SEVENTEENTH-CENTURY

Wit (1657-1717), mistress of James II. One leaf, dimensions roughly seven inches by ten and a half. Printed text with manuscript additions on recto with calculations in a contemporary hand on the reverse. Good, but grubby. Receipt 'of the Right Honourable James Vernon Esq; One of the Four Tellers of the Receipt of Her Majesty's Exchequer', of sixty pounds for three months interest on £4000 lent by the Duchess and Sir Henry Furnesse on 19 January 1706. Signed 'Dorchester'.

General (c.1656-1730) and Governor of Gibraltar, married to Catherine Sedley, mistress of James II (see item# ). One leaf, dimensions roughly seven inches by ten and a half. Printed text with manuscript additions on recto; docketed on verso. Good, but grubby, and with slight repair to head. Receipt 'of the Honourable [Lord ffitzharding]' (corrected from 'James Vernon Esq'); One of the Four Tellers of the Receipt of Her Majesty's Exchequer', of eighty pounds for twenty-four months interest on £500 lent by Portmore and 'My Ld Kent' on 14 August 1704. Signed 'Portmore'.

On a piece of foxed and discoloured laid paper, dimensions roughly 12 inches by 8 inches. Edges fraying, and with loss to two corners affecting a text and a total of six entries. Cluster of small holes towards one corner, not affecting text. Bearing a circular red stamp, roughly half an inch in diameter, with a central shield surrounded by the words 'FORTE SCUTUM SALUS DUCUM'. Presumably the second of two leaves, with a total of ninety-two ships, numbered 74 to 165, arranged in three columns.

2 pages. 4to. A frail item in need of repair, discoloured with age, creased, and with some wear and loss and a number of closed tears. The text is very neatly written, with all but five of the ninety-four entries entirely legible. The otherwise blank verso of the second leaf of the bifoliate docketed with the heading and 'Hall Department'. There entries cover the years 1761 to 1764, and are divided into five columns: 'when elected', 'Names', 'Wages', 'when advanced' and 'Offices'. The second page is headed 'Accountants Office'.

English politician (1649?-1717); Secretary to Sir William Temple at the Hague, 1668; on diplomatic missions to Rome, Stockholm and Copenhagen; Secretary of State to William III; Member of Parliament. One page. Dimensions of paper roughly seven inches by eleven. Poor: paper discoloured and with some loss to edges (affecting three words of text) and a closed tear. Recently repaired with archival tape and at an earlier period backed with paper. Verso attached to smaller leaf of blank paper. Fourteen lines of text.