Miscellany: English, chiefly 19th-20th centuries

Material formerly held in the Western Manuscripts Department's Autograph Letters Sequence. Comprised of the following:

MS.7430/1: McCarthy, Charles (fl.1835), 1835. 1 autograph letter, signed, to Dr. Richard Empson, asking the doctor to accede in Mrs. McCarthy's apparent request for an abortion (plus transcript supplied by vendor).

MS.7430/2: Philip, Alexander Philip Wilson (c.1770-c.1851), physician and physiologist, 1830. 1 autograph letter, signed, to his publishers (Longman, Rees & Co.).

MS.7430/3-4: Phillips, Benjamin F.R.S. (1805-1861), surgeon, 1846. 2 autograph letters, signed, including 1 testimonial to Thomas Madden Stone (d.1894), Librarian of the Royal College of Surgeons (no.3).

MS.7430/5-10: Phillips, Richard F.R.S. (1780-1851), chemist, 1823-1846. 4 autograph letters by Phillips, signed, 1823-1846 (nos.5-8), including 1 to "Miss Hutton", probably the authoress and autograph collector Catherine Hutton (1756-1846) (no.5), and 2 to the chemist Thomas Thomson (1773-1852) (nos.6 and 8); 1 autograph letter, signed, to Phillips from the Belgian chemist Jean Baptiste Mons (1780-1851) and a colleague, Auguste Jacquemyns, 1828 (no.9); title page and introduction to Phillips's work An Analysis of the Bath Water, 1806 (no.10).

MS.7430/11-13: Phillips, William, F.R.S. (1775-1828), mineralogist and geologist, 1808-1820. 1 autograph letter by Phillips, signed, 1808 (no.11); 1 autograph letter to Phillips by John Squire, initialled, 1820 (no.12); 1 autograph note by Phillips on various types of fossil, n.d. (no.13).

MS.7430/14: Phillips, W. (fl.19th century), 19th century. 1 autograph letter, signed, by an unidentified W. Phillips (variously endorsed as being by the geologist (see nos.11-13) despite differences in the hand, and by the author of a poem called "Mount Sinai"), concerning the author's call to the bar.

MS.7430/15: Pick, Thomas Pickering (1841-1919), surgeon of St. George's Hospital, 1882. 1 autograph letter, signed, to James Shuter F.R.C.S. (1846-1883), concerning the Thomas Madden Stone testimonial collection.

MS.7430/16-17: Pickles, William Norman (fl.1918-1937), Yorkshire physician, 1935-1937. 2 autograph letters, signed, to Dr. Findlay, including 1 about epidemic hepatitis and "pig" jaundice (no.17).

MS.7430/18-19: Pilcher, George, F.R.C.S. (1801-1855), 19th century. 2 autograph letters, signed.

MS.7430/20: Pillans, James (1778-1864), Edinburgh professor of humanity and laws, 1823. 1 autograph letter, signed.

MS.7430/21: Pim, Bedford Clapperton Trevelyan, Admiral (1826-1886), member of 1852 Arctic expedition in search of Sir John Franklin, 1860. 1 autograph letter, signed.

MS.7430/22: Pinkerton, John (1758-1826), antiquary and historian, 1802. 1 autograph letter, signed, to Mons. Goret, a naturalist at Abbeville, thanking him for election to a society.

MS.7430/23: Pinkerton, R., Dr. (fl.1852), at Frankfurt-am-Main, 1852. 1 autograph letter, signed, to a Mrs. Cresswell, concerning her German travels and the benefits to her son's health of Kreuznach water.

MS.7430/24-27: Pirrie, James Miller Gordon (1852-1891), Aberdeen physician, 1878-1882. 1 autograph letter, signed, to Mr. Logie Pirrie, sending him 6 autograph prescriptions, 1881 (no.24); also 2 other autograph prescriptions for Mr. Logie Pirrie, 1878-1882 (nos.25-26); autograph list of the contents of a medicine chest, 1881 (no.27).

MS.7430/28: Pirrie, William (1807-1882), surgeon, 1832. Licence to practise anatomy at Marischall College, Aberdeen, sealed and signed by Viscount Melbourne (1779-1848).

MS.7430/29: Pitcairn, James, Sir, F.R.C.S. (1776-1859), surgeon and naturalist, early 19th century - mid 19th century. 1 signature cut from an autograph letter.

MS.7430/30: Pitcairn, Robert (1793-1855), antiquary and miscellaneous writer, 19th century. 1 autograph letter, signed, to the surgeon and antiquary Thomas Joseph Pettigrew (1791-1865), concerning his assisting Pettigrew in the latter's compilation of a series of portaits of eminent medical men.

MS.7430/31: Pitman, John (fl.1842), painter, 1842. 1 autograph letter, signed, describing his sister's illness (paralysis and wasting muscles).

MS.7430/32: Pittard, Simon Rood M.R.C.S. (d.1861), surgeon, 1846. Pittard was lecturer in comparative anatomy at the Aldersgate School of Medicine.

MS.7430/33-34: Planta, Joseph, I (1744-1827), librarian, British Museum, 1779-1827. Joseph Planta I was the father of Joseph Planta II (1787-1847) (see item 35).

MS.7430/35: Planta, Joseph, II (1787-1847), diplomat, private secretary to the statesman George Canning (1770-1827), 1827. 1 autograph letter, signed, to John C. Herries, Secretary to the Treasury, concerning Canning's illness, plus 1 autograph letter, signed, from Planta's secretary to Herries' secretary, enclosing the former and providing an update on Canning's health. Joseph Planta II was the son of Joseph Planta I (1744-1827) (see items 33-34).

