William Halsted, Whig PoliticianMareMagnum
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Manuscript signed discourse written at the onset of the Panic of 1837, concerning the ethics and obligations of the Mechanics' and Manufacturers' Bank in Trenton which had been established less than three years earlier, by respected Trenton attorney and Whig politician William Halsted (1794-1878) who had recently been elected a Member of the United States Representatives to represent New Jersey, signed and dated in the original by the author. 8vo. 8 pages in manuscript, penned recto and verso, each leaf affixed to the next with two spots of glue to upper margin, measuring approximately 20 x 25 cm, and featuring an embossed cameo of a three-masted barque. Some creasing, otherwise in very good condition. At the request of the Directors of the Mechanics' and Manufacturers' Bank of Trenton, from a legal standpoint, Halsted answers three specific questions regarding the bank's refusal (inability) to redeem paper currency into specie (silver or gold coins). His erudite assessment surely resulted in careful deliberation by the members of the board, while it provides for us now a scarce period perspective of the historic financial crisis. Halsted's discourse is dated 8 June 1837. A financial assessment of the Mechanics' and Manufacturers' Bank in Trenton was reviewed at the Legislature's General Assembly of 24 October 1837. Following the publication of a detailed banking statement, as seen in the volumes of the Legislature, the State Gazette of 22 December 1837 published this remark, "The condition of The Mechanics Bank is now before the Community and it is proved to be worthy of great confidence." William Halstead (1794-1878) was an American Whig Party politician who represented New Jersey at large in the United States House of Representatives from 1837-1839. Halstead was elected as a Whig to the Twenty-Fifth United States Congress (4 March 1837 to 3 March 1839). Manuscript
London, 28 November 1849. Manuscript Signed Letter to approbate the cocoa served by the Royal Navy to its nearly 200,000 mariners, written by important Scottish chemist Andrew Ure. 8vo. Double-leaf measuring approximately 18.5 x 17 cm. Very good, original condition. A most unusual document of unexpected consequence. Together with a privately printed biography published in London 1874, featuring an original albumen portrait photograph frontis of Dr. Ure. Small 8vo. measuring 10.5 x 14.5 cm. 18, [3] pages, giltedged leafs, gilt tooled and titled green leather boards, minor wear to corners, otherwise in Very Good condition. The favourable result from a formal investigation of a specific company's cocoa purchased and consumed by the British Navy at 400 tonnes per year, Dr. Ure suggests that many English producers were at the time compromising quality during production, however, he confirms the purity of Graham & Hedley's Genuine Roll Cocoa which was manufactured in Liverpool. A new product, the cacao was moulded into rolls and stamped. For a fee of £10.10 and commissioned by the Lords of the Admiralty [Sir James Whitley Deans Dundas, &c.], this analysis may very well have secured enormous profitability and longevity for the chocolate company. Competitors immediately denounced the assessment, such as Taylor Brothers for example, whom stated that public preference or 'taste test' was all that truly mattered. Evidently significant not only to the Navy, but also to the public as a whole, Ure's letter was published in the "Law Times" volume 15, 1850. Subsequently, numerous publications touted Graham & Hedley's product as "the best preparation of cocoa for morning and evening meals.... advantageous for invalids to whom it is essential to have the article genuine... the most economical substance offered to the public... superior homeopathic cocoa..." and so on. Excerpt from the letter: "Having been employed by the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty to analyze and improve the Cocoa and Chocolate of which 400 tonnes are annually manufactured for Navy at the Deptford Victualling Yard... " "I take pleasure in testifying that the Roll Cocoa of Messrs Graham & Hedley of Liverpool is perfectly pure, and so well prepared as to afford with hot water or milk, a bland, aromatic, salubrious, and highly nutritious an article of diet." End Excerpts. The letter is accompanied by a rare biographical sketch which commemorates Dr. Ure's important works, a lovely volume printed for private distribution only. Excerpts from the book: "... To Dr. Ure belongs the honour of having taken the lead in a movement which has had incalculable power in developing national wealth... In 1809, when the Glasgow Observatory was about to be established, Dr. Ure came to London, commissioned to make the scientific arrangements. Here he met, and acquired the friendship of Maskelyne, Pond, Groombridge, and other Astronomers, and also of Davy, Wollaston, Henry, and other distinguished chemists of that day... in London... appointed in 1834, Chemist to the Board of Customs... important researches on sugar refining... his skill and accuracy as an analytic chemist were well known, as well as the ingenuity of the means employed in his researches..." Dr. Andrew Ure (1778-1857) was a Scottish physician, analytical chemist, and a highly respected professor of chemistry. A foremost (possibly the first) consulting chemist in Britain, doing much work in London where he settled in 1830, his work entailed investigative tours of several industries in England, Belgium and France, various government commissions such as the one outlined above, and speaking as an expert witness. His visits to English textile mills led to his famous publications of "The Philosophy of Manufactures" (1835) and "The Cotton Manufactures of Great Britain" (1836). His exposure to factory conditions led him to consider methods of heating and ventilation, and he is credited with being the first to describe a bi-metallic thermostat. "The Great Dictionary of Arts, Manufactures and Mines" (1837), was Ure's chief and most encyclopaedic work. In 1840 he helped found the Pharmaceutical Society. The Board of Commissioners for the Victualling of the Navy, often called the Victualling Commissioners or Victualling Board, was for 150 years the body responsible under the Navy Board for victualling ships of the British Royal Navy. It oversaw the vast operation of providing serving naval personnel (140,000 men in 1810) with enough food, drink and supplies to keep them fighting fit, sometimes for months at a time, in whatever part of the globe they might be stationed. It was in 1795 that Dr. Joseph Fry of Bristol employed a steam engine to grind cocoa beans, which led to the manufacture of chocolate on a large scale. By 1825 the Royal Navy purchased more cocoa than for the rest of Britain. It was considered perfectly nutritious beverage for sailors on watch duty, being hot and non-alcoholic was of further benefit. Sailors in the Atlantic Ocean and the Baltic Sea coined the term "chocolate gale" in reference to the cold wind from the northwest, which ultimately granted them the comforting treat. By the nineteenth century chocolate was being tested for commercial distribution as a "homeopathic" and "dietetic" product. According to Hassall's survey of British made chocolate, producers of homeopathic chocolates included Graham & Hedley, Taylor Brothers, Leaths, J.S. Fry & Sons, Cadbury, Barry and Company, Epps' and others. Manuscript
