tea

The Cymru Estate in Dimbula was established in 1870. The invaluable ‘History of Ceylon Tea’ website only has data regarding the estate up to the year 1929. The present item provides a mass of statistical information for the years 1964 to 1972. It is entirely in manuscript, in several hands, and comprises 73pp, 16mo, written with portrait orientation in a 12.5 x 8 cm ruled notebook (with 69pp in blue and red ink at the front, and the other four pages in pencil at the back). In rough black cloth, with brown patterned endpapers, and cloth pencil-holder.

Two attractive small original hand-coloured copperplate engravings. Both in good condition, lightly aged, and each with slight traces of previous mount on blank reverse. ONE: Captioned at foot ‘A Freschi sculpsit | MONKEYS GATHERING TEA. | Pubd. 25 April 1812 by H. Stockdale, 41 Pall Mall’. Portrait: 10.5 x 17.5 cm. Depicts a Chinese man beneath a tree taking leaves from a monkey on the ground, whilst three other monkeys in the tree collect more leaves. TWO: Captioned at foot ‘A Freschi sculpsit | INDIAN INK.’ No place or date. Landscape: 17.5 x 10.5 cm. Depicts three men preparing the ink.

Pp.1-366 (paginated),[4], leather binding, bumped and worn, contents sound and in good condition. Registered number of theCompany given on endpaper. Minutes recorded from the beginning of the Company, first meeting of the Directors, Including Kearley and Tonge - a purchase agreement) 17 May 1895 (Contract for purchase, £10,000, etc.). Subjects include: appointment of secretary, Bankers, auditors, allotment of shares, Bank balances, properties (development and expansion), shares, transfers, shop facias ("International Stores"), purchase of peoperties, repairs and renovations.

1p., 12mo. 24 lines of text. In fair condition, on aged paper, with minor traces of mount adhering to reverse, which is addressed by Parr to 'R Twining, Senior, Esqre | Devereux Court | the Strand', and docketted 'Dr. Parr May 27th. 1807'.

Strip of paper cut from letter, roughly 19 x 9 cm. Poor, on lightly-stained paper, with small section lacking from the breaking open of the seal, resulting in loss of one word. Postmark and fragment of address on reverse: '<...>d Twining Esqr | <...> Strand | London'. Reads 'Yrs very truly | [signed] Tho Hughes | 15 Sepr 1823 | I was glad to hear so tolerable an account of your father: while life continues <...> him, I hope it will please God to render it tolerable'. From the Twining archives.

4to, 1 p. Good, aged paper, with traces of previous mount adhering to reverse. Reads 'The Duke of Northumberland presents his Compliments to Mr. Twining, & shall be glad to see him on Wednesday next at three o'clock. | Northd. House | Decr. 2d. 1799.' From the Twining family archive.

4to, 3pp. Bifolium. Text clear and complete. Fair, on aged paper, with slight loss to second leaf caused by opening of red wax seal (part of which still adheres), and minor nicking to edges. Begins: 'The task you set me was a task indeed [...] my first attempt at translation'. He comments on some of the difficulties involved ('The Cara so often repeated in the original is beautiful in repetition while it's angliciz'd Dear is so degraded by vulgar use').

The nature of this somewhat Pooterish 'scandal' is explained in one of the cuttings in the scrapbook: '[...] the Unionists of North Lambeth are making secret but strenuous efforts to insure the return of Mr. H. M. Stanley at the next election.

[Saville] Esme Percy, Actor (1887-1957). The first, 21 November [1911], Theatre Royal, Bury, Lancashire. "So glad you are coming over Saturday night. If you will kindly let me know how many of you are coming I shall be pleased to give you all Tea if you will accept my invitation." The second, 24 November 1911, Theatre Royal, Bury, Lancashire, on deleted letterhead of the Gaiety Theatre, Manchester. "I shall expect you at 5 pm at 34 Shepherd St. Bury - am so glad your friends are coming with you". Two items,

24 pages, 16mo. In poor condition: grubby and with wear to extremities and closed tear to second leaf. Pencil marks to verso of last leaf. Stitched into grubby, worn vellum binding, bearing pencil and ink notes at front and rear.

4 pp, 8vo. A long letter discussing the restoration of the ship. "[...] I have always appreciated (and envied) your personal experience of sail in days when seamanship in the old sense really meant something. [...] No one is better qualified to speak with authority on the restoration of a historic sailing vessel than you are". Five points are discussed: "The position of the upper topsail yards. [...] royal yards [...] fitting sails [...] ropes [...] Maintenance."