LONDON — A descendent of Edward Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby, who was Prime Minister three times in the 1850s and 1860s, consigned an extraordinary autograph album to Chiswick Auctions. As part of a specialist online sale of Autographs and Memorabilia that closed on September 15, it was expected to bring £5,000-£7,000 ($6,600-$9,300), but hammered at £16,000 ($21,050, or $27,160 with buyer’s premium).
The vendors were the great-great-grandchildren of Lord Stanley, to date the longest-serving leader of the Conservative party, who spent three terms in 10 Downing Street in 1852, 1858 to 1859, and finally from 1866 to 1868. Specifically, the family descended from Lord Stanley’s only daughter, Lady Emma Stanley, who was disinherited when she turned down her father’s choice for a husband and instead married his private secretary, Patrick Talbot. One of the few family possessions Lady Emma retained was this autograph collection. It was later augmented by Lady Alice Stanley, wife of the 17th Earl of Derby and lady in waiting to Queen Alexandra, wife of Edward VII.
Connections to high society made for an exemplary collection. It comprises letters to and from the great and the good of Victorian society: members of the British royal family, European royalty, British, European and American politicians, authors, and celebrities. The autographs range from clipped signatures and brief notes accepting or declining a dinner invitation to much more personal or revealing correspondence.
Two letters from Queen Victoria include one dated August 4, 1873, in which she personally thanks Lady Stanley “for your writing to me on the occasion of my son Alfred’s engagement to the Grand duchess Maria of Russia.” She adds: “All I hear of the young lady is most favourable and I have therefore every reason to hope that the marriage will be happy one.”
Prince Albert wrote on April 18, 1843: “I have received your letter and beg you will not delay going out of town. As it is, the Queen is very much distressed that people in office should on her account be prevented from taking advantage of the only holidays they have.”
A note from the Irish republican and Home Rule advocate Michael Davitt dated September 7, 1892, references media coverage of the General Election in July when, after elected as the MP for North Meath, the result was overturned on petition because he had been supported by the Roman Catholic hierarchy.
He says: “The Daily Independent … has told its readers that the sketch of me which precedes the article in the Revue was written by myself! The Tory papers have copied this as they are endeavouring to make merry at my expense over this malicious act of the Independent!”
In an autograph letter written in Italian from the rocky island of Caprera on March 25, 1860, a year before the Risorgimento, Giuseppe Garibaldi says he will soon leave for Nizza and asks the recipient to inform the English he won’t allow them to take control of his country.
Jefferson Davis, president of the Confederate States of America from 1861 to 1865, contributes a long letter to a Reverend Arthur Talbot, written on September 19, 1868 – a year after he had moved to Quebec after his incarceration in Richmond, Virginia.
“In our last interview you asked me whether I thought the independence of the clergy in the matter of reproving sin would be diminished by dependence on their congregations for support. My reply was complete from the standpoint at which I have been accustomed to seeing the subject; but in connection with the discussions now prevalent in this country, I might have properly added that from ‘disestablishment’ I should fear little for the Church but much for the Government of England.”
