SECRETARY

A unique authorial assemblage of excessively scarce items. The nine reports total 344 pp in 8vo. They are bound together (according to a manuscript note) by the Belgian binder Claessens [Art Nouveau binder], who received twenty francs (sixteen shillings) for the job. In brown calf, with marbled endpapers, tooled in black on front cover with Barron's monogram, including a boar and a hand, with the words 'BARRON | REPORTS ON BELGIUM, | 1866 | 1867, 1872, 1873, 1875, 1876, 1879, 1880-82, 1883.' Similar title stamped in black on spine.

12mo, 15 pp. Stitched and unbound. Text clear and complete. Good, on aged paper. Described by Wells as 'an attempt, however feeble, to set forth the character and design of that interesting establishment', Mill Hill Grammar School, and 'designed to exhibit favourably a Public Grammar Education, rendered select by strict religious oversight; and to show the importance that Evangelical Dissenters should possess a permanent Institution for securing such an education for the sons of their more respectable families'.

4to, 1 p. Thirteen lines. Text clear and complete. Good, on aged and lightly-creased paper. The letterhead features an engraving of Chaucer with a lion and eagle. Stating that 'the Pilgrims Society has no funds available' to pay for the sending of 'a representative to the Conference that you are holding with the object of preserving the Old Cottages of England', although 'individual Pilgrims might be willing to subscribe' and the Society is 'in full sympathy with your object'.

4to, 14 pp. In original brown printed wraps. Clear and complete. Good, on aged paper, with one central vertical fold, and horizontal mark to blank rear wrap. The description of the 'First General Meeting' covers the first three pages, with the report of the 'Inaugural Banquet' on the next four. On the last seven pages are the 'Report of Council (Presented by Mr. E. K. House.)' No copy at the British Library or on COPAC. The mimeographed circular (4to, 1 p), dated 9 March 1925, is a covering letter with a facsimile of Fluder's signature.

All texts clear and complete, and good, on lightly-aged and worn paper. Several annotated in pencil, one extensively. Letter One: 27 January 1936; on letterhead of County Hall, London. 4to, 1 p. '[...] if it be the case that under a given government the finances are really getting into difficulty but that the Chancellor will not be frank with his colleagues and insist upon action, the civil servants concerned are put in somewhat of a difficulty.' Letter Two: 21 May 1943; on letterhead of the Home Secretary, Whitehall. 4to, 2 pp.

Folio, 2 pp. Fair, on aged paper, with a few short closed tears to extremities, and carrying traces of previous mount on reverse. On behalf of the Lords of the Admiralty Croker grants the Admiral's request for leave of absence to two individuals following 'the Naval Occurrences at Yarmouth'. In same hand as letter on reverse: 'Captain Hawtayne Quebec Two Days | Mr Forster, Chaplain Roebuck One Month'.

Folio, 29 + [i] pp. Disbound. Text complete and clear. Fair, on lightly-aged paper. Faint accession stamp at head of title. 'In accordance with the request of Viscount Palmerston, conveyed in Mr. Fitzroy's letter of the 31st day of October 1853, the Board have instituted very extensive inquiries among those acquainted with the means for the prevention of smoke, a great part of the evidence thus received being given in abstract in the Appendix to this Report.' The appendix runs from p. 11 to p. 29. Scarce: the only individual copy on COPAC at Southampton.

On piece of paper cut from letter, 4.5 x 10.5. With both sides lightly-sprinkled with ink dots. Reads 'Believe me | Yours | John P Gassiot'. Reverse, with printed letterhead, gives the beginning of the letter: 'Sir | I was informed Yday Evg. that <...>'. Docketed by Webster 'Sent List | 28/2/57'. From Webster's autograph collection.

On rectangle cut from letter, 3.5 x 11 cm. In fair condition, on lightly-aged paper, with neat vertical crease at one edge (away from signature) and minor traces of previous mounting on reverse. Reads '<...> to his Admission. | Believe me very faithfully Yours, | Henry Ellis', with reverse reading '<...> now with my Successor, Antonio Panizzi Esq | James C. Webster Esq'. From Webster's autograph collection.