Primary source manuscript signed letter written during the great Saxony famine, which claimed many civilian lives, addressed to the Count of Lippe-Alverdissen [Philipp Ernest II], concerning the scarcity of corn. Text is in German. Quarto. 3 pages in manuscript. Double leaf aid paper measuring approximately 20 x 32 cm, with two watermarks, red and black marbles wax seal of a dove with olive branch. Minor indication of moisture to upper margin unobtrusive to text, otherwise in very good condition, a fascinating early correspondence with a beautiful intact red wax seal. Rare primary source account concerning a matter of urgency - the shortage of corn in the regions surrounding Lower Saxony - during the 1771-1772 famine, which reveals the geographical extent of the calamity as it spread beyond Saxony to its neighbouring counties, and provides specific corn measurements recorded by a notable corn keeper and merchant in Münster. The writer, W. Helbricht, appears to be the "frumentarius" (a corn dealer), and also the "kornschreiber" (one who keeps record of the corn). In his correspondence to the count, he pleads for mercy, explaining that in Alverdisser there had not been much corn recently. He provides specific measurements to illustrate the dire circumstances. His wax seal is also telling of the period, being a crisp image of a dove holding an olive branch, the traditional symbol of peace and hope. The scarcity of corn was so great in Saxony and Southern Germany, that large numbers of civilians died of starvation, some estimates citing approximately 150,000 deaths.
Manuscript letter by Sir Richard Croft, Physician to King George III and the Royal Family, accoucheur (obstetrician), and British peer, describes complications of a pregnancy four years before the "triple obstetrical tragedy" Princess Charlotte which has become his unfortunate infamy. 8vo. 2 pages in manuscript. Double leaf measuring approximately 12 x 18,5 cm, watermarked with the year 1811, with integral address, two postal ink stamps and a lovely red wax seal. Very faint age-toning only to sections of the leaf exposed for mailing, otherwise in very good condition, beautifully preserved and highly relevant to the writer's occupation as a manmidwife and the complications of pregnancy and birthing in the early nineteenth century. "Sir Richard Croft (1762-1818) physician and man-midwife gained notoriety after his involvement in the labor of Princess Charlotte, which resulted in her death. He never shook off the shame of the tragedy, and shot himself three months later." (Oxford DNB). Manuscript signed letter from the Royal Physician and Male Midwife to the late Princess Charlotte, Sir Richard Croft, who is remembered for causing the "Triple Obstetrical Tragedy" of 1817, in which is a primary source account of early nineteenth century complications and precepts surrounding pregnancy and child deliveries. The writer is Sir Richard Croft, 6th Baronet (9 January 1762 - 13 February 1818), English physician to the British Royal Family and the obstetrician to Princess Charlotte, who is famed for his role in "the triple obstetrical tragedy" of her death in 1817. He received his medical training from, among others, his father-in-law, Dr. Thomas Denman, a preeminent obstetrician in London whose textbook on childbirth had been first published in 1788. He graduated with his MD from the University of Oxford in 1789. Croft was appointed the personal physician of King George III. He was also a member of the Medical and Chirurgical Society of London, and Physician to the Lying-in Charity on Old Burlington Street. He was the primary accoucheur or midwife to Princess Charlotte, granddaughter of the reigning King George III. Manuscript
Manuscript telegraph letter sent from Governor of Hong Kong Sir George William Des Voeux, in cipher, to Colonial Administrator Sir William MacGregor, which offers to the post of Colonial Secretary of Hong Kong, on the same day which Colonial Secretary Frederick Stewart died. Together with a manuscript decipherment, and a signed letter from the decipherer of the message, Sir Henry Wylie Norman, Governor of Queensland. 8vo. Single-leaf telegraph on the stationery of the Telegraph Office Queensland completed in manuscript and dated 29 September 1889; Double leaf manuscript letter on the stationery of the Queensland Government House Brisbane dated 1 October 1889; hand trimmed manuscript note measuring approximately 17,5 x 11,5 cm. All three documents fastened together with a brass pin. Some creasing, minor wear at folds, otherwise in very good condition, a fascinating disclosure of of Hong Kong administrative history perhaps previously unknown to anyone but the parties involved. This is a little-known and private correspondence, concealed for delivery with a colonial cipher language, between two important colonial administrators, concerning the title of Colonial Secretary of Hong Kong. A telegraph from Hong Kong reveals that an offer was made to MacGregor to work in China in 1889. The sender does not reveal himself, and the message in written in code, however a contemporary manuscript decipherment fastened with a brass brad discloses the contents. Sir George William Des Voeux, Governor of Hong Kong is the sender. Des Voeux knew MacGregor well from his time as Governor of Fiji from 1880-1885, during which period he worked with MacGregor who was Treasurer then Colonial Secretary of Fiji. Manuscript
Packet ship broadside for the auction sale of Glasgow schooner called 'London Packet' to take place six days after this announcement, on 7 November 1851, in the harbour of the historic seaport village of St. David's situated very near to Inverkeithing, Fife. 8vo. Single leaf printed document, watermarked, measuring approximately 28 x 20 cm. Slight creasing, one unobtrusive small chip to lower margin, otherwise in Very Good condition, presenting an exceptionally rare example of an in-situ auction for a vessel. Lovely and rare broadside from Scotland during the Golden Age of Sail to announce the sale of a Scottish packet ship which had then been recently stranded on the notorious Beamer Rock. The public auction was to begin at noon, 7 November 1851, in the harbour where the vessel sat in situ, in the historic village of St. David's. The vessel was part of the early sailing fleet of William Sloan & Co., a notable Scottish firm established in 1825 and operating the largest fleet in Glasgow by 1848.
