Manuscripts

Manuscripts
October 2016
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(MANUSCRIPT DIARY – MOROCCO)
Exquisite Morocco Binding with Lock & Key
English Lady Travels to Morocco
Watches a Public Hanging in Venice
Visits a Harem in Tangier
US$2,750
[Italy, Spain, Morocco, France, Germany, Austria,
Belgium, Switzerland, England, 1851-1874] - Journal of
travels and special events in the charmed life of
Charlotte Dent, a privileged and confident young
woman born into an upper-class elite family whose
legacy is tied to the restoration of the Sudeley Castle in
Gloucestershire, with highlights being a year spent in
Venice whilst it was still crown land of the Austrian
Empire, a three-week tour of Tangier, and intimate
details of her private life. Qto. 502 pages. A fine
burgundy morocco binding sold by William Burnside in
Blackheath, with ornate gilt tooling to front and spine,
gilt tooled turn-ins, five raised bands, original green
star-patterned end papers, leafs watermarked J
Whatman 1851, and featuring a genuine Bramah lock
and key system engraved "J Bramah, 124 Piccadilly"
with the two original skeleton keys. Volume measures
24,5 x 20 x 4 cm. Very good condition, a pleasing and
elegantly penned work.
A most absorbing and very personal diary of continental
travels and upper-class life hobnobbing with royalty and
gentry, the writer being Miss Charlotte Wilkinson Dent, an
educated socialite, an adventurous woman, and member of
the patrician Dent family connected to Sudeley Castle.
"Oct. 11th. There was an unfortunate man hung on the
Campo di Marte this morning by the Austrian Government for
having purchased Revolutionary prints & possessing
Revolutionary papers. His name was Luigi Dottesio, & he was
denounced by one of his friends and countrymen. The man
who sold the prints is condemned to ten years imprisonment
in a fortress with heavy irons, - this seems severe... I can not
help thinking about this execution all day."
"Oct. 2nd. Managed to see the Pasha's Harem, the court of
the Palace was very handsome. I cannot say as much for the
wives... The first wife, an enormous dark coloured woman was
very civil & shewed us one of her dresses... There were hosts
of small coloured children running about... took our leave &
went to the Pasha's stables... The Pasha past... he was
gorgeously attired..."
3

(MANUSCRIPT DIARY - PAPACY - VATICAN)
BURCHARD, Johanne
Life of Borgia Pope Alexander VI
Infamous Banquet of Chestnuts
Primary Source Uncovered by the Pope's
Trusted Master of Ceremonies
US$4,950
[Rome, circa 1800] – “Della Vita di Papa Alessandro VI”
[The Life of Alexander VI]. Primary source manuscript
fair copy biography of the Renaissance era's most
controversial Borgia Pope Alexander VI drawing directly
from the diary writings of his Ceremoniere Johann
Burchard (c.1450-1506), Protonotary Apostolic (PA),
made circa 1800 by an unidentified historian or Vatican
scholar, centering on the successes of the Pope and
featuring the famous yet virtually unobtainable firsthand
account of the disputed Papal orgy in the Vatican in
1501, and a dedicatory preface. Text is in Italian. 202
pages with wide margins, the text area measuring
approximately 12 x 23 cm. 4to. Half calf over marbled
boards, titled and lined in gilt to spine. Bound by
bookseller J. Griffiths, 4 Argyle Building, Bath, England,
in the early nineteenth century. Original bookbinder's
label to front pastedown. Volume measures
approximately 27,5 x 20,5 cm. Slight wear to boards,
otherwise excellent condition, content penned in an
immaculate hand, leafs crisp and bright, a fine
example of a scarce primary source.
Together with a rare original Alexander VI Borgia papal
grosso coin, made at the Ancona papal Mint during his
papacy 1492-1503. Recto features a tiara and keys over a
shield of papal arms, and circumference text ALEXANDER VI
PONT MAX. Verso shows Saints Peter and Paul standing
facing one another, each holding scriptures, one with a
sword, the other a key, and text S PAVLVS S PETRVS. Some loss
to extremity as is usually the case, otherwise very good
condition, retaining a strong impression, and accompanied
by a certificate of authenticity by a numismatics expert in
Treviso. ITALY, Papal Coinage. Alexander VI (Roderic Llançol
de Borja i Borja). 1492-1503. AR Grosso of Rome. Measures
approximately 25mm in diameter. CNI XV 10; Muntoni 23;
Berman 538.
4

[Excerpts from the Preface]: Porgo all sue Real mani il parto
delle mie debbolezze non già per essere encomiato da
Vostra Maestà Cattolica, ma per puramente discoprir
[riscoprire?] le quali siano stati li mezzi più efficaci della
grandezza di Don Rodrigo Borgia, ora Pontefice Alessandro
VI, ... subblime ed alta dignita... e mainere... Sarai questo un
puro attestato della mia umilissima servizio professare a Va
[Vostra] Maestà... come dalle [Serristasse?] di Palazzo,
registrate quelle memorie per conservarle..."
[I humbly present to his Royal hands, not for praise from Your
Catholic Majesty, but purely to uncover what were the most
effective means of greatness of Don Rodrigo Borgia, now
Pope Alexander VI... sublime and high dignity... and
manners... This will be a pure testimony of my most humble
service professed to Your Majesty... as [xx] of the Palace, that
year recorded memories to preserve...]
“
For over 150 years, Burchard's diary remained concealed,
until Rodrigo Borgia's papal namesake, Pope Alexander VII
(Fabio Chigi, 1599-1667) had a scribe make a copy of it for his
kinsman, Flavio Chigi (1631-1693), who subsequently, at the
end of the seventeenth century, placed it in the enormous
library of the Chigi Palace, along with the numerous
manuscripts, miniature books and signed documents that he
and his uncle had amassed. Flavio was a powerful Italian
Catholic Cardinal from 1657, and was also a Vatican
Librarian from 1659 to 1681. The contents of the diary thus
became accessible to historical and liturgical students for a
brief time. As these seventeenth century scholars sought
information in its pages, their extracts from it have appeared
now and again, albeit at a most infrequent occurrence.
Johann Burchard (c.1450-1506), also spelled Johannes
Burchart or Burkhart was an Alsatian-born priest, famed as a
chronicler of the Italian Renaissance. He became a
Protonotary Apostolic in February 1481, and was appointed
Master of Ceremonies to Pope Sixtus IV in 1483, having
bought the office for 450 ducats. He is best remembered for
the diary which he kept, privately, from the time of his
appointment, through his twenty years as Ceremoniere for
Rodrigo Borgio - Pope Alexander VI - and until his death in
1506, which was only three years after the death of
Alexander VI, thus essentially being a chronicle of the career
and life of the infamous and highly controversial Borgia Pope,
and containing the only known firsthand account of the 1501
Vatican orgy.
The Banquet of Chestnuts, known also as the Ballet of
Chestnuts, refers to a festivity held in the Papal Palace in
Rome on 30 October 1501, and hosted by Cardinal Cesare
Borgia, son of Rodrigo Borgia, Pope Alexander VI.
Burchard's Diary is an Important Primary Source on the History
of the Borgia Papacy from the Late 15th to the Early 16th
Centuries. Extremely Rare.
5

