SECRETARY

1p, 12mo. On aged paper, with closed tear repaired on reverse with brown paper. Folded twice. Addressed to 'Dear Sir William'. The prime minister (Asquith) has asked him to say that he is 'quite at a loss to understand how he came to be so misinformed as to the progress of the negotiations connected with the appointment of the Royal Commission'. All the prime minister can do is 'express his regret at the misunderstanding'.

In good condition, lightly aged and worn. Christmas card with unusual image of the three wise men (in Roman helmets) seen from behind, following the guiding star as it leads them across a Hawaian beach to the hut in which the birth of the messiah is occurring. Printed message in card in Hawaian and English. The reverse of the second leaf has nothing printed on it other than the publisher's slug, and at the head the prime minister has written 'Happy Christmas'. Beneath this, one above the other, are the five signatures: 'Harold Wilson | Mary Wilson. | Giles Wilson.

1p, 4to. In fair condition, on aged and lightly-creased paper. Addressed to 'Sir Arthur Cope | London'. The letter reads: 'My dear Sir Arthur: | This will introduce Mr. William Edward Cope of New York, a member of the National Press Club, who is going abroad to do some newspaper work. He desires a brief interview with you and I bespeak for him such courtesies as you may find it convenient to render him.' The subject of the letter W. E. Cope would appear to have been a government agent.

1p, 4to. In fair condition, on aged and lightly-creased paper. Addressed to 'Sir Arthur Cope | London'. The letter reads: 'My dear Sir Arthur: | This will introduce Mr. William Edward Cope of New York, a member of the National Press Club, who is going abroad to do some newspaper work. He desires a brief interview with you and I bespeak for him such courtesies as you may find it convenient to render him.' The subject of the letter W. E. Cope would appear to have been a government agent.

1p, 12mo. On aged paper, with closed tear repaired on reverse with brown paper. Folded twice. Addressed to 'Dear Sir William'. The prime minister (Asquith) has asked him to say that he is 'quite at a loss to understand how he came to be so misinformed as to the progress of the negotiations connected with the appointment of the Royal Commission'. All the prime minister can do is 'express his regret at the misunderstanding'.

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'.

In 1824 Bullock held the public offices of Island Storekeeper and Public Messenger. He was also Secretary of the Island and Notary Public. On one side of a 32 x 20 cm piece of laid paper, with Whatman watermark dated 1817. In good condition, lightly aged, with parts of the edges cut down. Seal under paper at bottom left. In a secretarial hand, with Bullock only supplying the date and his signature 'W Bullock | Not Pub'.

Anderson served as Home Secretary, Lord President of the Council and Chancellor of the Exchequer. Marchant headed the National Vigilance Association and the National Council of Public Morals. 2pp, 4to. On two leaves stapled together. In fair condition, lightly aged, with some staining from rusted staples. Folded three times. A good letter, giving an indication of civil defence preparations on the eve of the Second World War.

Lady Cynthia Asquith was Barrie's personal secretary in his later years, and inherited the bulk of his estate, but not the rights to 'Peter Pan'. The letter is 2pp, 12mo. In fair condition, lightly aged, with small holes to one corner from staple. With red date stamp marking receipt. Begins: 'Dear Sir | Sir James Barrie directs me to express his regret at your letter having remained unanswered for so long – but he has been absent from London, and unable to attend to his correspondence.

According to his entry in the Oxford DNB, Arbuthnot 'served as private secretary successively to seven patronage secretaries; to the permanent head of the department, Sir Charles Spearman, and his successor, Sir Charles Trevelyan; to the prime minister, Sir Robert Peel; and to Sir Charles Wood, chancellor of the exchequer in Russell's administration'. The present item was written by Arbuthnot while holding the last position. 1p, 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged. Laid down on part of a leaf from an album.

1p, 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged. Laid down on a part of a leaf from an album. Reads: 'Mr. Anson begs to acknowledge the receipt of Mr. D'Orsey's Letter of the 6th. instant and to acquaint him in reply that he has submitted his appeal to Her Majesty The Queen who regrets that the great pressure of claims upon Her Majesty's private Bounty prevents a compliance with Mr. Dorsey's request.'

