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Letters of attorney given by holders of South Sea stock in Amsterdam, The Hague and Geneva to London merchants respecting their stock, 1731-1739.

A printed receipt completed in manuscript received by Conrad de Gols on behalf of the Company from [Arthur] Onslow, Teller of the Receipt of the Exchequer, 6 Apr 1737.

Copy of a violin Sonata composed by Francesco Geminiani in 1739, dated 20 Mar 1829.

'Some reflections on the life of William Shakespeare' by James Corton Cowell, 1805, consisting of two essays, the first of 36 p. and incomplete; the second essay occupies p. 55-87. Cowell is the first critic known to have attributed Shakespeare's plays to Bacon.

A collection of miscellaneous documents, 1769-1850, relating to members of the Society of Friends, as follows:

1. Marriage certificate of John Williams, grocer, of the parish of St Mary le Strand in London, and Rachel Hill, on 16 Nov 1769, at the Meeting House in Tottenham, London. Signed by 44 witnesses.
2. Birth certificate of Ann, born 29 Oct 1776 at Stone Dean, Buckinghamshire, daughter of Joseph Green and Mary his wife.
3. Birth certificate of Sarah, born 28 Sep 1792 at Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, daughter of John Harker, cotton spinner, and Elizabeth his wife.
4. Birth certificate of Ann, born 11 Nov 1793 at Mansfield, daughter of John and Elizabeth Harker.
5. Birth certificate of Aston, born 9 Jan 1795 at Mansfield, son of John and Elizabeth Harker.
6. Birth certificate of Elizabeth Ann, born 15 Apr 1799 at Mansfield, daughter of John and Elizabeth Harker.
7. Two copies of the birth certificate of Grizell Maria, born 13 Dec 1799 at Chepping Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, daughter of Samuel Edmonds, mealman, and Grizell his wife.
8. Birth certificate of Henry, born 20 Oct 1801 at Mansfield, son of John Harker and Mary his wife.
9. Birth certificate of Jane, born 14 Mar 1803 at Mansfield, daughter of John and Mary Harker.
10. Birth certificate of Catherine, born 6 Mar 1804 at Mansfield, daughter of John and Mary Harker.
11. Birth certificate of Helen, born 29 Mar 1805 at Mansfield, daughter of the John and Mary Harker.
12. Birth certificate of John, born 5 Aug 1806 at Mansfield, son of John and Mary Harker.
13. Birth certificate of Susanna, born 20 Mar 1808, daughter of John and Mary Harker.
14. Birth certificate of Anna, born 15 Jun 1809 at Mansfield, daughter of John and Mary Harker.
15. Marriage certificate of William Green, grocer, of Chepping Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, and Susannah Lamley, on 26 Aug 1818, at the Meeting House, Shipston-on-Stour, Worcester.
16. Grant of administration of the effects of Susanna Green, late of High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, (d 5 Feb 1838), to her husband William Green, 17 Dec 1839.
17. Probate of the will of Ann Green, spinster (d 26 Jul 1844), of High Wycombe, granted to Henry Lyne and Edwin Harford, her cousins, and Grizzell Edmonds, her sister, 2 Nov 1844.
18. Probate of will of Mary Rock, widow, (d 22 Jan 1850), of Crendon Lane, High Wycombe, granted to Mary Rock, her daughter, 9 May 1850.

A bill, late 17th century, for services rendered and items supplied by a saddler.

Photographs and photostats, many annotated, and manuscript material relating to early church drama, covering 8th-16th century manuscripts collected from throughout Europe. The collection includes a manuscript of the song Doochary with music by Smoldon. The Music of the Medieval Church Dramas by W. L. Smoldon, edited by Cynthia Bourgeault was published by Oxford University Press in 1980.

Letter from William Collingwood Smith of Wyndam Lodge, Brixton Hill, London [the printed address of the Society of Painters in Water Colours, Pall Mall East, London SW, has been struck through] to Augustus De Morgan, 8 Dec 1870. Asking him to assess the depreciation in the Society's assets.

Manuscript volume entitled 'Polices to reduce this Realme of Englande unto a prosperus wealthe and Estate', with a dedicatory epistle to Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset, Lord Protector, possibly written by Sir Thomas Smith in 1549 (as suggested by John Strype in his Life of Sir Thomas Smith, 1698). Catalogued by Reginald Rye, Goldsmith's Librarian of the University of London, as the original manuscript.

