Showing 6 results

Welcombe, Stratford on Avon. - Begins the letter with a quote from an original version of the British national anthem: 'God bless Great George, our King!', since it is the birthday of 'a less mischievous monarch [George V] than was born tomorrow [George III]'. Likes to think of Elizabeth and Julian in a house where he expects they will be as happy as she kindly says they were at Welcombe; he and Caroline miss them both very much. Glad that Aunt Annie liked his speech; will always 'connect it with [Elizabeth's] presence'; originally encloses a 'photograph of the scene', and a picture card of a ward. The wards are all full now; will visit them soon. Thanks Elizabeth and Annie for asking, and his cold is quite better. Notes in a postscript that a figure [in the photograph] is Canon Melville.

Biographical sketch; copy of a letter from George III to William Pitt regarding the nomination of Mansel as Master of Trinty, 13 May 1793; notes on Mansel's children; copy of a letter from Princess Mary, Duchess of Gloucester, to Isabella Mansel on the death of her father, 5 July 1820; anecdotes about, and epigrams by, Mansel.

Ipswich.—Sends some pheasants, thanks him for the use of his library in town, and congratulates him on the king’s recovery. Refers to some rare plants he saw in Cumberland, etc.

(Perhaps directed to one of the king’s physicians.)

—————

Transcript

Ipswich
Oct. 24th

D[ea]r Sir

I beg your Acceptance of a Brace of Pheas[an]ts sent this Day by [th]e Mail Coach, kill’d yesterd[a]y.—I take this Opport[unit]y of returning you my Thanks for [th]e Information & Entertainm[en]t y[ou]r Library afforded me when in Town; & I heartily congratulate you on [th]e perfect Recovery of our worthy King, without fearing any chance of Relapse according to my Opinion.

I have been in Cumberland, Westmoreland &c. July & Aug[us]st last, & met w[it]h many scarce British Plants (to me) amongst w[hi]ch were—

“Ophrys paludosa—Polypod: fragrans of Hudson.

“Lobelia Dortmanna—Isoetes lacustris—

“Impatiens noli-tangere—Rumex digynus—

“Diosera longifolia—Osmunda lunaria. &c. &c.

From
yr Oblig’d H’ble Serv[an]t
W B Coyte.

—————

Numbered ‘279’ in ink at the top. Dawson Turner has added the year ‘1788’ in pencil. The sheet has been trimmed. In the original some words are abbreviated by superior letters. In the transcript the missing letters have been supplied in square brackets. Fossil thorn ('y') has been replaced by 'th' in square brackets.

Album containing over 250 letters, notes, documents, unaccompanied envelopes, printed items, and photographic prints carrying the handwriting and/or autographs of sovereigns, prelates, government ministers, peers, authors, and Trinity College masters and professors, with a few unusual items in addition. The material appears to have been largely culled from the correspondence of George Peacock, his wife Frances Peacock, her father William Selwyn, and her second husband William Hepworth Thompson, with a few unrelated items. Most date from the 19th century but there are a few items from the 18th century.

Among those represented are King George III, Charles Babbage, E.W. Benson, the 15th Earl of Derby, the 7th Duke of Devonshire, W. E. Gladstone, Lord Houghton, Charles Kingsley, H. W. Longfellow, Lord Macaulay, Sir Robert Peel, John Ruskin, Adam Sedgwick, Alfred, Lord Tennyson, Anthony Trollope, and William Whewell; there are in addition a miniature handwritten Lord's Prayer in a circle no larger than 15mm across, a carte-de-visite photograph souvenir 'balloon letter' from the Paris siege of 1870 with an image of the newspaper 'La Cloche', and a photographic print of Lane's portrait of George Peacock.

Downing Street. - Supports Milnes' application for an increase in Pontefract schoomaster's allowance, but hesitates to refer request to the Prince Regent at present as Duchy property represents the King's private estate rather than public revenue; will make recommendation in the event of the King's recovery, or at a later date if the Regency is extended.

Album containing material connected with the Milnes familty to 1831: in particular the brief parliamentary career of Houghton's father Robert Pemberton Milnes. Other reports concern national and historic events, such as the deaths of George III and George IV.