Congrégation

Sir George Wigram Allen Australian politician. Autograph Letter Signed 'G: Wigram Allen' to the Auckland ironmonger Samuel Hague Smith regarding 'the slabs of white marble'.

17594 — On Sydney letterhead 27 May 1881. 2pp. 12mo. Bifolium. Cut down at margins with loss to part of letterhead. Addressed to 'S Hague Smith Esqr Pitt St North'. He writes that he has not yet received a sample for 'the slabs of white marble 12 inches square' and asks him to 'give an answer to Odling Bros' as he wishes to know 'what quantity I could get from the person whom you <> & about the quantity also'. Manuscript note in another nineteenth-century hand at foot of second page: 'Autograph of Sir Geo Wigram Allen Speaker of the House of Assembly in Legislative Council - Also President of the Bible Society &c.' Hague Smith was according to the Australian newspaper the 'Observer' in 1900 'once upon a time a rather long time ago— one of the leading merchants of Auckland went bankrupt in 1871 In the days when copper tokens were current coin of the realm those bearing the effigies of Mr Samuel Hague Smith made his personality almost as familiar in Auckland as that of the Queen herself. He is now resident manager at Sydney of the Colonial Limited Fire Insurance Company and appears to be highly popular there. .' On Sydney letterhead, 27 May 1881. unknown