8vo, 483 pages, not illustrated. Signed by Deidre Purcell on the title page. eng
Visitors book for guests of the Hythe Golf Club, founded in 1894, with 78 manuscript signatures penned on 10 leafs. 8vo. Full calf binding, with impressed heraldic seal to front, raised lettering "CCW The Links Hythe" also to front, five raised bands to spine, untrimmed leafs. Volume measures approximately 21 x 26,5 x 2,5 cm. Wear to boards, front bowed slightly, otherwise in very good condition, containing some notable signatures. Members of the British monarchy's household are featured in the volume, with signatures made on 8 August 1823, including Albert, Duke of York, (later King George VI). His new bride, Elizabeth, Duchess of York (later the Queen Mother) evidently accompanied him, he signing on her behalf. Also with them, and signing in the original, was lady-in-waiting Katharine Meade, as well as the Duke's advisor Sir Louis Greig. Sir Clement Anderson Montague-Barlow, 1st Baronet, who at the time was Minister of Labour and a member of the Privy Council, also signed on the same day, as well as six others. Having just been married in April, during the summer of 1923 Albert and Elizabeth, future King and Queen of the United Kingdom, were travelling a fair bit. They first settled into White Lodge, in Richmond Park. They were spotted at the Richmond Show, and shortly after that at the Hendon Air Show. They visited Holyrood House in Edinburgh in July. Their social life was beginning on a grand scale. At the end of the season, they went to stay at Molecomb and attended the races at Goodwood. The present volume reveals a little-known and rather private event at the Hythe Links Golf Course on 8 August 1923. Among other elite visitors whose signatures are present in the volume, we find: - Antarctic explorer Herbert G. Ponting - Sir William Letts a pioneer of the British motor industry and founder member of the Automobile Association - City of London Alderman Sir Maurice Jenks, and family - Sir Samuel George Shead Esq. who was appointed one of the two Sheriffs of London in 1915 - Sir Herbert Benjamin Cohen 2nd Baronet Cohen of Highfield - Colonel J.V. Delahaye, first president of the WOSB. Manuscript
New York City, Frankfurt, Stockholm, etc., 1961-1966. Substantial archive of documents concerning the publication and production of several notable literary works and theatrical plays by Peter Ulrich Weiss, including correspondence, draft agreements, contracts signed with leading publishers and producers, as well as some programmes and peer reviews, being the working files of his New York agent, Joan Daves. Together with 3 LP record box sets of the first and complete Broadway original cast music recording for the Marat/Sade play. Octavo and Folio documents and letters, ranging in size and number of pages, some signed in the original. Most are in English; some are in German; the lot neatly contained in four ring binders. The vast majority of the documents date to the 1960s, with a scant few being later including a letter regarding a special television production in 1979 with NBC. Occasional wear to extremities, otherwise in very good condition, beautifully preserved, clean and bright. A generous and comprehensive archive chronicling the work and partnership of a leading literary agent in the rise of German-American publishing, and one of her notable German writers. Provenance: From the desk of Weiss' literary agent for the US, Joan Daves. Joan Daves (1919-1997) was a leading literary agent with her own agency in New York, whose client list boasts six Nobel Prize winners including Martin Luther King, Jr. Daves had a profound effect on the very existence of German literature in America. Born Liselotte Davidson in Berlin, she escaped Nazi Germany by fleeing to Paris and England before emigrating to the United States in 1940. Her agency, established in 1948, handled the original works of several American authors. She handled Martin Luther King, Jr.'s literary property from 1957 until her death. Of great emphasis with her firm was the representation of several major German publishers, such as Suhrkamp, Piper, S. Fischer Verlag and others. It was the prime time of German writers such as Peter Weiss, Uwe Johnson, Max Frisch, Heinar Kipphardt, Hans Magnus Enzensberger, and Hermann Hesse. In the mid-1960s, communication with German publishers was quite different from today. A shipment of galleys was prepared with a 'by sea mail' label. When the New York Times printed the date and time the next ship would leave the harbor, delivery of the parcels of documents to that specific ship was requested. Peter Ulrich Weiss (1916-1982) was a German author, playwright, and experimental filmmaker, who gained celebrity fame on Broadway in the 1960s. He is particularly known for his plays "Marat/Sade" of 1963/65 which is largely represented in the present archive and which was enormously successful, for "The Investigation" of 1965, and for his later novel "The Aesthetics of Resistance" (1971-81). In the 1960s Weiss also embraced and promoted politically controversial groups, standing for revolutionary Cuba, standing against US intervention in Vietnam, and joining Sweden's eurocommunist party. Manuscript
A collection of manuscript and printed materials by celebrated poet, playwright, lyricist and Consul John Howard Payne consisting of an unpublished, autograph poem, an autograph letter written from Tunis as the resident American Consul dealing with the matter of an insult to the American flag as well as an account of the repatriation of his remains to American home soil from Tunis in Africa to Oak Hill Cemetery in Georgetown. A specially bound volume titled 'John Howard Payne - a Biographical Sketch' by Charles H. Brainard, Coolidge, Washington, DC 1885 providing an interesting Biography and dealing with the repatriation of Payne's remains to Washington 30 years after he died in Africa. The account is very detailed, leaves nothing to the imagination as far as the transportation of the remains are concerned and is accompanied by some photographic plates. Bound in a special full morocco presentation binding, all edges gilt, gilt inner dentelles, silk moire endpapers. A beautifully executed printed work and binding in fine condition. Manuscript