Letter from Sarah Smith of 17 The Grove, Clapham Common to Mr Pattison, 16 Apr [1886]. Thanking him for his offer of help. 'We like our new house very much, especially the quiet of its surroundings, as we have gardens and fields before us, and the Common within three minutes' walk ... These are very stirring times. I cannot see how Home Rule can be refused to Ireland by any real Liberal; the people have spoken so plainly. I never was a Gladstonite, but you know I am thoroughly a Radical, even a Republican; and I am often sorry that Cromwell's scheme of United States of Europe had not been founded by him ... We have drafted a bill for the Protection of Children ... The last time I was at the Shelter we had ten children in it ... I have no doubt the Society [for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children] is doing good; and I hope it will do more. We now have a night officer, who patrols the streets; but what is one man in London!'

Autograph, with signature.

Letter from Richard Smith of 'Bordeaux River', [France] to Seth Barton, merchant, Baltimore, [USA], 1794. Giving the terms of a charter party between James Swan and Co and Thomas Harris, on the London Packet (c 260 tons), which was to take on a cargo of wines and brandy at Bordeaux, to carry to Baltimore; discussing expenses and asks Barton to take out £400 insurance for him.

Autograph, with signature.

Manuscript and printed items, 1891-1963, of a personal and business nature relating to George Smith.

A forgery of a sixteen-line song composed in March 1791 by Robert Burns. It is written and signed in imitation of Burn's hand, c1888-1892.

Letter from Adam Smith, 5 Feb 1778. Address: Edinburgh. Acknowledging the receipt of his commission as Commissioner of Customs for Scotland. 'I received the Commission on Monday the 2d ist: four days after my name had appeared in the Gazette: I am assured there is scarce an example of any such commissions coming to Edinburgh in less than four weeks after that publication'.

Autograph, with signature.

Letter from Adam Smith to William Strahan, Esq, MP, 20 Dec 1777, address: Edinburgh, New Street, Shoe Lane, London. Asks for information on the delay in his appointment as a Commissioner of Customs for Scotland. A postscript states: 'Neither you nor Mr [Thomas] Cadell have wrote me anything concerning the new Edition of My Book, is it Published? does it sell well? does it sell ill? does it sell at all?'

Autograph, with signature.

Letter from Adam Smith, 4 Apr 1760. Address: Glasgow. To his publisher, [William] Strahan. Refers to the 2nd edition of Smith's 'The Theory of Moral Sentiments' (1759), to the Act of Union (1707), and to [Nathaniel] Hooke's 'Secret History of Colonel Hooke's Negotiations in Scotland, in favour of the Pretender, in 1707, etc' (1760).

Autograph, with signature. A facsimile, printed for James Bonar's 'Catalogue of Adam Smith's Library' is filed with the original letter.

Letter from Samuel Smiles of 6 Granvill Park Terrace, Blackheath, London to R Harrison, Esq, 22 Jun 1860. Answering enquiries on 'the actual condition of the working classes'. 'The bulk of the writers who write for the working classes are, though very decent penny a liners, for the most part people who know nothing about them, and merely get up what will sell for the day.'

Autograph, with signature.

Letter from Samuel Smiles of West Bank, Blackheath, London to Charles Manby FRS, 14 Dec 1868. Covering letter to a copy of Smiles's Life of George Stephenson etc (1868 edition).

Autograph, with signature.

Letter from Lewis Slight of the Town Hall, Brighton to the Clerk to the Commissioners for Lighting, [King's] Lynn, Norfolk, 6 Jul 1839. Printed circular explaining that the Commissioners under the Brighton Improvement Act [6 Geo.4. c.clxxix (22 Jun 1825)] are about to enter into a new contract for lighting the town with gas; asks the recipients to supply the information specified on the accompanying half sheet [missing], and any other useful particulars.

Signed by Lewis Slight.

Slave pass, 'Pass Jane about town for one month 'till 10 oclock at night'. Signed by W. Woodbridge on 23 Mar 1845.

Manuscript copy of the "The Polish-German War seen from Brazil (1939-1940)".

Letter from Stephen Harry Skillington of 20 Victoria Park Road, Leicester to [Alexander Hamilton] Thompson, 21 Nov 1923. Covering letter enclosing a copy of Skillington's book [A History of Leicester (1923)]; also discussing Skillington's health, etc.

Autograph, with signature.

Printed receipt form, completed in manuscript, 14 Jul 1747, for annuities paid from the Sinking Fund to Sir John Barnard, 'executor of Mr. Robert Pain Barnard and Samuel Troughton assignees of...[the 16 persons named in the] margin'. The payment from the Receipt of the Exchequer totalled £181 10s. The document is signed by the two assignees and Thomas Hankey as witness.

