SIR

Printed form, on one side of a 10.5 x 17 cm piece of laid paper. In fair condition, aged and worn. Reads, with autograph text by Hodson in square brackets: 'Oxoniae [Maii 5to] Anno Domini 1818. | QUO die comparuit coram me [Ricardus Harington ex AEde Christi Baronetti Fil.] | et subscripsit Articulis Fidei, et Religionis; et juramentum suscepit de agnoscenda suprema Regiae Majestatis potestate; et de observandis Statutis, Privilegiis, et Consuetudinibus hujus Universitatis. | [F. Hodson, P. V. Cancell:]'. From the papers of the Harington baronets of Ridlington.

Four items, in good condition, lightly aged and worn. An interesting correspondence, casting light on the proprieties of Victorian biographical writing. Hare's 'The Story of my Life' was published in six volumes between 1896 and 1900, and was described by the original DNB as ‘a long, tedious, and indiscreet autobiography’. The Oxford DNB remarks that 'By the late twentieth century, however, Hare was undergoing something of a revival. A society of enthusiasts and collectors of his works was formed: a one-volume condensed edition of his autobiography was edited by A. Miller and J.

Dundas and his sister Hilda Guilhermina Whitaker were children of the 6th Viscount Melville. See his entry in Who Was Who, and his obituary in The Times, 11 February 1956. The present item was written during his first posting, as Assistant District Commissioner in the British East Africa Protectorate, 1908-1914. He would go on to publish a book on the region, titled 'Kilimanjaro and its People' (1924). 7pp., 4to. In fair condition, on aged and worn paper. He has 'just returned from a trip to an uninhabitated [sic] place in search of people who do not exist.

Five items, in good condition, lightly aged and worn. Webster's four letters total 6pp., 12mo.

The three items are in good condition, ondff lightly aged and worn. Three interesting items, responding tactfully to what would appear to be an accusatory communication by Harington, pointing out that his son has succeeded despite having been 'superannuated' from Westminster School. ONE: 18 October 1898. 4pp., 12mo. Begins: 'Dear Sir Richard Harington | I am delighted to read the two enclosures. The Winnington-Ingrams one associated with many memories of my Rugby, Marlborough, & later days!' He will send the enclosures to the Head Master, [b]ut I won't rebuke him or convey any rebuke.

2pp.,12mo. In good condition, lightly aged and worn. He has been informed by 'Mr. Hill of the Victoria & Albert Museum' that Harington has 'a Backstaff'. Adams has been 'looking out for one for some years' without success and would like to purchase Harington's if he has 'no use for it. 'I think Mr. Hill mentioned to you that I had a collection of old navigating instruments & he has very kindly been trying to find a backstaff for me'. He ends in the hope that Harington will 'excuse the zeal of the collector'.

Both items in good condition, on lightly aged paper, and both docketed in blue pencil. The letter to Wood with the oval date stamp of the Society. ONE: ALS to Sir H. T. Wood, 23 January 1916. 1p., 12mo. Reads: 'I hear that my friend Mr. Besant has very kindly recommended that I might be able to review Major MacMahon's new book for you but I am afraid just at present I am so frightfully full up with work that I dare not undertake anything else – Even if I had time I fear the book would be beyond me. I am very sorry I cannot help.' TWO: ALS to 'My dear Besant', 23 January 1916. 1p., 4to.

10 items. In good condition, lightly aged and worn. All but the last in manuscript. ONE: 'Copy of Order on Call to the Bar', Lincoln's Inn, 'Dated Michas Term 1858.' 1p., 8vo. Signed at foot 'Ml Doyle | Steward.' Reads: 'At a Special Council there held the Sixteenth day of November, in the Twenty second year of the Reign of our Sovereign Lady Victoria, and in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty eight.

1p., 4to. In good condition, lightly aged, and with the neat remains of windowpane mount adhering to the edges. He writes that 'Sir Harry Erskine had applied to the Duke of Ancaster for a passport Ticket for me, but He has just now informed me That He has had an Answer from his Grace about another Ticket but no notice taken of his application for the Pass Ticket. This embarrasses me exceedingly as I have engaged myself with a party who go from the Abbey to the Hall and I should be infinitely obliged to you if you happen to be enough acquainted with the D.

