Showing 1681 results

Visiting card with Zola's name and address. Inscribed: 'Je recommande bien vivement M.J. Sofer, qui est un artiste en miniature micrographique fort adroit et des plus intéressants'.

Autograph, unsigned.

A holograph manuscript, c1900, of The Gods of Germany written by Israel Zangwill.

Manuscript volume containing a draft by Gavin Young, 1832, of his pamphlet Observations on the law of population: being an attempt to trace its effects from the conflicting theories of Malthus and Sadler (London, 1832). It contains cancelled material which does not appear in the printed edition, and on the front cover is attributed to a 'Colonel Twenny'. The British Library catalogue gives the author as Young.

Letter from Arthur Young of Suffolk Street, Charing Cross to J B Holroyd [afterwards 1st Earl of Sheffield], Sheffield Place, East Grinstead, Sussex, 4 Feb 1777. Asks for information relating to the management of Holroyd's estates in Ireland.

Autograph, with signature.

Letter from Arthur Young to the Rt Hon Lord Sheffield [1st Earl of Sheffield], Sheffield Place, East Grinstead, Sussex, [Aug 1790]. Refers to Young's last journey to France and Italy in 1789. The Duc de Liancourt entertained him in Paris for three weeks; he wishes to buy "some capital Sussex oxen" for Liancourt and enquires whether Lord Sheffield has any "of the first rate". States that France is absolutely ruined in point of trade and manufactures. Mentions a conversation with Lord Hawkesbury [Charles Jenkinson] 'on ye new corn bill wch appar. will be a governt. one - & so not too good for ye L Int. [landed interest]".

Autograph, with signature. Written on the blank pages of a printed questionnaire asking for information from corn growers in relation to the Corn Laws, for use in Young's 'Annal of Agriculture'; answers to the questions are filled in in MS.

Letter from John Yates of Liverpool to his son, Reverend James Yates, 30 Apr 1810. Congratulating him on coming of age.

Autograph, with signature.

Letter from John Ashton Yates of Bryanston Square, London to his brother James Yates of Bagdale, Whitby, 19 Aug 1843. Describing his family's journey from Whitby to London and the visits they made en route. 'The second night we slept at Rugby and saw the 500 boys at their desks'.

Autograph, with signature. Date derived from the postmark; the letter itself is dated 'Saturday noon'.

Letter from James Yates of Lauderdale House, Highgate, London to Samuel [A Thompson Yates], [1861-1871]. Mentioning 5s 6d paid to Mr Sackett for 'the engraving of Baskerville ... A person named Matthews in Birmingham has published a new edition of the view of the houses at Birmingham, which were destroyed at the Riots [of 1791 against Joseph Priestley and other non-conformists]. One of these is a view of Baskerville House. It [the house] was purchased and enlarged by Mr John Ryland, and in that state was destroyed by the mob ...'

Autograph, with signature.

Photographs, accompanied by notes and correspondence of manuscripts, collected by Cyril Ernest Wright c1933-1972. The first section of the collection contains papers, plates, photocopies, photographs, translations and notebooks containing notes of certain Middle English manuscripts held in The British Library, Oxford Bodleian Library, Durham Cathedral and Cambridge University Library. There are also some items of correspondence concerning Middle English Manuscripts (1948-1977). The second section contains photographs taken from Italian Renaissance manuscripts, notebooks of notes concerning manuscripts in various Dutch, Italian and English libraries and museums. Section 3 contains photographs of manuscripts, plates and proofs for Fontes Harleiani: a Study of the Sources of the Harleian Collection of Manuscripts in the British Museum. In the final section of the collection is a list of Harley Manuscripts in the Department of Manuscripts at the British Library.

Manuscript letter, dated 22 February, 1643, containing an Order of the Committee of Revenue to Thomas Fauconbridge, Receiver of Crown Revenues, to pay 'the poore Pewterers or Hammer men' of London the sum of £100, due to them by virtue of an Act of Parliament. The letter is signed by members of the Committee for Revenue, including Sir Henry Vane, Sir Henry Mildmay, Francis Rous, William Ashhurst, Thomas Hoyle and Dennis Bond. With a receipt dated 27 February 1643, bearing 56 signatures or marks and the signature of Robert Leeson, Warden of the Worshipful Company of Pewteres.