(ARCHIVE - WOMAN ARTIST)
GRUBBE, Margaret
English Painter Margaret Grubbe
Watercolours - Drawings - Photographs
US$1,250
[Blythburgh, 1930-1955] - Archive of female artist and
illustrator Margaret Julia Maria Grubbe (1911-1997), who
comes from a long line of famous Suffolk artists and
painters, comprising her manuscript drawings,
watercolours, and oil paintings, including a journal
made whilst in Scotland, letters and critiques from the
Royal Drawing Society as she learned and perfected her
own unique style, and an exhibitor card from the
Ipswich Art Club. Together with several photographs
from her childhood and college years, an important
photograph of her father, and a scant few personal
papers including a lease document for part of the Priory
at Blythburgh dated 1936, where she lived and
exhibited, at the time being owned by her widowed
mother. The lot in overall very good condition.
Margaret Julia Maria Grubbe (1911-1997) is an artist and a
book illustrator listed on the Sufflok Painters Index, and was
born into a prominent London family of artists. She inherited
The Priory at Blythburgh in Suffolk, from where she also
exhibited.
Miss Grubbe's archive illustrates her progression as an artist,
from her earliest submissions to a drawing society, to the
skilled development of her unique style. The earliest pencil
sketches are inherently reminiscent of the style of her father,
Laurence Carrington Grubbe (1854-1912), who died the year
after her birth, but whose works must have surrounded her
and provided a visual influence. These are followed by a
display youthful whimsy and experimentation with bright
colour, which in later years, resulted in the skilled creation of
elegant and tasteful impressionist scenes largely capturing
the essence of life in England.
6

(ARCHIVE - THEATRE)
SIEGERT, Hans
Watercolours and Manuscript Drawings
Theatre Set Design
Original Artwork by German Designer
Innsbruck National Theatre
US$2,750
[Innsbruck, Munich, 1933-1976] - Archive of 34
watercolours, manuscript sketch drawings and
photographs pertaining to theatre sets designed from
1933-1944 by the highly respected German set director
at Tiroler Landestheater Innsbruck - Hans Siegert.
Together with 35 original typescript articles published by
him in German film magazines from 1955-1976 after he
had become a film producer. All text is in German. Very
good condition.
Hans Siegert (1910-1983) was a set designer and film director.
He studied with German illustrator and print maker Emil
Preetorius. Siegert is especially remembered for his excellent
stage designs created for the Innsbruck Theatre from 1938 to
1944 when he was Set Director. Several of these are
represented here in his original artwork, and in additional
photographs of his artwork. Together with his wife Irma, he
also painted cinema posters and giant outdoor advertising for
movie theatres. Around 1955 he became a film director. He
was involved in numerous film productions and earned
several awards. Hans and his wife Irma were both from
Munich.
At the time of Siegert drawings and watercolours the theatre
was called the Royal Bavarian Court National Theatre. In
1945, it was renamed the Tiroler Landestheater (Tyrolean State
Theatre)
7

(HERBARIUM - SEAWEED - ENGLAND)
Large Folio of Early Seaweed Collection
Large Three-Dimensional Specimens
Resort Town St. Leonards-on-Sea
An Early Sample Discovered in Australia
US$1,750
[St Leonards-on-Sea, England, 1847-1849] - Substantial
collection of 123 ocean botanical specimens, gathered
by an unidentified English, nineteenth century
phycology enthusiast, neatly organized into three
sections, Melanospermeae, Rhodospermeae,
Chlorospermeae, and accompanied by a manuscript
index card. Includes over 75 specimens, carefully
mounted into a large album and captioned in
manuscript with scientific names, as well as 48
additional specimens mounted onto individual leafs
placed within the same volume. (A scant few
specimens, mostly on the individual leafs, were
collected in Tenby, Wales, in 1853. One is captioned
New Holland, the former name for Australia.) Folio.
Purpose made volume, half burgundy morocco over
brown marbled boards, "Sea-Weeds" titled in gilt to
spine. Volume measures approximately 28 x 45 cm.
Specimens vary greatly in size, the smallest measuring
approximately 2 x 2 cm, and the largest spanning
approximately 42 x 20 cm. Minor wear to boards,
occasional creasing to album leafs, otherwise in very
good condition, specimens retaining vivid colour and
form, a noteworthy seaweed herbarium.
A large volume houses this fine herbarium of over 100
impressive marine species, large and small benthic
macroalgae mostly growing in the English Channel, some
having been discovered not long before, the lot skilfully
harvested by a nineteenth century botanist who sometimes
managed to extract even the root system intact.
8

(HERBARIUM – MEDICINE)
19th Century Herbarium
Edible and Medicinal Interest
Collected by a German Botanist
US$1,250
[Germany, circa 1870s] - Herbarium of 89 authentic
botanical specimens, edible and medicinal, neatly
mounted to individual leafs with small paper strips, most
identified in manuscript captions in German and in Latin,
some in fine calligraphy, some also with classification
numbers, the lot contained in purpose made string-tied
continental boards. Folio. Item measures approximately
37 x 23 cm. Wear to extremities of boards, chips to a
scant few leafs, otherwise in very good condition.
Specimens are in excellent condition.
Harvested by a meticulous German botanist and focusing
largely on medicinal and herbaceous plants, this collection
includes one nightshade, a purple orchid, the now
endangered cornflower, and a specimen from the poppy
family.
A few examples of the specimens found in this 19th century
herbarium:
Fumara officinales - an herbaceous annual flowering plant in
the poppy family, commonly known as fumitory, drug fumitory
or earth smoke. It was traditionally thought to be good for the
eyes, and to remove skin blemishes. In modern times,
herbalists use it to treat skin diseases, and conjunctivitis, as
well as to cleanse the kidneys.
Centaurea cyanus, - "Kornblume" or Cornflower, which today
is endangered in its native habitat owing to agricultural
intensification with over-use of toxic herbicides. In herbalism, a
decoction of cornflower is effective in treating conjunctivitis,
and as a wash for tired eyes. They are often used as an
ingredient in some tea blends and herbal teas, most famously
in the Lady Grey blend of Twinings.
Solanum nigrum - the non-poisonous European Black
Nightshade. Parts of this plant can be toxic to livestock and
humans. Nonetheless, ripe berries and cooked leaves of
edible strains are used as food in some locales, and plant
parts are used as a traditional medicine. S. nigrum is a widely
used plant in oriental medicine where it is considered to
be antitumorigenic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective,
diuretic, and antipyretic.
A nicely presented early herbarium.
9

(PHOTOGRAPHY - DARWIN )
Original Sepia Photographs
Charles Darwin
Thomas Huxley and John Tyndall
With Lecture Reviews
US$1,250
[London, 1876] - Three (3) original small sepia
photographs of English naturalist Charles Robert Darwin,
biologist Thomas Henry Huxley, and physicist John
Tyndall, with two (2) articles describing lectures held at
the Royal Institute, these published in January and
February 1876 as captioned by a contemporary hand.
Photographs measure approximately 6 x 8.5 cm, upper
corners trimmed for style, captioned in manuscript, and
mounted together with clippings onto a cardstock leaf
measuring 40 x 26 cm. Very good condition.
A contemporary nineteenth century supporter of so-called
radical scientific theories has preserved and displayed three
photographs of remarkable scientists and spearheading
evolutionists, Darwin, Huxley and Tyndall, along with reviews
of two memorable lectures on controversial scientific subjects
of the day. As these lectures were taking place and reviews
published Darwin was working on nature's process of fertilizing
plants. Interestingly, the first of these makes reference to the
initial resistance to evolution by our traditionally creationist
civilization, and marks the beginning of a shift of belief from
creation to evolution, beginning with a "scant few" scientists.
Very well written, the first newspaper article is titled "Professor
Huxley at the Royal Institution" and describes a most exciting
evening and stimulating lecture by Huxley, on the differences
between animal and vegetable kingdoms. A manuscript
pencil annotation on this account states its publishing date as
Jan 9th 1876, only seven after Darwin published "Insectivorous
Plants" which Huxley referred to in his lecture. Tyndall is
mentioned among the notable men of science present.
Darwin's "Insectivorous Plants" was published on 2 July 1875,
selling faster and better than "Origin of Species". In the winter
"The Various Contrivances by which Orchids are Fertilized by
Insects" and "The Effects of Cross and Self Fertilization in the
Vegetable Kingdom" were both published.
10