Seven items. The first two are ink stained but still entirely legible, otherwise the material is in fair condition, lightly aged and worn. ONE: Carbon typescript (7pp., 8vo) headed 'Observations by Sir Richard Harington on the questions submitted to the Judges of County Courts and others by Sir J. G. Barnes' Committee.' Dated from Whitbourne Court, Worcester, 12 November 1908. Docketed by Harington: '1908 | County Courts | Observations by Sir Rd. H.' With a few minor autograph emendations. Giving detailed answers to four questions.

1p., 4to. In fair condition, on lightly aged and worn paper. His reply to her letter has been delayed by his 'absence in Paris on official business'. He is 'satisfied that the attacks upon Sir Eyre Crowe are based upon entire ignorance of the facts'. Crowe 'has always held strongly anti-German views and expressed himself officially in this sense as long ago as 1908'. Astor understands 'that the Kaiser personally requested his removal from the Foreign Office for this reason on more than one occasion'.

Part of printed Exchequer receipt, on one side of a trimmed-down 10 x 17.5 cm. piece of paper. In fair condition, lightly aged, with wear to one corner. Made out to Cope, 'in Repayment of Loan on the late Vote of Credit passed the 5th Day of March, 1716, for 600000 l. to be repaid out of the first Aid to be granted this Session of Parliament', for 'Services of the Publick by Sea and Land'. Signed on reverse: '11th March 1717 | Reced in full | J Cope', with 'Witness | J Miller'.

Three strips of paper, each with a single column of text in small print: 47 + 55 + 30 cm. Complete article, paginated to 3. The second strip has the running title 'National Guard - A Visit to Flanders - 2'. Aged and creased, and with a corner torn away from the third strip, resulting in loss of text to six lines and the running title, Two minor manuscript corrections.

Part of printed Exchequer receipt, on one side of 18 x 17.5 cm piece of paper, titled 'Sir Henry Furnese Bar. in Repayment of Loan on the Twelfth 4s. Aid, Anno 1709.' In fair condition, lightly aged and worn. On the reverse, in a clerk's hand: 'I doe hereby Assigne and transfer all my Right Title and Interest of the within order and talley thereto belonging to the Right Honble. John Lord Hervey or his Assigns'. Signed 'Henry Furnese', and beneath this, in the hand of Lord Hervey (he was created Earl of Bristol in 1714): 'June 15 1710 | Recd the Contents | Hervey'.

Cream card, blank on one side. No address or stamp. In good condition, lightly aged. Reads: 'Dr Lankester, some days since I asked you to an 8 re Apl. 1. I hope you can come | Lord Avebury & others are come [sic] | Kindly let me know | yours truly | H Thompson'.

32pp., 12mo. In faded green printed wraps with full title and advertisements. Disbound. In good condition, on aged high-acidity paper in brittle slightly-chipped wraps. The first edition was published in 1893 in Dorking by R. J. Clark. This third edition includes new material in seven appendices, pp.19-32, beginning with 'Results in 1893 - A year of drought.' Now scarce.

23 items relating to the Severn Fishery Board. The collection is generally in good condition, but with a few items (One below for example) damaged and discoloured. The material derives from Sir Richard Harington (1835-1911) of Whitbourne Court, Worcestershire, an ex-officio member of the Severn Fishery Board. It mainly concerns his opposition to a 'Provisional Order asked for by the Worcestershire County Council, to deal with the Severn Fisheries and all Rivers & Waters within the area' (quoted from Four below). The following description is in fourteen parts.

10 + [1]pp., folio. On ten leaves of grey paper, attached at a corner with string. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded into a packet by Harington, and docketed by him: 'Squib in "The Times" by Sergeant Hayes afterwards Mr Justice Hayes | Prosecution of the War with Russia, & Liberty of the Press' The text, with marginal commentary, appears to be identical to that published in London in February 1855 by William Stevens, Printer, 37, Bell Yard, Temple Bar.

Six items, all but the last in good condition, with light signs of age and wear. A highly-entertaining snapshop of the seamier side of Victorian life, with the Metropolitan Police investigating after Sir Richard Harington of Ridlington, 11th Baronet, (1835-1911) alleges a blackmail plot, following his receipt of a letter from Mrs Nellie Rowan (Item Two), in which she addresses him as 'Dick', refers to her 'Rubbing Care' and ends in ' Kisses XXXXXX'.

