THOMPSON

An excellent slice of Georgian London history. See his entry, and Hook’s, in the Oxford DNB. 4pp, 12mo. Fifty-five lines of text. On bifolium. In fair condition, on discoloured and lightly-worn paper, with closed tear at foot of gutter. Also present is a typed transcript. The letter concerns a proposed three-day ‘excursion to the Medway’. Hook has engagements that will interefere, but Thompson undertakes to land him ‘safe at the Tower by seven o’clock on Saturday’.

Biographical information relating to the deceased is to be found in Rev. George Crabbe, ‘Some Materials for a History of the Parish of Thompson in the County of Norfolk’ (Norwich, 1892): ‘John Baseley Tooke of Thompson, Esq., only son [of John Greene Basely [sic], sometime Mayor of Norwich’], an acting magistrate for Norf., assumed the additional surname of Tooke by royal lic. in Oct. 1802, pursuant to the will of Wm. Tooke, Esq., his great-uncle; b. 15th Mar. 1779; d. unmar. 12th Nov. 1841; bur.

2pp, 16mo. Twenty-four lines of text. In good condition, lightly aged. Signed ‘Merle d’Aubigné’ and addressed ‘A Miss Caroline Thompson, / Bedford’ at foot of second page. Begins by stating that his ‘livre sur la Réformation est peu de chose’. What is important is how it shows that God transforms hearts, ‘et plusieurs personnes de divers pays m’ont écrit: “En voyant comment Luther trouva Christ, par la bonté de Dieu je l’ai trouvé moi même!”’ He continues with reference to Claudine Levet and Calvin.

An interesting letter from Flemwell, written while working on his 1910 A. and C. Black book ‘Alpine Flowers and Gardens Painted’. In good condition, with envelope carrying Swiss stamps and postmarks, addressed to 'H. Stuart Thompson Esqre. / Forest View; / Vale Rd.; / Upper Parkstone; / Dorset.' 4pp, 12mo. Eight-six lines of text, including pencil postscript.

1p, 8vo. Aged and worn. Four folds. Panel from envelope attached to reverse, with postmark and address to 'Chas. Thompson Esqr. | 34 Bedford Street | Covent Gard.' He has 'already so many unpublished Plays' in which he has 'the right of Representation', that he must 'decline making any further purchases at present'. But even if he were 'inclined to make further purchases, it would most certainly be in Copyright and not in rights to print - which I suppose is what you mean by the term Printing Copyright'. He is however still 'much obliged to you for the offer'.

1p, 8vo. Aged and worn. Four folds. Panel from envelope attached to reverse, with postmark and address to 'Chas. Thompson Esqr. | 34 Bedford Street | Covent Gard.' He has 'already so many unpublished Plays' in which he has 'the right of Representation', that he must 'decline making any further purchases at present'. But even if he were 'inclined to make further purchases, it would most certainly be in Copyright and not in rights to print - which I suppose is what you mean by the term Printing Copyright'. He is however still 'much obliged to you for the offer'.

The document bearing the ten signatures is 1p, 8vo. In good condition, lightly aged, with thin strip of paper from mount adhering to blank reverse of document. Folded twice. A printed form, completed in manuscript, with the ten signatures of leading figures in the medical world of Georgian London in a column at bottom right, the first two grouped as 'Governors' and the other seven as 'Examiners': 'Charles Blicke | David Dundas | C Hawkins | J Earle | G Chandler | T Forster | Everard Home | William Blizard | Henry Cline'.

For Murchison and the subject of the letter, the eminent Scottish physician and medical author James Copland (1791-1870), see the Oxford DNB. Both items bifoliums; and both in good condition, with thin strip of paper from mount adhering to the reverse of the second leaf. ONE: 3pp, 12mo. He begins by saying that he has seen Sir Henry Thompson (1820-1904), who 'cannot possibly meet us to-morrow but he will be at Dr Coplands at 3.40 on Thursday – That is the day of my Law Case but I will be there if I can'.

120 pages (unpaginated), 12mo. Stitched without covers. In fair condition: worn (particularly the first two leaves) and aged. A marvellous collection, described in a carefully printed and compiled catalogue of 901 lots. A two-page 'Prefatory Note' has a long quotation from one of Meynell's catalogues, beginning: 'My books must at my death be turned to account.