Manuscript volume containing accounts of a sinking fund, 1718-1728, entitled 'Accounts shewing the surplus's on the several Fonds composing the sinking fond from the first establishment thereof to Michaelmas 1728'.

Letter from Sir John Sinclair of Charlotte Square, [Edinburgh] to the [11th] Earl of Buchan, 7 Jul 1798. Asking his advice upon Sinclair's statistical work on Scotland. 'If the arrangement were finally settled I should consider the Works as having made considerable progress. It is like laying the foundation of a new house: or getting over the first stage of a Journey'.

Autograph, with signature.

Letter from Sir John Sinclair of 133 George Street, Edinburgh to James [Thomson] Gibson-Craig of Riccardton, 23 Apr 1825. Covering note enclosing a copy of Sinclair's pamphlet Defence of the landed and farming interests (1825).

Autograph, with signature.

Letter from Sir John Sinclair of Whitehall to Messrs Cadell and Davies, booksellers, Strand, 15 Jun 1795. Asking whether the octavo or quarto size would be the more convenient for reprinting the Agricultural reports of 1794.

Written in another hand with Sir John Sinclair's own signature. With a black seal bearing Sinclair's coat of arms.

A draft reply (dated [16] Jun 1795) is written on the second leaf.

An unpublished typescript of a work that had been accepted for presentation for a University of London PhD (external) in June 1961 entitled 'The diplomatic and economic history of the Somali Coast Protectorate from 1884 to 1897'. The author died in September 1960 and the typescript volume entitled 'The Frontiers of Somalia' has been compiled from his literary remains. The work is incomplete, as it only contains four sections of seven.

A manuscript volume, 1708-1760, compiled by John Sheffield and his third wife Katherine, on various aspects of their lives.

Steward's account, 1780-1787, of Sheffield Place park and farm.

Letters and papers relating to Robert Shedden & Sons, merchants of London, 1794-1823, produced by E.M. Archibald in the case of Sheddon v Patrick, concerning the legitimacy of William Patrick Ralston Shedden. The papers comprise:
Letters, written by Robert Shedden and Sons, London, to William Shedden, New York, introducing merchants travelling to North America needing credit and assistance. The merchants were agents of Boyce Benfield & Co. (12 Mar 1793 and 15 Mar 1794); J.J. Breene (4 Aug 1795); Guerlain & Co (25 Jan and 25 Jun 1794; John MacKenzie (5 Aug 1798); Mr. Piercy (18 Jun 1795); Nathaniel Robbins (12 Mar 1795); Robert Shedden Junior (5 Jun 1798) and Bruce Wilson (2 Jan 1794). The letters introducing the agents of Boyce Benfield & Co. mention trading activities in the Mediterranean. These letters are fastened together and numbered, and also include a receipt for £1659 paid by William Shedden to Elizabeth Paltry Mallet on 22 Aug 1794.
Other documents comprise an authorised copy, made 21 Mar 1797, of an indenture of bargain and sale of 2 Mar 1796, by which David Wilson, a farmer of Harlem, New York, and Margaret his wife, sold to Mary Ker, wife of George Ker, for a consideration of £1800, a dwelling house and land in the seventh ward of Harlem, New York; a letter written from Robert Shedden in New York to James Farquhar, enclosing a printed bond of 26 Jun 1799; a letter written on 31 Dec 1823 by Robert Shedden (of 35 Gower St, London) to William Patrick Ralston Shedden 'at Dr Patrick's, 4th Street, Edinburgh'; and a synopsis of the Shedden papers in the hand of Mrs D. Goldsmith.
All the above, with the exception of the last item, feature annotations in the hand of E.M. Archibald which note that they were produced as exhibits and referred to in the deposition of William Patrick Ralston Shedden.

(1) Letter from Eyre Massey Shaw of the Metropolian Fire Brigade, Watling Street, London to Mr Fraser, 21 Mar 1872. Explaining that he is unable to inspect premises unless invited to do so by the occupants. The law allows 'your neighbours to set their premises on fire, & then, but only then, I have full power to break in & interfere. The moment the place is cool I must walk away ...'.

(2) Letter from Eyre Massey Shaw of the Fire Brigade, Southwark, London to Miss E S Busk, 13 Jul 1889. Stating that Mr G W Gamble, who had applied to Miss Busk for books, was thoroughly respectable, but 'he is not the whole institution', and advising her to lend the books, and then, if the 'society is likely to endure', to turn the loan into a gift; [the society mentioned has not be identified].

