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The 'Ex-Officers' Book Union' (the apostrophe was omitted in later years) was an obscure business. The firm was certainly active between 1919 and 1936, mostly from 16 Rathgar Avenue, West Ealing. In the early 1930s its address was given as '87 Bishop's Mansions, S.W.6', which was also Redway's residence. It seems likely that the business was a joint-venture between Redway and at least one other former army officer. The present item is 40pp., small 4to. Stapled in brown printed wraps. In fair condition, lightly aged, on worn and creased wraps.

1p., 4to. Bifolium. Addressed with postmarks, on reverse of second leaf, to 'Mr. Simpson, | Clothiere, | St. Martin's Lane | London.' In fair condition, on aged paper. Docketted with Harcourt's dates. The letter reads: 'Sir, | Captain Sir Murray Maxwell having signified his intention of offering himself as a Candidate for Westminster at the ensuing Election; I shall be much obliged to you if you will give him Your Vote upon that occasion.' In the 1818 general election Maxwell (1775-1831) was defeated by less than 400 votes, losing to Sir Samuel Romilly and Sir Francis Burdett.

Neat signature ('F. Card. Bourne'), if a little shaky, at top left of one side of a light-green leaf extracted from an autograph album. No other text on either side. In good condition, lightly aged.

2pp., 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged and worn. Begins: 'My dear | Our Jubilee bustle - & subsequently four days spent at Oxford on a College Election have prevented my attending to your little manual - The last corrections which you made - are now sent to the Printer - & a revise shall be sent in a day or two.' He ends by expressing relief at the 'improving accounts of your poor brothers family'.

1p., 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged. Tipped-in onto part of a leaf removed from an album. Annotated at head, in a contemporary hand: 'an invitation from the Head Master of Westr - | F. P.' The letter reads: 'Sir | The King having graciously signified his intention of honoring the third performance of our <?> Play with his presence on the 15th. inst I hope for the pleasure of your company to assist me in receiving his Majesty who comes to my house at 7 o'clock, on his way to the College.'

3pp., 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged. In envelope addressed by Forbes-Robertson at 79 Netherwood Road, Shepherd's Bush. He thanks him for letting him have his address, and requests a pass for his servant for the following evening's performance of the play 'Mice and Men'. He hopes the servant will return with 'the news I desire viz that you will consent to being pro tem - one of the Hon Secs of the Te Deum Committee.

The three items are in good condition, ondff lightly aged and worn. Three interesting items, responding tactfully to what would appear to be an accusatory communication by Harington, pointing out that his son has succeeded despite having been 'superannuated' from Westminster School. ONE: 18 October 1898. 4pp., 12mo. Begins: 'Dear Sir Richard Harington | I am delighted to read the two enclosures. The Winnington-Ingrams one associated with many memories of my Rugby, Marlborough, & later days!' He will send the enclosures to the Head Master, [b]ut I won't rebuke him or convey any rebuke.

[2] + 23 + [1]pp., 8vo. Disbound wthout covers. In good condition, lightly aged. 'Notice' on page preceding main text includes the following referemce to the American Civil War: 'If the British Empire can be justified in its sway over the three kingdoms, and its dependencies, or the American Union over the Southern States, then far more surely may the right of the Pontiffs be maintained by the same arguments. The only difference I know is, that we and the Americans have bayonets of our own. The Pontiffs are unarmed.

151pp., 8vo. Disbound without covers. In fair condition, on lightly-aged paper.

48pp., 8vo. Stitched and disbound. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn. Faint ownership inscription of 'S Jenkins' at head of title. Preface by the author, dated from 'London, May 17, 1850.' Now scarce.

Good firm and signature, repaired on reverse, on aged, worn and damaged page. Laid out in the usual fashion, with printed text completed in manuscript. Records payment to Brown on an annuity, as Assignee of Charles Williams'.

