SPORT

See Westland's entry in the Oxford DNB. Finlay was, as the Marquis of Crewe told the House of Lords in 1912, ‘a distinguished Indian official’, responsible for, as the Statist stated in 1914, ‘the details of the financial administration of the Empire of India. The magnitude and complexity of the financial transactions of the Government of India need not be enlarged on.’ He entered the Indian Civil Service in 1875, was made a Companion of the Order of the Star of India in 1896, and a Member the Governor-General’s Council in 1902.

On a 16.5 x 20 cm piece of faded and lightly-worn light-green paper, with small diagonal cuts at corners where the item was mounted in an album. The players’ names are neatly presented in a column (there is no other text on either side): ‘OUCC | Greville Stevens | R. L. H. Holdsworth | J. D. Percival | V. R. Price | R C Robertson Glasgow | P E Lawrie | M Patten | R H Bettington | T B Raikes | L. P. Hedges | R R P Barbour’. This is the same eleven which won a match at Oxford against the Free Foresters on 20 May 1922.

Lyttelton was Gladstone’s private secretary during three of his terms as prime minister. The recipient Arthur George Liddon Rogers (1864-1944, son of the editor of the economist Thorold Rogers) is not named, but the item is from his papers, and was written while he was Secretary of the Liberal Publication Department, a position to which he was appointed in November 1891. 2pp, 12mo. Signed ‘Spencer Lyttleton.’ In good condition, lightly aged and folded for postage.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB, which states that he has ‘strong claims to be regarded as the greatest sporting all-rounder of his or any era since’. (Neville Cardus counted him ‘among the most fully developed and representative Englishmen of his period’.) It also seems that in 1920 he was offered the chance of becoming king of Albania. His grave at Repton is inscribed: ‘Cricketer, scholar, athlete, Author – The Ultimate All-rounder’.

Parker was with the Wimbledon Dons between 1945 and 1953, during which time he won three national trophies (1950, 1951 and 1953). He also rode in several World Finals. Fynn came over to Britain from Australia, and Speedway Star, 7 May 2022, contains a biographical feature, with photograph, on the occasion of his hundredth birthday. A pair of black-and-white prints, each on 14 x 9 cm glossy paper. Each with stamp of ‘BCM/SPORTS PHOTOS’ on reverse, stating ‘SPORTS PHOTOGRAPHS 6d each’.

In blue ink on a 9 x 6 cm rectangle of laid paper. In good condition. Hard signs first ('Darlene | Hard') with Rosewall's signature ('Ken Rosewall') curving upwards beneath hers. Between the two, in another hand is the date 1956, and beneath Rosewall's signature, in the same hand, is '(Rosewall)'. In 1956 Rosewall was on the verge of turning professional. In that year he won the US Open, beating fellow-Australian Lew Hoad. It was one of eight Grand Slam finals he played in as an amateur, winning three. In 1956 Hard was nearing her peak.

On 8 x 11 cm piece of card. In fair condition, lightly aged, with traces of glue from mount on reverse. A good bold signature, clearly in response to a request for an autograph. Reads: 'Yours Truly | Willie Smith | 1 – 2 – 24'. Smith has made a short line under the date, but the signature is not underlined.

An interesting artefact from the early days of Akido in the United Kingdom. Akido was introduced into the UK 1955 by Kenshiro Abbe Sensei at the Hut Dojo in Hillingdon. His first student was Ken Williams. In 1957 Haydn Foster joined the Hut and continued to teach there until his death in 2011. The Renown Society was formed in 1966 by Williams after Abbe returned to Japan. This was the original society teaching Akido in the UK. The Renown Society broke up in 1969. 4pp., foolscap 8vo.

On one side of a 16 x 20 cm leaf torn from an album. In fair condition, lightly aged. The signatures of the eleven Devon players in column along the left-hand edge, and those of the Dorset players in a column along the right-hand edge. Details of the match and players are hard to find. Here is a tentative reading of the Devon signatures: 'F H Canok | A R Strephardy | W F Light | S Blakeney | K G E<?> | E. G. Trench | J R Carter | C R Russell | <?> | G H H Sherlock | E A S<?>'. And a similarly-tentative reading of the Dorset signatures: 'E. C. Walby | W Harrison | W. J. Knight | M. B.

The signatures of Sutcliffe and Woolley are on a 16 x 18 cm. piece of grey paper, cut from an album, those of the other three men are crowded onto an L-shaped piece of paper, laid down on the same leaf. At head of page: 'Yorkshire v. Rest of England, The Oval, Sept. 1923.' The odd man out is B. W. Bullock [ Burnett Wedlake Bullock ] (1896-1954), who did not take part in the match. He played for Surrey, and was presumably around when his more illustrious colleagues were giving autographs. According to the report in The Times, the match ended in a draw.

The printed volume is 64pp., 12mo. Bound by Townsend in patterned brown cloth, with the title 'The Fighting Cherub.' in gilt on front cover. In good condition, on browned newspaper stock, in lightly-worn binding. The story, in twenty-seven chapters, is printed in small print, in double column, with a drophead title and no illustrations. Townsend has written his address on the front pastedown: '4 Norman's Place. | Altrincham. | Via. Manchester.' Laid down across the pastedowns is a 12mo piece of paper, on which Townsend gives publication details, headed 'To Messrs Publishers' Agents. Ltd.

