VICTORIAN

3pp, 12mo. Bifolium. In fair condition, lightly aged and creased. Folded twice. The letter, which deals with domestic matters, but has some interest considering the writer's father's views on land reform, is written a year after Chamberlain's return from his studies in Germany, where he had been alarmed by the rise in Prussian militarism, and with him on the verge of his entry into politics in the footsteps of his father Joseph Chamberlain. (He was also the older half-brother of the future Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain.) It begins: 'Dear Mr.

The 1880 'Balliol Masque' indicates Jowett's standing, and the pronunciation of his name: 'First come I. My name is Jowett. | There's no knowledge but I know it. | I am Master of this College, | What I don't know isn't knowledge.' 2pp, 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged, with fold lines. Addressing his letter to 'Edward [sic] M. S Kynnersley Esq', he asks him to 'kindly read the accompanying circular? It relates to a project which I believe to be very important to the College & useful in many other ways, as well as - the [promise?] of a Cricket Ground'.

2pp, 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged and creased. Folded twice. In a letter sadly lacking in spoonerisms, Spooner writes that he is sending the unnamed recipient 'a form of Entrance for our Scholarships', advising him 'to come up as early in the day as possible', as the examination is held in term time, and 'I fear you may have some difficulty in finding lodgings'. He continues, regarding lodgings: 'If we can hear of any we can recommend notice of they will be sent to the Porter's Lodge, and you should make enquiries there'.

2pp, 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged, with thin strip of paper from mount unobtrusively adhering at head of reverse. Folded twice. The salutation is to 'My dear Barker', and the name of the recipient is given at the foot of the first page as 'W. B. Barker Esqe'. He thanks him for his 'kind, but too complimentary note'. He is afraid that Barker's friend, who has clearly requested Layard's autograph, 'sets too much value upon a specimen of such detestable handwriting', but in this matter, 'as in anything else', he will be happy to oblige Barker.

2pp, folio. On bifolium endorsed on reverse of second leaf. In fair condition, lightly creased and aged. Three folds. Embossed with five pound tax stamp at head. Printed in copperplate, with the details of the appointee 'John Amhust Philpott of Cranbrook in the County of Kent, Gentleman' filled-in in manuscript. Circular stamp of the Court of Justice at end of document with two signatures: 'Entd. | H. R. W.' and 'Entered 14th June 1876 | E W Williamson | Deputy Registrar of Solicitors'.

Two etchings in black ink, printed side by side on a 23.5 x 18 cm piece of wove paper, with a thin printed line dividing them. Possibly proofs of two plates on conjoined leaves in a book. In fair condition, lightly aged and creased, with a tiny nick at foot and dog-eared corners. Each of the sketches is full-length, and has a caption at foot, in a facsimile of D'Orsay's hand.

1p, 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded twice. Reads: 'Dear Mr Blacket | I should wish to know in the course of the day how many pages of print are in the first volume.' Despite the spelling of the name, the recipient is presumably either Henry Blackett (1825-1871) of the publishers Hurst and Blackett, or one of the four of his sons to become publishers. There is no record of a book by Vámbéry being published by a Blacket or Blackett, but he may be referring to an essay or article published in a periodical or compilation, or an anonymous or pseudonymous work.

See the entries on the two men in the Oxford DNB. In an impressive description of their joint achievements, the entry on Gilbert describes his association with Lawes as 'one of the longest and most productive scientific partnerships on record [...] In agricultural circles their names are for ever linked'. The first two items are in uniform light-blue printed card covers; the last is of similar appearance, in printed card covers of the same colour. In good condition, lightly aged.

For John George Jackson (c.1798-c.1851), architect of Leamington Priors, pupil of P. F. Robinson, see Lyndon F. Cave's 'Royal Leamington Spa' (1988). He erected Newbold Lodge on the site of Strawberry Cottage in the early 1830s. See the entry for the recipient William Hookham Carpenter (1792-1866), later Keeper of Prints and Drawings at the British Museum, in the Oxford DNB. At the time of the present letter Carpenter was working for his father the Old Bond Street bookseller James Carpenter (c.1768-1852). 2pp, 8vo. Bifolium.