On piece of laid paper, 5.5 x 8 cm. Clear signature on lightly-aged and spotted paper. From the collection of James C. Webster, Secretary, Athenaeum Club, London, who has written, above the signature, 'Royal Society of L<...>', and beneath it, 'Sir Philip Francis | author of "Junius"'.

On rectangle cut from letter, 7 x 11 cm. On dusty paper. Laid down on page removed from autograph album. Reads 'Wishing you the joys & compliments of the Season, believe me | Your's faithfully, | W. H. Smyth. -' Docketed by Webster at foot: '24/12/56. Admiral Smyth Vice President Royal Society a learned Pundit.' From Webster's autograph collection.

12mo, 3 pp. Bifolium. Sixteen lines. Text clear and complete. Good, on lightly-aged paper, folded twice. He would have consiered 'Mr. Gatty's application [...] together with those of others', but he had 'already made other arrangements for filling up this appointment'. He regrets that he is 'unable to meet his wishes'. Postscript concerning Gatty's divorce.

This small archive casts invaluable light on British labour relations at a local level during a turbulent economic period in postwar British history, with specific day-to-day information about persons and events. The two minute books, 1943-1980, are both 4to, with the first of around 200 pp and the second of around 150 pp. Both texts clear and complete, and some matter loosely inserted (including a letter from an individual pursuing a complaint against the branch). In worn bindings, with the boards of the second volume detached.

8vo, 3 pp. Bifolium. The letter, on both sides of the first leaf, runs to thirty-seven lines, with nine lines in Icelandic (in another hand?) on the recto of the second page. Fair, on aged paper, and laid down onto a mount by the reverse of the second leaf. The mount is captioned in a contemporary hand. The first part of the letter refers to a facsimile which Ellis has 'caused to be executed and transmitted hither'. Rafn has already received this 'from Mr. Worsaae'. It contains 'an extract possessing interest for us of Ottar's and Ulfstein's account of travels in the North'.

4to, 3 pp. Bifolium. Very good on lightly-aged paper. Minimal damage has been caused to the second leaf (affecting two or three unimportant words of text) by the breaking of the red wax seal. Addressed by Guthrie 'To Charles Sharpe of Hoddam Esqr [Hoddam Castle] | Provenance Grand Master for Dumfries Shire'. Small circular red ink postmark. Docketed. Guthrie's letter, in a secretarial hand but signed and with an initialed postscript by him, covers the two centre pages. He writes that 'a great proportion' of the lodges are in arrears, 'some of them 20 years and upwards'.

4to, 1 p. Text clear and complete. Fair, on lightly-aged and creased paper. Lunn and Kirwan-Taylor were closely associated with the Ski Club of Great Britain, both compiling reports for it in 1951.

12mo, 2 pp. Bifolium. Very good, on lightly-aged paper. He is sending 'some autograph letters, which I hope may not be without interest to your friend Mr. Henry Bright'. Bright, Hawthorne's closest English friend, toured America in 1852.

Printed on the recto of the first leaf of a bifolium. Leaf dimensions 29 x 23.5 cm. Clear and complete. Grubby, and with closed tears to folds and slight damp staining. An attractive production. Ornate heading, with engraved portrait of Minerva in circular medallion (5.5 cm diameter) surrounded by laurel leaves, 'Drawn & Engd. by W. H. Lizars'. Text engraved in copperplate. Reads (with manuscript part in square brackets): 'Edinburgh [23d. January] 18[34,] | At a meeting of the Society held here on the [22d.

12mo, 1 p. Good, on ruled paper. A note of introduction for the bearer, Miss Ward [Genevieve Ward, actress]..

4to, 1 p. Twenty-six lines of text. Clear and complete. Very good, on aged paper. Minor traces of mount adhering to reverse. Vignette of riverboat beneath heading. Signed by Handly and five others, ending with 'Chauncey H. Castle, Of the Comstock-Castle Stove Co.' Begins 'The division of the Mississippi river between the mouths of the Des Moines and Illinois rivers having been in a notoriously unfavorable condition for the purpose of navigation for the past two years, it has been deemed advisable to call a River Convention'.

