Showing 1681 results

Letter from Magnús Stephensen of Copenhagen to His Excellency the Rt Hon Sir Joseph Banks, 17 Oct 1807. Referring to Banks's visit to Iceland and complaining of the severe effects of war [i.e the Napoleonic Wars] on the trade of that country. 'For it is altogether unavoidable for this Island to escape hunger if it is only to hold out one single winter without being supplied with provisions.'

Written in another hand and signed by Stephensen.

Letter from Sir Benjamin Thompson of Munich to Lord Sheffield [John Baker Holroyd, 1st Earl of Sheffield], 3 Oct 1796. Describing how he took control of Munich on the approach of the contending Austrian and French armies: 'No foreign Troops have entered the Town and we have received no insult of any kind from either of the Armies by which we have been surrounded. And though we have seen several very sharp actions within musquet shot of our Walls yet not a shot has been levelled at us, nor have we lost a man.'

Autograph, with signature.

Letter from Silvanus Phillips Thompson of Morland, Chislett Road, West Hampstead, London to R A Rye [University of London Library], 29 Aug [1908]. Accompanying a book borrowed from the University Library about ten years previously, preserved by Professor Thompson because he knew it to be 'safer in his keeping during the interregnum'.

Autograph, with signature.

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 John Bright of One Ash, Rochdale, Lancashire to Professor Blackie of Edinburgh, 13 Apr 1885. 'I found your volume [Scottish Highlanders and the Land Laws (c1885)] when I went to London ... The whole story of the past and present of the Crofter class is not a little one of as melancholy character and their future is not easily perceived.'

Autograph, with signature.

Letter from Jean Ingelow of 15 Holland Park, [London] to Mr Strahan [publisher], [c1860-1897]. 'I hope ... that none of the chapters [of one of her books] copied by hand will be printed at all till after my return when I hope to correct them myself. I leave the whole matter of the American payment to you ...'.

Autograph with signature.

Letter from Richard Doddridge Blackmore to B C Pugh, Esq, 11 Jan 1892. 'I cannot pretend to say what will be the effect of the new Copyright Act and I have thought very little about it'. Autograph with signature.

Letter from Samuel Plimsoll of 28 Park Lane, London to [?a newspaper editor], 26 Feb 1890. Complaining of frequent allegations that: 'I seek to subject English ship-owners to restrictions and regulations from which foreigners are exempted.' He has obtained evidence from the Board of Trade to show that foreign ships are not thus privileged.

Autograph, with signature.

(1) Letter from James Bridgnell to H W I Wood, 28 Apr 1857. Relating to the introduction of a gold currency into India. (2) Reply from H W I Wood to James Bridgnell, 4 Jun 1857. Both letters with signatures.

Letter from Robert Owen of Sevenoaks Park, Sevenoaks, [Kent] to an unknown recipient, 30 Apr 1858. Covering note accompanying number 15 of Robert Owen's Millennial Gazette.

Written in another hand and signed by Owen.

(1) Letter from Charles Stanhope of Chevening, near Sevenoaks, Kent to William Frend, [May 1795]. Declining an invitation to be 'one of the Stewards for your dinner ... But wherever I am, you know that I am unalterable in all my civic Principles.' Deploring the 'studied Incivism' shown by the petition from the county of Middlesex. (2) Letter from Mrs A M D Wilhelmina Stirling, 30 Launceston Place, Palace Gate, London to William Frend De Morgan, [1944-1960]. Includes comments on the content of item (1).

Both letters autograph, with signatures.

2 letters from Walter Copeland Jerrold of Jessamine House, Hampton, [Middlesex] to Edward Clodd, Esq, 1902.

(1) Accompanying a copy of Jerrold's book on George Meredith: 'I feel horribly aware of its many shortcomings ...'., 22 Nov 1902.

(2) Promising to 'correct the reference to the Chelsea "experiment", [?in the same book] at the earliest opportunity', 1 Dec 1902.

Both letters are autograph, with signatures.

Letter from George Meredith of Box Hill, Dorking, [Surrey] to 'Sir Reynard' [Edward Clodd], 28 May 1902. 'If you like to have the dedication [of Walter Copeland Jerrold's book on Meredith] you have only to bow your head ... But there should be no mention of you as the subject's friend, for that would overpower the appreciation ...'

Autograph, with signature.

