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Lot 180
GIBBON EDWARD: (1737-1794) English Historian, Writer & Politician whose most important work was The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire (1776-88). A fine, large D.S., Edward Gibbon, one page (vellum), large oblong folio, n.p., 17th June 1773. The attractive manuscript document is an Indenture made between Gibbon (‘only son and heir of Edward Gibbon the Elder late of Buriton….’) and Sir Stanier Porten of Saint James’s, Westminster and Joseph Newton of Aldermanbury, London, for the lease of the manor at Mapledurham in Buriton, ‘in the County of Southampton’ (Hampshire) for one year ‘in consideration of the sum of five shillings of lawful money of Great Britain’. The indenture makes references to the manor house’s surrounding meadows, pastures, glebe land, woods, gardens and orchards as well as outbuildings including barns and stables and also names several tenants including Ralph Burknall. Signed by Gibbon at the foot of the document either side of a red wax seal. Rare. A clean and attractive document, folded as standard. VG In around 1719 the Manor at Mapledurham in Buriton was purchased by Edward Gibbon, grandfather of the historian, following the death of Ralph Burknall (or Bucknel). Gibbon had acquired a fortune of £60,000 and was made a director of the South Sea Company in 1716 and was involved in the general ruin which fell upon the company in 1720. However, he soon amassed a second fortune and purchased large estates in Buckinghamshire and Hampshire. Gibbon died in 1736 and the Manor passed to his son Edward Gibbon (‘The Elder’, as referred to in the present document), the father of the historian. Gibbon’s wife died whilst their son was still at an early age and Gibbon the Elder ‘soon withdrew from the gay and busy scenes of the world, and his prudent retreat from London and Putney to his farm at Buriton in Hampshire was ennobled by the pious motive of conjugal affliction’ He lived there for the remainder of his life, dying in 1770. The Manor then passed to his son, Edward Gibbon the historian who, in had previously observed in his autobiography 'My father's residence in Hampshire, where I have passed many light and some heavy hours, was at Buriton near Petersfield…. An old mansion in a state of decay had been converted into the fashion and convenience of a modern house, of which I occupied the most agreeable apartment; and if strangers had nothing to see, the inhabitants had little to desire. The spot was not happily chosen-at the end of the village and the bottom of the hill; but the aspect of the adjacent grounds was various and cheerful: the Downs commanded the prospect of the sea, and the long hanging woods in sight of the house could not perhaps have been improved by art or expense. My father kept in his own hands the whole of his estate, and even rented some additional land, and whatsoever might be the balance of profit and loss the farm supplied him with amusement and plenty’. In April 1789 Gibbon sold the property and estate to Lord Stawell (1757-1820). Sir Stanier Porten (1709-1789) was Gibbon’s uncle. His youngest sister, Judith, had married Edward Gibbon on 3rd June 1736. Porten made a career for himself as a Government official and Diplomat, serving as a Consul in Naples and Madrid. In July 1766 he was appointed Secretary to the extraordinary embassy of Lord Rochford to the Court of France and in November 1768 as under-secretary to Lord Rochford whilst Secretary of State for the Northern department, and in December 1770 the Southern department, remaining with Rochford until 1782. Porten was knighted in June 1772, appointed Keeper of the State Papers at Whitehall in 1774, and from 1782 until November 1786 was a Commissioner of the Customs. He died at Kensington Palace in 1789.
Lot 236
DREXLER HENRY CLAY: (1901-1924) American Navy Ensign, Medal of Honor winner for his actions during a fire onboard USS Trenton in which he lost his life. Signed slim printed 4to piece, neatly trimmed from the United States Naval Academy year book, 1924, the page depicting Drexler in a head and shoulders pose above a witty résumé. Signed in fountain pen ink with his name alone across the printed text. The signature is faded although still legible. To the foot of the page is written Killed in explosion of turret aboard Cruiser Trenton 1926 in the hand of a collector. VG In October of 1924, while Trenton was conducting gunnery drills, powder bags in her forward turret exploded, killing or injuring every member of the gun crew. During the ensuing fire Ensign Drexler and Boatswain's Mate First Class George Robert Cholister attempted to dump powder charges into the immersion tank before they detonated but failed. Drexler was killed when the charge exploded, and Cholister was overcome by fire and fumes before he could reach his objective. Both men were posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor.