(ARCHIVE – TRAVEL DIAIRES)
BECKETT, Ernest
MP of Whitby Grimthorpe Peerage
Voyage Around the World
Rome - Hong Kong - Yogyakarta - Honolulu
US$1,250
[Italy, England, India, Indonesia, Pakistan, America,
1882-1902] - Archive of manuscript diaries, 8 volumes,
penned by British peer and aristocrat Ernest William
Beckett, 2nd Baron Grimthorpe (1856-1917), mostly
written during his tenure as MP of Whitby, also at the
time of his affair with Alice Keppel who would later
become the favourite mistress of King Edward VII and
who is mentioned in at least one of the journals. Content
deals extensively with his travels around the world, the
earliest volume also containing social observations and
reflections, which reveals his character in the making.
Includes a yearly diary for 1882, 1892, 1894, 1895, 1896,
1898, 1899, and 1902, respectively, with varying
amounts of entries. Seven are small 8vo. leather bound
volumes titled in gilt by the publisher, and measuring
approximately 9 x 13,5 cm. The earliest is an 8vo. diary
in green cloth boards, measuring approximately 13,5 x
20,5 cm. Very minor age-toning to boards, otherwise all
volumes are in very good condition.
Eight years in the life of a widely travelled and wellconnected
British banker and politician are offered up in the
personal diaries of Baron Ernest William Beckett, which
features innumerable important colonial names, travels to
some of the world's most exotic and remote locations,
confirmation of a romantic affair with a royal mistress, some
parliamentary duties, and glimpses into an intermittent family
life.
The earliest and most detailed journal was penned in 1882,
the Baron being twenty-five years of age. A most interesting
read, with this diary we can see Beckett developing theories
of what life ought to be, in terms of relationships and society.
He learns about banking and politics through his father's work,
and by attending political meetings. His passions include
travel, theatre, literature, (including Ruskin, Byron, etc),
socializing with upper class families, and learning Italian. He
ascends Mount Vesuvius, and tours the Vatican, including the
Sistine Chapel. This volume also contains excellent
descriptions of Italy as he travels extensively, perhaps for the
first time as an adult.
11

(PHOTOGRAPHY – BRIDGE BUILDING - PAKISTAN)
Original Photos of Bridge Building
North-West Frontier - Khajuri Plains
Annexation of Tribal Pakistan
During Afridi Rebellion Era
US$975
[Khajuri Plains, North-West Frontier of British India, 1930-
1931] - Archive of 115 original snapshot photographs of
the North West Frontier operations of 1930-1931,
specifically the construction of bridges, camps, and
water supply systems, which would sustain British troops
in the region, and facilitate punitive expeditions against
offending Pashtun and Afridi tribe uprisings. Comprises
113 gelatin silver print photographs mounted onto paper
leaves, captioned in manuscript by an officer of the
King George's Own Bengal Sappers and Miners who
participated in construction and possibly in battle. With
2 additional photographs attached but not mounted to
front leaf, one of which has a very detailed caption to
verso. Photographs vary in size, the smallest measuring
approximately 5,5 x 8 cm, and the largest 14,5 x 8,5 cm,
most being large size prints. The lot contained in a
string-tied folio manila folder measuring approximately
35 x 23 cm, and stamped to front with the emblem of the
Royal Engineers. Creasing to leafs, otherwise in Very
Good Condition, photographs remaining crisp and vivid.
Provenance: From the Corps of Royal Engineers Library, as
annotated to front.
The National Army Museum holds a photograph album of the
bridge under construction, and after completion, 1930-1931,
compiled by C. G. S. Clarke, of the 1st King George's Own
Bengal Sappers and Miners.
Contemporary to the Afridi Rebellion and the Red Shirt
Rebellion (1930-1931), the present volume of original
photographs provides a rare visual chronicle of a notable
undertaking by the Royal Engineers (RE), developing bridges
and water supply in a geographically and politically hostile
region then known as the North-West Frontier Province (NWFP)
of colonial British India, the objective being permanent
occupation of the Khajuri Plain.
12

(PHOTOGRAPHY – KHYBER PASS - PAKISTAN)
Photo Album with Negatives
North West Frontier
British Ruled Pakistan
US$1,975
[Peshawar, Khyber Pass, North West Frontier Province
[Pakistan], 1907-1916] - Album of snapshot photographs
taken by an officer of the Indian Army, conceivably
Major George Weston, surgeon for the Royal Army
Medical Corps, who, at Dagshai, constructed the
famous and fabled grave memorial to his wife Mary
Rebecca Weston. Contains 163 vintage gelatin silver
print photographs printed in postcard format, measuring
approximately 12,5 x 7,5 cm, neatly ensconced behind
window mounts, recto and verso onto 35 thick leaves.
4to. album, illustrated green cloth boards, measuring
approximately 35 x 20 x 5 cm. Album is wrapped in
brown paper with mailing label addressed to Miss M.
Dunford, 41 Victoria Road, in Frome, England. Together
with 101 original film negatives, some of which are
captioned and dated 1910, contained in a separate
purpose-made 'Eastman Negative Album' with tissue
sleeves for each one. Negatives album measures
approximately 7,5 x 10,5 x 3 cm. Sage cloth titled
boards with folding envelope style spine and snap
closure. Most negatives measure approximately 14 x 9
cm, a scant few varying slightly in size. Several
photographs faded, although the original negatives
facilitate reprinting, the lot otherwise in Very Good
Condition.
Uncommon pre-independence views of the northern reaches
of present-day Pakistan, these original photographs and film
negatives demonstrate the resolute efforts to maintain
supremacy over the trade route region, and thus a great
advantage for the British Empire.
13

(MANUSCRIPT - US CIVIL WAR)
PECKHAM, Private William C.
US Civil War Eyewitness
New Bern and Roanoke Island
Union Army Field Journal
Excellent Content
US$2,950
[North Carolina, Virginia, 1862] - Manuscript war diary of
private William C. Peckham, of the 23rd Massachusetts
Infantry Regiment, Union Army, containing daily entries
written during the American Civil War as campaigns
unfolded, featuring a firsthand account of the Battle of
New Bern, the Battle of Roanoke Island, a description of
Fort Monroe, and an eloquent oration read to an
audience in 1863, describing the Battle of New Bern.
8vo. 123 pages. Quarter calf over marbled boards,
lacking spine, ink faint, otherwise very good condition,
internally bright, an engaging firsthand account from the
Civil War.
In this rare surviving Civil War diary, the Battles of Newbern
and Roanoke Island are recounted firsthand by a Union Army
soldier, who further includes descriptions of Fort Monroe, the
various war camps he stayed at, and a brief account of his
return voyage to New York city. Entertaining and
introspective, this discerning young man makes rational
observations on the war and the antics of his comrades. Not
surprisingly, after the war he would have a successful career
as a college professor.
An introduction provides the unique circumstances of
Peckham's acquisition of the volume itself immediately
following the Battle of New Bern, 14 March 1862, its first owner
being a soldier of another regiment. He then recounts the
arrival at New Berne on the evening of the 12th, wheeling
guns and setting up artillery and camp on the 13th, African
Americans rejoicing at their presence, abandoned
Confederate barracks, and rebel actions. As well as jotting
the daily events surrounding this historic campaign, Peckham
composes an eloquent and moving monologue recounting
the theatre of war on this day in North Carolina, which,
according to an annotation, was read to an audience.
The soldier's account of the Battle of Roanoke Island is
especially lively and detailed, describing not only the
engagement of fire between Confederate and Union armies,
but also peripheral incidents such as a mass plundering of
sweet potatoes from a farmer who had fled.
14

