of Debrett' in his house.

The work for which these proofs were prepared, Burke's 'Genealogical History of the Dormant, Abeyant, Forfeited, and Extinct Peerages of the British Empire', was published in London by Harrison in 1866, and was a revision of his father John Burke's 'General and Heraldic Dictionary of the Peerages [...] extinct, dormant, and in abeyance', first published in 1831, with a third edition in 1846. The present collection is largely in fair condition, on aged and worn paper, but with some of the items damaged.

The nine items are in good condition, lightly aged and worn. They derive from the papers of Sir Richard Harington of Ridlington, and reflect his dual position as a leading member of the Standing Council of the Baronetage, and a member of the Home Office Committee, which was set up to consider and report whether any, and if so what, steps should be taken to safeguard the status of the holders of Baronetcies, and to prevent the assumption of the title Baronet by persons who have no right thereto'.

1p., 8vo. On aged and worn paper, with heavy chipping and wear at head and two holes to text, but signature clear and clean. Laid out in the usual style, with printed text competed in manuscript. Recording the receipt by Digby of £2 15s 10d, on an annuity. Filled in by the witness, whose signature is illegible.

1p., 8vo. In fair condition, on aged and worn paper. With printed text, headed 'PENSIONS', completed in manuscript. Recording payment to him of £8 6s 8d. Signature at foot of witness 'A Dickie'. Signed within months of Cochrane's death, and a little shaky.

9pp, 4to. In fair condition, on lightly-aged paper; with central horizontal fold. A main topic of the meeting was, as Sir Lambton Loraine explained, the assertion by the Duke of Norfolk of his 'right to a jurisdiction over the Baronetage in every way', and his belief that he has 'a right to keep our record at his own house in St. James's Square, whereas we have not yet got the King's answer to the Home Secretary's Committee's proposal that a person appointed by the Home Office should be the future Registrar of the Roll of the Baronetage'.

(The title ends: '[...] the said title, honour, and dignity.') 52pp., folio. With large fold-out 'Pedigree of the Barony of Barnard'. In brown printed paper covers with red ribbon spine. In fair condition, on aged and worn paper, in worn and chipped wraps. Mainly consisting of 'Proofs to be adduced in support of the case of Henry De Vere Vane, claiming to be Baron Barnard of Barnard Castle, on his claim to the said peerage'. and an appendix in five parts. On the death in 1890 of the 4th Duke of Cleveland, the line of succession to the dukedom was left unclear.

3pp., 4to. In good condition, lightly-aged, on two leaves each neatly cut out of a windowpane mount. Headed 'Private'. Docketted by the recipient: 'Resp[ectin]g. the fitting up a part of the Old Palace at Linlithgow for the County Meeting'. He describes the applications he has made to the Lords of the Treasury and the Prince Regent, and a correspondence between the Keeper of the Palace and the Secretary of State. 'Your Lordship is aware that the Building is a complete Ruin; & of no use whatever, it its present state to any one [...]'.

8pp., 8vo. Unstitched (stabbed). Unopened, so that the four leaves unfold into a single strip with four pages on each side. In good condition, lightly aged and worn. First page headed 'BOOKS Printed for J. DEBRETT.' Numerous works are described in no particular order, in small print, beginning with 'PARLIAMENTARY REGISTER, 1794. | This day is published, | NUMBER XII. of the DEBATES of the PRESENT SESSION, [...]'. For more information on Debrett, see his entry in the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. BBTI states that he was active before 1781, and went bankrupt in 1804.

2pp., 12mo. Bifolium. In fair condition, on aged and worn paper. He thanks de Boinville and his family for their 'kind wishes & feelings': 'I have thank God, quite recovered from my accident'. He is sorry that de Boinville and his wife 'have been suffering', and hopes to see them on his return to London. One of a batch of letters addressed to de Boinville in the 1850s.

1p., 4to. In fair condition, on aged and creased laid paper with watermark '1810'. The letter reads: 'The Duke of Marlborough is very sorry it will not be in his power to obey His Royal Highness the Prince Regent's commands on Thursday the 23d of April, which he should have been very happy to have done had it been possible for him. | Blenheim | April 19th.' The only 23 April falling on a Thursday during the Regency before the 4th Duke's death was in 1812.

In 1826 Lieut-Col. Alexander Mackenzie, eldest son of Colonel Robert Mackenzie of Milnmount, assumed the dormant baronetcies of Tarbat and Royston [ALEXANDERMACKENZIE OF ROYSTON CROMARTY TARBET GRANDVILLE.], despite their having been forfeited under attainder in 1763. On his death without issue in 1841 his only brother Sir James Sutherland Mackenzie also assumed the titles. He died unmarried and insane on the 24 November 1858. The claim to which the present documents relate does not appear to have been pursued, and the baronetcies have remained dormant.