Two documents giving names of members of the company.

2 letters from Francis Wormald of 59 Warwick Square, London to Miss Joan Gibbs, 1 Oct 1967-10 Mar 1970.

Both items are autograph, with signatures. Filed with the original envelopes.

The collection, 1930-1970, contains working notebooks and lecture notes on publications written by Francis Wormald. Also includes correspondence relating to publications; files containing material relating to organisations and committees, with which Wormald was concerned, photographs, postcards and pocket diaries.

World War One Pamphlets collection, 1913-1921, comprises suppressed leaflets and pamphlets including those written by Clifford Allen and Fenner Brockway, 1913-1917; The Tribunal, 1918-1919; Union of Democratic Control leaflets, 1919; pacifist leaflets, 1915-1916; No-Conscription Fellowship leaflets, 1916.

Letter from William Wordsworth to G B Airy, Astronomer Royal and member of the University of London Senate, [Mar c 1838]. Supporting John Thomas Graves's application for the post of Registrar to the newly-formed university.

Autograph, with signature.

Manuscript of a William Wordsworth sonnet entitled On a portrait of the Duke of Wellington on the Field of Waterloo, by Haydon, suggested by Haydon's 'Picture of the Duke of Wellington upon the field of Waterloo, twenty years after the battle' (painted for St. George's Hall, Liverpool.) It comprises 14 lines of verse, with some alterations in the text.
A note on the page reads 'Composed while ascending Helvellyn. Monday August 31st 1840. Wm Wordsworth. Private at present'. The manuscript appears to be in the hand of Mary Wordsworth.

Fragment of a letter from Virginia Woolf to an unknown recipient, [1924]. 'We [?Virginia and Leonard Woolf] are here [?in London] till October ... I'm so sorry about Lady Colvin' [?a reference to the death of Frances Colvin, the wife of Sir Sidney Colvin on 1 Aug 1924].

Autograph, with signature.

Two typescript letters to Professor W.A. Davenport, Oct-Nov 1967, relating to Virginia Woolf's To the Lighthouse.

Letter from John Woodrow of the Cannon Hotel, Cockspur Street to [Patrick] Colquhoun, 26 May 1818. Covering letter sending a copy of his pamphlet on savings banks and friendly societies.

Written in another hand and signed by Woodrow.

Letter from Sir Charles Wood, Chancellor of the Exchequer, of Hickleton, [near Doncaster] to an unspecified recipient, 19 Oct 1849. 'Dear Sir, It is unlucky that the D.G. [i.e. Dei Gratia (by the grace of God)] was left out [from the inscription on the new florin (2 shilling) coin] - people attach more importance to such matters now a days. Yours truly C. Wood'.

Autograph, with signature.

Letter from John Wood to Richard Oastler via the Post Office, Leeds, Yorkshire [redirected from Foxley Hall, Huddersfield], Nov 1830. 'I send you this as proof of the general disposition to meet the question. The signatures annexed include almost every Bradford Spinner ...'.

Autograph, with signature. Written on the dorse of a poster advertising a meeting of Bradford worsted spinners on 22 Nov 1830, with the aim of improving working conditions; the poster is folded in half, with the direction and postmarks on one leaf and the content of the letter on the other.

(1) Postcard from Thomas James Wise of Heath Drive, Hampstead, London to [Stewart Marsh] Ellis of Kent Gardens, Kew, Surrey, 18 Sep 1931. 'I should like to be identified as a descendant of the Wises who published some of the Shakespeare Quartos!'.
(2) Letter from Mrs Frances Louise Wise of Heath Drive, Hampstead, London to [Stewart Marsh] Ellis of Kent Gardens, Kew, Surrey, 31 Aug 1932. Arranging a meeting at the theatre. 'Tom is still improving, he hobbled into the library yesterday ...'. Autograph, with signature.

Petition to Henry Pelham, First Lord of the Treasury, presented by glass makers giving 'Reasons against importing French Wine in Bottles', dating from either 1743 or 1754. Signed by Richard Ricardi, Gerard van Horn, William Jackson and Samuel Lowe.

