PORTLAND

[British coastal defence in the Napoleonic Wars.] Manuscript document giving itemised daily and yearly expenditure at twelve coastal military establishments (forts and castles).

Author: 
[British coastal defence in the Napoleonic Wars] Landguard Fort; St. Maws; Pendennis Castle; Plymouth and St Nicholas Island; Portland Castle; Hull and the Blockhouse; Hurst Castle; Holy Island
British coastal defence
Publication details: 
Undated. Annotated in another hand ‘Winchelsea / 1805’.
£320.00
British coastal defence

An interesting document, neatly laid out in black with red underlining on both sides of 29 x 42 cm leaf. Painted in black lengthwise near one edge is ‘Winchelsea / 1805’, and 1805 would be a good year for the document’s composition, with Britain fighting the Napoleonic Wars and in the midst of invasion fears around the time of the Battle of Trafalgar. 2pp, large folio. On thick laid paper watermarked either ‘VI’ or ‘IV’ (depending on which side you look from). In fair condition, on aged and worn paper, with closed tears and one nick (not affecting text) along central horizontal fold.

[Juvenile ephemera: Punch and Judy, Conjuring, Ventriloquism, Shadow Pictures.] Attractive illustrated handbill advertisement for ‘One Hour of Laughter’, ‘Entertainments for Children arranged by James Portland, The Childrens’ Entertainment Expert’.

Author: 
Juvenile ephemera: Punch and Judy, Conjuring, Ventriloquism, Shadow Pictures; James Portland (fl. 1919), The Childrens' [sic] Entertainment Expert, London
children
Publication details: 
No date, but from around the time of the First World War. James Portland, The Childrens' [sic] Entertainment Expert, 39, Sinclair Road, Kensington, W 14. [London]
£220.00
children

An attractive piece of juvenile ephemera, printed in black on one side of a piece of 23.5 x 36.5 cm wove paper. In good condition, folded twice. The document is excessively scarce, no other copy having been traced, and little has been learnt about the advertiser. In 1919 Punch carried an advertisement for ‘Punch and Judy, Conjuring, Ventriloquism, &c.’ from ‘James Portland, the Conjuror and Children’s Entertainer’. Four years later the ‘Model Engineer’ carried several advertisements from Portland as a supplier of ebonite.

[William Bentinck, 4th Duke of Portland, Tory politician.] Autograph Letter Signed, giving instructions to his London bookseller ‘Mr Booth’ [William Booth].

Author: 
William Bentinck, 4th Duke of Portland [William Henry Cavendish-Cavendish-Scott-Bentinck; from 1768 to 1809 Marquis of Titchfield] (1768-1854), Tory politician [William Booth, London bookseller]
Publication details: 
‘Buxton Septr 12. 1821’.
£50.00

For William Booth (1779-1840) of 32 Duke Street, Manchester Square [Portland Place], see the British Book Trade Index. 2pp, 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged. Neatly placed in remains of windowpane mount. Signed ‘Scott Portland’. With regard to the newspaper the Globe, he asks that it be ‘sent here till further orders - The Sun to be continued to be sent to Welbeck’. He is sending ‘the first volume of Horace Walpole’s private correspondence to be changed’, as it is incomplete: ‘It contains a portion of its pages twice over - & another portion wholly omitted’.

[Robert Fulke Greville, Equerry to George III.] Autograph Letter Signed ('Robt: F: Greville') [to Richard Ford?], respecting the 'appointment on trial' of the Bow Street Runner William Anthony as a member of the king's retinue, stationed at Windsor.

Author: 
Lieut-Col. Robert Fulke Greville (1751-1824), Equerry to George III, 1781-1797, and MP [Richard Ford (1758-1806), London police magistrate; Bow Street Runners; Duke of Portland, Home Secretary]
Publication details: 
The Queen's Lodge [Windsor]. 1 April 1796.
£300.00

For the context of this letter see David J. Cox, 'A Certain Share of Low Cunning: A History of the Bow Street Runners, 1792-1839' (2010): 'From 1792 at least two Principal Officers were also permanently stationed at Windsor after the King had received several death threats.

[Robert Fulke Greville, Equerry to George III.] Autograph Letter Signed ('Robt: F: Greville.') [to Richard Ford?], respecting a seditious communication found in the town of Windsor, which he is forwarding to the Duke of Portland, Home Secretary.

Author: 
Lieut-Col. Robert Fulke Greville (1751-1824), Equerry to George III, 1781-1797, and MP [Richard Ford (1758-1806), London police magistrate; Bow Street Runners; Duke of Portland, Home Secretary]
Publication details: 
'The Queens Lodge Windsor | Saturday Janry. 9th: 1796.'
£300.00

The subject of the letter is clearly a seditious communication found in the Windsor area and brought to Greville's attention, which he is forwarding for the attention of the Home Secretary, the Duke of Portland. David J. Cox casts light on the context in his 'A Certain Share of Low Cunning: A History of the Bow Street Runners, 1792-1839' (2010), stating that from 1792 'at least two Principal Officers were also permanently stationed at Windsor after the King had received several death threats'.

[King George III and his Prime Minister the Duke of Portland.] Signatures of 'George R.' and 'Portland', to the commission of William Griffith as 'Captain in the Association of the Town of Pwlhelly & its neighbourhood' (Carnarvonshire, Wales).

Author: 
King George III (1738-1820); Duke of Portland, British Prime Minister [William Henry Cavendish Cavendish-Bentinck, 3rd Duke of Portland (1738-1809)]
Publication details: 
'Given at Our Court at St. James's the 24th Day of June 1798 in the Thirty Eighth Year of Our Reign.'
£280.00

1p., 8vo. On bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged and worn, with closed tear along fold line of second leaf, which is blank other than the manuscript docketing: 'William Griffith Esq. | Captain | in the Association of the Town of Pwlhelly and it's [sic] neighbourhood'. The actual document, on the recto of the first leaf is a printed form completed in manuscript. The king's bold signature 'George R.' is at the top left, while the Duke's ('Portland') is appended 'By His Majesty's Command' at the end.