The recipient is Charles Taylor (d.1816), physician, originally a Manchester calico printer and dyer, who later became Secretary of the Society of Arts, London. 1p, 8vo. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged, with thin strip of paper from mount adhering to reverse of second leaf, which is addressed, with postmarks to 'Dr. Taylor | Principal Secretary | to the Society of Arts &c | Adelphi'. Folded four times. Reads: 'Dear Doctor | I have this day proposed your name to the Medical Society of London.

In August 1828, following the passing of the 1828 Madhouse Act, the Home Secretary Sir Robert Peel established a commission to oversee London's madhouses, consisting of five physicians, six Middlesex JPs, and ten other honorary (i.e. unpaid) commissioners. The present document by Peel casts interesting light on the process of appointment. It is on both sides of 18 x 23 cm piece of paper, evidently used as envelope for 'the Instrument' mentioned in Peel's note. Aged, and with tear and hole caused by breaking open of seal. Folded twice.

1p, 12mo. In fair condition, lightly aged. Reads: 'Dear Sir Henry | The King desires to see You at Carlton House to morrow Morning at eleven oclock - punctually. | Yours affect | W Knighton'. Knighton was instrumental in clearing the king's enormous debts in three years from 1822. Such was his influence that letters from the King to Knighton were addressed to 'M[y] D[ear] F[riend]'. From the distinguished autograph collection of the psychiatrist Richard Alfred Hunter (1923-1981), whose collection of 7000 works relating to psychiatry is now in Cambridge University Library.

1p, 12mo. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn. Folded twice. He states that the 'Certificate' of 'M. Meryon [sic] du Mersan' has been 'signed by Lord Aberdeen', and that he wishes to 'get the signatures of Mr. Gurney and Mr. Hamilton to it'. If he does not – 'or rather cannot' – send it to Akerman beforehand, he asks him if 'you can add your signature before it is read on Thursday Evening'. In addition to his literary works, Dumersan was a numismatist and Curator attached to the Cabinet des Médailles et Antiques of the Bibliothèque Royale.

2pp., 12mo. On bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged. Reads: 'Lord Londonderry presents his compliments to Mr Watson and begs to forward to him a letter and book which he has been requested by Monsieur de Martens to present to His Majesty'. Londonderry was considered a repressive figure by the radicals. In a poem Byron called on travellers to piss on his grave, and in 'The Masque of Anarchy' Shelley wrote: 'I met murder on the way, | He had a mask like Castlereagh.' Within months of the present communication Londonderry would commit suicide.

1p., 8vo. Slight damp damage along left-hand margin, otherwise in fair condition. Reads: 'My Lord, | I have been honoured with your Lordship's Letter of this day's date; and I will lose no time in giving fresh authority to the Secretary at War to issue the pay and allowances to the Lamerton and Milton Abbott Corps, according to the amended return now transmitted to me by your Lordship.' Docketed on reverse.

1p., 4to. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged. Addressed by Clater on verso of second leaf to 'T. W. Winstanley | Royal Manchester | Institution'. Opens: 'Dear Sir | I beg leave to forward to your Exhibition two pictures'. 'No 1', which Winstanley has given the catalogue number 294 is 'May day', priced at 100 guineas, for which Clater provides a six-line poetic quotation. 'No 2' (catalogue number 135) is 'The Village Post Office', priced at 30 guineas.

On 6 x 11.5 cm piece of paper, cut from the end of a document. In good condition, on aged paper, laid down on piece of grey paper cut from an album, with the words 'Marquis Seignelay.' in a nineteenth-century hand at the foot of the mount. Seignelay's signature is large and bold, above the following words in a neat secretarial hand: 'Vostre tres humble & tres aff.ne Seruiteur.'

At the time of the second letter Mansel was serving his only stint in Parliament, a brief period as Liberal MP for Penryn and Falmouth. ONE (ALS, 13 February 1921): 4pp., 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged. He expresses great disappointment regarding the misunderstanding which meant that he and his wife missed coming to lunch with the Mansels.

