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Six autograph manuscript poems comprising:

• King of Clubs
• Knave of Clubs
• King of Diamonds
• Knave of Diamonds
• Knave of Spades
• Queen of Hearts

Each on separate sheet of plain paper (19.5x24 cm), written in black ink, each signed by the author, housed in a morocco-backed clamshell box.

Originally these poems were in the possession of Mr. Ronald Yates, a detailed account of how he acquired them during the early 1970s is included. Briefly, after Ted Hughes' marriage to Carol Orchard in 1970 they continued to live in Devon, in Court Green/ North Tawton, where they came in contact with the Yates family. According to his own account of events he had no knowledge or interest in literature and was not aware of Ted Hughes' reputation as a poet. It appears that he traded various items and "commodities" with Ted Hughes in return for "one and a half poems". However, it is unclear whether or not the poems were primarily written for the purpose of exchange. An included typed letter, signed, from Hughes gives a slightly different story. During the late 1980s, Hughes published the series Full House, featuring 13 poems. Although the titles are the same, e.g. Queen of Hearts, King of Clubs etc., the style and content of the poems are not. Only Knave of Spades bears some similarity to the manuscript poem.