Manuscripts

North British Australasian Company Limited – Delay on Wool Clip creates liquidity issues – 1892

Original manuscript letter from the Company Secretary of the North British Australasian Company Limited from their headquarters at 10 Moorgate Street, London E.C. dated 5th July 1892.

Addressed to Cochran Macpherson who were likely the lawyers of 152 Union Street, Aberdeen who were no doubt attending to their wily Scottish clients interests.

I legible hand but for ease of reading … “Dear Sirs, I am in receipt of your letter of the 1st inst and in reply beg to say that the delay in the payment of the Guaranteed interest is owing to the non-arrival of the greater part of the Wool Clip. We have however received a Cablegram saying that same is being pushed forward and expected to arrive here in September. On the completion of the sales whatever amount remains after meeting out-goings in the Colony will be appropriated for interest on the Guaranteed Stock. A payment on account would have been made ere this had it been possible to have sold a large quantity of surplus Live Stock on the Stations at the present time but prices are so extremely low that we are prohibited from doing so .. ”

The North British Australasian Company were formed in the early 1840’s and by the time of this letter had extensive interests in Australia.

What at first hand may be a routine business letter … reflects the difficulties facing the Australian agricultural sector to this day … overstocking when prices are low, delays caused by unforeseen reasons and shareholders expecting guarantees when they cannot be fulfilled.

10 Moorgate is a beautiful building now occupied by ING Group.

Liquidity Issued Politely Explained
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NB – Postage will be reduced on final billing

$90.00

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Manuscript Letter – Italian Astronomer Giuseppe Armellini – Portorecanati – 19th August 1922

Returning proofs and with suggestions of a mathematical nature based on “derivate ordinaries” … ordinary derivatives. Our calculus a little rusty as also our Italian … appears to be connected to Maxwell’s Laws.

Giuseppe Armellini (1887-1958) was born and died in Rome. He was Professor of Physics and Astronomy at several Italian Universities and Director of the Rome Astronomical Observatory for over 30 years. It was in the year of this letter [1922] that he took up his position at the Observatory of the Campidoglio which in 1936 he transferred to Monte Mario. A fire destroyed the Observatory in 1957 … inconsolable Armellini died the following year.

Armellini published several works … the first, in 1911, based on Newtonian principles. Over his career he developed several theories and principles. He will be forever known for Armellini’s Law {in 1922 also] which determines mathematically the distances of the planets from the sun in our solar system. The key to this understanding is the Armellini constant “D” … which is 1.53 but you must start at minus 2 for Mercury. Curiosities exist in its application … from them Armellini is awarded the honour of having predicted the large asteroid/ minor planet Chiron which was not confirmed until well after his death.

Armellini explained the Solar System – Manuscript letter with Scientific content

$140.00

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Dalmorton Quartz Mining Co [NewSouth Wales] – Original Manuscript Record of Formation and Original Share Issue – 21st October 1872

Gold bearing Quartz had been found by loggers in Northern New South Wales on the rugged road in the mountainous regions between Glenn Innes and Grafton.

Directors John Edge Manning, Thomas Miller, John Henry Seamer (Alderman and Timber Merchant), Charles Dawn and George Harley put forward a Prospectus for the Dalmorton Quartz Mining Co to exploit the resource. This manuscript … broadsheet folded and written over effective 3 then sides records the structure of the issue in terms of capital and proposed calls on initially partly paid shares and bears the no of shares allocated and signature and address of the original subscribers who total 70 in number.

From nothing Dalmorton rapidly became a thriving centre with up to a thousand miners and a town of 13 pubs, a school, 2 butchers, 4 stores, police station, stables, jail, post office etc. Ten years later discovery of gold at Mount Morgan and at Kalgoorlie drew miners away and the area went into decline. The town of Dalmorton was fully abandoned by the 1970’s.

Current day unlisted public company Revolution Metals Limited has reopened a number of prospects in the area and appear to be doing rather well.

Original Australian Gold Mining Company Historical Document – 1872

$140.00

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Original manuscript Accounts Book 1791/92 – Webster’s Ropery Sunderland, County Durham, England

Original folio accounts book for the two-year ending 31st December 1792 most likely of or the predecessor to one of England’s leading maritime rope makers, Webster of Deptford, Sunderland County Durham. Original quarter reverse calf with marbled paper covered boards. 62 pages of fine handwriting … appears all the same hand.