(MANUSCRIPT – SLAVE TRADE – TOBAGO)
Belmont Estate
Two Plantations - St. George Parish
Owned by a “Free Man of Colour”
US$2,750
[London, 10 July 1829] - Signed manuscript document
being an annual return to record the increase and
decrease of slaves, by births and deaths, in the year
1827 at Belmont Estate, a sugar plantation in the parish
of Saint George, Tobago, under the management and
possibly the ownership of a Mr. McEwen Folio. 1 page
manuscript text on one large double-leaf, laid
watermark paper made by J. Green & Son and
featuring a large fleur-de-lys emblem. Leaf measures
approximately 48 x 33 cm. Clerical annotations to
verso. Signed in the original 10 July 1829, by Thomas
Amyot, the Registrar of Colonial Slaves in Great Britain.
A scarce surviving illustration of the great fortune available to
the "Free Man of Colour" in contrast to the enslaved man, this
uncommon manuscript provides invaluable answers
regarding the history of a sugar plantation estate in Tobago,
an estate for which there seems to be little else for conclusive
documentation.
With two plantations operating under the same name on the
island of Tobago, and most of the surviving records naming
Belmont Estate being ambiguous as to its district, the present
document differs, and is most instrumental in determining the
accurate history of one of the plantations. This is a slave
register for "Belmont Estate... in the Parish of St. George,"
therefore representing the Belmont Estate, which was owned
by a "Free Man of Colour" - Robert Crooks, later a civil servant
and police inspector who resided and worked in that parish.
This Belmont estate is situated near Hope and Mesopotamia
in Hillsborough Bay.
Fascinating details pertaining to this plantation estate can be
found in the digital database of the University College of
London, UCL Department of History 2016, titled "Legacies of
British Slave-ownership."
This primary source document provides and elucidates
previously unknown ownership history, of the Belmont Estate
in Hillsborough Bay, St. George Parish, Tobago, thereby
completing the timeline between the original purchase of
1765, and the recipient of the slave compensation awarded
in 1836. Rare and unique!
15

(ARCHIVE - CHINA)
MULLEN, Dennis Joseph
Complex Property Claim in Nanking
Subject to Communist Extortion
During Chinese Revolution
With Large Survey Map on Silk
US$975
[China, 1947-1956] - Archive of papers pertaining to the
Estate of Dennis Mullen, Deputy Postal Commissioner of
Shanghai, Peking, Jiangxi, Henan, Anhui, Shanxi in the
north, and other regions in China, during his forty-two
year career as foreign staff, largely dealing with a title
dispute over a property in Tung Chi Men near Nanking,
attempts to prove rightful ownership, and the complex
legalities surrounding the sale of the property and the
transfer of funds to England. Documents and letters
range in size. Some are in manuscript, some typed,
some printed. Several are signed in the original.
Occasional creasing, otherwise in very good condition.
Maps measure approximately 40 x 29 cm, and are in
very good condition.
The present archive records an exhaustive process of
complexity and confusion, tainted slightly with political
corruption and unauthorized representation - not to mention
the distraction of China's Civil War which was then underway -
as a British judge attempts to claim his inherited property in
Nanking and convey funds to England, with still no funds in
hand after nine years.
The restrictions and politics of Chinese Property Laws,
especially in the case of foreigners, is well-illustrated in this,
one man's personal archive, which features a manuscript
map on silk made by a Chinese surveyor, a detailed land
survey map in English, an original will and testament made in
Ningpo in 1902, a probate engrossment to the will made in
October 1946, the deceased's lengthy record of civil service
throughout China, and numerous letters of correspondence
disputing and defending the rightful ownership of a land title
on the infamous Yantse Bund in Hsia Kwan, Nanking.
16

(ARCHIVE - LAW - ETHIOPIA - WOMEN)
MULLEN, Leonard & Agnes
Document Archive of a
High Court Judge and
Female Founder of
Abyssinia's First Law School
US$475
[Addis Ababa, Abyssinia (Ethiopia), 1948] - Archive of
papers pertaining to the loss of two individuals of
influence in Abyssinia's then recently restructured legal
system, including the resignation of a British judge
serving in Ethiopia's High Court, and the death of the
female solicitor who founded the first law school for
indigenous attorneys to receive proper legal
qualifications, the latter two being Mr. and Mrs. Mullen, a
husband and wife from Liverpool, each engaged by the
Ethiopian Ministry of Justice. Includes the judge's travel
passport with photograph, his Allied Force permit, an
Ethiopian form of photographic identification, letters
from the British Foreign Office and the Ethiopian Minister
of Justice and others, an official stamped Ethiopian
manuscript letter, together with a newspaper
announcement and other papers addressing the
solicitor's death, and the couple's original marriage
certificate. Documents and letters range in size. Some
are in manuscript, some typed, some printed. Several
are signed in the original. Slight loss to the Ethiopian
documents, some creasing, otherwise the lot in very
good condition.
Providing a glimpse into the judicial system of Ethiopia during
the reign of Emperor Haile Selassie I as he endeavoured to
modernize Ethiopia, and also of the influence of English Law,
these papers are from the personal archives of Ethiopia's High
Court Judge, the Right Honorable Leonard Mullen, and his
wife Agnes whom in her own right made a positive impact to
the community by founding the very first law school in the
country.
17

(MANUSCRIPT DIARY – SCOTLAND)
FAIRFAX, Joan
Little-known Yorkshire Painter
Bilbrough Manor in York
Connected to Scottish Peerage
Lords Fairfax of Cameron
US$375
[Bilbrough, York, London, 1901] - Manuscript journal of
Joan Evelyn Jane Fairfax who was born into a
baronetcy, and in 1899 married Guy Thomas Fairfax, a
descendent of the Scottish Fairfax peerage and ancient
English lineage. Text reveals a child that is not recorded
on peerage websites, Joan's work as a painter, and the
couple's preparations for their new home - the historic
Bilbrough Manor built in 1902. Small 8vo. diary by T.J. &
J. Smith of London, green leather boards, gilt edges,
measuring 9,5 x 13,5 cm. Approximately, 228 pages of
entries. Fading and wear to boards, otherwise in very
good condition.
This is the personal diary of Hon. Joan Evelyn Jane Fairfax
(1880-1960, née Wilson), wife of Guy Thomas Fairfax, who is in
the lineage of the Scottish Peerage Lords Fairfax of Cameron,
a notable ancient Yorkshire family. Joan and Guy are also
connected with the Bilbrough Manor near York, which they
had built as their residence in 1902, on the site of the original
manor built by Rear Admiral Robert Fairfax three centuries
earlier.
Little is known of the diarist apart from genealogical
information, and what she divulges in the present journal,
which reveals that she was an artist, and evidently had at
least one child more than is commonly known.
Blessed with the life of a peer, her pastimes include playing
bridge and croquet, cycling, luncheons and tea with friends
and associates, the opera, hopping the train to London for
shopping, and caring for her baby of course. As was invogue
in the early 1900s she is frequently hunting and
shooting, a favourite British sport, which was gaining
popularity among women at the time. As expected, the
couple had affluent friends, several of whom are mentioned.
The diary also reveals that Guy Fairfax was an avid
shooter/hunter.
18