Printed on one side of a 50.5 x 32 cm leaf of wove paper. In fair condition, on aged and worn paper, folded three times. In relatively small print. Underneath the title, by 'Charles T. Ritchie': 'The following instructions for Carriages have been prepared and published in the "London Gazette" of 13th May, 1902, by direction of His Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, and will be strictly carried out by Police'. Eight 'Regulations to be observed on the day of the coronation' follow.

A substantial and heavy leather-bound volume, 49 x 37 x 7 cm, by the London stationers Waterlow & Sons, containing in excess of 250 double-page weekly entries, meticulously and neatly completed in manuscript, giving a daily itemised breakdown of the consumption of a wide range of provisions. A valuable social document, casting light on Victorian hospital administration and dietary habits. Internally in good condition, on lightly-aged paper, in heavily-worn brown blind-stamped leather binding with damaged spine, with marbled endpapers and edges.

4pp., 12mo. Bifolium. In fair condition, but with damage at head of outer sides caused by removal from grey paper mount. While Seammen worked for him he found him to be 'good tempered, obliging & trustworthy - He left me last year owing to an illness which, at the time, precluded his having the same efficient control over the Household that he had hitherto exercised'. He explains the reason for making 'a change', and is sending 'an excellent Character with him, of 14 years, from Lord Ravensworth'.

ONE: Savory's letter. 1p., 4to. In fair condition, lightly aged and creased. He begins by stating that he has 'now heard that the whole of the specimens which have been prepared are at Messrs Arthur Lee & Bros., Hayes. As I told you before Mr. John A.

1p., folio. In fair condition, aged and worn, with two punch holes at head. The letter begins by drawing the recipient's attention to an 'enclosed statement relating to Emanuel Hospital. | The principals involved are of great public interest and apply to every educational endowment throughout the kingdom | They involve: - | The confiscation of property | The arbitrary removal of Governors against whom no complaint is alleged. | Entire disregard of the charter of foundation | The absolute prohibition of the gratuitous education of the poor except as the result of competitive examination'.

On both sides of a 22 x 42 cm leaf, folding into six 22 x 14 cm pages. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn. In small print. A few replacement speakers noted in manuscript. Details of the lectures for this four-day conference cover a page, with speakers including Anthony Eden (replaced by 'Mr Nutting'), Herbert Agar and Gunnar Myrdal (replaced by 'Mr Kenneth Yonge'). The rest of the pamphlet carries background notes, beginning: '"Europe 1953", the theme of our conference, is a challenging and topical subject. The face of Europe, as much as Africa and Asia, is changing.

16pp., 8vo. Stapled. Printed in brown on white. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn. One correction in manuscript: on p.5 'Peter O'Toole' replaces the subject of the sentence 'Miss Jean Simmons carries the script used in the film Hamlet.' Other worthies involved in the service are: Douglas Fairbanks, Michael Caine, Maggie Smith, Paul Scofield, Derek Jacobi, Ian McKellen, Dorothy Tutin, Frank Finlay, Albert Finney, Sir John Mills, Peggy Ashcroft, Sir John Gielgud, Sir Alec Guinness. Uncommon: the only copies on COPAC at the British Library and London Library. The ticket ('No.

66pp., 12mo. In brown cloth printed wraps. In good condition, lightly aged. Ownership inscription of 'Mabel S. Lomax' at head of front cover. Eight chapters, including 'How to Become Fluent' and 'The Art of Delivery (Manner and Mannerisms)'. With two appendices: 'How to Conduct Debating Societies' and 'Specimen Rules for Debating Societies'. Scarce: no copy on COPAC, and only one on OCLC WorldCat. (An undated second edtion, ascribed to Hugh Thornton, with introduction by F. Solbe, is equally scarce.) From the archive of Mabel S.

1p., 12mo. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper. Reads: 'Dear Sir/ | I beg to enclose my account for Cowes drawing. | Yrs truly | Oscar Eckhard'. On the reverse, in another hand: 'Oscar Eckhardt. [sic] | Popular Illustrator & artist. | (July 1897)', with stamp of the St James's Budget.