Titled at the head of page the first page “An Inventory of Goods etc at the Ropery belonging Messrs William Marshall and John Webster together with an account of the Debts due to & from them this first Day of January One Thousand Seven Hundred and Ninety One”

The first record of rope making on Wearside (the river Weir runs through Sunderland) was in 1636. The rope was likely made from Baltic hemp. Before 1800 ropes were hand-made on ropewalks a practice that continued for another 100 years. Ropewalks had to be wide enough for four men to spin abreast of each other and long enough to make a standard 120 fathom marine rope. Up to 20 people may be employed on just one rope.

Webster’s plant at Deptford was the first on Wearside driven by steam. It is believed to be the world’s first factory producing machine-made rope. Robert Fothergill a Sunderland schoolmaster had patented a machine to spin hemp the year after our accounts book (1793). It could be that this careful record was produced as part of an exercise to obtain finance for the mechanisation … although the low wages recorded suggest that that mechanisation may well have been underway. We do know that Fothergill died shortly afterwards and Grimshaw a local clockmaker took up the rights in partnership with our Webster and two others. Although its not clear whether the Webster involved was Rowland a distinguished magistrate or John as noted here.

One of the partners in the business was the distinguished Rowland Burdon who later gave up his Parliamentary position on principle although many though that it was because Webster’s Ropery had gained very lucrative contracts with the Royal Navy and he was avoiding any backlash financially … for sure Webster’s were there at Trafalgar!

The records mention many of the vessels of the day that would have been working out of the North-east along with their captains … e.g. Captain McQuarrie of the Fanny; Johnstone of the Nancy William; Robinson of the Broughton Tower; Cleminson of the Argyll; Kennel of the Endeavour (a new one); Dixon of the Sarah; Holm of the Hollow Oak; Neal of the Betsy.

Neat recording of debts and payments with particulars of sales noted with full description for every transaction with monthly totals compared often against some measure of the physical amount sold (early KPI’s). Stock holdings, wages per wage period all set out very carefully. For an industrial historian there seems sufficient information to paint a pretty full picture of the extent of activities. We have gleamed that the Ropery Buildings are in the books at GBP 220, stockholdings were GBP205 and annual sales GBP484 with total wages of only GBP72. Looks nicely profitable.

Interestingly, the Ropery building still exists and has been restored … it is a magnificent building and has been re-established as Webster’s Ropery … but as a beautiful wedding venue … check it out we have shown an image here.

Accounting Records from 1792 …. unique Maritime interest …

$290.00

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Amusing Manuscript Letter – William Anderson – Author of The Green Man

A nice and amusing term of phrase in a clear hand ….

“My address will explain why you have had to wait so long for the return of the copy of my book The Green Man. I have signed the book for your friends but not with the full inscription they requested. This is not to be curmudgeonly but I do not understand what is meant by the expression “in ancient sunlight”. Also there is no sign of sunlight here, ancient or modern: there are high waves on the lake and the mountains are sheeted in cloud … I will keep the English stamps for use when I return to England.”

Curmudgeon doubtful but careful with his words

$30.00

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Author’s Letter and Book – C.A. Wendell – Author of “Out of the Fog”

An unusual letter and again a nice turn of phrase to his Doctor following a “refund check”

“Here is a copy of my latest book: “Out of the Fog”. It’s pure fiction, but fiction with a purpose. You may not have time or the inclination for fiction, but the story contains a few pages which may interest you – and your wife too maybe – in case you care to find them” etc etc

Amusing letter and advice and we found the pages … a Voyager secret!

$30.00

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North British Australasian Company Limited – Delay on Wool Clip creates liquidity issues – 1892

Manuscript Letter – Italian Astronomer Giuseppe Armellini – Portorecanati – 19th August 1922

Dalmorton Quartz Mining Co [NewSouth Wales] – Original Manuscript Record of Formation and Original Share Issue – 21st October 1872

Original manuscript Accounts Book 1791/92 – Webster’s Ropery Sunderland, County Durham, England

Amusing Manuscript Letter – William Anderson – Author of The Green Man

Author’s Letter and Book – C.A. Wendell – Author of “Out of the Fog”

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