ROYAL

A significant document by an Oxford college head, responding negatively to the 1852 Report of the Royal Commission appointed in 1850 by Lord John Russell to enquire 'Into the State, Discipline, Studies, and Revenues of the University and Colleges of Oxford'.

A highly-interesting document, written by a college head on the verge of the reforms resulting from the passing of the Oxford University Act of 1854 and setting up of the Hebdomadal Council, in which Harington states - in detail, at length and with great emphasis - his opposition to 'those who propose to strip the favoured classes of the privileges which Founders of Colleges have thought proper to confer on them', arguing that this will not 'necessarily ensure the election of the most distinguished candidates'.

On 3.5 x 9.5 cm slip of paper cut from letter. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn. On one side, from the conclusion of the letter: 'Yours very truly | Clements Markham'. On the other: '[...] have failed me: so no[...] | [...] you mind my putting [...]'.

Four items, in good condition, lightly aged. The three letters with date stamps of the Society of Arts, and two with pencil annotations. All three signed 'Cloudesley Brereton'. ONE: ALS of 4 January 1900. 2pp, 12mo. He thanks him for his 'kindly intervention with the Board of Education', which he believes 'will in time bear good fruit'. He has been 'thinking over' Wood's 'suggestion of giving a lecture on the Rural Schools of France', and would 'much like to take it up if you have still a vacant date & you do not want it too soon - as I am just now overwhelmed with work'.

The Times, 16 February 1860, announces 'the new drama, called A TALE OF TWO CITIES', at the Royal Lyceum Theatre, 'Sole Lessee and Directress, Madame Celeste'. ('Madame Céleste' [Céline Céleste-Elliott] (c.1815-1882) was a French dancer and actress.) 3pp, 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded three times. The recipient is not named. The letter has a large signature ('Henry Betty.') with florid underlining.

1p, 12mo. In fair condition, lightly aged, with traces of grey-paper mount on blank reverse, and minor discolouration at one edge from glue used. The actor Henry Leigh Murray (1820-1870) is identified in pencil as the recipient. The letter begins: 'My dear Sir, | You are quite welcome to a P[rivate]. Box if there is one to spare'. He asks him to 'call or send to Mr. Massingham at the Box Office at 1/2 past 4 o'clock who has received instructions to attend to your wishes, if all the Boxes are not let by that time'.

See Meadows' entry in the Oxford DNB. The recipient of the letter is not named, but it comes from the album of the actor Henry Leigh Murray, which also contained a letter regarding a theatre box from Charles Kean (offered separately). 1p, 12mo. 1p, 12mo. In fair condition, lightly aged, with traces of grey paper mount on reverse, and slight discolouration at corners from glue. Written with mock-pomposity, and beginning: 'My dear Sir | I hereby give you notice that Mr C. Kean has delivered unto me a Card for a Private Box for to-morrow Augt. 19th.

1p, 4to. In good condition, lightly aged. With date stamp of the RSA. In response to a letter from Wood, he writes that he is 'highly honoured by the election to the membership of the Council of your Society', but that he is 'obliged to communicate to you my inability to accept it'. He explains: 'My work at the Royal Society has, in consequence of the War, increased to such an extent that I do not feel justified in undertaking any additional duties'.

3pp., 12mo. On bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded once. With date stamp of the RSA, and endorsement in blue pencil. He is writing to inform Wood that 'a relative of mine has written a paper on a subject of importance regarding the connection of fat [containing glycerin] with manufacture of explosives in Germany - and showing how that Country is approaching a crisis - when her supply of fat will be approaching exhaustion'.

See the entry for Martin Hope Sutton in the Oxford DNB, and that for his grandson Martin Hubert Fouquet Sutton in Who Was Who. 2pp, 4to. I good condition, lightly aged and worn. Folded three times. With RSA date stamp. Signed 'Martin H F Sutton'. In reply to a letter from Menzies, Sutton expresses regret that 'it will be impossible for you to attend the Demonstration here on the 24th inst.' Sutton will be 'publishing certain particulars for the benefit of those present' and will be glad to send Menzies a copy.

