Emily Griffin commonplace book

drawing of a group of 4 men sitting on a couch

Manuscript commonplace book and album of Emily Griffin, perhaps a gift to be filled in by her friends before she left for India and kept for new friends when she arrived there. Included are a number of poems from well wishers before her voyage out to India in 1826, together with quotes and extracts from Byron, Cowper, H.H. White and other contemporary poets. Also before she left, Mary Ann Bloxam (1807-1880), an accomplished porcelain painter, contributed two pages to the album with fine watercolors of flowers and a poem. Among the material collected when in India are the contributions by the orientalist and antiquary James Prinsep (1799-1840), including watercolors and sketches.

  • Author: Griffin, Emily, 1803-1884.
  • Title: Emily Griffin commonplace book : manuscript.
  • ProductionLondon and India, 1827-1835

Catalog Record

LWL Mss Vol. 281

Acquired February 2023

The Birmingham Register, or, Entertaining Museum

title pageIncludes essays, anecdotes, selections reprinted from other journals such as The Monitor and the continuation of The North Briton; with a ‘Historical memoir’ in each issue including domestic and foreign news, prices of stocks, bankrupts; with poetry selections.
Intended as a supplement to the Birmingham Register newspaper. Published in alternate weeks as a companion to the Coventry Museum.

 

  • Title: The Birmingham Register, or, Entertaining Museum.
  • Publication: Birmingham [England] : Printed by and for, J. Sketchley, sworn appraiser, auctioneer and salesman, in High-Stret; and sold by T. Luckman, printer, in Coventry; Mr. Pryce, Shrewsbury; Mr. Clare, Bewdley; Mr. Geast, Dudley; Mr. Smart, Walsall; Mrs. Moseley, Kidderminster; Mrs. Unett [sp?], Wolverhampton; … [and 25 others in various provincial towns]; and by all the booksellers in Great-Britain and Ireland, [1764]-

Catalog Record

61 B619

Acquired January 2021

The old English ‘squire

Plates: The old squire — Fetching the midwife — Dressing the young squire — Young squire gets ferrul’d for neglecting his studies — Breaking cover, or Hunting in Hampshire — Tries a new shooting pony, which won’t do — Crammed at college by his tutor for a degree — Gets cheated by his miller who grinds oats for him — Young squire goes to London and gets his pockets eased — Takes lessons in dancing — Sits for his portrait — Goes to the opera — Buys an historical picture. St. Anthony preaching to the fishes — Goes to a picture sale — Rides home on a borrowed horse — Mistakes mushrooms for game and spoils their shape — Meets with a small accident — His gun misses fire, because he had forgot to load it — Goes with some friends to shoot grouse on the moors — Not the safest way to carry loaded guns in a wood — Spurs himself in the wrong place — Sees a water kelpy — The village schoolmaster, fond of little bits — A cheerful dance.

  • Author: Chatto, William Andrew, 1799-1864, author.
  • Title: The old English ‘squire : “a jovial gay fox hunter, bold, frank and free” : a poem in ten cantos / by John Careless, Esq. ; illustrated with plates by one of the family.
  • Publication: London : Printed for Thomas M’Lean, 26, Haymarket, by Howlett and Brimmer, Frith Street, Soho, 1821.

Catalog Record 

53 C4 821

Acquired May 2019

Magna Britannia triumphans

Two poems, the first signed: Dr. Barbon.
The first poem (left column) begins: “When glorious Anna’s happy reign began …”
The second poem (beginning in lower portion of middle column) entitled “The te deum”: “To thee, O lord, we chearful praises sing …”

  • TitleMagna Britannia triumphans: or, The coronation of the high and mighty Anne, by the grace of God of England, Scotland, France and Ireland, queen, defender of the faith, &c. who was crowned at Westminster abby, on Thursday the 23d of April, 1702.
  • PublishedLondon : Printed and are to be sold by E. Mallet next the King’s Arms tavern on the ditch-side near Fleet-street, 1702.

Catalog Record

File 55 An4 702++

Acquired July 2017

Fables ancient and modern

Fables Ancient and ModernInscribed on front free endpaper by Edeard Cheney and with his library stamp: “From the Strawberry Hill ale, once belonging to Maria Stewart, the step mother of Horace Walpole, July 7th 1842.”

  • Author: Dryden, John, 1631-1700.
  • Title: Fables ancient and modern : translated into verse, from Homer, Ovid, Boccace, and Chaucer : with original poems / by Mr. Dryden.
  • Published: London : Printed for Jacob Tonson, at Shakespear’s head over-against Katherine-street in the Strand, 1713.

Catalog Record

49 1849

Acquired November 2007

A collection of poems, 1777-1778.

 

A collection of poems by Philip Howard beginning with “Privacy, a poem (in 3 parts) written in the year 1777” which appears on the first 17 leaves. Another version of a portion of the poem (starting at line 180) appears on the blank sides of five letters addressed to Robert Ellison, Esq. Great Merrybone Street, London. The poem is prefaced by a prose “Argument” and a sonnet addressed to William Mason as suggested by later references within the poem.  The next two sonnets, on separate leaves, are also presumably by Howard. The first lines are “Ye, who delight your day of youth to wear” and “When to the tabor’s beat, & sounding wire”. The final section of ten leaves contains drafts of a poem identified in a preliminary note in an unidentified hand as “Poem (unfinished) on Greece & the Classic Poets, by Philip Howard of Corby c[irca] 1778. Origl. autograph ms. A clever composition.” ; Philip Howard of Corby Castle, Cumbria, poet and antiquarian, was the great-great-grandson of Lord William Howard (1563-1640).

  • Author: Howard, Phillip, 1730-1810.
  • Title: A collection of poems, 1777-1778.

Catalog Record

Acquired May 2012

Poems, lyric and pastoral

Cover: Poems, lyric and pastoral

Bookplates: Poems, lyric and pastoral

Title: Poems, lyric and pastoral

Edward Williams also wrote under the pseudonym Iolo Morganwg.

  • Author: Iolo Morganwg, 1747-1826.
  • Title: Poems, lyric and pastoral : in two volumes / by Edward Williams.
  • Published: London : Printed for the author by J. Nichols, and sold by J. Johnson, No. 72 St. Paul’s Church-Yard; J. Owen, No. 158 Piccadilly; E. Williams, No. 11 Strand; Darton and Harvey, Grace-Church Street; by all the booksellers in Bath; Fletcher, Oxford; Merrill, Cambridge; Brown and Lloyd, Bristol; Harward, Cheltenham; and Pritchard, Philadelphia, 1794.

View Catalog Record

Acquired September, 2011 by the Lewis Walpole Library.