Three pages, 12mo. Good only: some staining but text clear and complete. He's been away and so has only just received his correspondent's letter. He continues: "It is impossible for me to give you any information as to the probable amount of the Expence of presenting your claim to the Earldom of Huntingdon before the House of Lords. As however the pedigree is a very long one & the attendance of many witnesses with the original parish Registers will be necessary I apprehend that it must be very considerable.

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'.

4to, 3 pp. Bifolium. Neatly and closely written. Text clear and complete. Fair, on aged paper. Evaluations of the conduct of more than thirty families, from a staunchly Bourbon point of view. First entry: 'Lorraine. Des sentiments trés pur. Ils quitterent ce Pais et furent trouver l'Empereur, qui les Emploie dans ses Armées.' Some families come in for criticism: 'Bethune. Cette maison si illustre s'est couverte d'ignomenie, un seul Bethune d'Artois a Emigrée.' Longest entry (twenty lines) on the Durfort Boissier family.

12mo, 2 pp. Bifolium. Twenty lines. Text clear and complete. Fair, on aged paper. Because of the 'Very great outlay attending the production of the work at the onset', asks for a year's advance subscription of £1 10s 0d. Gives the publication date, adding 'from the distinguished literary aid I have received I am sanguine enough to hope that it will mert your full approval'.

4to, 1 p. Good, aged paper, with traces of previous mount adhering to reverse. Reads 'The Duke of Northumberland presents his Compliments to Mr. Twining, & shall be glad to see him on Wednesday next at three o'clock. | Northd. House | Decr. 2d. 1799.' From the Twining family archive.

On piece of laid paper, 1 x 3.5 cm. Fair, on aged paper, with traces of previous mount on reverse, which is docketed in a nineteenth-century hand '1776'.

12mo, 1 p. Good, on lightly-aged paper, with remains of stub adhering to blank second leaf of bifolium. Ask for the Morning Post to be sent to Euston Square, and 'the Standard discontinued'. He will require the Morning Post the following day.

4to, 1 p. Fair, on aged paper, with the remains of a stub adhering to the blank reverse. Concerning the insertion of an advertisement in a number of newspapers.

Mackenzie (1816-83) was the founder of the Australian city of Brisbane. One page, 12mo. Good, but with two-inch glue stain, and with traces of mount adhering to verso of blank second leaf of bifolium. Unsigned formal letter in the third person. 'Sir Evan MacKenzie would feel obliged by the Editor of Debrett's restoring the two Highlanders /the supporters to Sir Evan's shield/ which are suppressed in all the editions of Debrett that have hitherto appeared. They appear in "Burke" & the Scutcheon looks bold without them.'

8vo: 24 pp. Stitched as issued. Inscribed at the head of the title-page 'For Mr Walpole'. Text clear and entire. Good, on foxed paper, with one dog-eared corner. A couple of manuscript annotations, one in the form of a footnote, and one correction, whether by the inscriber or recipient unclear. The author defends his claim that he 'cannot believe otherwise, than had the claimant to the Devon Peerage been an humble individual, less affluent, and less powerfully connected, he would not have succeeded in his claim'. Scarce: the only copies on COPAC at the Durham and the British Library.

4to: 1 p. Good, on lightly aged and spotted paper. Regarding 'certain verses concerning this street', Walpole will 'find an explanation of the whole circumstance in this week's Notes & Queries'.

8vo: 1 p. A bifolium (leaf dimensions roughly 270 x 185 mm), on thin wove paper, with the printed page on the recto of the first leaf, the rest being blank. Very good, on lightly aged paper. Attractive item printed in red, blue, black and gold. Text reads 'Vol I in the Press. Burke's Colonial Gentry. A Genealogical and Heraldic Dictionary of the Principal Families residing in the British Colonies by Sir Bernard Burke, C.B., LL.D., Ulster King of Arms.

4to, 1 p, 12 lines. Text clear and entire, on creased paper. Printed in copperplate. Requesting subscription money due for his 'Indicateur Nobiliaire'. Good firm signature.

Three pages, 12mo. Good. He did not receive the letter till his return from the continent the previous week. '"The Grove" is a comfortable mansion but there is nothing in any way remarkable about it - Clutterbuck's history of Hertfordshire contains all that is known respecting the persons who have possessed it. There is a fine collection of pictures, many of them by Vandyke & Sir P. Lely, wch. belonged to the Chancellor Clarendon & of them you will find an accurate description in the 3d. Vol. of the "Clarendon Gallery" published a few months ago by my sister Lady Theresa Lewis.

English cleric (1803-84). 1 page, 16mo. In good condition. Formal letter written in the third person. Reads 'Chester, October 28, 1875. | The Bishop of Chester presents his Compliments to the Editor of Debrett's Peerage, &c, and has the satisfaction of stating that he has found no occasion to offer any remark on the inclosed Paper.'