Printed on one side of a 28 x 34 cm piece of vellum, and completed by Parker in manuscript. With the customary tax stamp and embossed Admiralty seal. In good condition, with the customary aging and wear of the vellum. Headed 'By The Commission for executing the Office of Lord High Admiral of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland &c.' Godfrey's seniority is given as 30 August 1841, and the document is signed by 'J Parker', 'M. F. F. Berkeley' and 'Alexr Milne'. The word 'Commissioned' is written at the foot.

2pp., 12mo. Bifolium. In fair condition, lightly aged, with small paint stain to first page. He will be 'most happy' to see Basing, '& to talk over this serious question'. He suggests arrangements and concludes: 'But anyhow there shall be ample time for convocation: for the matter ought not to be hurried.' At the time of writing the Marquis of Salisbury, a Conservative, was Prime Minister. The 'serious matter' may be the Naval Defence Bill, enacted on 31 May of the same year.

2pp., folio. On a bifolium. In fair condition, on aged and worn paper repaired with archival tape. The printer's slug is at the foot of both pages of text. At the head of the recto of the first leaf is Webster's printed letter, reading: 'Reverend Sir, | I am directed by the Committee of Deputies to send you the enclosed Notices.

1p., 16mo. In fair condition, on aged and worn paper. Reads: Dear Sir - | I am directerd by the Commander of ther Forces to request that you will pay the enclosed on account of the Extraordinaries of th Army.' Torrens was Military Secretary between 1809 and 1820.

1p., 12mo. In good condition, with the Society's oval date stamp. He thanks him for the 'kindly renewed invitation to lecture at the R.S.A. As you surmise, I am too much engaged at present to put together anything worthy of so august a body.' He is 'collecting material & perhaps at that indefinite date - "after the war" - I may be able to put it into shape'. He concludes: 'We miss you at the Chadwick'.

Printed in black on one side of a 10 x 13 cm piece of grey-blue paper. In good condition, lightly aged, laid down on part of a leaf from an album. A tastefully-presented piece of London artistic ephemera, reading (with manuscript text in square brackets): 'THE NEW SOCIETY OF PAINTERS IN WATER COLOURS. | The Committee solicit the honor of | [The Editor of the Gentleman's Magazine and friend] Company at their Gallery 53, Pall Mall, on Wednesday the 17th. of May, to an Evening View of their 14th. Annual Exhibition. | from 8 o'Clock to 11. | 1848 | [James Fahey] Secy. | NOT TRANSERABLE'.

4pp., 4to. Bifolium. In fair condition, aged and worn. With a number of emendations, indicating that the letter is a draft. The recipient is not identified, but is presumably a senior Home Office official such as the Principal Private Secretary to Home Secretary Sir Robert Peel. Beginning: 'I find that the list which I sent you, of the number of Prisoners in the Gaol of the City of Canterbury, at the times of holding the General Sessions, for the last quarter years, did include the Debtors & Prisoners under the Mutiny Act.

1p., 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged. Hamilton can 'confidently recommend' Peeke 'as a reliable honest & capable footman. He is very steady, a trifle slow at taking in <?> but remembers all he is told. He is a good valet. Lord George is sorry to lose him.'

1p., 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged, tipped-in onto a piece of paper cut from an album. Reads: 'My dear Mr Croker, | Here is Brockedon's answer - I am sorry that he cannot meet your wishes - but you will see he has never exhibited the Collection even at the Graphic which he originated.' The Graphic was a club founded by Brockedon in 1833.

The collection of ten items (six ALsS, two TLsS, one secretarial letter signed, and one letter from Dryhurst) is in good overall condition, with light signs of age and wear. Digby's two typed letters, both 1897, are both formal letters on behalf of the Home Secretary, regarding the Radnorshire Police Enquiry, the first being the 'official thanks' (see below). The content would appear to largely concern the Radnorshire Police Enquiry.