Collection of manuscripts relating to the wine trade, comprising:

1. Indictment made by Edmond Trimer at the Middlesex Quarter Sessions held at Hicks Hall, 7 Jul 1658, to the effect that George Taylor, victualler of South Mimms, Middlesex, had sold 60 pints of wine (French, white, and Spanish sack) since 7 Aug 1657, contrary to the Act. Taylor had forfeited £600, and was to appear in court to answer the charge. Trimer claimed half the fine.
2. Letter from John Hunter, British Consul at Seville and San Lùcar, 16 Mar 1790, to Henry Dundas, Treasurer of the Navy, enclosing a 'Proposal for a supply of wine for the British Navy to be shipped in San Lucar, and delivered in Portsmouth', and a 'Proposal for a deposit of wines in the Isle of Wight'. Both proposals are signed by John Hunter, 16 Mar 1790.
3. Two letters from James Rannie, written at Leith, Scotland, including a covering letter dated 9 Mar 1795 to Henry Dundas, then Secretary of State for War and the Colonies, for a petition from the 22 'merchants, importers and dealers in foreign wines in Leith', against the proposed retrospective increase of duties on stocks of wine held by merchants on 24 Feb 1795 (wanting); and a letter from Rannie to Dundas dated 9 May 1795 concerning wines shipped to Dundas and wines reserved for him. (Rannie is spelt 'Rennie' in the endorsements.)
4. Memorandum endorsed 'Attorney General's [Sir John Willes] opinion...Wine imported in flasks or bottles, whether the officers may accept the duties where no fraud appears', dated 29 May 1736.
5. Draft of a bill to repeal the Acts of 1727 and 1745 setting duties on wine, endorsed 'A clause about wine imported in flasks or bottles'.

Letters and accounts, mostly concerned with the cloth and clothing trade, between 1755 and 1763. The material was created by both Benjamin Wilson and Jonathan Dickinson, who appear to have been business partners.

Papers of Andrew Wilson, 1809, comprise a letter to [W L Mansel], Bishop of Bristol and Master of Trinity College, Cambridge, requesting that 'his Lorship will accept of this copy of the only stereotyped Greek Testament in the world, as a small memorial of A.W.'s sense of his Lorship's partiality to the art of Stereotype Printing'.

Four wills, details as follows:

1. Probate copy of the will of William Batte of Shoreham, Kent, making 'my loving master John Baker' the overseer of his will, 27 Dec [1615]. Lacking letters of probate and seal.
2. Probate copy of the will of Joseph Wright of Maidstone, Kent, 'practitioner of physick', 12 May 1701. Lacking letters of probate and seal.
3. Copy of the will of John Streatfield of Maidstone, Kent, 12 Apr 1766, with a note of probate on 4 Nov 1768, 'Extracted from the registry of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury. The will mentions bequests to the Charity School of Maidstone and monies to be distributed to the poor of the parished of Maidstone, Hever, Mayfield (Sussex), Tonbridge and Penshurst.
4. Copy of the will dated 11 Oct 1777, with a codicil of 28 Mar 1781, of Robert Streatfield of Burwack [Burwash], Sussex, with a note of probate on 19 Mar 1782. The will was extracted from the registry of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury.

Personal papers and correspondence, c1850-1900.

2 letters to Owen Williams, 22-30 Nov 1806, relating to copper and timber production. Including 3 sheets of tables and calculations.

A printed copy of Williams' Walpole's Foreign Policy, 1900-1901 with manuscript notations by the author.

Letter from A Moray Williams, 19 May 1932. Address: North Stoneham House, near Eastleigh, Hampshire. To [Thomas] Sturge Moore. Thanks him 'for reading my version of Sakuntala [Shakuntala] so carefully ... I know now that my version is not an adaptation of Kalidasa or a possible stage play of the Sakuntala story. But your kind and helpful criticism encourages me to try again and I think I shall do so'.

Autograph, with signature.

A pencilled draft of a letter from Sturge Moore to W B Yeats (offering commiserations on the death of his friend and patron, Lady Gregory) appears on the dorse of the second leaf.

Wash and line drawing.

