AUTOGRAPHS OF BRITISH PRIME MINISTERS

WILLIAM EWART GLADSTONE Autograph Letter Signed. British Liberal statesman who was four times Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (1868-74, 1880-85, 1886 and 1892-94). ALS. 2pp. Letterhead of 10 Downing Street, Whitehall deleted and with "Hawarden" substituted. September 21st 1894.  To Mr. Murray. "I return the [?] corrected for press. The [?] are I think judicious.  I have looked at the pages you name; and I do not see how the indentations can be improved.  Please look also at p.47 and at the corrections [?] numerous in the preface. Yours sincerely, W.E. Gladstone.  Kindly return the list of presentation copies.....

WILLIAM EWART GLADSTONE Autograph Letter Signed. British Liberal statesman who was four times Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (1868-74, 1880-85, 1886 and 1892-94). ALS. 3pp. Hawarden. December 30th 1879.  To W[illiam] Woodall, Bleak House, Burslem. Together with the original envelope addressed and signed in Gladstone's hand. "The articles, to which you refer in your two obliging letters, arrived here last night in perfect safety, and are much admired by others, as well as by myself. They seem to exhibit in many points proof of the continuance of that growth for which the manufacturers in the Potteries have now for.....

WILLIAM EWART GLADSTONE autograph Letter signed. British Liberal Statesman who was four times Prime Minister (1868-74, 1880-85, 1886 and 1892-94).   ALS. 2pp and integral blank leaf. Printed letterhead of 10 Downing Street struck through and the address 1 C[arlton] Gardens added in his hand.  August 20th 1892. To [William] Woodall.  Together with a fine contemporary portrait photograph.   "I have now the pleasure of requesting with the full concurrence of Mr. Campbell-Bannerman, that you will assume in my new administration the office of Financial Secretary of the War Department, with a portion of the duties of which you are already.....

WILLIAM EWART GLADSTONE Autograph Letter Signed. British Liberal statesman who was four times Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (1868-74, 1880-85, 1886 and 1892-94). ALS. 2pp and integral blank leaf to which original autograph envelope is affixed. Letterhead of 10 Downing Street, Whitehall. February 11th 1886.  To [William Woodall.  Together with a fine contemporary portrait photograph. "Secret.  In the work of constituting the administration I am very desirous to have your assistance; and I would propose, with your permission, that you should become Surveyor of the Ordnance.  The office is one for which I believe that your capacity, knowledge of.....

WILLIAM EWART GLADSTONE AUTOGRAPH Letter Signed British Liberal statesman who was four times Prime Minister (1868-74, 1880-86, 1886 and 1892-94).   ALS. 3pp. 11 Carlton House Terrace, S.W. June 15th 1863.  To Mr. Grenfell. Together with a fine contemporary portrait photograph.   "Notwithstanding the hesitation which arose in my mind on account of my very particular admiration of Mr. Wedgewood as one of the greatest men in the history of British art (so far as my very imperfect means of judgement go) I am sorry to find the difficulty which I mentioned to you is stubborn and insurmountable. The invitation I.....

WILLIAM EWART GLADSTONE autograph Letter Signed. British Liberal Statesman who was four times prime minister (1868-74, 1880-85, 1886 and 1892-94).   ALS. 2pp plus integral blank leaf. 10 Downing Street, Whitehall. February 21st 1885. To W[illiam] Woodhall. Together with a fine contemporary portrait photograph of Gladstone.   "Leveson-Gower has mentioned to me your conversation with him the other day on the subject of the possibility of your obtaining facilities for bringing on your Bill. I am afraid I cannot give you any encouragement in this head. The present demands upon the time at the disposal of the House of Commons are such.....

LORD SALISBURY Autograph Letter Signed. Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury. British Conservative statesman. Three times Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (1885-1886, 1886-1892 and 1895-1902). ALS.  Embossed letterhead of the Foreign Office.  Foreign Office. June 14th 1879.  To The Right Honourable Sir Henry Elliot.  The letter is partly autograph and part printed proforma. Together with the original envelope, also signed by Lord Salisbury. "this letter will be delivered to your Excellency by Mr. H.T. McNeale who is proceeding to Vienna on business.  At the request of the Lord Chancellor I beg leave to introduce him to Your Excellency's acquaintance,.....

ARCHIBALD PHILIP PRIMROSE, 5th EARL OF ROSEBERY Autograph Letter Signed. British Liberal Prime Minister 1894-1895. ALS. 1p. Delmeny Park Edinburgh.  October 23rd 1888.  To [Granville] Levison Gower. "It is alas! not possible. My work is the extraction of myself from some engagements rashly contracted for two years not the formation of new ones. Yrs S[incere]ly. R." Bifolium. 8vo. Approx 18 x 11.5 cms.  Mounting residue to verso of blank last leaf of bifolium. Some dust soiling, else very good. A letter expressed in Rosebery's typically laconic and witty style. Rosebery had replaced Levison Gower, Lord Granville, as foreign secretary in.....

ARCHIBALD PHILIP PRIMROSE, 5th EARL OF ROSEBERY AUTOGRAPH Letter Signed British Liberal Prime Minister (1894-1895).   ALS. 3pp. Dalmeny Park, Edinburgh. November 6th 1896. To [William] Woodall. Together with fine contemporary portrait PHOTOGRAPH.   "I am extremely obliged to you for your valuable speech, and specially grateful for the personal expressions with which you enclose it; which I value all the more as we have not been so much thrown together as I would wish. No one knows better than those, like myself, who have never enjoyed it, what the cordial comradeship of the House of Commons means to a.....

ARTHUR BALFOUR AUTOGRAPH Envelope Signed. Arthur James Balfour, 1st Earl of Balfour. British Conservative statesman who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom 1902-1905. Autograph envelope postmarked London 21st March 1908.  Addressed and signed in Balfour's hand. "To The Rev Canon Kelly, Cathedral Library, Manchester. A.J. Balfour". Approx 13 x 11 cms. Fine. Balfour replaced his uncle, Lord Salisbury , as Prime Minister in 1902.  Lord Salisbury had acted as his own Foreign Secretary in his last administration but Balfour had taken the role during Lord Salisbury's illness and when he was abroad. As such he was to take some.....