Cream card, blank on one side. No address or stamp. In good condition, lightly aged. Reads: 'Dr Lankester, some days since I asked you to an 8 re Apl. 1. I hope you can come | Lord Avebury & others are come [sic] | Kindly let me know | yours truly | H Thompson'.

1p., 8vo. On leaf removed from an Exchequer receipt book. On aged and worn paper. Laid out in the usual way, with printed text completed in manuscript. Records payment of £15 to Haversham, as 'Assee of ffrancis Carter'. Signed at foot by witness ''.

The first letter 4pp., 12mo, with cross writing on frist page, and the second 3pp., 12mo. Both bifoliums. The second letter with its envelope, with penny red and postmarks, addressed by Dickson to 'Travers Twiss Esq D. C. L. | No. 19 Park Lane | London'. Both items in good condition, lightly aged and worn. The first letter concerns Dr Edward Thompson, Vicar of Kington, who has been complained about by his curate 'Mr. Clelan', resulting in a report in a newspaper. Dickson writes: 'Kington, you may remember, rejoices in the notorious Dr.

1p., 4to. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged. The reverse of the second leaf, with seal in black wax, is addressed to 'Capt Crossley | &c &c &c | O L M', and the foot of the letter to 'John Crossley Esqre | Capt: Oldham L: M:' (Crossley, the commanding officer of the Oldham Regiment of Local Militia, built up a notable collection of military memorabilia, which was dispersed after his death.) The letter begins: 'With this you will receive the interesting little "Bijou" - Bonaparte's Star of the Legion of Honour for which I beg a place in your curious Collection.

v + [65] pp., 4to, paginated 67-131. With 49 collotype plates. Internally in good condition, lightly aged and worn, in worn binding. National Book League Library bookplate on reverse of title-leaf, and traces of the NBLL bookplate. A careful catalogue of the second portion of the sale of Thompson's sumptuous collection of manuscripts (the first portion having been sold by Sotheby's on 3 June 1920), with a two-page introductory note ('Preliminary') by him. The collection had previously been catalogued in four volumes by M. R. James and others.

16pp., 12mo. Disbound without wraps. In fair condition, lightly aged. Drophead title only (full publication details presumably on missing front wrap).

31 + [1]pp., 12mo. Disbound without covers. In fair condition, on aged paper, with some leaves separating. The fourth and last chapter is a piece of futurology, titled 'The Battle of London; Or, The Last Great Struggle Between the Classes and the Masses.' It begins: 'It was in the year 2000 that the masses took possession of London. For twenty years before they had been preparing.

24pp., 12mo. Disbound without covers. In fair condition, on aged paper, with slight damage at margin of title leaf. He concludes by reviewing the events of the previous four years: 'From one end of the country to the other the workers have been in a state of ferment. Great and numerous strikes have taken place. For the first time a National Strike Federation has been attempted, and with gratifying evidences of success. Our relations with the workers abroad have become closer and more cordial. Slowly and painfully the son of man has been marching to victory.

Both letter and photograph in good condition, with light signs of age. LETTER: 2pp., 12mo. Bifolium, with mourning border. He is enclosing the photograph, which 'poor Laurence [...] executed in his decling years & promised to Trinity College. His daughter loyally carried out his wishes, & the portrait (life size) hangs in our LIbrary.' (Laurence had died earlier in the year, from the effects of an operation.) He is sending a second copy of the photograph (not present) for 'Professor Frederick, who has left record of his affection for our dear friend'.

Jeffrey Richards, in his 'Imperialism and Music: Britain, 1876-1953' (2001), pp.272-274, discusses this piece at some length, beginning: 'There was a late entry in the imperial cycle, the now-forgotten The Song of The Drum, written by Fred Thompson and Guy Bolton, which opened at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, on 9 January 1931. It starred Derek Oldham as Captain Anthony Darrell, Bobby Howes as comic relief Chips Wilcox, Peter Haddon as silly-ass "Goofy" Topham and Marie Burke as glamorous spy Countess Olga von Haulstein.