4to, 1 p. Bifolium. Addressed, with postmark, on reverse of second leaf. Good, on aged paper. In a hurried hand, with numerous corrections. Relating to the publication of 'articles of poetry from a lady'.

Printed on one side of a piece of paper, 23.5 x 17.5 cm. In fair condition, on aged paper. Laid down on a gilt-edged leaf from an autograph album, 24 x 18.5 cm. Firm, bold signature ('Palmerston'), 6 cm long, in bottom right-hand corner. Authorising the payment of £24 15s 9d to 'Mr. George Ripking, Assistant Surgeon of the Third Regiment of Hussars of The King's German Legion [...] being the approved Balance due to him for the Contingent Hospital Expenses of the said Corps, from the 21st. June to the 24th. December 1812, both days inclusive'.

Good, firm signature, boldly underlined, on piece of paper roughly 4 x 11.5 cm. Thin strip of glue from previous mounting to the right of the signature, and further traces on the reverse. Evidently collected by an autograph hunter. Simply reads 'George Canning.'

A quarto volume, bound in padded green leather stamped in gilt on the front cover with the words 'Visitors' Book'. Patterned endpapers. Tight, on lightly aged and spotted paper. Binding heavily worn, with outer corners of front cover dogeared and torn to show padding. Five leaves with one dogeared corner. Note (in Davies' hand?) on flyleaf: 'Visitors book. | General Sir F. J. Davies | General Officer Commanding-in-Chief | Scottish Command | 27 Drumsheugh Gardens | Edinburgh'. Each page with printed columns for the 'date' and 'name and address'.

All seven items 4to, 1 p. Each docketed and bearing the stamp of the Royal Society of Arts. All good, on lightly-aged paper. The first is in a secretarial hand, with the other six all typed. Item One: 4 December 1917. He doesn't 'quite understand' from Menzies' letter what it is that he wants him to do. 'From what Mr.

The envelope is roughly 8 x 13 cm. Aged and lightly ruckled. The signature is on the front, in the bottom left-hand corner, with 'Private' in the top left, and the address in the middle, 'The Duke of Argyll | India Office'. The seal has been stamped through paper onto dark brown wax. The envelope has been torn open at the back flap. Can be dated to after 1869 (when Mayo became Viceroy) and before 1874 (when Argyll ceased to be Secretary of State for India).

4to bifolium (leaf dimensions 26 x 20.5 cm). The notification certificate is on the recto of the first leaf, and Highton's letter is on the recto of the second. Versos of both leaves blank. Good, on lightly aged and creased paper, with 5 cm closed tear to margin of second leaf caused by removal of letter from stub, traces of which still adhere to the verso of the second leaf. The certificate is tastefully printed in black, with the Society's crest in red in the top left-hand corner.

Printed on one side of a piece of laid paper roughly 31 x 19.5 cm. 21 lines. Clear and complete on lightly-aged laid paper with Britannia watermark. Headed 'By the Commissioners for Executing the Office of Lord High Admiral of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, &c.' and addressed 'To The respective Admirals, Captains, Commanders, and Commanding Officers of His Majesty's Ships and Vessels.' Signed by 'J. Troubridge', 'Jas. Adams', 'W Garthshore' and ('By Command of their Lordships') by 'Wm Marsden'.

One one side of a piece of vellum, dimensions 28.5 x 33 cm. Neatly folded to make eight rectangles. Red wax seal under paper in top left-hand corner, embossed with the Admiralty anchor. Two blue 2s 6d stamps in left-hand margin. Small paper stamp on reverse. Text entirely legible on lightly discoloured vellum, with one small hole (not affecting legibility of text) caused by wear to a fold. The body of the document is printed over fifteen lines, with the specific information added in manuscript.

Foolscap bifolium (leaf dimensions 33 x 20.5 cm). Good, on aged and lightly creased paper. The letter, the printed text of which invites the recipient to 'forward to this Office a clear description' of his invention, is on the recto of the first leaf. Particularising details and signature by Hall, who has addressed it to 'Commander Paterson R.N. | Brockhurst House | Brockhurst | Gosport | Hants'. Docketed and initialed by Paterson at head. The recto of the second leaf contains a printed 'Memorandum' by W. G.