SPENCER
(Gilbert, 1892-1979, Artist, brother of Sir Stanley)
Fine Long early Autograph Letter Signed to Austin and Vera LANE POOLE
(1889-1963, Historian, from 1913 Tutor, then Fellow at St John's College, Oxford, President, 1947-1957 and his wife 1890-1965, Vera Ellen Dendy, Painter, saying that he is “suffering under the influence of the first shock of the empty chair complaint, not being a wireless enthusiast & not being a spiritualist I am left with no other alternative but to talk to you through the medium of His Majesties Post Master General. I heard you go off yesterday & felt half inclined to run up this hill to cheer you on your way. I did not. feel particularly happy at returning but Marjorie is doing her best to keep my spirits in the ascendancy. I am terribly affected by associations & environments & in spite of my apparently living alone I am in fact very much part of & among my friends. To love one’s friends does not mean that one has got to be perpetually on their door step neither does it mean that one has even got to be continually writing. To my way of thinking the making and keeping of friends is a fine art. My friends are all in a sort of nursery & I am the nurse... I have entered upon my duties as a householder with all the dignity & fortitude I can muster but the children still titter every time they say ‘Good night Mr Spencer’...” there is then a lengthy description of his daily routine before continuing to his work “I am now painting those lovely little dark fir trees which look so good against the grey roofs of the houses. I have definitely decided to put some pigs in the foreground as I am certain that no portrait of Lower Chedworth would be true without them. On returning to dinner which Marjorie serves up with remarkable dexterity I remark that the butcher has not sent me what I asked for - half a leg of mutton the knuckle end - being very careful not to betray to her the fact that I did not ask for the other end (which thank God he sent) because I did not know its name. After dinner I take a walk...” he continues with the details of the rest of his day with comments on the people in the village and the book he is reading (Tess of the D’Urbervilles), “The ducks still wend their irrigated way down the many interlacing streams quacking their appreciation of Christmas having passed & sticking to their courses as faithfully as any railway engine. The Steam Roller still finds life full of ups & downs & I should like to ask the driver whether he likes sailing but he might ‘turn funny’. It rained this morning so I could not paint... Dean came in a little later & told me that he was so frightfully busy with Parochial affairs etc that he had that day transferred the whole of that huge undertaking - the supply of York Cottage with electric light - to another manager... Well my pen has fairly run riot with me tonight. I started this letter with the intention of stating in plain & simple language my affectionate gratitude for the very happy time I have spent here with you & the hope that again someday I shall cross the threshold of your door to add another link to the happiness of my experiences. This letter passes through some rather mixed phases...”, 11 sides 8vo.,, with original autograph envelope, c/o Mrs Poole, Chedworth, Gloucestershire, postmarked
Item Date:
1923
Stock No:
43624
£225
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SPENDER
(Sir Stephen, 1909-1995, Poet & Critic)
Typed Letter Signed to fellow author Aubrey Hodes
saying that “the story and poem are both interesting and powerful. I am sorry not to have written before about the poem, but it became detached from your letter and there is no indication on it of whom it is by. For this reason I did not realise that it was yours and had put it aside until I heard from the author. I am very sorry to have to return them but at the moment we have so much pressure on space that I am simply returning almost everything...”, 1 side A4 on Encounter Magazine headed paper, 25 Haymarket, London, 28th June
Item Date:
1956
Stock No:
43645
£100
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STERN
(G.B., 1890-1973, Author)
Autograph Letter Signed ‘with initials, to Catherine Dupré,
(1927-2014, Writer and Artist) saying that she envies her “Vienna, & thank you for your candles & prayer for me at St Stefan’s, they can join the little miraculous Medal which Marguerite Steer bought me from there with ‘Wien’ scratched on it - I can wear it now because my long silver chain from a friend in Philadelphia has safely arrived. This letter is getting too geographical! It’s chiefly to say that I saw Father Mangan yesterday at Farm Street & we talking about you... and instructed me & Pamela Frankau he said he’d certainly like a talk with Desmond...”, continuing at length about arranging a meeting and going on that “Father M. has to have a long rest... he’s terribly lame from his wound in the 1914 War & not at all strong, easily gets exhausted. But he is a darling, full of fun and humour, well-read & with an intellectual not a sentimental approach to Catholicism, very human and scornful of people who ‘split hairs’ over what doesn’t really matter...”, 8 sides 8vo., D1 Albany, W1, no date but circa
Item Date:
1954
Stock No:
43626
£125
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SWINNERTON
(Frank Arthur, 1884-1982, novelist and writer)
Fine Autograph Letter signed to Dennis WHEATLEY
(1897-1977, Novelist) thanking him for sending him “the dossier ‘Herewith the Clues’. Thank you. I have not yet broken the seal. I shall get the greater joy from experimenting in guesswork in my odd moments. But a fast reading of the text & examination of the clues leaves me completely baffled. More power to your mystifying elbow!...”, and he signs off with the word “Curiously”, 1 side 8vo., with original autograph envelope, Old Tokefield, Cranleigh, Surrey, 10th October
Item Date:
1938
Stock No:
43627
£225
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SIR GILBERT TALBOT RECOMMENDING THE VICAR OF LACOCK FOR A POST
TALBOT
(Sir Gilbert, circa 1606-1695, Dipomat and Royalist)
Fine Letter signed recommending the vicar of Lacock for the parsonage of Broughton Gifford
saying that “When I last had the honour to wayte upon yr Lp at London I took the boldness to recomend to yr Lps favour our worthy vicar of Laicock Mr Isaac Sympson for the reversion of the parsonage of Broughton Gifford within this County and in yr Lps guift when vacant. The present incumbent Dr Proby is very aged and infirme and is kept soe close up by his Curate, ye none else can know whether he be living or dead. This extraordinary concealment giveth just ground to suspect that the designe is either to reape yo profitts of the living for some time after his death or at least to gett the start of all other pretenders to yr Lps favour in petitioning for the living when it falls. To wch end I heare he hath bespoke the hands of the parishioners, and two neighbour Justices to give yr Lp a fayre testimoniall of his merite. I thought it requisite to give yr Lp this advertisement that you may not be surprised by any such importunity wch might otherwise make yr Lp forgett yr promise soe long since enterd in yr table book. I have cauled Mr Simpson to follow yr Lps directions to procure the Bps Certificat of his loyalty, orthodox... and exemplary life wch he keepeth by him, till upon the vacancy he shall waite upon yr Lp with it for yr presentation wch will oblige to yr Lp a very deserving Churchman, and give yr Lp a... title to the thanks of this family and in particular of yr Lps most obedent and more faithfull servant...”, 1 side 4to., Lacock, 15th August
Item Date:
1683
Stock No:
43597
£1275
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