WOMEN'S

1p, 12mo. In fair condition, on discoloured paper with slight discoloration at corner as a result of removal from mount. Neatly centred on the page is 'Yours Sincerely | Clara Montalba'. No other text. The signature is florid and curliculous.

See Anna Gurney's entry in the Oxford DNB. The recipient and her husband had spent some time in Rome in 1842, and in 1838 had befriended the Alpinist Henriette d'Angeville at Geneva. 4pp, 4to. Bifolium with mourning border and watermark year 1840. In good condition, lightly aged, with minor traces of glue from label on outsides of gutter. The letter begins: 'My dear Lady Cullum | I think You & Sir Thomas may be home by this time & I must wish to enquire how you both are after your long wanderings.

On 4 x 11 cm slip of paper. Reads: '[...] them. | With many thanks for yr kindness believe me | very truly yrs | Frances P Cobbe'. On reverse: '[...] information. | Have you ever seen a very curious French book [...]'.

On one side of 8.5 x 11 cm piece of grey card, with rounded corners. In good condition, lightly aged. Neatly and simply written out (in response to a request for an autograph), reading: 'Best Wishes | Sincerely | Winifred Brown.' Date by Brown at bottom left. Endorsed in pencil at head: 'First woman to win King's Cup Air Race | 1930'.

3pp, 4to. Bifolium. On wove paper with Whatman watermark dated 1820. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn, with slight loss of paper at one corner of second leaf, resulting in loss of one word of text. Folded twice. From the papers of William Jerdan, editor of the Literary Gazette, who published the poem with one other ('In the Ivy'), in the edition of 23 June 1821, giving the identity of the author given in a footnote: 'We have to thank the elegant pen of MRS. HEMANS, for these two exquisite poems. Ed.' Heman's manuscript is endorsed by Jerdan: 'Poetry origl | 231 | W J | Mrs. Hemans'.

Advertising booklet for the school, printed in black on three sides of a 20.5 x 23 cm bifolium of cream wove paper. In fair condition, on lightly aged and spotted paper, with one fold and slight nicking to edges. The item is undated, but must date before Chambers' retirement in 1944. The cover has a distinct modernist feel, with an 8.5 x 20 cm stylised illustration of a village green with old-fashioned houses, presumably including the school buildings, and at bottom right the words 'MALTMAN'S GREEN | GERRARD'S CROSS' in large sans serif capitals.

A scarce item, and considering its perforation, fortunately found in its complete state. No copy on OCLC WorldCat, which does however have entries for copies of similar Liberty's 1910 ('SERIES XXXIII') and 1913 catalogues, the latter at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. 64pp, 8vo. Stitched into oat-coloured cloth soft covers, with decorative border and title printed on front cover. In fair internal condition: on lightly aged and spotted paper. In worn and stained wraps. The five pages of text and fifty-nine full-page illustrations are printed in brown on cream paper.

3pp, 16mo. Bifolium. Aged and ruckled, with light damp staining. No salutation, but apparently complete. From the papers of Lady Ann Cullum (1807-1875), wife of Rev. Sir Thomas Gery Cullum of Hardwick House. ]Begins: 'I am very sorry, that I could not keep my promise to day to call upon You, - Believe me that it was impossible, but I cant leave Carlsbad without telling You at least how glad I waws to have made Your acquaintances.

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.

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'.

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).

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.

An amusing unpublished jeux d'esprit by Martineau, revealing a lighthearted aspect of her character. 1p, 16mo. Bifolium, addressed by Martineau on reverse of second leaf 'To | Lady Cullum.' In good condition, lightly aged. Folded once.

Title-page: 'The Friars in England. | An Essay | by | Elizabeth E. Smith, B.A. | Birmingham – 1908.' Duplicated typescript, printed on versos only. [1] + x + [1] + 209pp, 4to. With hand-drawn plans on two leaves at rear (the first, 'Site of the Blackfriars of Leicester'; the second, 'Carmelite Friary at Hulne' and 'Dominican Friary at Norwich'. In half binding of black leather spine and corners, with purple cloth boards, title in gilt on front cover, floral printed endpapers. Tightly copy, in good condition, on lightly aged paper, in lightly worn binding with slight discoloration to cloth.

3pp, 12mo. Bifolium with mourning border. In fair condition, lightly aged, with slight traces of glue from mount adhering to edge on reverse of second leaf. Folded twice. An interesting letter, casting light on publication practices in Victorian London, with reference to a successful female author. Mrs Gascoigne asks Schoberl advice regarding the publication of her book 'Spencer's Cross; or, The Manor House. A Tale for Young People. By the author of "Belgravia"', which would be published by Charles Westerton in 1854. The letter begins: 'Mrs. Gascoigne presents her compliments to Mr.

Florence Montgomery's 1869 novel 'Misunderstood' was admired by Henry James, Charles Lutwidge Dodgson and George Du Maurier, and was childhood reading of Vladimir Nabokov. It has been adapted for cinema twice (in Italy in 1966, in Hollywood in 1984). The present item is 4pp, 12mo. Bifolium. In envelope addressed to 'Mrs. William Levi | Woughton Hall | Bletchley'. (The recipient Lilian Maud Levi was the granddaughter of Sir Henry Cunningham Montgomery, and the daughter of the Dean of Worcester Grantham Munton Yorke.) The postmark gives the year as 1921.

1p, 16mo. In good condition, lightly aged, with slight damage to blank reverse caused by removal from mount. Reads: 'Dear Mrs. Suckling – if it be you that is C. S. - I can't come into Town – but shall always be glad to see you here.'