Letter from John Burns of the Local Government Board, Whitehall, London to R A Rye, [1908]. Thanking him for the loan of books.

Autograph, with signature.

Letter from Sir Edward Henry Busk of Heath End, Checkendon, Oxfordshire to R A Rye. Referring to the removal of his household effects from his London house as 'almost as great a wrench a giving up the Chairmanship of Convocation.'

Autograph, with signature.

(i) 5 letters from Edward Thring, headmaster of Uppingham School to R H Quick, 1882-1885. Relating to educational matters.

(ii) 2 letters from officers of the Teachers' Guild to Mrs [Harriet] Quick (Quick's widow), 1896-1900. Relating to her husband's library and its transfer to the Guild.

All letters autograph, with signatures.

Letter from William Warde Fowler of Kingham, Chipping Norton, [Oxfordshire] to [Miss Palgrave (one of Sir Reginald F D Palgrave's daughters)], 9 Nov 1916. Thanking her for a letter about a book recently published by him [?Essays in brief for war time].

Written in another hand and signed by Fowler.

Letter from Edmund Cartwright of Lyminster, Arundel, [Sussex] to [the Editor of the Edinburgh Review], 29 Jan 1828. Describing the services rendered by his late father in the invention of the power loom and the inadequacy of the Government grant of £10,000, which 'did not repay one fifth part of loss which his family sustained, and which, as his only son, has continually fallen on me'. With the letter are 7 printed verses which Cartwright senior had desired 'might be engraven on his tomb'.

Autograph, with signature.

(i) 3 letters from Henry Peter Brougham to unidentified correspondents, [1799-1868]; (ii) Letter from Henry Peter Brougham replying to a request from R Custance, of Woolwich, 1844. Requesting a copy of one of his works.

Letter from Frederick Denison Maurice of 5 Russell Square, [London] to the editor of The Inquirer, 6 Aug [1855]. Protests against references to himself in an article on Rowland Williams's Rational Godliness (1855).

Autograph, with signature.

Letter from George Jacob Holyoake of 20 Cockspur Street, Pall Mall, London to Lady Trelawny, 20 Jul 1972. Telling of books he had recently read; referring to 'a people's edition now 2/6 of Erewhon ... by young [Samuel] Butler'.

Autograph, with signature.

Letter from George Jacon Holyoake of Eastern Lodge, Brighton to an unidenfied recipient, 23 Feb 1895. Responding to questions relating to his views on various aspects of co-operation.

Written in another hand and signed by Holyoake.

(1) Letter from William Frend De Morgan of The Vale, King's Road, Chelsea to H F Heath, Librarian of the University of London, 20 Oct 1900. (2) Letter from William Frend De Morgan of Via Lorenzo Magnifico 25, Florence, Italy to H F Heath, Librarian of the University of London, 4 Nov 1900. Both letters relate to De Morgan's gift of notes and additions made by his father, Augustus De Morgan, for his Arithmetical Books.

Both letters are autograph, with signatures. Filed with a typescript copy of Dr Heath's reply to the first letter.

Letter from William Ewart Gladstone of Hawarden, North Wales to Sir Joshua Walmsley, 29 Oct 1868. Replying to his request for a portrait of Gladstone. 'I am haunted by the belief that I am under a prior engagement'.

Autograph, with signature.

Letters from George Augustus Moore of Ebury Street, London, 1920-1924. 9 letters to Mr H Spurr; 1 letter to 'Ada' [Mrs Ada Leverson]; and 1 letter to 'Mrs Violet Hueffer' [i.e. Violet Hunt].

Some letters are autograph; all are signed by Moore.

22 letters and 10 cards from Henry Arthur Jones to James Stanley Little, 1922-1929. With a letter from Jones's daughter [Doris A Jones] to Little, written after her father's death.

All letters autograph, with signatures.

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.

Letter from Samuel Heywood of Lancaster to [Dr] Richard Bright, 17 Aug 1795. On family matters: 'My wife has been far from well', etc.

Autograph, with signature.

Letter from Thomas Henry Hall Caine of Peel, Isle of Man to an unknown lady [Florence Farr], 2 Jan 1895. Apologising for having kept a letter so long. 'I am still more sorry, because upon reading the letter I find myself in such utter disagreement with what I wrote 18 years ago that I feel that there is no course open but to ask you not to print the letter ... I regret v[er]y deeply that this accident will prevent me from availing myself of the great pleasure you offered me of associating my name (however slightly) with that of Prof. Blackie'.