Papers of Samuel Wilderspin, 1823-[1980], chiefly comprising letters received by Wilderspin, although there are a few in series 6 (Manuscripts) written by him. The rest of the collection comprises material collected by Wilderspin, including notices of his lectures, a few sample lessons and promotional literature on literary, scientific and educational societies, and Wilderspin's and Thomas Young's printed works laying out their theories of education. There are also two theses on Wilderspin. Series 7 (Local Infant Schools), is material collected by Wilderspin's biographers Dr Francis A. Young and Dr Phillip McCann, about schools founded by Wilderspin, in the course of writing their book on him.

Particular points of arrangement:

1. Although the material is arranged in classes there are many items that appear to be in the wrong class or which could belong to more than one. Cross-references, especially for the Gaskell letters and material relating to lectures, have been made but it would be advisable to read all the class descriptions when looking for items. References to individuals other than the Gaskells have not been cross-referenced as the class and list descriptions are a guide only to the nature of the papers.
   2. Generally the collection within classes is arranged chronologically. Where material in a class was packaged in date sequences which overlapped it was resorted chronologically on arrival at the archive. The exception is 6/Manuscripts which contains three sets of material each with different provenance.
   3. Endorsements - Many pieces are endorsed. Some are by Wilderspin, in ink. He tended to write the sender's name on the back of the letter. Others are in pencil and are by Dr. Francis Young who added possible dates, explanations and possible readings of illegible words. He also wrote some explanations in biro on separate sheets of paper. These have been left with the originals and are numbered in the same sequence.
   4. Some letters refer to "enclosed" items. The whereabouts of these are no longer known.
   5. For counting purposes note that the previous counting of pieces and items has been confused. The number of items quoted in the class descriptions and recorded on the envelopes containing the papers may not therefore reflect the exact size of the class. For a definition of items and pieces see Cook, M The Manual of Archival Description 2nd edition (1989).
   6. For some years there is copious material while for others there is very little.
   7. Where possible the main subjects in a class, in terms of quantity, have been identified in the class description. Some classes, however, were too diverse to do this.
   8. Many of the dates have been added to the documents in pencil by Dr. Francis Young, brother to John Young, who deposited the papers.

Files containing photocopies of articles, manuscripts, notes and a thesis concerning the career and life of infant educationalist Samuel Wilderspin (1792-1866).

Letter from William Wilberforce of Elmodon House, near Birmingham to the Reverend William Jay, 30 Dec 1831. 'I feel honor'd as well as gratified by the proof of your esteem and regard for me which you give by desiring to place my name at the head of your new publication'.

Autograph, with signature.

Letter from William Wilberforce of Iver, Buckinghamshire to the [? Home Office], 2 Aug 1823. Asking for 'Mr. Peele' [i.e. the Home Secretary, Robert Peel, later Sir Robert Peel] to consider 'the application of several highly respectable people in favour of Geo. Fish [convicted at Hull] ... that instead of being transported for 7 years according to his sentence, he may be placed in the Penitentiary in the not unreasonable hope that the principles which were instilled into him in his childhood may there be reviv'd'. Requesting that any decision be communicated to him at Elmdon House near Coventry.

Autograph, with signature.

A manuscript statement of poor rates collected for one year from Lady Day (25 Mar) 1833 to Lady Day 1834 [in Suffolk]. Signed by Whymper and dated 29th April 1834.

The vast majority of these papers relate to Whiteley's life between 1923 and 1938. They cover the years when she lived in England and are also a useful source for information concerning her travels in India, although there is practically nothing relating to her visit to Rome and the period of her residence in Austria.

There is an extensive series of letters written to Whiteley whilst she was living in England. These letters (MS 949/1B) indicate the friendships and contacts that she made in England and maintained overseas. They also give information about her work and activities during this period of her life. The ephemera and other material collected by Whiteley provides supporting information about her concerns and interests during this period (MS 949/5-7). There is a large amount of photographic material in this collection, the bulk of which was created during Whiteley's travels in India during 1924 and 1925 (MS 949/8-9). As well as being a source of information about Whiteley herself and the places which she visited, the images also give information about the region of Udaipur, its people, architecture and social customs. The photographic material is supported by letters to Whiteley and papers and letters written by her whilst in India (MS 949/3).