[ Charles Deemer, American playwright. ] Typescript of unpublished play titled 'Champoeg: The Story of Old Oregon'. With typescript of review of five books on the Oregon Trail.

Author: 
Charles Deemer, American playwright, director and editor, known for his 'Oregon Plays' and adoption of 'Hyperdrama'
Publication details: 
[ Oregon, United States of America. ] Both items undated, but play from 1989, and review c.1992.
£450.00

PLAY: 81pp., 8vo. On one side each of 81 leaves of yellow paper. In good condition, lightly aged, with the first leaf a little dogeared. No cast list or other prelims, but the complete play, and with each page paginated from 1-81. First page headed: 'CHAMPOEG: THE STORY OF OLD OREGON | by Charles Deemer'. An unpublished two-act historical drama, in 35 scenes, covering a thirty-year period, with the first scene titled 'The Return of the Brigade (1829)', and the last 'Statehood (1859)'.

[ David Murray, 2nd Earl of Mansfield. ] Autograph Letter Signed ('Mansfield') to the Duke of Portland, sometime Prime MInister, regarding the resignation of 'Dr Campbell' and the arrangements for his pension.

Author: 
David Murray, 2nd Earl of Mansfield (1727-1796) [ The Viscount Stormont between 1748 and 1793 ], politician and diplomat [ William Cavendish-Bentinck, 3rd Duke of Portland; Dr Thomas Campbell ]
Publication details: 
'Kenwood Tuesday afternoon | July 28 [ 1793 ]'.
£120.00

2pp., 4to. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged. Addressed on reverse of second leaf to 'D. of Portland'. The date '93' has been added in a contemporary hand beside 'July 28'. Knowing Portland, he feels that 'Dr Campbells Interests cannot be safer' than in his hands. He is transmitting a letter of resignation, to be used whenever Portland thinks proper.

[Sir George Grey, Whig Home Secretary.] Autograph Letter in the third person to Rev. Reginald Smith, regarding 'the selection of a gentleman to fill the office of Chaplain at the Portland Convict Depôt'.

Author: 
Sir George Grey (1799-1882), Liberal Home Secretary, 1846-52, 1855-58, 1861-66 [Reginald Southwell Smith (1809-1896), Canon of Salisbury; Portland Convict Depot; transportation; penal servitude]
Publication details: 
Whitehall. 22 July 1847.
£80.00

2pp., 12mo. In fair condition, on aged paper, with traces of mount adhering at head of reverse of leaf. Regarding Smith's 'note with reference to the selection of a gentleman to fill the office of Chaplain at the Portland Convict Depôt', he writes that he must 'defer the consideration of this question, as it must necessarily be yet some considerable period before the works at the Island are sufficiently advanced for the reception of Convicts'.

Signed Manuscript 'Precept of Clare Constat by the Commissioner for The Duke of Portland in favor of Joseph Kennedy'.

Author: 
William John Cavendish Bentinck Scott, 5th Duke of Portland; Joseph Kennedy, carpet weaver of Lasswade, Kilmarnoch; James Moncrieff Melville; James Lindesay; William Bett
Publication details: 
Edinburgh; 7 April 1857.
£45.00

Three pages. On vellum bifolium made from skin roughly fourteen inches by twenty wide. Three official stamps. Signed twice by 'Jas M Melville', Writer to the Signet, and his partner James Lindesay ('Jas. Lindesay'), and witnessed by their clerk William Bett ('W. Bett').

Autograph Letter in the third person to 'Dr. Taylor', accepting election to the Society of Arts.

Author: 
William Henry Cavendish Cavendish-Scott-Bentinck (1768-1854), 4th Duke of Portland, British politician [Charles Taylor, Secretary, Society of Arts]
Publication details: 
9 July 1812; Fullarton.
£28.00

12mo, 1 p. Fair, on aged paper. Reads 'The Duke of Portland presents his Compliments to Dr. Taylor, and has the honor to acquaint him that he will be very proud of the honor of being elected a member of the Society of Arts -'.

A Selection of Psalms and Hymns, for the Use of the Congregation at Portland Chapel, St. Mary-la-Bonne.

Author: 
[the Portland Chapel, St. Mary-la-bonne [Marylebone], London; hymnology]
Publication details: 
London: Printed by W. Flint, Old Bailey; and may be had at the Chapel. 1804.
£200.00

12mo, 30 pages. In contemporary nonce-binding of brown boards tied with twine. Presumably incomplete, as sequential translations of only thirty psalms are present, ending with the hundred-and-fourth. Scarce: no copy in the British Library, and none on COPAC.

Autograph Postcard Signed to the Editor, Royal Society of Arts Journal.

Author: 
Lieutenant-Colonel Arthur Erskine-Murray [ROYAL ARTILLERY]
Publication details: 
Postmarked 12 Nov 1916, Croydon, 'Westport | Purley'.
£32.00

British soldier (1877-1948): Boer War; General Staff Officer, Portland Fortress, Dardanelles, Suez Canal defences, etc., during Great War. C.B.E., D.S.O. and Cavalierr of the Order of the Italian Crown. Very good though somewhat discoloured with age. Dimensions five and a half inches by three and a half. Bearing the Society's stamp. Signed (beneath stamp) 'A Ersine-Murray'. Headed 'Cantor Sections'. He has 'discovered that several typewritten pages have been omitted' from his fourth lecture ('lost in the post I expect').

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