Both letters are autograph, with signatures.

Letter from E Shaw of the Derwentwater Hotel, Portincasle, Keswick, [Cumberland] to 'Tom', 25 Sep 1888. Shaw's party had dined at the hotel and were obliged to stay there for a week as they could find no suitable lodgings. They had taken up the Hampsons on the way.

Autograph, with signature. On headed paper, bearing an engraved view of the hotel.

Manuscript volume containing a treatise by John Sharp, Archbishop of York, on English coins and their history, 1697, containing chapters on silver and gold coins, Scots and Irish money, and a commentary on the treatment of coinage in William Nicolson's The English historical library (London, 1696-1699). Marginal notes state that Nicolson had requested Sharp's opinion on his book before its publication, and the whole of this manuscript appears to have been known to Nicolson before he began writing The English historical library. The references to pages in Nicholson's book given in Sharp's notes refer apparently to Nicholson's manuscript copy.

A notebook containing information about early editions of Shakespeare, collected from various sources. On the flyleaf is a note signed by F.J. Burgoyne, Librarian, Lambeth Library, stating that "This MS. from page 19 is in the handwriting of John Payne Collier." (Collier (1789-1883) was a Shakespeare scholar with a reputation for forgery.)

A bi-lateral cipher translation and transcription, prepared by Henry Seymour in 1921, from Bacon's The Historie of the raigne of King Henry the Seventh, 1622, using Bacon's own cipher, as given in the De Augmentis scientarum.

Accounts of 1802-1803 rendered to Mr and Mrs Joshua Sewell for household items and bills for their son, Stephen's education.

Manuscript volume containing sermons written in a mixture of shorthand and longhand, Aug 1727-Feb 1728; some sermons have a second date, such as 1735 and 1736. Many blank pages are stamped with the inscription 'R Porter, Ironmonger, Cutler & Brazier, Tin, Zinc, & Iron Plate Worker, nr. St Peter's Church, Northampton'. There is also a copy of an unaddressed letter, R Porter, Northampton, 22 Dec [18]51 (f.116 verso). The name of George Porter appears on some pages. Pages at the beginning and end of the book are taken up with accounts of the sale of ironmongery, dated 1822-1835.

Manuscript volume of sermons, compiled in 1670, with later additions. The last five pages contain lists of theological works, one page being headed 'Catalogus Librorum 1670'. The third page of the manuscript, dated 20 Mar 1692, records the loan of two books, with a note that 'These are return'd'.

Contains the following items: ff 1-7, 118-119: 'Divine Paradoxes or seeminge Contradictions in Christianitye'; 1644 ff 10-114: 'Sermons concerning the necessity and manner of divine invocation: wherein is taught how our Prayers may be made acceptable unto God, comfortable to our selves', 1626.

Manuscript volume containing a collection of treatises and sermons on the Blessed Virgin Mary, dating from the mid-fifteenth century, and comprising a treatise beginning 'Caritatis radix flos et fructus est eternitatis fundamentum'; Speculum Beatae Mariae Virginis by Conrad of Saxony; a sermon by Saint Augustine of Hippo on the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary; a homily by Saint Anselm on the Feast of the Assumption; a sermon by Saint Augustine of Hippo for the Feast of Assumption; a note on the seven privileges of the Blessed Virgin Mary (possibly taken from the Speculum Beatae Mariae Virginis); and an incomplete copy of a sermon by Saint Ambrose on the Virgin Mary. The manuscript was written by various scribes in a mixture of book-hand and business-hand, probably in Germany.

Tripartite indenture made 13 June 1679 between Thomas Jameson, vicar of the parish church of St John, Hackney, the Wardens and Commonalty of the Goldsmiths' Company of London, and Josiah Williams, blacksmith, and Josiah Ebrell, merchant, churchwardens of the said parish, whereby Jameson entrusted the Company and the churchwardens with £100, the interest of which at 5% was to finance two annual sermons (on Good Friday and Ascension Thursday) to be delivered in St John's by its vicar, and alms for the poor.

Two fragments of leaves containing parts of the sequences 'Eia Recolamus laudibus piis digna' and 'Natus ante secula dei filius' for Christmas on the first leaf; and 'Festa christi omnis christianitas celebret' for Epiphany on the second. The manuscript was probably written in South-west Germany in the 14th century.

Letter from Nassau William Senior of Lincoln's Inn, [London] to William Tinney, 21 May 1836. Covering letter accompanying a copy of Senior's Outline of the science of political economy (1836). 'I intend to send you another, interleaved copy, on which I shall beg for as many remarks as you can give me, for my second edition. I know no critic equal to you'.