Each letter 1p., 4to. The collection in fair condition, on aged and worn paper. Two items with the Society's stamp. The first three items from 1930, relate to the appointment of a chairman for a 'meeting in March' by Abercrombie at the Society. On 28 November he suggests the Bishop of Chichester, 'who as Dean of Canterbury worked in very close co-operation with me, or Lady Milner'. He next (11 December) suggests 'Lord Cornwallis of the Kent County Council, who is also a member of the East Kent Committee'.

2pp., 12mo. In good condition, on aged paper. Reads: 'My Dear Sir | Mr Macpherson Grant the Member for Sutherland wishes to see the Dock Yard at Woolwich tomorrow and you will oblige me very much by directing that he & his party may be admitted into the Dock Yard. | I am My Dear Sir | every Yours truly | G. Warrender'.

Nine 4to calendars of prisoners at six assizes and three quarter sessions at the following locations on the Oxford Circuit between 1891 and 1899: Gloucester (1), Hereford (1), Stafford (2), Worcester (5). Each of the nine is stapled and unbound. ONE: County of Hereford, Autumn Assizes, December 1891, [8]pp. TWO: County of Worcester and City of Worcester, and County of the same City, Winter Assizes, February 1895, [2] + 9pp. THREE: County of Stafford, Winter Assizes, March 1895, [2] + 13pp. FOUR: County of Stafford, Autumn Assizes, November 1895, [2] + 21pp.

Five items, the first four printed and the fifth an ALS. Four of them in good condition, with light signs of age; the fifth (Item Two below) somewhat aged and worn. An account of this abortive scheme – first proposed in 1758 – is to be found on pp.424-427 of Joseph Priestley's 'Historical Account of the Navigable Rivers, Canals, and Railways, of Great Britain' (1831). The scheme finally failed in 1832, when the bank of Sir George Duckett (see Item Five below) failed, and he became bankrupt. Only the Stort Navigation was completed. ONE: 'London and Cambridge Junction Canal.

1p., 4to. Lightly aged and creased.

36pp., 12mo. Stapled in grey printed wraps. On worn and aged paper. A list of 791 titles, with commentary and index. In an introductory paragraph Cardinall explains that as 'the Gold Coast is merely a conventional term for a portion of Western Africa which belongs to the British Crown, and has no definite boundaries save arbitrary ones of European agreement', it is 'impossible to confine oneself to works dealing exclusively with that portion of the world which we know as the Gold Coast.

2pp., 12mo. Bifolium. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn. The text reads: '[...] dont think you are giving trouble - | Would you like me to secure you a smart little single handed boat - an ideal boat for sailing about the river with a lady? | Or is it not worth while from the point of view that your wife will not like you going on the water & taking her | Yours Ever | W. Scoresby Routledge'. From the papers of Sir Richard Harington (1861-1931) of Ridlington, 12th Baronet, who was at Christ Church, Oxford, with Routledge.

The nine items are in good condition, lightly aged and worn. They derive from the papers of Sir Richard Harington of Ridlington, and reflect his dual position as a leading member of the Standing Council of the Baronetage, and a member of the Home Office Committee, which was set up to consider and report whether any, and if so what, steps should be taken to safeguard the status of the holders of Baronetcies, and to prevent the assumption of the title Baronet by persons who have no right thereto'.

3pp., large 8vo. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged and worn. Headed 'Original'. Docketed on reverse of second leaf: 'May 1835 | £75. 7. 5. | Richardson a/c for Sir James Harington decd | paid | paid additional balance - £1. 16 -'. The ninth baronet died in 1835, the tenth baronet assuming the title at the age of fourteen. The present document was evidently produced to clear the old account. It contains numerous items, dated between 10 January 1834 and 8 December 1835.

1p., 8vo. In fair condition, on an aged and worn bifolium. The document, in a Chancery hand, has been written out by the witness John Weekes. It reads: 'Received the Tenth day of January Anno dni 1643. of my brother John Croke the Sume of one thousand pounds of lawfull money of England wch. sume of one thousand pounds was given me by my ffather Sr. John Croke late of Chilton in the Contie of Bucks Knight, and for the true paymt.

Five letters, each 1p., 4to. In fair condition, aged and creased. ONE: Palace Theatre, 4 July 1912. In capitals. Conveying the thanks of the King and Queen to the members of the orchestra for their work at the previous night's royal performance, and adding, for Finck: 'I have already told you how much I appreciate what you did on Monday night and the splendid manner in which you conducted. The success of the performance would have been impossible without your invaluable assistance.' TWO: Garrick House, 23 March 1921.