2pp, 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged. Addressed to 'B. Nicholson, Esq., | Brooks's, | St. James's Street, S.W.1.' (Nicholson was the son of Harold Nicholson and Vita Sackville-West.) She begins by thanking him for his 'kind letter and charming gift of your drawings of St. Nectaire', adding: 'as an author my vanity is flattered by your appreciation of “Romanesque France”'. She is glad she has helped 'a certain number of people in getting to know some of the beauties of France', but feels 'something of a fraud about the book as without the help of my friend Mr.

2pp, 12mo. Creased and worn. Folded once. She explains that she and her husband and daughter are on the way to Rome, where they will stay at the Hotel Molaro for six days, and expresses the hope that 'we may have the pleasure of seeing you & Mr. Story during that time, if you are at home'. She admits that she feels 'a considerable hesitation about letting any of our friends in Rome know of our coming', as they are 'so overdone with “forestieri” at this time of year'.

Each 1p, 4to. Both in fair condition, lightly aged and worn, and each folded three times. On the letterhead she is referred to as 'The Lady Edward Spencer-Churchill O.B.E.' Chairman of the British Legion. Women's Section. ONE: 16 November 1934. Having been informed by 'Miss Gerds' that the recipient 'would like to know if I am coming by Car or by train on December 1st, to open your “Fun Fair,”' she states that she is 'not sure how long it would take to motor from London', but thinks it would be quicker by train. 'I see a good one arrives at 2-47!' TWO: 5 January 1935.

2pp, 12mo. On a bifolium of grey laid paper, with fleur-de-lys 'J M & Co' watermark. In good condition, lightly aged, with creases from having been neatly folded three times, and stub adhering to edge of blank second leaf of bifolium. The item derives from the collection of a notable nineteenth-century autograph collector, Lord Houghton, a friend of both Taylor and Norton.

2pp, 12mo. In fair condition, on aged paper with central spike hole. Folded twice. Begins: 'My dear Mr. Tinsley, | I see that you are not going to use my article “We Women,” & I want it so much, to form the basis of a set of articles! - & I have no copy.' She notes that it is 'generally the case with regular workers, that the Editors return the rejected MS' and explains that she has 'destroyed the first rough draft', exclaiming: 'I do hope it is not lost!' She asks him to either tell her if it is lost, so that she may 'know the worst', or if it is not lost, '& is not to be used'.

2pp, 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded twice. The female recipient is unidentified, but would appear to be the editor of a magazine, enquiring after the progress of a 'paper' Ellis has agreed to write on 'Java Sparrows'. Ellis explains that she has 'begun a better story in the Child's department which it is consequently necessary to finish first', to appear 'in the number for June', but that 'your paper shall certainly come next'. The handwriting is not altogether straightforward, but Ellis appears to say here that 'stories will not always [write?] up when [necessary?]'.

See Sewell's entry in the Oxford DNB. 1p, landscape 12mo. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn. The letter reads: 'My dearest Annie | Eliza tells me you wanted a copy of the French Book. I am so glad I happen to have one by me. - for I want you to have it from me. Please accept the book with love. | Yours very affly | Elizabeth M Sewell | Bonchurch. July 13th. 1868'.

2pp, 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged, with lightly-rusted indentation from a paperclip. She thanks him for the 'lovely form of intrusion your letter proved to be - as though you could ever intrude!' She wonders whether, if she had been 'a more patient patient' the 'second attack' might not have happened' (a heart attack had forced her to retire from the stage), 'but I was never one for sitting and doing nothing'. She is 'trying very hard now as I have learnt my lesson'. She has 'so many interests that retirement is beginning to become a pleasure, thank heavens'.

1p., 16mo. With mourning border. Aged and worn, with tear to one corner and glue stains on reverse. Signed 'Caroline Norton'. The recipient is not identified. The letter begins: 'Dear Sir | The Prince Schomberg having told me of some curious experiments in animal magnetism which you would make this evg. I called to ask permission to witness them -'. She will 'retract' her 'petition' if he has 'no other ladies present – or if the persons on whom the experiments are made, only speak German', as she 'will not be able to understand enough of what passes'.

Three slips of paper cut from letters. All in good condition, lightly aged, and each with minor evidence of previous mounting. ONE: Hannah More. On both sides of 4 x 15.5 cm slip. On one side: '[…] I am this moment come from Charlotte she is vastly well only her eyes have some remaining weknesses | Adieu my dear Madam believe me with all possible regard your ever obliged and affectionate | Servant | H More'. Other side: '[…] the good People here enough to be all concerned any of their judgment or their Actions where Taste has any thing to do.

4pp., 12mo. Bifolium. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn, with rust-spotting at foot and to one margin. An interesting document relating to the early days of women's admission to British universities. The recipient is the geologist Ernest Westlake (1855-1922), and the subject is his daughter Margaret Agnes Westlake, who would become a diploma student at St Hugh's. Westlake's papers are held at the Museum of Natural History, Oxford. Marett thinks it is 'a bother about your daughter not being able to enter Somerville, but Somerville is not Oxford'.

In 1899 Mrs Mills published a biography of her husband, titled 'From Tinder Box to Larger Light'. See the references to her in Crawford, 'Women's Suffrage Movement' (2003), and Daley and Nolan, 'Suffrage and Beyond' (1994), the latter work containing a reference to a meeting with Frederick Douglass. Her father, as she states in this letter, was 'John Petrie of South St Rochdale' (Petrie (1792-1883) was a Belfast-born engineer). 4pp., 12mo. Bifolium. In fair condition, lightly aged.