A massive large folio (18½x14½") autograph album containing a collection of approximately 400 English autograph letters, (some 4 pagers), free franks and clipped signatures of royalty and political figures from the period 1800 through the 1830’s. The autographs are all mounted on the page rectos with the versos remaining blank on 45 leaves. There are an additional 16 pages of old newspaper clippings and approximately 90 blank leaves which run to the end of the album, which may have held a collection of sea weed laid in and not now present
The album was apparently assembled some time prior to 1870 as there is a holograph presentation on the front endpaper dated 1870, given to a family member in Weymouth (UK). On the front pastedown remains an old bookseller’s printed entry from 1902 listing some of the more important individuals contained therein, but which now is inaccurate as over time some items have been neatly scissored out. A partial list of those we find intact are Elizabeth I, Charles I, Prince Frederick, 2 Nelson Bronte franks, multiple George III signatures clipped from vellum or paper documents, George IV (?), George Prince Regent, Duke of Cambridge, Selwyne, Robert Peel, Sir Charles Napier and a nice full page 1830 letter from Thos. Foley, Admiral of the Blue and Commander in Chief of His Majesties Ships etc. from Portsmouth Harbor to Markland, Captain of the Ship Briton concerning procedures henceforth.. An abbreviated list of names found includes Egleston, Glastonberry, Winton, Carrington, Rochford, Cardigan, Shaftsbury, Dinsmore, Egremont, Landerdale, Lincoln, Portman, Seymour, Howard, Yarmouth, Eastlake, Baillie, Brougham, Hardinge, Russell, Borthwick, Grey, Mackinnon, Holland, Mackintosh, Kerr, Castlereagh, etc. including countless more that would require the knowledge to decipher the script. Most of the free franks are dated with the Crown postmark. This lot is being offered as is, and the signatures without guarantee of authenticity. Though we believe them to be largely authentic there are several that have been called into question.
Signatures of Elizabeth I and Charles I and (Mary Queen of Scots) are tracings that were done in the middle of the 19th century and were later misattributed as being genuine in the early catalog listing pasted inside the front cover that offered the entire collection for 3 pounds, 18 shillings. The "Marie R" signature which appears in the middle of the first page next to the signatures of "Elizabeth" and "Charles" is actually a representation of the signature of Mary Queen of Scots. The envelope panel in the upper right of the first page was free franked by the Duke of Wellington. The envelope panel in the lower right of the second page was also free franked by the Duke of Wellington but is signed with initials (a monogram). One of the signatures of King George has George IV written on it in pencil but I believe that it is actually that of George III. The two envelope panels free franked "Nelson & Bronte" were not written by Lord Horatio Nelson who was killed at the Battle of Trafalgar. They were actually written by his older brother who was given the titles after his brother's death. The printed description inside the front cover lists three items by "Viscount Nelson." One of the envelope panels that was clipped out earlier was marked "Nelson & Bronte" and that one may actually have been written by Lord Nelson. Somewhere in the back is an ALS in two pieces signed "Robert Peel." This is not the Prime Minister but his son. Coincidentally, both the "Nelson & Bronte" and "Robert Peel" signatures (see attachment) are illustrated on the same page in the "Some Cases of Mistaken Identity" section of the 1970 book "Four Hundred Years of British Autographs" by Ray Rawlins. There is an ALS somewhere in the back by Sir Edwin Landseer. The logo for The Hartford insurance company was derived from Landseer's painting "The Monarch of the Glen."