Manuscripts

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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Signed Letter – Elspeth Huxley -1982 (References Kenya)

Type written and signed clearly by author and African legend Elspeth Huxley. Embossed address.

To Crosby … returning a signed book … and responding to the recipient’s suggestion of starting a business selling signed book. Elspeth will oblige and is prepared to sign half a dozen but suggests that the postage may be prohibitive. She closes with reference to Kenya and a recent visit “It has changed of course, but where has not?” and mentions the TV serial “I think the producers did an excellent job in re-creating the atmosphere etc of 1913/14, insofar as they could”.

The TV serial of course is the Flam Trees of Thika along with Mottled Lizard her most lyrical work. She was five years old in 1912 when her parents arrived at Thika. Her husband was the grandson of the great Thomas Huxley. She published many works and fell out with Harold Macmillan who refused to publish her description of female mutilation of the worst type.

Elspeth Huxley highly respected and knew Africa. Boldly Signed.

We also have a nice copy of the “Flame Trees ….

$60.00

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The Empire of the Amorites – A. T. Clay (1919) with Manuscript review by Prof. Duncan – leading Assyriologist at the American University of Cairo

An important work on the Amorite Civilisation, by Clay owned by and with lengthy hand-written review by leading A Dr. George S. Duncan, considers a new time-frame by which the Amorite civilisation, and its pervasion into Babylonia and Sumeria, may be understood.

Beginning with an exploration of the home of the Semites and the country of Amurru, excavations relating to the site, its races, languages and writing, the work examines Amorites in Bablyonia and early Babylonians in Amurru. In the second half of the work, Clay examines the capital of Amurru, Ur, and the interaction of the country with other Mesopotamian Kingdoms, Cappadocia, Egypt and Assyria.

Included with this piece is a hand-written review, over three pages, prepared by Prof George Duncan dated June 1921. Duncan begins his review with some history on the matter. With a brief account of the Amorites themselves, a Semitic people whose capital lay on the Euphrates in South Babylonia, Duncan concurs with Clay’s initial propositions with regard to the capacity to locate the influence of Amorite civilisation by virtue of their names and naming systems.

Duncan believes in the relevance of this line of research to dating the Amorite civilisation. Duncan concurs with Clay’s position that, contrary to then common belief, the research indicates the pervasion of an Amorite culture throughout Babylonia from a period much earlier than previously considered, though Duncan indicates the influence of this upon the Sumerian civilisation is not considered in what is, in its entirety, a “masterly” work.

Crown quarto, pp. 192. Plus folding map bound at end. Hardcover, bound in the original publisher’s blue cloth, gilt ruling to upper cover, gilt spine. In a very good condition. Bright interior, crisp map. First Edition. Yale Oriental Series. Researches, Volume VI. Provenance – George Duncan’s copy. Duncan was Professor of Egyptology and Assyriology at the American University in Cairo.

Leading work with superb working manuscript note from leading authority

$180.00

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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”

Signed Letter – Elspeth Huxley -1982 (References Kenya)

The Empire of the Amorites – A. T. Clay (1919) with Manuscript review by Prof. Duncan – leading Assyriologist at the American University of Cairo

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