Autograph, with signature.

Letter from George Robert Gissing of Willersey, Broadway, Worcestershire to the Secretary, Railway Passengers' Assurance Company, 23 Apr 1899. Asking for a detailed prospectus.

Autograph, with signature.

19 letters written to Florence Farr/Emery, 1891-1905. Correspondents include: George Alexander [later Sir George Alexander], Lady Betty Balfour [later Countess of Balfour], Mabel Beardsley [Wright], Frank Benson [later Sir Frank Benson], Arthur Bourchier, Beatrice Stella Campbell [Mrs Patrick Campbell], Edward Garnett, Jacob Thomas Grein, Jane Ellen Harrison, Charles Hawtrey [later Sir Charles Hawtrey], John Lane, Cyril Francis Maude, Thomas Sturge Moore, Frederick York Powell, Stepniak [i.e. Sergei Michailovich Kravchinsky], Herbert Beerbohm Tree [later Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree] and Arthur Bingham Walkley.

All letters are autograph, with signatures. Many of the letters relate to plays, theatrical performances and other social engagements.

Letter from George Howell of 35 Findon Raod, Shepherds Bush, London to Professor [Herbert Somerton] Foxwell of 1 Harvey Road, Cambridge, 3 Jun 1904. Covering letter to a copy of a report by R S Kirk on the 2nd Annual Congress of Trade Unions, Birmingham (1869), 'which I know you want ... I have made no final arrangement as to my Library. My books are packed for removal - or most of them ... P.S. My sight is much improved'.

Autograph, with signature.

Letter from Wiliam Edward Hickson of 20 West Smithfield, [London] to Francis Place, 5 Jan [1832]. '... I read ... with great surprise that you participate in the opinion of most of the economists that a change in the distribution of property would not improve the condition of the great mass of the community. Allow me to draw your attention in order to show how distribution affects production to an article [on 'The Rights of Industry'] written by me ... [for Carpenters Political Magazine]'.

Autograph, with signature. Dated as 5 Jan 1831 [sic, recte 1832].

An autograph draft of Place's reply is on the dorse of the first leaf: '... The activity of your pen indicates a desire for reading, observing and thinking, and these in time will prevent you from dogmatically condemning what you do not comprehend, and which it is hardly to be expected you should fully understand. Then too you will cease to attribute to others, notions they do not entertain, and to build theories thereon of your own mistakes. Persevere and in ten years time you will be as wise as you are now foolish, and whatever you may think of this note and the writer now, lay it by 'till that time and then I have no doubt your opinion of both will be correct.' Dated 6 Jan 1832.

Letter from William Henry Rowlestone Jessop of Grove House, St David's, Haverfordwest, [Pembrokeshire] to an unidentified correspondent, 17 Oct 1855. Accompanying a copy of his work on the decimal system: '... it is the first book which embraces the whole System of Money and Measures that has yet appeared ... You will perceive that this system is very superior to that in France [i.e. to the metric system]'.

Autograph, with signature.

Letter from Sir Stanley Spencer of 3 Vale Hotel Studios, Hampstead, London to Thomas Sturge Moore, 26 Apr 1926. 'Here at last is the monograph of my works ... The much wanted or unwanted explanation of my pictures will be found in the book of words, so there will be no more trouble now, all is clear at last ... I am doing a big picture of the resurrection ... (18ft x 9ft) and it is going to take years to paint and I love painting it so I am enjoying myself ...'.

Autograph, with signature.

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

Letter from Sir Thomas Phillipps of Oxford to [Edward Duke], 14 Mar 1837. '... my thanks for the kind manner in which you express a wish to see my portion of the Wilts History in print. You will be gratified to hear that I have advanced to page 56 of the 2nd part of Aubreys Wilts [John Aubrey Natural History of Wiltshire] ... & have this last week collected from the stores of Bodley some information which I did not before possess'. Mentioning the expense of publication and the difficulty of selling works of local history. 'I am not so rich as our mutual and valuable friend Sir Richard Hoare to be able to spend & lose 2000 per annum for the mere pleasure of illustrating the History of Wiltshire. At the same time I have no wish to make it a profitable speculation for myself.' Saying that he is happy to purchase a copy of Duke's book [probably Prolusiones historicae (1837)].