There is also a significant amount of material written by Whiteley for her own use (MS 949/4). It is rather difficult to make sense of much of this material, although some of it clearly relates to her interests and research. However, these papers clearly give an indication of Whiteley's state of mind at this period.

Three holograph receipts, 1679-1706, of Gilbert Whitehall and two receipts of assignees of Whitehall.

A note book, 1800, of George Whitaker, a merchant living in Milnthorpe, Westmorland, enclosing a printed version of the Rules and Orders of the Milnthorpe Friendly Society.

Letter from John and Richard Wheen of the Soapworks, Ratcliffe Highway, St George in the East, [London] to Lieutenant-Colonel C N Fox, 17 Mar [1846]. Covering letter enclosing 'a statement of the case of the soap trade for the repeal of the duty'; they hope that Fox will accompany the deputation to Sir Robert Peel.

Autograph, with two signatures.

Copy of Court Roll made at the Court Baron of Sir John Brokett (Brockett), Lord of the Manor of Westington, containing a surrender by John Clerke (by the hands of John Cony and William Clerke, customary tenants) of a copyhold property and the admission of John Adams, his heir, for a fine of 16s. The property consists of 3 acres known as Grene Croft. Signed by Thomas Walkenden, steward.

Copy of a Court Roll made at the Court Baron of Sir John Brokett (Brockett), Lord of the Manor of Westington, containing a Surrender of copyhold by Richard Adams, customary tenant, of a tenement with croft adjacent containing one acre, another close containing about three acres, also three acres of arable land lying in Fynceley Churche Fylde, to the use of John Adams, his elder son. Also contains the Admission of John Adams for an annual rent of 7s.9d.

A rent and account book, 1700-1712, for the estates of Sir John Wentworth in Yorkshire.

Letter from Herbert George Wells of 47 Chiltern Court, Clarence Gate, London to D Wylie King [Mining Editor of the Financial Times] of The Close, Draycott Avenue, Kenton, Middlesex. Relating to Wells's use of King's phrase 'world audit' in The Work, Wealth and Happiness of Mankind (1931).

Autograph, with signature.

With a typescript envelope (stamp torn away) and an undated cutting [probably contemporary with the letter] about The Work, Wealth and Happiness of Mankind.

Letter from Herbert George Wells of 4 Whitehall Court, London to [a newspaper], 20 Apr 1927. Note announcing the marriage (on 20 April 1927) of his eldest son, George Philip Wells, to Miss Marjorie Stewart Craig [H G Wells's secretary], giving some details of their careers and degrees.

Typescript, with autograph signature.

Letter from Herbert George Wells of Easton Glebe, Dunmow, [Essex] to Mr [Frank T A] Ashton-Gwatkin, 21 Jun 1921. Commenting on Ashton-Gwatkin's work Kimono (1921) [published under the pseudonym John Paris].

All letter are autograph, with signatures.

(i) Letter from Herbert George Wells of The Bridge Hotel, Wheatley, Oxfordshire to the External Registrar, University of London, 4 Aug 1942. Concerning the submission of his thesis, entitled Illusory Continuity of the Personal Life for the degree of DSc. 'It is essentially an essay upon human ecology'. Autograph, with signature. (ii) Carbon copy of the Registrar's reply to H G Wells, 12 Aug 1942. H G Wells was granted a DSc in 1943.

(i) 5 letters from Herbert George Wells to Stephen and Nell Hunter, [1894-1910]. Topics covered include illustrations and Isabel Wells, Wells's first wife. All items are autograph and 4 are signed; the signature from one has been cut away.

(ii) Letter from Jack Stephen to Professor George Philip Wells (son of H G Wells) of the Department of Zoology, University of London, 19 Mar 1967. Forwarding H G Wells's correspondence. Typescript, with signature.

(iii) Letter from H G Wells to [D T] Richnell of University of London Library, 4 Nov 1967. Forwarding the above letters as a gift to the library. Autograph, with signature.

A license, 1637, granting Gilbert Wells access to his father's properties.

Special Licence to Gilbert Wells, esquire, son and heir of Thomas Wells, esquire, deceased, a former tenant-in-chief holding by knight service, to enter into all the manors, messuages, lands, tenements etc in England, Wales and the Marches which were his father's.