Six items. The collection in fair condition, apart from Item Two. ONE: Printed form, a 'List of Subscribers' for the 'Post Office Relief Fund. | Second Appeal.' Dated '11/14T', i.e. November 1914. (In 1914 the Post Office set up a relief fund to help relatives of GPO staff who had gone off to fight.) 1p, folio. Eleven lines of text are followed by the 'List of Subscribers', in three columns headed: 'Name', 'Rate for every complete 10/-' and 'I hereby authorise the deduction of my Subscription from my salary', the last subdivided into 'Signature' and 'Rank'.

2pp, 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged and worn. Folded twice. The letter begins: 'My dear Lloyds, | However I may grieve at any misunderstanding between you and James - I cannot interfere.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. 12mo bifolium, with the two-page letter on both sides the first leaf, and the list of plays on recto of second leaf. In fair condition, aged and worn, with closed tear. Folded three times. Addressed: 'To/ | Chas. Perkins Esqr. | 2 North Place | Hampstead.' The letter begins: 'My dear Perkins, | I have not been able to reply to your last earlier - having been confined to my bed-room ever since the 31st. of July by a most severe attack of inflammation.' He has been obliged to postpone his 'Cork engagement on account of this unseen misfortune'.

Twelve pencil portraits executed in the same extremely capable style, probably for the purposes of engraving. Each on a separate piece of 4to paper. All in good condition, with light signs of age and wear, a couple with minor flecking with red paint. All dated in pencil (between 1811 and 1829), and all but two captioned. (Several of the items with watermark date supporting the pencil dating.) Three of the portraits have the tiny signature at bottom left of 'Bestland', and all would appear to be the work of the same artist, although the last appears to be signed with the initials 'C H'.

Six colour photographic prints, each 8.5 x 12.5 cm, four matt and two glossy. The indicates that these photographs were not the work of a professional, and the relaxed attitude of all present suggests that they were meant as a souvenir. Highly unlikely to have been published.

The present early eighteenth-century document lists the heads of British Army regiments from the period of the Glorious Revolution to the accession of George I. Internal evidence suggests that it was compiled around 1715, and that it was amended until the mid-1720s. The care with which it was compiled, over a decade and in a number of hands, would appear to suggest some sort of official standing. It is on nineteen 18 x 7.5 cm leaves of laid paper, formed in ten bifoliums, now loose but originally bound together, and with traces of thread still present.

Laid down on 138pp of a quarto volume. The contents are in good overall condition, lightly aged and worn, but the binding of the volume is in poor condition, heavily worn, with the leather spine split and damaged and the front board becoming detached. Meticulously arranged, with autograph thumb-index and list of AFOs at front, and autograph emendations in red ink to various orders, many of which are marked 'Cancelled'. Ownership signature and title on flyleaf: 'E. J. Littledale. | A. F. Os etc dealing with Ophthalmic Department'.

[2] + 18pp, 8vo. In cream printed wraps, with duplication in green on cover of title-page, but without year. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn, with crease running next to the spine, slightly at an angle. This American Copyright printing - said to have been limited to 75 privately-distributed copies - was published 13 November 1931, and preceded the English publication (in The Story-Teller magazine, December 1931) by around a month. Stewart 596; Livingston 569. The rare American Copyright issue. Richards A399, Livingston 569, Stewart 596. Reprinted in 1932 in Limits and Renewals.

3pp, 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged, with a few light stains from mount. Folded once. Having seen the Times announcement of the birth of Cecil's son the previous Saturday, Jellicoe sends his 'Most hearty congratulations' on the birth of Cecil's son, and is 'so delighted that all is going so satisfactorily & that you can come to see us on the 14th.

Valediction only, 15.5 x 7.5cm, cut from letter, as follows: "to give him the command of -| I have the honor to be with very high respect | Your Royal Highness | Dutiful | and Obedt. Servant | St Vincent". Note that Nelson had been given the command of the Mediterranen Fleet three days earlier (14 May 1803). Docketed by HRH or secretary "The late Earl St Vincent" and from a large collection of similar valedictions, so often to the Duke of York ("Royal Highness" etc) that they may reveal the fate of his incoming correspondence, or part of it..