(BROADSIDE – BULLFIGHTING – SPAIN)
Bullfighting in Spain
Unique Illustrated Broadside
Early Custom of the Mounted Matador
US$575
[Seville, 1843] - Uncommon original broadside for two
bullfights taking place at the Seville Plaza 16-17 April
1843, with very detailed programme information and a
beautiful steel cut engraving which illustrates the sport in
its traditional form - the matador being mounted. Printed
by De Velez Bracho. Text is in Spanish. Folio. Single leaf
measuring approximately 28,5 x 39 cm. Mounting paper
to left margin, unobtrusive to text, otherwise in very
good condition, clean and bright.
"Con el Correspondiente Permiso
Se Egecutarán Dos Vistas de Toros
en los tardes del Domingo 16 y Lunes 17 del presente mes de
Abril
La Plaza será mandada y presidida por la Autoridad
competente"
[With permission two bullfighting events will take place
in the afternoons of Sunday the 16th and Monday the 17th of
April this year
The Plaza will be directed and chaired by the competent
authority]
Especially interesting about this document is the woodcut
illustration of a matador de toros (bullfighter) mounted on
horseback while lancing his behemoth opponent. From
ancient times to mid-nineteenth century, a bullfighter was
mounted on a highly trained horse; while mounted he
confronted and killed the bull. With skilled cape work, a man
on foot aided the horseman in positioning the bull. The cape
man, in his precarious proximity to the bull, began to draw
more attention from the crowd however, and the modern
style corrida de toros (running of bulls) subsequently took
shape, the bullfighter being face to face at ground level with
the raging bull.
The two famous and accredited matadors are named,
including D. Francisco Taviel de Andrade, who had been
performing at the Seville bull ring since 1832 .
A rare survivor of what once would have been an advertising
pasted to a wall !
19

(ARCHIVE - REVENUE STAMPS - PORTUGAL)
Rare One-Off Archive
Extremely Scarce Revenue Stamp Proofs
Presentation Album for King Dom Luiz I
Kingdom of Portugal - House of Braganza
US$3,750
[Lisbon, 1872] - A one-off presentation album of Portuguese
duty / revenue stamps, featuring two very early examples
from 1663 and 1667 respectively, and numerous proofs from
the treasury, presented by the Directors of the National House
of Minting and Paper Seals to King of Portugal Dom Luis I, with
a printed dedication page, and a preliminary leaf featuring
the royal heraldic shield. Contains 381 specimens, including
impressed stamps, engraved stamps, a scant few in two-tone
ink, tinted and illustrated printed stamps, beautifully preserved
and mounted within a gilt border onto 36 numbered heavy
cardstock leaves separated with tissue guard. With 2 page
index at rear of the volume stating dates issued. All text is in
Portuguese. Oblong 8vo. purpose made quality morrocco
album, gilt tooled with the shield of a Portuguese monarch
and ornate borders, 4 raised bands, satin endpapers, titled to
spine "Album de Provas de Sello," measuring approximately
35 x 22 x 3,5 cm. Stamps vary in size, the smallest measuring
approximately 3 x 2,75 cm, and the largest 19 x 4 cm. Mild
wear to boards and age-toning to satin, otherwise in Very
Good, Original Condition, stamps in superb condition and
retaining strong impression.
Taxation history of Portugal from 1663 to 1872 is beautifully
preserved in an album of exceedingly rare ephemeral duty
stamps of a now obsolete currency, the volume originally
presented to the King of Portugal, directly from the
government house of mint and paper seals.
A fine presentation made expressly for the king, a one-off
volume, 381 unique stamps are systematically organized and
dates of issue identified, including ink woodcuts, steel
engravings, impressed stamps, and coloured printed varieties.
Some these "imposto" or tax stamps were made specifically
for the customs house "alfandegas." Only 2 examples are
"imposto do sello licenças" and thus would apply a tax
specifically for a license or permit document. Others bear text
to indicate its very specific purpose, including 16 that read
"causa pública junta dos juros" [public cause - joint interest],
at least 6 that read "segurança publica" [public safety], and
12 colour-tinted stamps that read "letra de câmbio" for a bill
of exchange.
20

(MANUSCRIPT – BURMA)
Second Anglo-Burmese War
Testimonial Signed by an American
Missionary on Commodore Lambert's
Action Against the King and Court of Ava
Battle in Rangoon - Civilians Evacuated
US$1,950
[Port of Rangoon (Yangon), 12 January 1852] -
Manuscript signed letter by American missionary
Eugenio Kincaid, describing the event that started the
Second Anglo-Burmese War, as it unfolded. 8vo., 4
pages. Double leaf measuring approximately 19,5 x
12,5 cm. Very good condition, a very rare firsthand
contemporary account.
Amidst the thick of it, Kincaid provides a vivid au-courant
description of a fateful conflict where pride superseded
reason, of an aloof and deceptive dynastic Burmese king
and his menacing officers, of Commodore Lambert's wanton
naval confrontation which ultimately led to the Second
Anglo-Burmese War, and finally, of the chaotic exodus of
Rangoon civilians.
This letter to a colleague in New York, some ten weeks prior
to the Second Anglo-Burmese War (5 April 1852 - 20 January
1853), Kincaid's account was penned whilst seeking
refuge onboard the HMS Duchess of Argyle, a British
merchant ship, anchored at the mouth of the Rangoon River
and at the time being used by his and others' families when
the King of Ava, Pagan Min (1846-1852), threatened to
destroy the city altogether.
The King of Ava, Pagan Min (1846-1852) who had made
claims of extortion against British merchants, and
Commodore George Lambert (1796-1869), who effected a
retaliatory port blockade at Rangoon, were the parties
directly at odds in this confrontation, with Lord Dalhousie
playing a significant role from India. The incident described
herein is that which in fact caused the war to erupt.
Primary Source material such as this is quite rare!
21

(MANUSCRIPT – FIREARMS)
BLAKE, William Edward, Inventor
Rare Victorian Vellum Gun Patent
Huge 6-Inch Double Sided Wax Seal
Improvement in Firearms issued to
New York City Inventor
US$1,750
[England, 25 July 1872] - Manuscript Victorian patent
document on vellum, folded and docketed, a rare and
excellent example of a patent of invention for guns,
granted to William Edward Blake of New York City.
Large printed document completed in manuscript and
measuring approximately 76 x 51 cm, with original blue
paper revenue stamp for five pounds, and a doublesided
yellow wax seal measuring 16 cm (6.5 inches) in
diameter. Small perforation at fold, age-toning to verso,
otherwise in very good and original condition, a lovely
and bright document, as issued, with a scarce large
Victorian wax seal in its original round tin case.
A round black tin container houses the massive double-sided
yellow wax seal, diameter 16 cm (6.5 inches), attached to
the document by original red plaited cords, one side being
the Great Seal of the Realm, the other being Queen Victoria
seated on a fully caparisoned royal horse. Diminutive fissures
to sides of seal, otherwise in very good original condition, with
vivid and crisp wax impression.
The Commissioners of Patents' Journal, September 1872 issue,
records this patent, no. 2224, being granted provisional
protection for six months, as also stated in the document
itself.
Rare official patent document for an invention for
"improvements in fire-arms" valid for fourteen years and issued
to William Edward Blake, an inventor from New York
City. Patent number 2224 was valid in the United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of
Wight, with the condition that the specified stamp duty
payments were remitted at the times specified, one hundred
pounds being payable in the seventh year after the initial
patent issue date, for example.
A patent issued to an American for Firearms ! Rare.
22

