A collection of receipts and bills, in a variety of hands and mostly signed by the tradespeople, related to Sir Christopher Musgrave’s expenses during the years 1708-1718, with the bulk of the detailed receipts covering the years 1716-1718.
LWL Mss 31
Acquired November 2018
Autographed letter signed by John Boyle, 5th Earl of Cork, and addressed to the booksellers Messrs. Dodsley on the subject of Horace Walpole. He commences the letter by asking to see any work by “Mr Walpole”: “I am told of one that it is very difficult to be procured”. He says that he met “Mr Walpole” many years ago at Houghton when he was treated with “honours and civility,” but has never had “an opportunity of improving my acquaintance with him” but would “you oblige me to the highest degree in trying to let me have one of his books”. Signed “Corke”.
LWL Mss File 140
Acquired October 2017
ALS from Francis Blandy to William Toovey relating to legal instructions and referring to a certain person who “has been getting at [the] knowledge of the affair in order to lessen your allowance.” Also with an 18th century newspaper clipping advertising a publication about Mary Blandy’s affair with Mr. Cranstaun, her crime, and execution, dated 1752.
LWL Mss File 127
Acquired July 2015
Two autograph letters signed, both addressed to the naturalist and traveller Thomas Pennant, reporting on the preparation of several engravings to be used as illustrations for Pennant‘s second Tour in Scotland. He references many of the best engravers of the period: Daniel Lerpinière, Charles Grignion the Elder, John Hall, Alimet, among others.
LWL Mss File Group 5
Acquired July 2015
First image, ‘Painting after life’ shows a skeleton (death) seated before an easel painting a portrait of the obese old man seated opposite and holding a cane. The subject is seated against a blank screen; a portfolio of other works is leaning against the screen. Beside the ‘artist’ is a box of paints and artist supplies.
Second image, ‘Death staring shipwrecked sailors in the face!!!’, shows a skeleton (right) seated on a rock with his head resting in his hands, elbows on his knees as he stares at two shipwrecked sailors (left) on a beach.
On the verso: an autograph letter from Ebenezer Gerard in Liverpool to Samuel Taylor Liverpool, dated 1826 February 5, in reference to “Prose by a poet” (by Montgomery James) which he compares to his own efforts since his illness, with the address incorporating watercolor and rebus material.
Catalog Record & Digital Collection
826.02.05.01
Acquired July 2015
Autographed letter signed from Joseph Farington to John Boydell written from Houghton Hall the seat of Sir Robert Walpole, Earl of Orford where he spent three years making drawings of the paintings for Boydell’s Collection of prints after the most capital paintings in Engalnd (2 vols., 1782). He reports on the progress of his work in general and in particular his work with “the Paul Brills”.
LWL Mss File 128
Acquired July 2015
Autographed signed letter from William Melmoth to Nathaniel Chauncy “concerning … Coxe’s picture in my old friend’s your brother’s collection.”
LWL Mss File 129
Acquired June 2015
James Granger to Horace Walpole, 24 July 1764
Horace Walpole to Charles Lyttelton, 22 May 1736
Horace Walpole to Bertie Greatheed, 22 February 1796
Horace Walpole to Sir William Hamilton, 18 February 1776
Horace Walpole to Thomas Pitt, 5 June 1764
Horace Walpole to Joseph Walker, 4 April 1791
Catalog Record & Digital Collection
LWL MSS 1
A letter signed and in his hand, from John Rist, a captain in the 12th Regiment of Foot, Arcot, East Indies, to his friend in Chelmsford England, J. Roberts. Having joined the army with his brother and left England against the advice of his friends, Rist describes his voyage to India, the distress of the ship after being damaged in a storm, and the efforts made to keep the ship afloat until it reached Ceylon where repairs were made. The regiment landed at Madras on 3 October 1798 and stayed there one week. Rist describes Madras, its architecture, and living conditions. After a week, the regiment moved to the fort at Arnee; again Rist describes living conditions at the fort for the regiment and for the natives. He calls upon Roberts to support his application to his father for an increase in allowance for both himself and his brother so they could purchase lieutenancies. He then relates his response upon hearing of Nelson’s victory over Bonaparte at the Battle of the Nile. In a postscript he relates the news that the regiment moved to Arcot and speculates correctly that their target is Seringapatam.
LWL Mss File 107
Acquire January 2013
An account of the disbursements made to the churchwarden Christopher Parson for expenses paid out from April 1740 to April 1741. Recorded are the expenses for trips to Cambridge, payments to ringers for a celebration on the anniversary of the restoration of Charles II, the coronation of George II, and for Guy Fawkes Day; payments for hedgehogs, beer, books, repairs to the bells, etc.; with later annotations describing the location of the town and reasons for the expenditures. On the verso, the names of ten individuals who approved the accounts.
LWL Mss File 106+
Acquired January 2013