Autograph, with signature.

Manuscript volume containing an account by Nassau William Senior of the Poor Law Amendment Bill conferences, 1834. Includes a transcript of a letter dated 2 Mar 1834 from Senior to Henry Petty-Fitzmaurice, 3rd Marquis of Lansdowne. A note by Sir George Nicholls, dated 1851, states 'This very interesting account...was given me by Mr Senior. The detail is valuable and instructive, and I trust Mr Senior will some day make it public. He has given me permission to make use of it in the Work I have commenced, but I purpose doing so in a way that shall not anticipate or interfere with his publishing of the entire, whenever he may determine on doing this'. Senior later gave the manuscript to Nicholls.

Manuscript book containing various tracts and writings concerning the monarchy, constitutional history and royal revenue compiled by Sir Richard Grosvenor, 1637, and copied 'at Sir Roger Mostyn of Mostyns house at my being there from Christmas to May, which was drawen out of the books of . . . Richard Grosevenor Esqr sole son and heire until Sir Richard Grosevenor Knight and Barronett of Eathen [Eaton]-Coate in Cheshsire . . . finished and bound upp the 25th of Aprill 1637". A list of contents shows 23 items: 'An appollogy for the raigne of Queene Eliz'; 'A discourse of Courte and Courtiers'; 'Consideracions of Intercourse dedicated to the Kinge'; 'De sepultura by Sir Hen.Spelman'; 'A tracte sheweinge howe all the kings of England . . . have made meanes for money in their wants, with an Abstracte of the Revenue of most of the Princes of Christendome'; 'The Cause of the Marches of Walles'; 'Off the office of Composicions for Alienacions by Sir Francis Bacon'; 'A Treatise of the Lawe of wrecke of the sea, of the Inundation of the sea, and Cases uppon the Comission of Sewers'; 'The oppinion of the Judges uppon divers questions Concerninge parishes, and . . . toucheing the Comission, by which the Comissioners sitt at Newegate, 1633'; 'Letters of Sir Francis Bacon uppon several occacions'; 'Mr Cuff his letter to Secretary Cecill declareinge the Instruccions [of] the Earle of Essex, to the scottishe Ambassador touchinge the Kings Tytle to the Crowne of England'; 'The Lord Norris his letter to the Kinge after hee had slayne a servant of the Lord Willoughbies; 'The Lord Chancellor Ellesmore his letter to King James desireinge to bee dischardged of his office'; 'A Letter by the Lords of the Counsell to King James toucheinge meanes to advance the Kings Revenues by unusuall wayes soe as the Kinge would take the Acte uppon himself'; 'A Letter from the Bishopp of Lincolne to the Minister of Grantham concerninge the placeinge of the Communion Table' [1636]; 'Twoe Lettres . . . one from the States of Bohemia to the Elector of Saxony, the other from the Pope to the Emperor concerninge the Trobles of Germany'; 'Sir Tho. Smythe his protestacion toucheinge the speeche used to the Earle of Essex'; 'An admonition from a friend nameles to Sir Edward Cooke after his degradation 1616'; 'A Speech of Sir Francis Bacon Lord Keeper at the takeinge of his place in Chancery 1617'; 'Sir Edw.Cooke his speech at the instellation of 11 Serjeants 1614'; 'The lyfe of Sir Tho. Bodley'; 'The death of Queene Eliz'; 'Mr Seldens discourse of the twoe greate offices of state, the Chancellorshipp and Keepeinge of the greate seale of England 1617'.

An English manuscript translation, 1890, of Robert Seidel's work Der Achtstundentag.

Letters, 1861-1894, to Sir John Robert Seeley from various correspondents and some reviews and articles on his acclaimed work Ecce Homo published in 1865.

2 letters written to Frederic Seebohm. (1) From Richard Oliver Heslop, iron and steel merchant of Akenside Hill and Newcastle upon Tyne, 8 Feb 1886. Promising to send a tracing of a map of Corbridge, Northumberland; suggests sources bearing on the history of land tenure in Northumberland. (2) From [James] Saunders, of Clapham and Westminster, 20 Oct 1892. Covering letter sent with tracings of some common field systems, discussing land tenure.

Both letters are autograph, with signatures.

Papers of Frederic Seebholm, comprising some correspondence between Seebholm and his colleagues; transcripts, and notebooks containing notes on a wide range of historical subjects, taken from various historical sources.