3pp, 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged, with traces of paper from mount adhering to blank reverse of second leaf. Folded twice. Written in his usual difficult hand. He begins by stating that her note was forwarded to him from Knebworth. The letter continues: 'I had previously requested my Sol[icito]r.

For Jessel's judicial high standing see his entry in the Oxford DNB. 3pp, 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded once. In envelope with Penny Red and postmarks, and 'LADHAM HOUSE, | GOLDHURST' printed on the flap, addressed by Jessel to 'E. A. Scott Esq | Schoolfield | Rugby | Warwickshire'. The envelope is signed 'G. Jessel' at bottom left of cover, and the letter concludes with the same signature. He is 'glad to be able now to withdraw the notice' he gave Scott about his son Charles 'leaving Rugby'.

Arthur Sidgwick's long entry in the Oxford DNB concludes with the following assessment: 'a university liberal of rare consistency and stamina: a progressive bridging Victorian and Edwardian generations, and pre-eminent among the male dons who made a place for women's higher education in Oxford'. At the time of the present letter he was nearing the end of a 'brilliant' undergraduate career at Cambridge, with the winning of many prizes: 'In 1863 he was second in the first class of the classical tripos and fourteenth senior optime in mathematics, and was also president of the union.

Both items in good condition, lightly aged. ONE: 3 March 1884. 1p, 12mo. Addressed to 'Dear Mr. Kynnersley'. Having received Kynnersley's undated letter he writes: 'I shall meet Blandford as you propose on the 11th. with very great pleasure. He was one of the heroes on whom I used to look with awe as a 3rd. form boy in 1834 in which year I joined & he I think left Rugby.' He is sitting at Congleton on the day of the meeting, and 'there is just a chance that some perverse suitor may be in full blast at my train time in which case (as I never leave a cause part heard) I may be late'.

See Nares' entry in the Oxford DNB. 1p, 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded three times. Clearly and boldly written, reading: 'Please give the bearer my delicate instrument for Alert or Discovery | G. S. Nares.' (Wikipedia) "Because of his previous experience in the Arctic, he was summoned from this assignment to take charge of another Arctic voyage in search of the North Pole in Discovery and Alert in 1875, the British Arctic Expedition."

4pp, 4to. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded four times. Encouraged by Scott's response to his wife's letter, Taylor is 'encouraged to ask for yr. advice in the predicament in which we stand at present. My boy has made hardly any progress in the last term & stands only four fm. the bottom of the upper Fifth.' He explains that on a former occasion he was in favour of 'a change of house & of companions', but that 'the boy was exceedingly averse & I was induced by assurances of doing better to let him go back to Mr Arnold's'.

4pp, 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged, with the conclusion and signature ('Juliana Horatia Ewing. | (Not an elegant signature!)') of the letter cross-written at the head of the first page. Drawing of a 'round chess board', with explanation, on second page. An excellent intimate letter, to a family member or friend whose name is not clearly written (Marion? Marnie?). She begins by acknowledging her 'very delightful' letter, and expressing pleasure at 'the prospect of our "play" in town'.

2pp, 12mo. Bifolium with mourning border. In good condition, folded twice. Explaining that as it was a week-end he was not able to answer her letter sooner, he writes, evidently on the subject of a painting she has commissioned: 'I should be very pleased to see any of your friends to show them the portrait on Friday or Saturday next at 3.30 or on any other day at that time which may be more convenient.' He concludes: 'Do not hesitate to send anyone you think would like to see the picture'.

On 2 x 11 cm slip of paper cut from the end of a letter. In fair condition, lightly aged, with small tape stain from mount at the edge to the left of the signature. Reads: 'very truly yours | J. S. Mill'. On the reverse, in Mill's autograph, are the words: 'the Government for a pecuniary'. Mill is considered one of the most influential figures in the history of classical liberalism, and one of the leading English-speaking philosophers of the nineteenth century.

4pp, 16mo. Bifolium of grey paper, with letterhead printed in red. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded three times. The recipient is undoubtedly Elizabeth Missing Sewell or a member of her family, and the letter begins: 'My dear Miss Sewell, | I wish you could have accomplished giving us a day, hoping you might have found me in more lively and sensible trim than when you were here, when I had a headache just enough to make me stupid.' She is going to post her Roscoe's 'William I', which she got 'from the L[ending] Library'.