Scotland, circa 1850s. Manuscript signed note by Scottish novelist Margaret Oliphant (1828-1897), penned on her own stationery which bears a curious dragon and cross insignia incorporating her first name. The recipient may be the wife of Robert A. Purdie, publisher for The Scottish Minstrel issued in Edinburgh. Single leaf measuring approximately 8,5 x 13 cm, written recto only. Very good condition with original signature. The letter reads as follows: "Dear Mrs. Purdie Pardon me for not replying at once. I only returned yesterday afternoon from a short absence. Tired. It will give me great pleasure to dine with you on Monday. Very truly yours, [signed] M.O.W. Oliphant Thursday morning" Margaret Oliphant Wilson Oliphant (1828-1897), was a Scottish novelist and historical writer. In 1849 she had her first novel published: "Passages in the Life of Mrs. Margaret Maitland". In 1851 she met publisher William Blackwood in Edinburgh and was invited to contribute to the famous Blackwood's Magazine. The connection was to last for her whole lifetime, during which she contributed well over 100 articles, including a critique of the character of Arthur Dimmesdale in Nathaniel Hawthorne's "The Scarlet Letter". In 1852 she married, and by 1859 she had become a popular writer, working tirelessly to sustain her position. Unfortunately, her home life was full of sorrow, having been widowed and having lost three of her six children. In January 1864 her only remaining daughter Maggie died in Rome, leaving her with two sons. In 1866 she settled at Windsor to be near her sons who were being educated at Eton. From Windsor, she continued a varied literary career including works of supernatural fiction, and in the 1880s she became the mentor of the Irish novelist Emily Lawless.
"Histoire Ancienne. Histoire du Moyen Age." [Ancient History. Middle Ages.] Manuscript history of the world from Antiquity to the Middle Ages, being lecture notes written by Maurice de Vernouillet, at the time a pupil of history professor Marc Petit de Baroncourt at the Collège de Bourbon, on the island of Réunion, east of Madagascar. Text is in French. 8vo. 2 volumes, 274, 294 pages, plus title pages to each volume. Bound uniformly in black calf over blue marbles boards, gilt title and tooling to spines. Volumes vary slightly in size, the first measuring approximately 17,5 x 21,5 cm, the second 15,5 x 19,5 cm. Minor wear to boards, otherwise in very good condition, a content-rich work in a fine hand. The origin of these works, Réunion Island, is revealed on the title pages of the second volume, by noting the professor's name, Monsieur [Marc] Petit de Baroncourt, who in 1841 became Professeur agrégé d'histoire au collège de Bourbon [Associate Professor of History at Bourbon College (in 1841)]. Born in Étain, Meuse, De Baroncourt was also a historical writer, beginning with an abridged history of the Middle Ages. The National Library of France holds at least one letter and one book by him. The student and writer is presumably Augustin "Maurice" Marchant de Vernouillet, born 18 April 1829 in Paris, who would later become a Resident Secretary in Madrid, holding the title of "Ministre plénipotentiaire de 1° classe" [a diplomat of ambassador usually with full power over a foreign land]. These volumes provide a rare opportunity to possess and examine the teachings of a notable French professor of the Collège Bourbon, on Isle Bourbon, today called La Réunion, where slavery was still ongoing, as was French colonisation. Manuscript
London, 26 February 1900. Signed Manuscript Letter by Admiral Sir Albert Hastings Markham, naval officer and pioneering arctic explorer, addressed to S. C. J. Freeman-Mathews in Cape Town, South Africa. Small 8vo. Double-leaf measuring approximately 15 x 15cm. Together with original cover, opened on three sides, bearing three postal marks and one stamp, and measuring 11 x 8 cm. Both in very good condition, from the autograph collection of Seymour C.J. Freeman-Matthews. The addressee, Seymour C.J. Freeman-Matthews was a collector of autographs and amassed a sizeable treasure of signatures with solicitations such as which led to this letter and autograph being penned by a great Arctic navigator. The letter reads as follows: "Dear Sir, I have to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 5th inst. and, in reply, have much pleasure in complying with your request, Believe me. Yrs. faithfully, A. Markham [signature] Vice Admiral." Manuscript