(MANUSCRIPT - ATLAS - MAPS)
PONA, Julea
During the European Revolutions of 1848
Uncharted Alaska
Historic Austrian Empire
Obsolete Kingdoms
US$750
[France, 1848-1849] - Manuscript atlas, “Petit Atlas
Géorgaphique”. Skilfully hand drawn and coloured by
a young lady named Julea Pona, comprising 15 maps
with manuscript border, an astrological diagram, an
altitude chart of the world's highest mountains and
notable rivers, and a manuscript title page. Text is in
French. Signed to front endpaper by the author. 8vo. 34
pages. Navy blue cloth boards. Tear to one leaf at
bottom margin, otherwise in very good condition, a
pleasing volume.
Contemporary to the European Revolutions of 1848, the
geographical content herein largely reflects European
boundaries, which were established at the Congress of
Vienna 1814-15 and the fall of Napoleon, while also
highlighting territorial changes resulting from the then current
Revolutions. With the Congress of Vienna, France lost all of its
recent conquests, while Prussia, Austria and Russia made
major territorial gains. The maps pre-date the construction of
the Suez Canal (1859-1869), the charting of Alaska (began in
1859), some highly significant polar explorations such as the
discovery of the discovery of the Northwest Passage (1851),
and the entire Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration (ca. 1895-
1917). The volume begins with a visual illustration of
geographical terminology, an altitude chart of the world's
highest mountains and notable rivers, as well as, most
appropriate for the time, a detailed astrological chart.
A lovely presentation, the amateur geographer's work also
illustrates what was known and what was yet unknown of the
world some 165 years ago.
The Revolutions of 1848, known in some countries as the
Spring of Nations, People's Spring, Springtime of the Peoples,
or the Year of Revolution, were a series of political upheavals
throughout Europe in 1848, largely Republican revolts against
European monarchies. Beginning in Sicily, and spreading to
France, Germany, Italy, and the Austrian Empire, they all
ended in failure and repression. It remains the most
widespread revolutionary wave in European history.
23

(MANUSCRIPT - TRADE)
MEYER & MORTIMER LTD.
Original Tailor's Ledger
Uniform Details and Fittings
Dressing Royal Forces and Foreign Diplomats
Large Photographs of Uniformed Models
US$575
[London, 1930s] - Original ledger of Meyer & Mortimer
Ltd. Tailors and Military Outfitters, whilst business was still
conducted from the first established office of 36 Conduit
Street, featuring excellent tailoring and fitting details for
elite regiments of the British Forces, gentlemen in
foreign diplomatic service, Scotland's Royal Company
of Archers. The Ledger includes much detail of
customer orders and prices charged. Together with a
large photograph of a male model demonstrating the
uniform of a colonial administrator. Together with an
engraved sketch of an officer of the 60th Rifle Brigade in
the uniform worn during the Crimean War and evidently
made by the firm, accompanying a typed letter,
addressed to Mr. Frank Lovett, long-time expert fitter of
British Army brigade uniforms, from B. Grahame Craig,
editor of Style Magazine based at Drury House in
London. Royal Quarto burgundy cloth binding by H. J.
Ryman of London, with alphabetized index tabs,
measuring approximately 33 x 25 x 3,5 cm.
Approximately 55 pages of entries, on wove
watermarked leafs, with impeccable tailoring details,
including typescript specifications, manuscript invoice
calculations. Wear to boards, otherwise in very good
condition, a unique and informative volume.
Frank Lovett spent 58 years fitting bespoke (custom-made)
uniforms for the British Army Brigade of Guards at the firm of
Meyer & Mortimer, retiring in 1986.
Uniforms represented here, and thus the many great men
who served the British Empire, in war and in civil duty, include
the Scots Guards, Grenadier Guards, Coldstream Guards,
Scots Guards, Highland Regiments, Gordon Highlanders,
Blackwatch Highlanders, Cameron Highlanders, the Seaforth
Highlanders, the Dorset Regiment, a 1938-1939 Royal Air
Force Flight Lieutenant, Pilot Officer, a brigadier's full dress,
service dress, mess kit, and more.
A fascinating volume !
24

(MANUSCRIPT – TEXTILES – TRADE)
ARNOLD, Ludwig
Dye Recipes
Rare Organically Dyed Samples
Natural Textile Tinting Before Synthetics
US$975
[Germany, 1836-1838] - Two manuscript journals of
recipes and instructions for dyeing textiles by organic
means, featuring tipped-in coloured thread and yarn
swatches, compiled by a German cloth dyer named
Ludwig Arnold, during the European Industrial
Revolution. 2 vols. 8vo. Approximately 160 pages
combined, one of the volumes with author's signature to
front endpaper. Additional miscellaneous notes loosely
placed within the volumes; all text is in German. Small
8vo. Manuscript labels to front of both volumes. Wear to
boards, otherwise in very good condition.
Featuring 11 unique coloured thread samples tipped into the
1838 volume, the pre-synthetic treatment of cotton and other
natural fibres is very specifically unveiled in this volume. At the
time of its making, these journals would have been carefully
guarded from others in the highly competitive market. With
numerous recipes and profuse annotations, the 19th century
cloth dyer, or textile colorist, has recipes for dyeing soft and
vibrant colours, the latter coming more into vogue during this
period. Recipes include royal blue, various shades of green
and even white, possibly to brighten natural cotton. Samples
include three unique shades of green, which was popular at
the time, blue, amber, reddish browns, and most advanced
for the period - a peach or flesh hew and a mauve. The writer
seems to have travelled on the continent for his profession,
Regensburg and Leiden, appearing in his notes.
Prior to 1856, all textile dyes were derived from natural
sources such as plants, insects, and minerals. Principal
organic dyes were indigo blue, made from plants, kermes
derived from dried insect bodies, madder which was also red
but made from vegetables, brown made with walnut roots
and shells, yellow made from willow trees and such.
A unique glimpse into continental textile dyeing in the early
1800's!
25

(MANUSCRIPT – TRADE)
Notebook of a German Glazier
Traditional Blown Glass Windows
US$375
[Germany, 1832-1896] - Glazier's manuscript notebook,
with information pertaining to his profession fitting glass
into windows, and possibly some on the making or
coloring of glass, as well as jottings of personal
importance such as family events and some recipes.
Approximately 77 pages in manuscript, on
watermarked leafs, and featuring one burgundy colour
sample pasted within. Text is in German, a scant few
entries made in a different hand. Small 8vo. Quarter
calf over brown marbled boards. Wear to boards,
otherwise in very good condition.
This irregular volume offers a glimpse into the life and trade of
a 19th century glazier, of either German or Bohemian decent,
and warrants further delving into. The entries span more than
60 years, suggesting that the writer was a reputable glass
craftsman, active in the trade from the start of the stained
glass revival era sweeping Western Europe, to the early
stages of industrial manufacturing of glass. Understandably,
little to no entries were made during the European Revolution
of 1848-49.
At the time of this man's work, German glass was of high
repute, glass of various forms and mirrors being exported as
far as America by the 1830s. In the mid-1800s, German
craftsmen were making captivating and superlative pictorial
style windows, such that caught the attention of British lawyer
Charles Winston, who wrote a book on the subject and
encouraged his countrymen to produce similar works. Glass
produced in Germany in the late 19th century was
characterized with especially intricate and fluid designs.
Master craftsmen rarely duplicated their patterns. Superior
workmanship, even in the making of round pieces of polished
glass for jewellery, is the hallmark of the era.
After 1890, the development and manufacture of glass
evolved through advancing technologies, and uses for it
increased rapidly. Technology for mass production began in
the latter stages of the Industrial Revolution.
26