MS.7430/36: Playfair, George Ranken (d.1881), Surgeon-General, Bengal Medical Service, 1879. 1 autograph letter, signed, requesting that if he should die in London (he had suffered from angina) the recipient should carry out an autopsy. Playfair was the brother of the obstetrician William Smoult Playfair (1835-1903) (see MS.7430/43).

MS.7430/37-40: Playfair, John, F.R.S. (1748-1819), mathematician and geologist, 1777-1811. 4 autograph letters, signed, including 1 to the physician and discoverer of the principle of scurvy prevention James Lind (1736-1812) (no.37), 1 to the mathematician Charles Hutton (1737-1823) (no.38; see also MS.5270 for another letter from Playfair to Hutton), 1 to the politician Francis Horner (1778-1817) (no.39) and 1 to a solicitor concerning the Royal Society charter (no.40).

MS.7430/41: Playfair, John (1851-1933), physician, 1904. 1 printed letter, signed, from Francis Cadell of the Royal College of Surgeons, Edinburgh, offering Honorary Fellowship to Playfair, with 1 autograph letter, signed, from Playfair to Cadell accepting it. Playfair was President of the Royal College of Physicians in Edinburgh for the years 1904-1906.

MS.7430/42: Playfair, William (1759-1823), journalist, miscellaneous author and mechanic, 19th century. 1 autograph letter, signed.

MS.7430/43: Playfair, William Smoult, F.R.C.P. (1835-1903), obstetrician, 19th century. 1 autograph letter, signed. Playfair was the brother of George Ranken Playfair (d.1881), Surgeon-General of the Bengal Medical Service (see MS.7430/36).

MS.7430/44: Playfair, Dr., 19th century. Blank page torn from book, probably nineteenth century, bearing inscription "Dr. Playfair", possibly one of the figures listed at nos.36-43.

MS.7430/45-46: Plimsoll, Samuel (1824-1898), Radical M.P., "Sailors' Friend" and campaigner for maritime safety, 1882-1883. 2 autograph letters, signed.

MS.7430/47: Pollock, David, Sir (1780-1847), judge, chief justice of Bombay Supreme Court, 1843. 1 autograph letter, signed.

MS.7430/48: Pollock, Jonathon Frederick, Sir (1783-1870), judge, receiver-general of customs, 1823. 1 autograph letter, signed, to Sir William Blizard (1743-1835) of the Royal College of Surgeons asking permission for his brother to attend lectures there. Pollock was the brother of the judge Sir David Pollock (see MS.7430/47).

MS.7430/49-51: Pond, John (1767-1836), astronomer-royal, c.1811. 3 autograph letters, signed, including 1 to the mathematician and astronomer Dr. Patrick Kelly (1756-1842) (no.50), and 1 to Sir John Barrow (1764-1848), Secretary to the Admiralty (no.51).

MS.7430/52: Pope, Charles D. (fl.1940), 1940. 1 autograph letter, signed, from the sick bay of H.M.S. Exeter, describing conditions in the sick bay during recent action.

MS.7430/53: Porrett, Robert, F.R.S. (1783-1868), chemist, 1845. 1 autograph letter, signed, concerning the works of the Marquis René Joachim Henri Dutrochet (1776-1847) and the latter's failure to give adequate acknowledgment of Porrett's work.

MS.7430/54-55: Postgate, John, F.R.C.S. (1820-1881), surgeon, 1854-1855. 2 autograph letters, signed, including 1 to James Luke F.R.C.S. (1799-1881), concerning a testimonial to Thomas Madden Stone (d.1894), Librarian of the Royal College of Surgeons (no.54) and 1 to Stone on Parliamentary measures to prevent adulteration of food, drink and drugs (no.55).

MS.7430/56: Poulton, Edward Bagnall, Sir (1856-1943), zoologist, 19th century - 20th century. 1 autograph letter, signed.

1777-1940

1 file (in 2 parts)

Purchased from: Stevens, London, October 1928 (acc.77578), July 1930 (acc.56545), March 1931 (acc.56477, 56478, 56487 and 68126), August 1931 (acc.68223, 68230 and 68234) and November 1931 (acc.68279); Desgranges, Paris, June 1930 (acc.67390); Seine stalls, Paris, September 1930 (acc.63915); Sotheby's, London, February 1931 (acc.56325), December 1932 (acc.67552) and April 1934 (acc.66602); Glendining's, London, March 1932 (acc.67624), August 1934 (acc.67911) and February 1935 (acc.68005); Mrs. Watson, Burnley, March 1945 (acc.72200), presumably once part of the Thomas Madden Stone autograph collection; Messengers Postal Auctions, Exeter, June 1993 (acc.349202) and July 1997 (acc.350674). Presented by Mrs. Fothergill, September 1927 (acc.67370), Mrs. Playfair, August 1934 (acc.89175), Mrs. A. Agar, 1963 (acc.308551) and A.J. Greenstreet via the National Maritime Museum, March 1992 (acc.348910). Transferred from Wellcome Historical Medical Museum, c.1939 (acc.91800; nos.4 and 33 bear earlier accession numbers, 24977 and 24979 respectively, about which no details are known). Provenance details of no.14 not recorded (acc.67430); no acquisition details of nos.10, 13, 30, 34, 42 and 56 noted.

Database description transcribed from Richard Aspin and Christopher Hilton's typescript supplement to S.A.J Moorat's Catalogue of Western Manuscripts..