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Roberts, Frederick Sleigh, Lord Roberts of Kandahar (1832-1914)

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Roberts, Frederick Sleigh, Lord Roberts of Kandahar (1832-1914) Roberts, Frederick Sleigh, Lord Roberts of Kandahar (1832-1914). Autograph Letter Signed, 18 February 1896. E 2009.12 Field Marshal Roberts was one of the great military figures in the British Empire of the late Victorian period, who did heroic service in the Indian Mutiny and achieved victories in the imperial wars in Afghanistan and South Africa. At the height of his fame, he was asked to stand as the Liberal Unionist candidate for the Lord Rectorship of Edinburgh University. In this letter he declines the offer on the grounds that it would not be suitable for a high-ranking officer like him to engage in an electoral contest. Good, William. The Measurer’s and Tradesman’s Assistant. Edinburgh: Printed for William Creech, 1788. RB.S.221 This guide for Edinburgh tradesmen gives a valuable insight into trade practices and prices in the city in the 18th century. This is an excellent copy of the reissue of this important Edinburgh-related work, first published in 1775. It gives guidelines for measurements in Scotland and particularly in Edinburgh, including details of “ordinary prices of masons, wrights, glasiers, slaters, and painters work”. This copy was used by one George Murdoch in the early 19th century, who has included five pages of manuscript annotations. Thomas Campbell, autograph letter signed, 22 February 1834. E 2009.18 The poet Thomas Campbell (1777-1844) had achieved much social and academic recognition by 1834, and had been Rector of Glasgow University. However, it had not been known that he sought the chair of Rhetoric and Belles Lettres at Edinburgh University, which ambition is revealed in this letter to Francis Jeffrey, the Lord Advocate. Campbell writes that he is thinking about competing for this position, and asks for Jeffrey’s support. The establishment of the chair of Rhetoric and Belles Lettres at Edinburgh, created for Hugh Blair in 1762, is often seen as marking the start of the formal teaching of English Literature as an academic discipline at university level. Brown, George Mackay. The girl from the sea: a play for voices. Llandogo: Old Stile Press, 2009. RB.F.49 This unpublished drama by the Orkney poet George Mackay Brown is an important addition to our collections of his books and papers. The book is printed by the Old Stile Press in an edition of 195 copies, of which this is copy 24. It is illustrated with wood and lino cuts by the American artist Michael Onken. The paper is Vélin Arches, the type is Albertina and the binding is by The Fine Book Bindery, Wellingborough. It is an excellent example of modern book craftsmanship. Jeffrey, Francis, Lord Advocate (1773-1850). 3 autograph letters signed. E 2009.19 Jeffrey was educated at Edinburgh University and followed a career in the law while pursuing his literary interests. He was the first editor of the Edinburgh Review and friends with many writers of the day from Carlyle to Dickens. When the whigs came to power in 1830, he was appointed Lord Advocate. These three letters deal with legal matters, but also show how he missed Edinburgh when on business in London. Francis Jeffrey. Autograph letter signed to William Henry Fitton. 2 December 1817. E 2009.21 Jeffrey worked closely with his contributors including Fitton (1780-1861), the geologist. In this letter he discusses Fitton’s work and also writing by another geologist, William Smith (1769-1839). This letter gives valuable insights into the workings of the influential Edinburgh periodical press. Franklin, Benjamin. Essays; humorous, moral, and literary. London: Published by J. S. Pratt. 1850. RB.S.259 Franklin (1706-1790) is one of the great figures of the American revolution and an important writer and printer. His influence on the Scottish enlightenment was probably significant; in 1771 he visited Scotland and David Hume. This pocket edition of his essays was published in London, but printed in Stokesley in Yorkshire, according to the colophon. Of particular interest is the binder’s ticket inside the rear board, which states that it was bound by Mrs. C. Wilson of Kelso. The binding is half-leather with marbled paper, with gilt tooling on the spine; a very competent piece of provincial Scottish work. Mrs. Wilson is not recorded in the Scottish Book Trade Index. Kelly, Ellinor J. Ewin Lloyd, or, How we all got on. London: [Robert K. Burt for] John Morgan [n.d.]