8vo. 32 page German manuscript, a poetic or theatrical composition dealing with California and dedicated to Queen Marie, Consort of King George V of Hanover, during the California Gold Rush. Dedication page, written in French, signed and dated by 'Gontard' who was an affluent art collector and chairman of an elite German art museum, and whom had evidently just met the Queen in person at the Exposition Universelle in Paris. Exquisite red morocco binding by Hof-buchbinders Wilhelm Ermold (binder to the Royal Hanover Court), beautifully finished in gilt with a crowned monogram 'M' for Marie, royal blue cloth endpapers, satin bow dividers. Evidence of an imbedded gift-wrapping ribbon to boards, slight foxing to first few leafs, otherwise very good condition, internally clean and bright, a pleasing work in an elegant binding fit for royalty. Title: Die Reise nach Californien. Nach dem französischen bearbeitet von Eduard Suhren. [A Voyage to California. From the French, edited by Edward Suhren.] The ambiguously titled manuscript may be a German rendition of the French theatrical opera by Dondey Dupré titled "Le voyage en Californie ou notice explicative du panorama" which concerned travels across the United States and explorations in the West - by John Charles Fremont, first explorer to cross the Sierra Nevada in winter, foremost US Senator, abolitionist, who prospered during the California Gold Rush. Content includes the explorer's sighting of pines in the Sierra Nevada oak forest at 3500 feet, melting gold, and so forth. Frémont's father was a native of France, who died only eight years after the French Revolution. As such, his gallant endeavours and accomplishments in the New World would certainly garner much attention in France, as with other European nations with colonies abroad. The French opera was first publicly performed 8 August 1850 in Paris, at the Théâtre des Variétés. Gontard, who met the queen, and dedicates this manuscript to her, may have been involved in a German production, performed for the House of Hanover. A full page dedication inscription, in French, is addressed to the Queen of Hanover, by Huguenot descendant Jakob Friedrich Moritz Gontard (1826-1886), chairman and administrator of the Städel art museum in Frankfurt, officially the Städelsches Kunstinstitut und Städtische Galerie. Queen consort of Hanover from 1851 to 1878, née Princess Marie of Saxe-Altenburg, recipient of this dedicated manuscript, was the wife of King George V of Hanover, the last monarch of the short-lived Kingdom of Hanover. In his dedication, dated Hanover, 12 July 1855, Gontard thanks the monarch for having come to see his panorama at the International Exhibition held on the Champs-Elysées, stating that her visit inspired the work which forms the volume, and which he humbly offers to her. He references materials which were given to her onsite, which would elucidate the obscure details of the creative piece. The date indicates that King George V and Queen Marie of the short-lived Kingdom of Hanover attended the event in its first eight weeks. Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom paid a visit to the Parisian Exhibition in August. Unique manuscript volume, bound in the Royal Court of Hanover, written at the height of the California Gold Rush and featuring historic Americana content. Manuscript
The light vessels being the predecessors of the two permanent lighthouses of Ceylon fame, situated some fourteen kilometers apart off the coast of Yala National Park. Two folio documents: April 1869 double leaf true copy of a memorandum on winds and currents at Little Basses; April 1870 single leaf notice to sea captains announcing the temporary lighthouse near the Great Basses, issued by Colonial Secretary Henry Turner Irving (later Governor) and penned in a secretarial hand; both on blindstamped stationery of the United States Commercial Agency of Ceylon measuring approximately 20 x 32 cm. Slight age-toning, otherwise in very good condition, rare documents connected to two offshore lighthouses which are among the most famous in Asia. This fascinating and detailed manuscript lighthouse report, was made prior to the actual lighthouses having been constructed, by a sea captain who lived on the light ship anchored off the Ceylon southern shore for at least seven years, making important observations and providing light for navigators. The first document is an annual report by John Buchanan, master of the light vessel at Little Basses, describing seasonal wind and weather conditions, sea currents, tides, monsoons and storms, over the period of one year. The captain also describes steamships having difficulties making the passage to shore. This document being a true copy of the original made in April 1869 by Thomas Steele, Assistant Government Agent at Hambantota, who took a noteworthy interest in local antiquities and Sinhalese literature. [An admiralty notice based on Buchanan's memorandum, though slightly edited, was published in the London and China Telegraph, Vol. 12, May 16, 1870, and also in The Nautical Magazine and Naval Chronicle for 1870]. Excerpts from Buchanan's lightship memorandum: ".... at Little Basses Rocks, Ceylon, during 13 months as observed from the Light Ship." "January [1869]... It would not be inaccurate to say that a strong current continues throughout January coming from the NNE from the Bay of Bengal setting S.S.W. Sea crossing very rough all the month.... both wind and tide against them...difficult for ships to get to the Northeast. It would be well not to attempt to do so." "February... towards the end of the month the wind becomes much lighter. The northerly current also slacken. Occasionally in the month the Light Vessel swings. In 1868, however, she did not swing until April, while in the current year (1869) she swings in February. During the seven years I have been here, the SW monsoon has not hitherto set in regularly until from the 4th to the 10th of May. This year it has been steady at SW since April 6th. The present year is accordingly an exception to the rule..." "I consider March one of our finest months at the Little Basses... 