3pp, 16mo. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded once. Begins: 'My dearest Aunt Agnes | Thank you very much indeed for your last letter. I send with this the announcement of my new book "Knight Errant", & if it would not trouble you to pass on the cards to any likely readers I should be very grateful.' She gives news of her children Amy and Maurice, and is enclosing 'a list of all the children of the family & their birthdays' (not present).

See the separate entries on the Gibsons in the Oxford DNB, which notes 'her eclectic salons, attended by diplomats, writers, politicians, and, after 1848, European exiles. Regular guests included Dickens, Thackeray, Hugo, Lady Morgan, the Disraelis, Cobden, and Louis Napoleon'. (Dickens wrote part of his last novel, 'The Mystery of Edwin Drood', at the Gibsons' London house.) The present item is from the papers of Arethusa's mother Lady Ann Cullum (1807-1875), wife of Rev. Sir Thomas Gery Cullum (1777-1855) of Hardwick House. 4pp, 12mo. Bifolium.

On 12mo leaf, intended to be inserted in a book. In good condition lightly aged and worn. Centred on the page the inscription reads: 'With the author's kind remembrances. | W W Hunter. | Oaken Holt. | 1895.' The reverse is blank.

5.5 x 10 cm piece of paper, cut from the front of an envelope. In good condition, lightly aged. Reads: 'Immediate | The | Lord Archbishop of Canterbury | W Gladstone'. The signature is in the customary place, in the bottom left-hand corner.

An interesting item in the field of Victorian Egyptology. The subject is what Owen describes here as 'one of the oldest Statues of an Egyptian Notable in the British Museum'. Its current Museum Number is EA103, and it has been in the Museum since 1835, but the details of its acquisition are unclear. In his translation Birch calls the sitter 'the Royal Scribe, Amenhelp', but the current BM description begins: 'Scribal statue of Amenhotep son of Hapu: of black grano-diorite. Hieroglyphic texts are inscribed on the papyrus unrolled on his lap and on the statue plinth.

The Biblewomen & Nurses Mission was founded as the London Bible and Domestic Female Mission in 1857, with the aim of bringing religious education to the poor. See the account of the founder Ellen Henrietta Ranyard (1810-1879) in the Oxford DNB. In 1868, Ranyard expanded the organisation to include the nursing of the sick poor in their own homes, in response to what the 'Biblewomen' saw of the sick, and three years later the Mission began to receive support from the Mercers Company. After Ranyard's death she was succeeded as Hon.

On 3.5 x 5 cm slip, laid down on slightly larger rectangle of paper, removed from an album. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn. A neat, firm signature, on a small slip of paper. Presumably cut from a letter, in response to a request for an autograph.

According to his entry in the Oxford DNB, 'In 1844 Lover abandoned miniature painting as a result of failing eyesight but continued to paint and exhibit landscapes. He invented a new form of entertainment which he called Irish Evenings, a monologue of songs, recitations, and stories, all of his own composition. These he performed at the Princess's Concert Rooms, London.' Between 1846 and 1848 he toured North America with great success. 3pp, 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged, with minor traces of mount adhering to blank reverse of second leaf. Folded twice.

See Clarke's entry in the Oxford DNB. The present letter, signed 'Charles Mansfield Clarke', was written (from Caston, where Clarke's son-in-law Walter Patridge was rector) a few weeks after the death on 3 July 1856 of Clarke's wife of fifty years, Mary Anna (née Squire), by whom he had two sons and five daughters. Lady Clarke's own husband had died a year and a half before, on 26 January 1855. 4pp, 12mo. Bifolium with mourning border. In good condition, lightly aged, with minor traces of mount on reverse of second leaf. Folded once.

Without date or place. Rectangle of thin paper, cut from the end of a letter, clearly in response to a request for an autograph. In fair condition, aged and creased. Reads: 'I am | Your friend, | Khama | Chief of Bamangwato'.

Lady Bulwer Lytton is now best-known for her mistreatment at the hands of her husband (see their entries in the Oxford DNB). Both letters are in good condition, lightly aged and worn, the first carrying traces of mount and with slight damage at one corner. ONE: 28 February 1836. 4pp, 16mo. She is delighted to hear of Lady Cullum's return to England.