The text is on one side of a 13 x 16 cm piece of laid watermarked paper. The signature 'J. Kemble' is at bottom left, in slightly-darker ink than the fifteen lines of text. Lightly aged and with short closed tears at edges of two folds. Slight traces of brown-paper mount at top corners on reverse, which carries a capable ink drawing of 'the Caducean Trident' mentioned in the text: a dragon with two sets of wings, body stiff as a rod, encircled by two snakes.

1p, 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded twice. Reads: 'Dear Mr Blacket | I should wish to know in the course of the day how many pages of print are in the first volume.' Despite the spelling of the name, the recipient is presumably either Henry Blackett (1825-1871) of the publishers Hurst and Blackett, or one of the four of his sons to become publishers. There is no record of a book by Vámbéry being published by a Blacket or Blackett, but he may be referring to an essay or article published in a periodical or compilation, or an anonymous or pseudonymous work.

Although ostensibly neutral, Denmark participated was participating in the Continental Blockade, and under heavy pressure from the French and their Russian allies to pledge its fleet to Napoleon. As a consequence a Royal Navy fleet, under Vice-Admiral James Saumarez, bombarded the Copenhagen for a period of days in August and September 1807. The controversial action succeeded in its aims: the Dano-Swedish fleet was seized, and the sea lanes of the Baltic and North Sea were secured for the use of the British merchant fleet.

1p, 4to. Bifolium endorsed on reverse of second leaf: 'Ansd. 30th. | Transfg. an Address of Condolence from the County of Fife'. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded twice. The subject of the address is the Prince Regent's mother Queen Charlotte (1744-1818), and is addressed to him rather than her husband George III as the king is incapacitated. Morton served as Queen Charlotte's Chamberlain between 1792 and her death in 1818.

2pp, folio. In fair condition, aged, worn and with chipping to extremities. Several folds. Begins: 'My Lord, | I hae the honor of transmitting the following Addresses of Condolence to Her Majesty the Queen, His Royal Highness the Prince Regent, and His Serene Highness the Prince Leopold of Sax Cobourgh'. A list of six addresses follows, variously sent to different members of the royal family from noblemen, gentlemen, clergy, freeholders, burgesses, inhabitants. sheriffs, aldermen, of the county of Wexford, and cities of Armagh and Limerick.

See Nares' entry in the Oxford DNB. 1p, 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded three times. Clearly and boldly written, reading: 'Please give the bearer my delicate instrument for Alert or Discovery | G. S. Nares.' (Wikipedia) "Because of his previous experience in the Arctic, he was summoned from this assignment to take charge of another Arctic voyage in search of the North Pole in Discovery and Alert in 1875, the British Arctic Expedition."

An interesting correspondence, casting light on the practicalities of early twentieth-century English portrait-painting. The recipient is Colonel Frederick Hugh Langston Oldham, D.S.O., D.L., of Overley Hall, near Wellington, Shropshire, eldest son of the Archdeacon of Ludlow, and the letter concerns Brock's portrait of Oldham's wife Christabel Josephine Oldham. The five letters in good condition, lightly aged. The four dated letters are dated between 25 February and 13 July 1920. The total 9pp (seven in 8vo and two in 12mo).

Three items, including two substantial albums containing in excess of 500 newspaper cuttings. The first album was commenced in 1906 by Pepys scholar Walter Henry Whitear, and completed by Chappell after Whitear's death in 1932, the last cuttings in it dating from the following year.

See Cameron's entry in the Oxford DNB. 4pp, 12mo. Bifolium with mourning border. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded once. Having traversed the African continent from East to West in 1875 (the first European to do so), Cameron now turns his attention to the establishment of tennis club in Croydon. He has received a letter 'from Mr. Jaques about the tennis ground. The fencing is nearly finished and he seems in a hurry'. There is a problem however: lack of members.

Yates studied in Paris before setting up a successful practice in San Francisco, also teaching there at the Art Student League. His portraits include the educator John Haden Badley and the only president of Hawaii, Sanford Ballard Dole. He returned to England in 1900, but was invited back to America to attend the inauguration of Woodrow Wilson and to paint his portrait. Wilson presented Yates with the flag that his hand rested on whilst he took his oath of office. The Oldham family moved in artistic circles, and Constance Oldham was John Ruskin's god-daughter and corresponded with him.