87º in the shade... Shipmasters going to any part of Burmah need have no cause for hesitation... " "May... the monsoon sets in strong and steady... much rain falls, and thunder and lightning... until about the 20th October..." "June, July, August and September... the S.W. monsoon blows strong and steady... Notwithstanding the extreme difficulty I have been enabled (occasionally at much risk of life and property) to keep up a monthly communication with Pottana Bay [Pothana Bay], and thence by land with Galle." "November... much thunder and lightning... Floating bodies invariably I have observed, set right out to sea, S.S.W. ..." "Summary... There are no regular tides... the N.E. monsoon... during five months without variation. Thus a steamer steering N.N.E., has not only to oppose a three-knot tide opposed to her, but the wind dead against her... some steamers barely make two miles an hour going to the north... When the sun goes to the northward of the Light Ship, there is no more N.E. monsoon... in the event of a vessel making Dondra Head when bound to Galle, which is not uncommon the Master should never attempt to beat to Galle, but recross the line." End Excerpts. "Notice to Mariners, Bay of Bengal. Temporary Lighthouse near the Great Basses" heads the second document, which was issued by Colonial Secretary Henry T. Irving at Colombo in April 1870. Irving became a colonial governor not long after. Here too, prior to construction of a permanent structure, the admiralty anchored a temporary light-vessel upon which was mounted a revolving signal. This announcement came approximately one year before placement of the first stone for the lighthouse, and four years before it would begin operation. Excerpt from Irving's notice to mariners: "... it is hereby notified... that a light-vessel, exhibiting at an elevation of 38 feet above the sea, a red revolving light at intervals of 45 seconds, has been placed... at a distance of 3/4 of a mile from the N.E. rock of the Great Basses Reef... The vessel carries two balls vertical at the Mast Head." End Excerpt. Sir Henry Turner Irving, GCMG (1833-1923) was a British Civil Servant and Colonial Administrator. He first served as acting Governor of British Ceylon. In 1873-1874, he served as Governor of the Leeward Islands. In 1874-1880, he served as Governor of Trinidad and Tobago. In 1882-1887, he served as Governor of British Guiana. He was the first Governor of Trinidad to occupy the Government House, now known as the President's House. Notes on the lighthouses that subsequently replaced the "light-ships" described above: Great Basses Reef Lighthouse is an offshore lighthouse in the south of Sri Lanka. Accessible only by boat, it is located on a reef 13 km off the coast of Yala National Park, near Little Basses Reef Lighthouse. The necessity of a lighthouse at this location was acknowledged in 1856, a design of an iron tower on a granite base was suggested and costs began to be incurred without fruition. A new design by Alexander Gordon and Sir James Nicholas Douglass was approved in 1867. The executive engineer in charge was James' brother William Douglass. Two steam vessels were used, each capable of carrying 120 tonnes of stone, and each equipped with the appropriate lifting gear. Each support block weighed 2 to 3 tons. The first stone was laid in December 1870, the last in late 1872 and the light was lit in March 1873. The cost had been £63,000, of which £40,000 had been expended to no effect before Trinity House and William Douglass were involved. Little Basses Reef Lighthouse is an active offshore lighthouse at the southern end of Sri Lanka. It is located on a reef called Kuda Ravana Kotuwa (Fort of Little Ravana), formerly called Little Basses by the British when they invaded Ceylon. It is fourteen km off the coast of Yala National Park and north east of the Great Basses Reef Lighthouse. It was completed in 1878, built by William Douglass using the same steam ships, crew and workers as the Great Basses Reef Lighthouse. Designed by Sir James Nicholas Douglass, Little Basses lighthouse was one of a limited number of lighthouses that were designed to house the large Hyperradiant Fresnel lenses that became available at the end of the 19th century. Four of these lenses were used in Sri Lankan lights, all made by Chance Brothers in England. The lighthouse is close to Daedalus Rock, site of the sinking of HMS Daedalus (1811). The two Basses lighthouses are among the most famous offshore lighthouses of Asia. Manuscript
8vo. 2 pages of text written recto and verso on a single leaf watermarked with a fleur-de-lis, measuring approximately 22 x 23 cm. Age-toned, small chips to extremities, otherwise in very good condition for its age and origin. Trading merchandise such as fine Bordeaux wine known as claret, and French linen cloth, to affluent British clients and brokers, the merchant and his vessel have yet to be identified, although this simple document attests to the interests of both middle and upper classes of Great Britain in the eighteenth century. In this period, fine claret was a symbol of wealth and power in England, both in political and religious sectors, subsequently creating a significant revenue source for the Crown. The Bordeaux wine was prominent in both court and church, consumed heavily by high society aristocrats, while playing a central role in the Eucharist. During the 1750s, the French were favouring cotton, calico, and some silk over the traditional wool and linen textiles. French style was defined by elaborate court dress, colourful and rich in decoration, worn by such iconic fashion figures as Marie Antoinette. Britain, however was characterized by a propensity for practicality. Simple and modest, durable and inexpensive fabrics were best suited for the popular outdoor lifestyle and portraiture. The shift in styles in France provided an excellent purchasing opportunity for the English to purchase linen at a desirable cost. The merchant/captain's document begins on January 1st 1755, presumably at the onset of a world voyage, with "Cash to Stock £2000 Received from my Father to Begin the World... [Trade/Voyage?]" Ports of call include Roan [Roan, County Tyrone, Ulster, Northern Ireland], and Nanz [Nantes, France]. Claret and linen are purchased from France, and pure Irish butter brought for trade on consignment. Barrels of beef are also sold on consignment. Sundries and repairs to the ship are further noted. Transactions are dated at the center top of each entry, and tallied in Pounds Sterling to the right. This early document appears to have an interesting American connection as well, as two of the transactions involve Swift & Company, one of these being a purchase of beef. The captain first takes a deposit of £1000 on January 2nd, then charges the company on the 29th for 125 barrels of beef consigned by a Charles Curry. Manuscript