. Bdg.s.5 This novel has been purchased for our bindings collection as an excellent example of a Scottish school prize binding. It was awarded by Edinburgh Collegiate School in 27-8 Charlotte Square to James Dalziel in 1877-8 for achieving various first and second class certificates. It is bound in full morocco with the arms of the school in gilt on the front board. Morris, Henry. Bird & Bull Pepper Pot. North Hills, PA: Bird & Bull Press, 1977. RB.F.48 This is a most handsome example of American private press work, and has a nice associated story. Morris, the printer for the Bird & Bull press, produced this volume of anecdotes and reminiscences, particularly relating to printing. The volume includes examples of plates and samples of different paper. This is copy numbered 214 (out of 250). It was given by Morris to an Edinburgh graduate, Dr. Alistair Thomson (1913-1987), who wrote a PhD on the Scottish paper industry and who entertained Morris and his wife when they visited Scotland. This copy is inscribed to Thomson by Morris. Scott, Paul Henderson. A twentieth century life. Glendaruel: Argyll Publishing, 2002. RB.P.85 £1 This is a nice uncorrected proof copy of an important autobiography by this leading Scottish writer. Brown, Helen McInnes. Poems. Glasgow: Jackson, Son & Co., 1949. RB.S.279 Helen McInnes Brown is one of those Scottish poets who seems to have disappeared from the literary radar; even a Google search finds nothing for her. This volume of poetry, printed privately, indicates that she was a writer with a strong traditionalist and romantic bent – unlikely to find favour in the generation of MacDiarmid. This copy includes a manuscript letter by the author dated 5 March 1950. [Butler’s book]. Manuscript, 1898. E 2009.22 This is a curious survival – a lined notebook has been turned into a compendium of recipes, medicines and preparations, with a hand-made thumb index at the start of the volume. The recipes include a mixture for bookbinder’s varnish and ingredients for constipation pills. The medical remedies are given dates in 1898, and they also give a useful reference to getting ‘Flower of Yarrow’ from Napier’s Dispensary on Bristo Place – suggesting that this was produced in Edinburgh. The book is not completed. Nouveaux souvenirs d’Holy-Rood. Manuscript, 1831-2. E 2009.23 Henri V, the legitimist King of France from the abdication of Charles X in 1830 until his death in 1883, went into exile when Louis-Philippe was proclaimed king in August 1830. He established his court at Holyrood in Edinburgh, and a number of publications are associated with his time here. This is a curious collection of anonymous letters, apparently from a member of the refugee court, on a political theme. The provenance is unclear, but there is a loose note stating ‘Pour mes pauvres petites filles de France’ signed ‘Louise’ – hopefully further research will identify her. [College riots in January 1838] RB.S.278 There were serious disturbances at Edinburgh in January 1838, which led to criminal cases against a number of students. This volume is a compilation of printed accounts, newspaper cuttings, broadsides and satires on the riots, with extensive manuscript notes and a number of illustrations. It comes from the library of the antiquarian James Maidment. [Grant, Anne]. Letters from the mountains. 3 v. London: Longman, 1806. RB.S.260-262 This is a very handsome set of the published correspondence of Anne Grant (1755- 1838). Grant (née MacVicar) was born in Glasgow but grew up in pre-revolutionary America. When her family returned to Scotland, they moved to Fort Augustus where she met her husband John Grant. She maintained friendships with various literary figures including Scott and De Quincey. She wrote poetry and collected Gaelic folklore; her works are a valuable record of highland life. These volumes are in contemporary tree calf with gilt tooled spine compartments and red and green leather labels. There is a contemporary inscription ‘Anne Austen 1812’: a relation of Jane? Burton, Robert. The anatomy of melancholy. Oxford: Printed for Henry Cripps, 1638. RB.S.258 Burton’s book, of which this is the last lifetime edition, is a landmark of English literature and early psychology. We have acquired this copy for its importance as a text and because it has some particularly interesting bibliographical features. In 1635 the Edinburgh printer Robert Young was working on an edition, but it was suppressed by Henry Cripps who held the copyright. However, he obviously reached an agreement with Young because many of the sheets up to p. 346 were printed in Edinburgh. Leaf 2L1, printed by Young, has a slit indicating that it was meant to be cancelled as it repeated text on the previous leaf, but this has not actually been done. To complicate matters further, the London printer Miles Flesher and the Oxford printers William Turner and Leonard Lichfield also had an involvement. There is a report on this publication in "Oxford Bib. Soc. Proceedings & Papers" I (1922-6), p. 194-7. More work could probably be done; e.g. there is something very odd going on at pages 140-143. We have kept this copy in its current semi-disbound state so it can be studied for evidence about its production.
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