(MANUSCRIPT – TOBACCO)
Italian Monasteries
Rare Primary Source Documents
Monasteries Engaged in Tobacco
Cultivation & in Trade of “Holy Grass”
Accusations of Fraud
US$5,000
[Palermo, Sicily, Naples, 1752-1777] - Archive of 47
manuscript documents, pertaining to production and
trade of tobacco, sometimes herein referred to as "holy
grass" in which are revealed specific practices and
regulations including contraband, cultivation
undertaken by monasteries, leases, and disputes. Mostly
penned in 1776-1777, text in Latin, Italian or Spanish,
approximately 190 pages combined, written in various
neat 18th century clerical hands. Laid paper, some with
exquisite watermarks, some with paper seals, one with
original silk band. A contemporary keeper of the
documents, possibly a government clerk, numbered the
first 40 in manuscript. Documents range in pagination
and in size, the smallest measuring approximately 24 x
17 cm, and the largest approximately 37,5 x 24,5 cm.
Contained in a recent, purpose-made clamshell box,
blue cloth boards, label to spine, measuring 26 x 39 x 5
cm. The lot in very good condition, a unique and
valuable primary source.
An important primary source for the history of the production
and trade of tobacco in Europe, this is an exceptionally
informative archive comprising 44 documents on the
practices, disputes and regulations for the cultivation of
tobacco. Several documents bear the original signature of
officials in charge of tendering and approving contracts, and
of senior members of monasteries in Palermo, Cefalù,
Alcamo, Trapani and other parts of Sicily.
Herein, we find witnesses’ testimonies confirming the scale
and extent of the practice, formal accusations of abuse and
fraud, and statements regarding the "overflowing quantities
of said Grass". The picture, which emerges is that of a thriving
economy with plenty of interests touching individual friars and
Franciscan monasteries as a whole, several categories of
traders, and ultimately the Kingdom in its capacity to levy tax,
grant and administer privileges and dispense rights. Rare!
27

(ARCHIVE - BOLSHEVISM - RUSSIAN REVOLUTION)
BECKETT, Ralph W.E. - 3 rd Baron Grimthorpe
British Noble Connected to Russian
Revolutionaries
Letters - Photographs - Personalia
US$1,750
[Italy, Russia, France, 1914-1917] - Archive of British peer
Ralph William Ernest Beckett, 3rd Baron Grimthorpe, at
the time serving in France as an officer of the Yorkshire
Hussars, comprising 30 manuscript letters, 3 postcards,
several receipts, 1 expense journal, and 5 photographs.
Letters are all addressed to Beckett and penned by
various family and friends, several from his wife, largely
pertaining to the First World War and his father's exquisite
estate in Italy, and features one letter with excellent
content of his sister's Russian connections and
participation in the Revolution. Most letters are
accompanied by the original covers, most are 8vo.
double-leafs. A large portrait photograph of Beckett
taken circa 1914, shows him in formal Yorkshire Hussars
uniform, the photo measuring 13,5 x 19,5 cm and
mounted on thick cardstock. Also including two original
photographs of Russian Prince and painter Pierre
Troubetzkoy (1864-1936), who was in London in 1914
and who was most certainly affiliated with Ralph's sister
the revolutionary enthusiast. The lot in very good
condition.
Letters from his sister Lucille prove to be especially interesting
as she was quite preoccupied with Russia and most
enthusiastic to work alongside her Revolutionary Russian
friends. In 1917 she was "in the know" of secret plans being
conjured by radical youths; she was actively involved in
promoting a propaganda magazine in Italy; she was
invigorated by the revolutionary campaigns and envisioned
her future in Russia endorsing change.
Sir Winston Churchill was a guest at the Beckett's Italian
villa and provided some good information regarding Italian
law when Ralph inherited the historic property from his father,
the latter being mentioned in a letter from Ralph's wife in
1917.
Excellent content and a treasure trove for research !
28

(MANUSCRIPT - BOLSHEVISM - RUSSIAN REVOLUTION)
RUFFO-SASSO, Elisabetta Grand Duchess of Russia
Bolshevik Terror during Russian Revolution
From the Archives of Russian Nobles
Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna
Grand Duchess Elisabetta Ruffo-Sasso
Romanov Imperial Family in Exile
US$2,950
Koreiz, Odessa, Biarritz, 1916-1919. Manuscript day
journal from the personal archive of a Russian noble and
refugee Elisabetta Ruffo-Sasso (1886-1940), Grand
Duchess of Russia, featuring a disturbing and graphic
peasant's firsthand account of Bolshevik regime terror
inflicted upon common folk in Ukraine, recounted to the
writer who was herself fleeing from Russia to live in exile.
Entries showing a connection to Scandinavia, as well as
the specific period described for the peasant's account
which correlates directly with her escape route from
Saint Petersburg, and the timing of the journey to
France, reveal that the volume is in fact that of Grand
Duchess Maria Pavlovna of Russia (1890-1958).
Containing poems, contemplations, recipes, inscriptions
made by others, text is mostly in Russian, with some in
French and English. 8vo. Approximately 31 pages
written in English pertain to the 1918 peasant's account
of Bolshevik torture and murder in Odessa, and 9 pages
written in Russian pertain to the 1919 journey to Biarritz.
Black leather boards, a scant few leaves loose at hinge,
otherwise in very good condition, a most interesting
volume warranting further investigation.
Provenance: From the estate archives of Elisabetta
Fabrizievna Ruffo (1886-1940), Grand Duchess of Russia, and
wife of Prince Andrei Alexandrovich of Russia (1897-1981) who
is second cousin to Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna of Russia
(1890-1958), both being great-grandchildren of Emperor
Nicholas I (1796-1855). The archive was held by the family of
Elisabetta's daughter from her first marriage (Elisabeth
Alexandrovna Friderici) and surfaced in 2015. The collection,
which surfaced in October 2015, contained numerous family
letters, photographs, journals, writings or articles by herself
and/or the Prince, her mother's watercolour art, and a few
items from other family members.
29