1p., foolscap 8vo. On bifolium of watermarked paper. In fair condition, on aged paper, with slight wear to foredges. Two small stamps (one 'Tenn Pence Quire') and official blind stamp. 48 lines of closely-written text, in a chancery hand. Regarding a lease for an uncertain location. Signed by 'S Annandale', 'Petter [sic] Grahame', and witnessed by 'Ja: Moir' and 'John Grahame'. Docketted on reverse of second leaf 'Tack betwixt | The Marchioness of Annandale | And | Peter Graham | 1716'.

4pp., 4to. Bifolium. 76 lines of closely and neatly written text, including a four-line postscript cross-written on the first page. Addressed, with Chester postmark, on reverse of second leaf to 'Mr. Bill | Boar Lane | Leeds | Yorkshire'. ('Bill Thomas, 7, Boar lane' is listed among the 'Glass, China, and Earthenware Dealers' in Haigh's 'General and Commercial Directory of the Borough of Leeds', Baines & Co., 1839). The reverse of the second leaf also carries the remains of the wax seal, stamped 'Ann'. In fair condition, on worn and aged paper.

1p., 12mo. In very good condition, on lightly-aged paper. 'If you would ever care to look round King Edward's very archaic Oxford abode, I can shew you it, with engravings of its details in his day - coloured and otherwise. It is a nice old house - half Elizabethan, half Queen Anne.' He concludes by explaining that he is 'at Westminster all the middle days of the week, save in the recess', and so requires notice. From the H. E. Wortham papers.

1p., 12mo. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper. Reads: 'Sir | I have been requested by the Earl of Wilton, who is indisposed, to say that he shall be glad to contribute fifty Pounds to the Metropolitan Society & I shall be happy to do the same, & am, Sir | Yr obedt. Servt. | Grosvenor'.

The piece of vellum an irregular rectangle of about 4 x 17 cm. Smudged signature, with crumbling red wax seal to its right, beneath fragment of Latin text ending with date 1841. The engraving, with facsimile of signature, 'From a picture in his Lordship's possession | This plate, 28 x 19 cm on 4to leaf, is by express permission dedicated most respectfully to the Members of the Reform Club by their faithful Servant Thomas Collins'. It is in fair condition, aged and with strip of discoloration in margin at head.

Cross-interrogatories: 5pp., 4to. On two bifoliums of grey paper, stitched one inside the other. In very good condition, lightly-aged.

2pp., small 4to. In fair condition, on aged paper, with slight loss to one edge. He begins: 'Sr! | I wrote to you a Post or two ago to desire you to send me Voyage de M. Condamine sur la Riviere des Amazons impr. a Paris en 1745. If you have it not in your Shop Pray enquire for it, & send it to me at Ombersley near Worcester: and I wish you would inform me if M. Condamine or any of his company that went with him to Peru, have publish'd any other account of any part of their Expedition? I have read Don Ant.

2pp., 4to. Bifolium. Very good, on lightly-aged paper. Docketted by Wiseman on reverse of second leaf: 'Bened[icti]ne Chapter | 1854'.

1p., 4to. Bifolium. Addressed, with Penny Red stamp, postmark and seal in red wax, to Wiseman at 8 York Place, Portman Square. In fair condition, on aged and lightly-creased paper. The firm is writing at 'the special request of Miss Ellen Antonia Teresa Ann Garbayo, at present risiding abroad [...] It appears that the above Lady is desirous of contacting marriage, but cannot do so without the production of her Baptismal Certificate. She states that she was baptised about the year 1827, by a Doctr. Moore of St. Patrick's Church London'.

6pp., foolscap 8vo. On two grey-paper bifoliums. In fair condition, on aged and worn paper. Docketted by Wiseman on the reverse of the last leaf: 'Dr Manning's Mem[orandu]m to Walpole on Reform[ator]ies'. The document (presumably copied by Wiseman expressly for Manning) is addressed to 'The Right Hon. Spencer Walpole M.P.', and is complete to the valediction, but unsigned. It begins: 'Sir | I beg leave to lay before you a subject of much importance affecting the Reformatory School for Catholic Boys at Brook Green, Hammersmith which is under my direction.