A personal and exquisite New Years' greeting, dated 1 January 1932, for Governor of Bengal Sir Francis Stanley Jackson, from the Maharajah Bahadur of Hathwa, signed in the original by the latter "Guru Mahadev Ashram Prasad Sahi". Single leaf one-off printed document on parchment, with illustrated border, recto framed with exquisite gilt ribbons sequined, embroidered, with tassels, verso backed with pink silk textile, measuring approximately 26,5 x 42 cm. Signature faint, document creased, otherwise in very good condition, nicely preserved, clean and bright, a singular and personal document from royalty of India. A singular document, elegantly crafted and signed by a Maharajah, commemorates the end of term for Sir Francis Stanley Jackson as British Governor of Bengal. Sir Francis Stanley Jackson GCSI GCIE KStJ (1870-1947) was a captain in the British Army and served in the Boer War, a Conservative Party MP, Governor of Bengal from 1927 to 1932, and an avid English cricketer. During Stanley's time at Harrow School his fag [personal servant] was fellow parliamentarian and future Prime Minister Winston Churchill. Only five weeks after this document was made, on 6 February 1932, Jackson narrowly escaped an attempted assassination by a female student named Bina Das as he was making a speech in the Convocation Hall of the University of Calcutta. Later in the same year (1932), Jackson he was awarded the KStJ (Order of Saint John) and was appointed GCSI (Most Exalted Order of the Star of India). As such, on this document his honour of chivalry is only Knight Grand Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire. He is also recognized with the title P.C., then being a Member of the Privy Council.
London, 20 September 1947. Manuscript Signed Letter by the Right Honourable Montgomery of Alamein, to well known fiction writer Lady Anderson, mentioning an unpublished book by Anderson which precedes her formal writing career. 8vo. Single-leaf measuring approximately 14 x 18cm (5.5 x 7 inches). Very good condition, and accompanied by the original postally used envelope. Graciously confirming receipt of what appears to be an unpublished book by a well known female author, and perhaps the first she had written, this letter is penned and signed by Bernard Law Montgomery (1887-1976), 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein, and British Army Field Marshal nicknamed "Monty" and the "Spartan General" whose illustrious military career spanned both World Wars, during which time he earned numerous honours and awards. The recipient is Barbara Anderson, Lady Anderson (1926-2013) née Barbara Lillian Romaine, an internationally recognized fiction writer from New Zealand, and later, the wife of Sir Neil Dudley Anderson, Chief of New Zealand Defence Staff. Only a few months to this letter being written, Barbara had graduated with a BSc from Otago University. She subsequently worked as a medical technologist and teacher, though her passion had always been in writing. She finally pursued her formal writing career in her sixties, publishing a volume of short stories, for the first time, in 1989. The book mentioned in this letter does not appear on common lists of her published works, and pre-dates her writing career by approximately thirty years. The letter reads as follows: "Dear Lady Anderson, I have just got back from Germany and found your book 'Lend Me Your Ears'. Thank you so very much. Yrs. ever Montgomery of Alamein" [signed] Manuscript
Original Signed Letter by Lord Holland. 8vo. 4 pages on a double-leaf measuring approximately 11cm x 17cm. Very good condition. An interesting letter between English upper class aristocrats, pertaining to the natural history of fresh water fish, and the sport of angling, with reference to reports by respected angler and author on the subject, Sir Humphrey Davy, as well as Lord Kinnaird of Scotland. The recipient is unidentified, but could be MP Thomas Creevey, or Samuel Rogers the famous author and banker, both of whom the Baron was frequently communicating with at the time. Dated, Holland House, 17 July 1826, and signed Vassall Holland, the letter was originally sent with two reports from the Select Committee on the Salmon Fisheries of the United Kingdom, published for the Great Britain Parliament, House of Commons, in 1825. Sir Humphrey Davy (1778-1829), English Baron, was highly respected for his study and skill as an angler. In 1828, two years later than this letter which refers to his expertise, the baron published a book on the subject, titled "Salmonia or Days of Fly Fishing." Very well received, it was a few editions, and an American edition followed four years later. In it he compares the habits and physiological attributes of river and lake fish throughout Europe, including numerous rivers in England, the Danube, Glommen river in Norway, Lake Morat in Switzerland, the Rhine, and so forth. Naturally, the self-touted philosophical angler, also contemplates various fishing strategies.
