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Letter from Sir Joseph Banks of Soho Square, London to an unknown recipient, 12 Aug 1815. Relating to 'the undertaking now in hand for exploring the rapid Currents of the Zaira'. Reference is made to the mutiny of the Bounty, 'which began by turning the Commander adrift and ended in the Peopling of Pitcairn's Island. A less economical Outfit succeeded and the business was happily effected. Hence I deduce that in all matters of Naval Equipment it is better to adopt a Plan of sufficient extent at first than to do it after a failure, which if attributable to parsimony will in a Country like this meet with censure.' He advocates the use of a steamboat, 'a Fort impregnable to Native Armies and capable of sending out a subordinate Expedition'. This letter appears to be either a copy or a draft letter made by an amanuensis.

Commonplace book, [1590-1620], containing contemporary transcripts of various notes, treatises and sermons. The first part of the volume comprises notes in Latin, Greek and English of a theological nature, initially organised under alphabetical headings. Among these notes is a transcript of instructions for secret agents in France, drawn up by Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, for three different agents in the period 1595-1596. The copyist has copied three separate documents to form a single continuous document. The first part of the transcript is composed of the directions given by the Earl to Dr Henry Hawkyns, who was sent to Venice late in 1595 to perforn espionage and quasi-diplomatic functions for Essex and Queen Elizabeth I. The second part of the document consists of the instructions to [Anthony] Ersfield or Eversfield, who was sent to Paris to gather intelligence for Essex at the end of 1595. The third and final part of the document comprises the directions drawn up by Essex for Robert Naunton, whom the Earl sent to study under Antonio Perez in France in early 1596. Other notes from the first part of the volume include 'Of artillery' and notes on ships headed 'On shipping', the latter comprising details of the Queen's charges for maintaining large ships. There is an index to this section which omits the theological notes. The second part of the volume includes transcripts of sermons delivered on 10 Mar 1588 at Greenwich before the Queen, on 'Queene's daye', 1588, and on Christmas day 1588 and 1589; notes on what to observe when travelling abroad; notes on minerals; notes on heraldry; notes taken 'out of an ould Cronicle in Waverly Abbey'; 'The copye of the Great Turkes stile which he commonly useth'; and 'The copye of the Emperor of Russia or Muscovy his stile', taken from a letter to King Edward VI in 1553. There is a table of contents to this section.

Conduct record of John Warrow, a labourer born in Africa, convict no. 2039, from a court martial in Trinidad in 1834 to his transportation to Sydney in 1838, together with a physical description of the man. This colonial conduct record describes alleged offences against the disciplinary regime of penal settlements.

Manuscript indictment of Elizabeth Dunn, late of the Parish of St Paul, Bristol, 1815, for having in her possession a forged Bank of England note. The manuscript is endorsed on the back with 'the list of the Grand Jury who found a True Bill'.

Papers and correspondence relating to the banking house of Marsh, Stracey, Fauntleroy and Graham, 1811-1825, comprising five letters, 1811-1817, from J.H. Stracey, with one of Henry Fauntleroy, to Sir James Sibbald, concerning the latter's business affairs; copies of the papers of Henry Fauntleroy and his confessions, 1824, including a list of Fauntleroy's forgeries and 'non-investment of stock', as well as Fauntleroy's property and its value; letters and papers, 1824-1825, relating chiefly to the efforts of Messrs Marsh, Stracey, Fauntleroy and Graham to satisfy the creditors involved in the collapse of the bank following the trial and execution of Fauntleroy for forgery in 1824, including some to Robert Scott, one of the assignees; drafts of letters to newspapers from members of the partnership protesting their ignorance of the forgeries, and some sheets of rough notes, apparently relating to the losses of certain creditors of the bank.

A forged letter written and signed by an unknown hand to resemble George Meredith, sent to an unknown recipient, late 19th century. '... your scheme of a new magazine, which is to be an indicator of the specially good things published monthly or generally, promises usefulness'.

An account of the mutiny in 1766 of the citizens of Madrid against the Marquis de Squilace, minister of King Charles III of Spain.

Letter from P K Seaman of HMS Wolverine, docked at St Helena, to his father, 1 Jun 1851. '... I have already told you that we have caught 3 slavers ...'.

Autograph, with signature. 4 sketches of vessels captured by the Wolverine are pasted to the second leaf of the letter.

Papers of author and journalist Paul Tabori (1908-1974), comprising the following: draft typescripts of novels, poetry and works of fiction, 1927-1973; draft typescripts of completed short stories, ideas and fragments for fiction works, 1938-1970; typescripts of non-fiction works, including typescripts of completed books on a variety of topics covering the supernatural, travel, crime, historical and biographical topics and erotica, along with draft non-fiction fragments and ideas, 1930-1973; typescripts of articles for magazines on various subjects including crime, travel, erotica, the supernatural, historical and biographical topics, along with interviews with international political and celebrity figures, 1940-1969; typescripts of film scripts, screenplays or ideas written or edited by Tabori, including scripts for Hammer and London Films, along with stills [photographs] from some of the productions, 1944-1960; typescripts and working scripts written or edited by Tabori for television and radio plays, including material broadcast in the television series, the Errol Flynn Theatre and The Vise, along with stills [photographs] accompanying the working scripts, 1950-1970.

A collection of 80 letters and 14 poems, purporting to be written by William Makepeace Thackeray (60 items); Thomas Hood (32 items) and Horatio Nelson (2 items), [1801-1861]. Most items are undated.

Forgeries, mainly bearing forged signatures.

Forged letter pertaining to be from William Makepeace Thackery to an unknown recipient, [1850]. 'When I said that I could do no more for you for the present I meant it literally: I never once said it as a simple excuse... When I find that your views on hard work are different I may perhaps have something to say to you. Believe me a lazy life is a curse to any man.

Written and signed in an unknown hand, as if by Thackeray.

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.

(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.