The card is 1p., 12mo., sending the 'Third book of proposed Series'. He hopes to 'call to collect agreed £1 on the date arranged', but if this is not possible asks for it to be sent to John Farquharson. The printed volume is 64pp., 12mo. Bound by Townsend in patterned brown cloth, with the title 'One-Punch Chris?' in gilt on front cover. In good condition, on browned newspaper stock, in lightly-worn binding. The story, by 'Eric W. Townsend', in thirty-four chapters, is printed in small print, in double column, with a drophead title and illustration of boxing scene above text on front page.

1p., 8vo. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper. He has 'not played cricket for twenty years, so you had better not count on me!' He will 'try to turn up as a spectator', and if Cathrey will send him a card, he will make 'a special effort to do so at Mesa, whichh I have visited several times'.

On one side of 9 x 11 cm piece of paper. In good condition, on lightly-spotted paper. Reads: 'I shall keep your clever little ode. Congratulations and good wishes. | Len. Harvey. | Cruiser & Heavyweight Champion | Jan. 1934.'

[ii] + 333 pp., 12mo. In yellow card covers, printed in green and red. A note on p.58 explains that the volume contains 'a large number of Advertisements of leading Houses, who cater for all kinds of Sport.

A nice collection of souvenirs of a very exciting and interesting tour. The West Indies did very well indeed, beating England in the test series 3-1. ONE: The signatures on four pieces of paper, laid down on green 8vo paper backing, with card carrying maroon and black logo of 'West Indies | 1963 | England'. All in good condition, lightly-aged. First, signature of 'G Sobers' written across 22.5 x 11.5 cm magazine photograph of Sobers at the crease. Second, signature of 'W Hall' across 8 x 5 cm magazine photograph of face of 'WESLEY HALL (Barbados), age 25.', with swollen left eye.

285pp., 8vo, including newspaper cuttings laid down on 24pp., and one loose cutting. In contemporary black leather half-binding, with brown cloth covers, and 'MINUTE BOOK' in gilt on front. Marbled endpapers. Ticket on rear pastedown of 'W. BLAIR, | Stationer, | Post Office Buildings | TONBRIDGE'. Internally in good condition, on lightly-aged paper, in worn binding with front hinge split. Manuscript title: 'Tonbridge Cricket Week. | 1894. | First Held 1890'.

Not published. A fair copy, neatly written out over 8pp., 4to. 175 lines, in heroic couplets. On two bifoliums of wove paper, each with hunting-horn watermark of 'G R'. A well-written production, with valuable content regarding a loathsome practice which persisted in England until 1835.

On a piece of 6 x 10 cm paper. Laid down on leaf removed from autograph album, next to a newspaper cutting of a photograph of Drobny at play. Three autographs on slips of paper laid down on the reverse of the leaf: one of 'Leonard Cheshire' and two of Hugh Foot (one 'Hugh Foot' and the other 'Hugh Caradon').

The seventeen signatures are on a piece of 8.5 x 11 cm paper, laid down on a leaf removed from an album, captioned '"ENGLAND" RUGBY FOOTBALL TEAM | 1954'. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper. Present (with one unidentified) are the signatures of Vic Leadbetter; Ted Woodward; Phil Jones; John Kendall-Carpenter; <?>; Jeff Butterworth; Pat Quinn; Eric Evans; Tug Wilson; Peter Young; Dickie Jeeps; Gordon Rimmer; Peter Yarranton; Rob Stirling; Martin Regan; Sandy Sanders; Reg Higgins. It may be that the item is misdated, as this exact team did not play in the Five Nations of that year.

Ten pages, sm. folio, green paper covers, with title label as above, stapled (sl. rusty), covers slightly marked. contents foxed but clear. From the regulation height of ponies to handicapping. WITH: Manuscript, 5pp., 8vo, stapled to inside cover of the Rules, printed heading "MEMO || From Capt. G.B. Rimington, M.C. | Box 1884, NAIROBI", commencing "If No. 1 gets ball at roll[?] in No 2 to Back | If No 2 or 3 get ball No 1 goes to back [..., concluding] No. 3|| Must be well mounted. He is half back assisiting his forward in attack & helping his back in defence".

4pp, sm. folio, fold marks, one passage blotched but mainly readable. Kenmure's letter starts things off, followed by A Second Challenge by Kenmore to Nathan, itself followed by Nathan's answer to the foregoing. Apart from two insignificant variations the text, aprt from the order, is as printed in Memorabilia curliana mabenensia - Page 95. This book was published in 1830 (possibly 23 years after the poem was transcribed on the paper), and I have yet to told of earlier printings.

4to: 1 p. Fourteen lines of text. Aged and worn, with closed tears along the fold lines, but with text clear and complete. He thanks his correspondent for the letter ('It is always a great delight to me to know that people like my work.') and gives details of where the 'little book I published on "Pride of Body" ' can be purchased. Ends with the details of his 'new novel "A Soldier of Life" ': 'I mention it, as you say it is difficult for you to get hold of books and I should like you to read it.'

TWO COPIES, both octavo: iv + 158 pages. Several collotype plates, several in red and gold. In original green printed Sotheby wraps. Both items sound internally, with some wear to the wraps. One item has extensive pencil annotations to the front wraps, and the other has a few ink marks to the reverse, with minor wear to the last couple of leaves. Both catalogues partially priced with some names by the London booksellers Myers & Co. of New Bond Street, one on the second day of the sale and the other on the fifth.

On piece of paper roughly 2.5 x 5 cm. Laid down on leaf of cream paper, 8.5 x 12 cm, from an autograph album. In slightly faded blue ink, and with a crease to the bottom left-hand corner, affecting the lower loop of the 'J'.