Original letter penned and signed by Layard after the Bulgarian uprising in the Balkans. The letter measures 7 x 9 inches dated February 23, 1878 while he was HBM Ambassador in Constantinople. The letter provides a reference for a James Long, MA who was a humanitarian. Long was about to go to Bazandjik on the Danube in Bulgaria which had recently been occupied by the Russians during the Russo-Turkish War. Together with the letter is an original portrait photograph of Layard measuring 8 x 10 inches as well as a contemporary bigraphical sketch from the 1880's. Letters from Layard while abroad are rare. Manuscript
Manuscript commonplace book created at the York House - where Charles Dickens reputedly wrote some of his novels - by a woman called Laura Simpson, daughter of Malton solicitor Alfred Simpson, Esq., who was also appointed Bailiff of the Borough of Malton in 1856 by 6th Earl Fitzwilliam, owner of the York House, the most important historic house in Malton. Miss Laura signs and dates the front endpaper on 30 August 1872, and again to its verso on 2 February 1873, though dated entries range from 1870 to 1875. 8vo. 68 pages featuring manuscript entries and newspaper clippings of various subject matters. Quarter calf over brown and yellow marbled boards. Volume measures approximately 16,5 x 19,5 cm. Very good condition. The volume was created by a young woman who evidently lived at York House in Malton which has an interesting connection to Charles Dickens from only twenty-five years earlier. Her father having close ties with the owner of the Fitzwilliam Malton Estate, it is quite conceivable that he met or knew the great author personally. Laura Simpson is the daughter of Alfred Simpson, Esq., a solicitor, Chairman of the Malton Burial Board, and Bailiff of the Borough of Malton, whose residence was at Yorkersgate, presumably being a tenant of the York House owing to the Simpson-Fitzwilliam family connection through an earlier marriage. York House is an impressive 17th century home in Malton where Charles Dickens reputedly wrote many of his novels, where he certainly found inspiration for some of his characters. The reason for Charles Dickens' association with Malton, and York House in particular, was his long friendship with Charles Simpson, solicitor. The Smithson family had their offices on Chancery Lane in Malton and they also shared a practice in London. The death of Charles Simpson's father in 1829, had necessitated his brother Henry to return to Malton and take over the family business, whereas Charles remained in London. It is whilst residing in London that Smithson & Dickens met. Thomas Mitton, a friend of Dickens had persuaded him to act as surety on a loan to purchase a one-third stake of Smithson & Dunn. In 1840, Henry followed his father and brother John to his grave. Charles was compelled to leave London and take over both the Chancery Lane practice and the duties of the town Bailiff previously carried out by his father and brother. Dickens visited Malton often in the 1840s. He delighted audiences with his readings wherever he went. He read in Malton, in what was said to be a theatre, on one of his visits. Manuscript
30 January 1868. Manuscript Signed Letter by Sir John Kirk, British administrator in Zanzibar and co-explorer with David Livingstone, in which leading explorers of the Dark Continent are mentioned. 8vo. Double-leaf mourning stationery, measures approximately 18cm x 11cm. Creased, otherwise in very good condition, interesting correspondence on the procurement of significant autographs. The letter reads as follows: "Dear Mrs. Carnegie, Please give to Mrs. Baradaille the enclosed autographs of Livingstone and Du Chaillu. Of Murchison I have not one now but so frequently am in correspondence with him that it cannot be long time before I can add it also. Give her my best regards and believe me I am Yours sincerely. John Kirk" Manuscript
Folio, signed and inscribed document on laid, watermarked paper. Printed to one side, completed in manuscript by William IV of the United Kingdom when he was Lord High Admiral. The official warrant, by the Royal Navy, commissioning Charles Sharp to serve on His Majesty's ship 'Herald.' Single leaf measuring approximately 32cm x 20cm. Small tears to lower margin, unobtrusive to the text, otherwise in very good and original condition. Scarce signed royal personalia item. Manuscript
Octavo in black slipcase, black plastic spiral-bound; [54] p : col. ill. ; 21 cm. Signed by author. || Hebrew language -- Alphabet -- Religious aspects -- Spiritual life; Judaism; Cabala.
Manuscript diary with several drawings, kept by an Englishman who travelled with his family to Germany, Belgium, Switzerland from 29 May 1867 - 15 June 1867, then to France from 1 June 1873 - 12 December 1874, relocating them for these 15 months to Normandy. Contains approximately 36 drawings, one which is a double-leaf scene pasted within, and a few botanical specimens mounted within. Accompanied by a travel itinerary with colour map detailing part of the first journey to the continent in 1867. 8vo. 2, 136, 156 pages. Brown leather boards, tooled front and back. Volume measures approximately 10 x 15 x 2 cm. Map/itinerary leaf measures 18 x 12,5 cm. Wear to boards especially at spine, front hinge delicate, otherwise in very good condition, an interesting Victorian diary. The writer is John Davis Britton, born on 28 December 1832 as revealed within the diary when he celebrates his 41st birthday at home in Vire. He is travelling with his wife Kitty, and children, at least five of whom are named - Lizzie, Aline, Ethel, Diddy, Dick. The delightful two-week travel to the continent features accounts of Lucerne at the dawn of tourism before most of today's historic hotels were even built, and highly favourable descriptions of Freiburg im Breisgau which has nothing short of enamoured the visitors. Manuscript