Lot 249
MOUNTBATTEN LOUIS: (1900-1979) British Admiral of World War II. Uncle of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. An interesting collection of A.Ls.S., T.Ls.S., some printed ephemera and photographs etc., being papers retained by Mollie Travis, archivist at Broadlands, the country estate of Mountbatten in Romsey, Hampshire, including two A.Ls.S. by Mountbatten (one signed with his initials) to the versos of picture postcards, both to Travis, one sending her Christmas and New Year greetings and thanking her for her ‘really excellent work on our archive’ (1967) and the other stating that he would be pleased for the letters that Queen Louise left to him to be sorted out (1971), a further A.L.S. on a printed correspondence card from Sandringham, Norfolk, to Travis, thanking her for some letters which he has signed and sent off (1955; accompanied by the original envelope hand addressed by Mountbatten and signed by him with his initials in the lower left corner), an A.N.S. by Mountbatten on the printed 8vo stationery of H.M.Y. Britannia, forwarding a souvenir of ‘my 1971 and 1972 cruises on board the Britannia’, a T.L.S. by Mountbatten, one page, 8vo, London, 29th February 1960, to Travis, on the printed stationery of the Chief of the Defence Staff at the Ministry of Defence, writing on behalf of his daughters Patricia and Pamela and himself to thank his correspondent for a letter of sympathy and remarking ‘I deeply appreciate the kind things you said about dear Lady Louis’, an ink signature (‘Mountbatten of Burma’) on an envelope bearing some pencil annotations in an unidentified hand relating to a diary of 1962, dated 1st August 1967 by Mountbatten, a Christmas greetings card individually signed by Louis Mountbatten and Edwina Mountbatten, also including an envelope hand addressed by Edwina Mountbatten and signed by her with her initials in the lower left corner, addressed to Mrs. Travis, a T.L.S. by Pamela Mountbatten, one page, 8vo, Broadlands, Romsey, Hampshire, 11th September 1957, to Mr. D. N. Dean, referring to a photograph taken whilst she was still at school, forwarding an alternative (no longer present), apologising that she does not have any more recent ones and commenting ‘This was taken of my mother and me in India in 1948. But at least it is not quite so old as the one you had sent me’, further including several pieces of unused printed stationery from various locations including one with the printed heading of Mountbatten in his capacity as Governor of the Isle of Wight, various printed programmes and invitations etc relating to the unveiling and dedication of a memorial to the Earl and Countess Mountbatten of Burma at Westminster Abbey on 14th February 1985, and others to the unveiling of a memorial statue to Mountbatten by Queen Elizabeth II at the Foreign Office green on 2nd November 1983, also including a quantity of correspondence written to Travis from various individuals, mainly Robin Bousfield, a distinguished Naval officer, discussing Mountbatten and the archives (23 letters, mostly dated in the late 1960s and many marked Private), other correspondents including John Knatchbull, 7th Baron Brabourne, husband of Mountbatten’s eldest daughter Patricia, Lieutenant Commander Anthony Combe, Captain Andrew Yates, Lieutenant General Sir Denis O’Connor etc., some of the letters accompanied by copies of reply from Travis, further including a series of holograph cards prepared by Travis for a talk on the archives, some photocopies of newspaper articles etc., relating to Mountbatten including a copy of an A.L.S. by Prince Charles and Princess Diana to the staff at Broadlands thanking them for a gift and their hospitality during their honeymoon, commenting ‘We shall always look back on those two days with great nostalgic affection’, 22nd November 1981, a few printed souvenir magazines etc. relating to Mountbatten including a printed large 4to brochure issued for Mountbatten, described as ‘A unique television history of the 20th Century in 12 one hour episodes – based on the Life and Times of Lord Mountbatten’, 1969 and an original copy of the Daily Mirror of 28th August 1979, with the front page announcement of Mountbatten having been ‘Murdered by the IRA’. A fascinating collection. Generally G to VG, Qty
Lot 823
Victorian Royal Engineers Officer’s Sword of Major General Sir John William Gordon CBEThe sword is by Wilkinson of London, the blade is numbered 6526, which is repeated to the original brass scabbard. The slightly curved blade with etched decoration of crowned VR cypher and the regimental title. Cutler’s details to the forte. The hilt fitted with brass foliage pierced guard conforming to the 1857 pattern. Housed in original brass scabbard. Clean condition.It is interesting to note that the number of the blade indicates the date 1855, two years prior to the introduction of the hilt pattern. It is presumed that the General returned the sword to Wilkinson for conversion to the new pattern, this could explain the unusual feature of a numbered scabbard.Major General Sir John William Gordon KBE was born in 1814. He received a Commission in the Royal Engineers in 1833. He saw early service in Bermuda and at the time of the Crimea War had obtained the rank of Captain and was one of the first engineering officers to land with the invasion of the Crimea. He saw service at the Alma and Inkermann. In the trenches before Sebastopol, he came into his own, although still only a Captain was appointed Chief Engineer under the command of Field Marshal Burgoyne. Promoted Brevet Major in December 1854, he was always to be found in the front line trenches, he became popular with the troops earning the nickname “Old Fireworks”. He was wounded during a Russian sortie on the trenches in March 1855, but quickly returned to his duty. He was forced to return to England later that year due to his wounds. He was made a CB and appointed an ADC to the Queen. He would serve as Adjutant General Royal Engineers from 1856 to 1861 and with this post felt it important to upgrade his sword to the new regulation pattern. He was promoted to Major General in 1868 and a KCB. He was appointed Inspector General of Fortifications, however at this time he was in failing health partly due to his old wounds and stress, a fellow officer wrote that he feared he was close to a nervous breakdown. Gordon was man who had always put duty first, now felt he was letting his corps down and took his own life on the 8th February 1870.Attribution by vendor
Lot 215
Three Royal Copenhagen figural groups comprising a milkmaid and calf, model no.779, the maid offering the calf a drink from a pail; a boy with two geese, model no. 2139, both 16cm high and a Faun seated on a tortoise, printed and painted marks, 8.5cm high together with a small Country Artist's model of a bird and a still-life pottery basket of fruit (5)
![[§] MAURICE BUFFET (1909-2000) STILL LIFE OF FLOWERS IN A VASE oil on board, signed 91cm x 71cm Provenance: Ex. Wynches,](https://cdn.globalauctionplatform.com/1ef4311e-dd81-40b8-a70b-a8e400f3632c/d22feb91-62a7-4899-a1cd-34a6a60e212b/468x382.jpg)
Lot 245
A 19th Century Chinese album, of ornithology on rice paper together with another similar album of the court life of a child from birth to schooling, tea ceremony, marriage and eventual death on rice paper, each album 24 cm x 34 cmExterior covers are not fully secure with scuffing and fraying to the edges. Several small stains and the tassels broken or missing. The inner pages of the figural book have large water stains across several of the pages. Several borders of the images are not fully secure or missing. Several pages creased in the corners. Some images have rips to sections of the overlaid paper. Colours are still bright, no apparent restoration.
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