Autograph, with signature.

Letter from Charles Jones of 16 Whittall Street, Birmingham to Thomas Attwood, 12 Apr 1841. Covering letter to a copy of Jones's pamphlet Letter to Charles Wood, Esq. M.P. '... lately written on the currency'. He warns Attwood: 'I fear you will not find Birmingham either more happy or more prosperous than when you left it although it continues to increase in the external signs of both'.

Autograph, with signature.

Correspondence between Henry Hucks Gibbs and Edward Lucas Jenks Ridsdale (Chief Assayer of the Royal Mint), on bimetallism (i.e. the use of a monetary standard based on both silver and gold), 1876-1884. Including a letter from E Koch to Gibbs, thanking him for permission to translate a pamphlet on bimetallism into German.

Letter from J P Marbeau of 8 Rue Montolivet, Paris to [Henry Hucks Gibbs], 11 Aug 1878. Covering note sent with two pamphlets [Question monataire: Abaissement du titre de la petite monnaie (1863) and Question monataire: Proposition d'une monnaie internationale (1867)].

Written in another hand and signed by Marbeau.

Letter from William Scott of 14 White Conduit Grove, Islington, [London] to Joseph Hume MP of Bryanstone Square, [London], 28 Dec 1836. Covering letter to a copy of An Address to the People of Scotland ... [a work on the human constitution and scriptural education], written by the phrenologist George Combe, a relative of Scott's. Scott describes the author as a tradesman living in Edinburgh, of 'radical views and reforming temper'. Autograph, with signature. Annotated in Hume's hand: 'Recd & ansd 6 Jnry 1837'.

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 Robert Bloomfield to 'Charles' [? Bloomfield's brother or son], 27 May 1818. 'The coach is just coming, and I have time only to say that I send your flageolet. I have nothing to say if I had time, only that we are well and join in love and good wishes'. Autograph, with signature.

Letter from William Cobbett of Botley, Hampshire to James Swann, Esq, 9 May 1809. Advising him to purchase land. 'The loan of this year will make money depreciate 1/2 per cent at least. Only think of that!'

Autograph, with signature.

Letters, notes and poems from George Rostrevor Hamilton to Thomas Sturge Moore and his wife Marie, 1932-1934. Topics covered include Hamilton's poems and other books, about which he solicits Sturge Moore's opinions.

All items are autograph or typescript, with signatures.

Letter from Edward Backhouse Eastwick of 38 Thurloe Square, London to J Kempson Esq, May 1871. 'Mr. Lopez tells me that you know all about the once proposed railway from Exeter through Launceston to Truro and Falmouth. As I wish much to revive that project perhaps you would kindly give me an interview'. Written on House of Commons writing paper.

Autograph, with signature.

Letter from P Crewe of Aston, [Birmingham] to an unnamed clergyman 16 Sep 1699. 'I thnk God and Sr W A for my fie, and you for joyning us togather: excuse a trifle sent you on the occasion as thus - The unrepented yeare is past, / The parsons gloves are sent att last: / What Witam had, att Oxford are / On that account another paire. / On ye other side is ye originall and ye cause of this mean rime.' The writer tells the story of Mr Hodges, the Parson of Wytham, near Oxford, who had asked couples that he married to send him a pair of gloves if they had never regretted their marriage during its first year; he received only one pair in 40 years. Including short verses in Latin and English reportedly written by Hodges.

Autograph, with signature.

Letter from Robert William Speaight of 6 Maze Road, Kew, Richmond, Surrey to Miss [Joan] Gibbs, 20 Dec 1943. Accepting an invitation [to speak at Queen Mary College, University of London].

Autograph, with signature.

Letter from Richard Cobden to Dr W C Taylor, 2 Aug 1842. Thanking him for the gift of 'your little vol' [possibly Notes on a Tour in the Manufacturing Districts of Lancashire]. 'The best thing that could happen wd be to see it well abused in the Morning Post and Standard.'

Autograph, with signature.

2 letters written to Florence Farr/Emery. (1) From Sir Arthur Wing Pinero, 2 Aug 1892. Requesting a photograph of Farr. (2) From [Elizabeth] Robins, 26 Oct [1890s]. Agreeing terms for a permformance by Farr's.

Both letters are autograph, with signatures.