Dimensions of card: roughly 12 x 18 cm. Dimensions of image: 10 x 14 cm. Printed on shiny paper. Aged, spotted and worn. 'Meisenbach' in bottom right-hand corner of image. Caption above the image: 'Principal Writers of "The Clarion," the foremost advocate of evolutionary Socialism in England.' Beneath the image: 'E. F. Fay (THE BOUNDER). A.M. Thompson (DANGLE). Robert Blatchford (Nunquam). M. Blatchford (MONT BLANC).' Undated, but certainly dating from between 1891, when the Clarion was founded, and 1896, when Fay died.

On 4.5 x 9.5 cm rectangle of paper, cut from letter. In fair condition, lightly aged, and laid down on part of leaf from album. Reads: 'Yours vy trly | Henry Thompson'.

3pp., 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper. He begins: 'You would see that we found room for an extract from the Camden Society report in last week's Chronicle'. He asks Nichol to 'find space for the enclosed letter in the Gentleman's Magazine'. He is 'acquainted with the pedigree in question', but does not think that 'Sir Bernard Burke's statements are in all cases to bee relied upon'. The letter continues: 'I do not know whether you are in Mr Potter's secrets.

The connection between the two firms of London bankers Thompson Hankey & Co., and Plummer & Wilson & Co. is unclear, but after the bankruptcy of John Plummer and William Wilson of Fenchurch Street 1831, a new firm named Hankey, Plummer & Wilson was formed, Plummer & Wilson bringing to it a number of clients including Beckford. The source of Beckford's vast wealth was of course the family's sugar plantations in the West Indies, and this document dates from before the abolition of slavery. 3pp., foolscap 8vo. Bifolium.

2pp., 4to. On bifolium. Addressed by Orde on reverse of second leaf, with docketting and faint postmark. Good, on lightly-aged paper.

25pp., 8vo. Eleven photographic figures in text. Stapled and unbound. Printed on art paper. Creasing and wear to title-leaf, otherwise in fair condition, with corners slightly dog-eared. Signature 'Henry' at head of title, with purple stamp: 'With the author's compliments.'' This offprint is scarce: no copy in the British Library, and the only copy on COPAC in the Guildhall.

16pp., 16mo. Stapled. In fair condition, on aged paper, with slight staining to last leaf. Printed in red on the title-page: 'NOTE. - After perusal, please file this Pamphlet for reference, or to lend to others interested in Patents.' An introductory note by the firm sets out the aims of the work: 'To Patentees and Manufacturers. | This Pamphlet, describing the Law and Practice relating to Patents, is designed as a useful guide to Patentees.

2pp., 12mo. On bifolium. Fair, on lightly-aged paper, with strip of tape from previous mounting adhering at the foot of the recto of the second leaf. He asks her to send 'cards for your afternoon Friday' to 'our dear friends Mr. and Mrs. Koecher (and the Misses Koecher)', who would 'enjoy every minute'. He gives the Koecher's address as de Keyser's Royal Hotel, Blackfriars, and ends by conveying his wife's love.

4pp., 12mo. Good, on aged paper, with one small spot at head of first page. He feels sure that 'if Canon Creighton [Mandell Creighton, then Canon of Worcester] could be persuaded to undertake the Lectures he would do the work far better and far more worthily than I can hope to do it', but he does not know Creighton well enough to ask him to take his place. 'And so, in view of your letter, I think that I had better look forward to coming and doing my best: though I greatly fear that the work may be less thoroughly prepared than it shold be'.

8vo, 1 p. Good, on lightly-aged paper. A covering letter for 'the supplementary article on Buffalo' (in the 'Encyclopaedia Americana' supplements to 'Encyclopaedia Britannica', 1883-1885, the first two volumes of which Thompson was editor).

8vo, 1 p. Image clear on aged paper, with the leaf loosely attached to the letterpress title of the work whence it comes (see below), that title being laid down in a folder with a window cut into the front for viewing the card through. The dimensions of the engraved illustration are roughly 12.5 x 8 cm, with the main feature of the elaborate design being contained in a circle 8 cm in diameter.