Most importantly however, is the eyewitness record of
Bolshevik terror in Odessa, by a young lady whose family was
grotesquely victimized. To escape Bolshevik wrath, which had
recently claimed the lives of many of the 'Romanov' line of
family members, Duchess Maria, left Tsarkoie Selo near Saint
Petersburg in July 1918, with her second husband Prince
Sergei Mikhailovich Putyatin. They travelled by way of Orsha,
Kiev, Odessa, and Kishinev, finally arriving in Bucharest in
January 1919. While staying at the prestigious Hotel London
[now the Bristol Hotel] built in 1899, in Odessa in November
1918, shortly after the German army had evacuated to
Bolsheviks from the city, Maria spoke with a hotel servant girl
named Niouscha who described violence and killing by the
revolutionaries, and the loss of her family at their merciless
hands. The account is 31 pages in length, with segments
crossed out and edited, as if considered for publication.
".. don't mention those bloodthirsty murderers - they have
reduced my father to poverty, they have killed my brother for
not enlisting in the Red Army and they have taken the man I
loved away from me by making him a brute such as they
themselves...."
"... came the sudden news of the revolution, of our czar
having been dethroned... bloodshed going on in the
capital."
"... I got a letter from my father saying that my brother had
been killed and the mill burned down with all the flour in it...
called my father names ..... saying that he was part of the old
regime and that he will have to certainly pay the price for
it..."
"... calling him a contra-bolshevik and his son a deserter,
pulled them out of the house and tied my mother and father
together and they burned my brother... After that they set fire
to the house and mill and left my father and mother together
helpless seeing their son and all their fortune burned....
This manuscript volume, which has been safe-guarded for
100 years, represents the displacement of the distinguished
Russian Imperial family during the Revolution, and reveals
specific Bolshevist terrorist acts inflicted upon innocent
civilians in the Ukraine - No person being exempt to the
extremists unrelenting appetite for totalitarianism, neither
royalty nor commoner!
30

(MANUSCRIPT – PRIVATEERING – JAMAICA)
Mistaken Act of Piracy During
Anglo-Spanish War of Jenkins Ear
Neutral French Ship and Cocoa Cargo
Plundered by British Man-of-War
US$4,750
[St. Jago de la Vega (Spanish Town), Jamaica, 16
January 1755] - Substantial manuscript court document
prepared for a trial held at the Jamaican High Court of
Chancery concerning a French ship named Santa Rosa
and the profits from the sale of her cargo of cocoa. The
Santa Rosa was erroneously mistaken for a Spanish
enemy vessel in 1742 during the War of Jenkins' Ear,
captured by British Commander John Draper and his
schooner HMS Adventure, confiscated and sold by
British authorities. Herein the French are laying claim for
due compensation of their financial losses. Signed in
the original by Jamaica's Governor Charles Knowles,
and by Robert Pringle, a plantation owner serving as
court registrar.
Complete with an extremely scarce large wax seal,
being the double-sided Great Seal of Jamaica from the
time of George II, the last Hanoverian British Monarch
born outside of Britain. Seal measures approximately 10
cm in diameter. The document contains 57 pages in a
fine hand, string-tied in simple paper wrappers. Folio,
laid paper, measuring approximately 27 x 23 cm,
watermarked with initials CR and a crest with powder
horn. Chips and spotting to leafs, loss to lower half of
wax seal, otherwise in very good condition, a very rare
survivor of eighteenth century West Indies privateering.
A miscalculated incident of piracy and its consequences are
transcribed by the High Court of Jamaica in these original
eighteenth century manuscript trial documents, together with
the exceedingly scarce original Great Seal of Jamaica that
was appended to the document by Governor Knowles.
This document was prepared by Scottish plantation owner
Robert Pringle, whose signature and seal are present, and
who was appointed Registrar of the High Court of Jamaica
by Royal Navy Admiral and Governor of Jamaica Sir Charles
Knowles (1704-1777) who endorses and signs the same.
31

In this ongoing case, the Kingdom of France, a neutral party
not involved in the war between Spain and England, sought
redress for the confiscation and disposal of one of their West
Indies trade vessels and valuable cargo, from the British
Admiralty who captured and condemned the ship believing
it to be from Spain.
“
Seemingly not recorded elsewhere, this scenario illustrates just
how fervidly the colonial trading nations protected their sea
trade routes. The French vessel, La Santa Rosa; was captured
by the British in 1742, at the height of the War of Jenkins' Ear,
a conflict between Britain and Spain for trading opportunities
in the Caribbean. When war broke out in 1739, both Britain
and Spain expected that France would join the war on the
Spanish side. There was heavy privateering on both sides,
hundreds of vessels being captured with the Spanish convoys
proving almost unstoppable. It stands to reason that when a
vessel was captured, the prize was immediately sold for profit,
which presumably funded the war.
This manuscript begins by recording the previous claims
made in St. Jago de la Vega [Spanish Town] at the British
Court of Admiralty, from 1751 to 1754, including the initial "Bill"
or charges filed, followed by several answers by both plaintiff
and defendant, and a verdict for payment to the French.
Interesting to note, the nine-year delay from the time of the
ship's capture (1742) to the initial claim (1751) shows how
long it took for overseas communication, and therefore how
long it could take to solve such a question as a missing vessel.
A rare document with an interesting Provenance, and little to
no information to be found in any of the major institutional
holdings!
Provenance:
Phillipps MSS Collection Item No. 36094 (uncatalogued)
32

(MANUSCRIPT – TIMBER TRADE – BOSNIA)
LASLETT, Thomas
Unpublished Manuscript Journal
Search for Shipbuilding Timber
for Royal Navy during Balkan Civil War
US$1,750
[Bosnia and Herzegovina, 1860-1861] - Unpublished
manuscript fair journal of an expedition to Bosnia and
Herzegovina in 1860, with a brief tour to Albania in
January 1861, by Thomas Laslett, a leading timber
purveyor for the Royal Navy's Admiralty, seeking a
further supply of oak for building large frigates and
wooden battleships. Penned in 1881 "in a readable
form" after retiring from active service, and drawing from
this original journal. 8vo. 179 pages in manuscript, plus 3
single page preface signed by the author. Volume
measures 18 x 22 cm. Boards marked by other papers,
otherwise volume in very good condition, internally
bright, a fascinating account of the 19th century timber
trade entering Turkey.
Pressed for prolific supplies of timber for shipbuilding to
maintain naval supremacy, and ultimately commercial
advantage over competing nations, the Royal Navy
dispatched their leading purveyor/inspector into an unsettled
nation of civil turmoil - to Bosnia and Herzegovina during the
Serbian insurrection, which had been ongoing since 1852.
With notable diplomatic contacts to assist and influence his
mission, and surely with handsome recompense, Laslett
agrees to undertake the task of locating, inspecting, and
securing untapped sources of high quality timber, therefore
venturing into the unsettled and remote wilds of the Balkan
Peninsula, where thieves and anarchists thrived. The instability
of the nation, coupled with the challenges of travelling where
foreigners are scarcely seen, results in a riveting travellogue,
far more so than a survey report. Most often sleeping in the
rudimentary Turkish inn of sorts, known as khan or a
caravanserai, Laslett and his party frequently sleep in
intervals, each rotating as a watchman due to the high
numbers of vandals lurking about. Fascinating!
33

“To a man who deals with history, letters contemporary with the
events he is studying are frequently valuable material. Accounts
written later are usually coloured by the knowledge of what
actually happened and are distorted by later prejudices and
legends. Wartime letters may be distorted too, admittedly,
through the necessity of obeying wartime censorship regulations,
and also because husbands and wives often wished to appear
more cheerful than they actually were. But even the letters that
are distorted badly convey an atmosphere, a mood, that is hard to
recapture otherwise, and which is important when reconstructing
a period; and sometimes they at least give clues that lead to the
unearthing of forgotten facts.”
C.S. Forester - The Man in the Yellow Raft
4927 Edendale Court . West Vancouver, BC . Canada . V7W 3H7
Tel: 1.604.720.2000 . E-mail: info@voyager-press.com
Cataloguer: Linda Montpetit
Production: Cathy Marumoto
© 2016