Papers re Crawford Manuscripts

Papers of Railton relating to the purchase by Mrs E.A. Rylands of the collection of manuscripts of Lord Crawford in 1901. Primarily comprises Railton's correspondence July-October 1901, including letters to and from Lord Crawford and his librarian J.P. Edmond, and Enriqueta Rylands and her agents. This correspondence covers the whole of the negotiations, from the proposal of the sale in early July 1901, through negotiations concerning the price, exclusion of material from the sale, and transfer of insurance, to the administration of the packing and cataloguing of the collections. Also includes a printed catalogue of the collection dated June 1898 which has been pasted onto the final sheets.

Bound with ABR/1 in one volume titled 'Papers re the Spencer and Crawford purchases, 1813-1901'. Collection of letters and other papers relating to the purchases, pasted onto sheets by A.B. Railton and bound by Bramhall & Menzies.

List of pieces: 

• /1: Letter from Earl Crawford, 8 July 1901, enquiring about the possibility of an American wishing to buy his manuscripts.
• /2-4: Manuscript list showing the numbers of manuscripts in various languages, with two letters from Crawford, 15 and 18 July 1901.
• /5: Copy letter to Mrs Rylands, 22 July 1901, concerning negotiations for the purchase of the Crawford manuscripts.
• /6: Letter from Mrs Rylands, 24 July 1901, asking whether the price asked (£155,000) was reasonable.
• /7: Copy letter to Mrs Rylands, 25 July 1901.
• /8-9: Letters from J.P. Edmond, 26 July 1901, and from Crawford, 29 July 1901, concerning family manuscripts and 'heirlooms' to be excluded from the sale.
• /10: Copy letter to Crawford, 30 July 1901.
• /11-13: Letter from Crawford, 31 July 1901, outlining the items excluded from the sale, with copy letters to Crawford and Mrs Rylands.
• /14-15: Letter from Enriqueta Rylands, 1 August 1901, concerning exclusions from the collection and arrangements for payment.
• /16-18: Copy letter to Mrs Rylands, 2 August 1901.
• /19-20: Letter from J.P. Edmond, 1 August 1901, concerning Chinese books by Jesuit Missionaries to be excluded from the collection, and copy reply, 3 August 1901.
• /21-22: Letter from Mrs Rylands, 4 August 1901, concerning insurance of the collections and arrangements for payment, with copy reply dated 6 August 1901.
• /23-24: Copy letter to Crawford, 6 August 1901, with reply and telegram both dated 8 August 1901, concerning terms of settlement.
• /25: Letter from J.P. Edmond, 6 August 1901, concerning current cataloguing work on the collections.
• /26-28: Two letters from J.P. Edmond (13 and 16 August 1901) and one from Crawford (14 August 1901), concerning papyri currently being catalogued in Vienna and Aberdeen.
• /29-30: Letter from Mrs Rylands, 16 August 1901, concerning transfer of the manuscripts, with copy of reply dated 19 August 1901.
• /31-33: Two letters from Crawford, 25 August and 1 September, and one from J.P. Edmond, 1 September 1901, concerning arrangements for the packing of manuscripts and publication of the news.
• /34-35: Letter from G.E. Buckle of The Times to Mr Sotheran, 12 August 1901, concerning an article to be published on the Crawford manuscripts, with a copy letter from H.C. Sotheran to J.P. Edmond, 13 August 1901, introducing Mr Humphry Ward who would write the article.
• /36-37: Letter from Mrs Rylands, 3 September 1901, granting permission for the leader in The Times, with copy reply dated 3 September.
• /38-39: Two cuttings of articles in the Manchester press on the acquisition by Mrs Rylands of the Crawford manuscripts, 4 September 1901.
• /40: Cutting of announcement in The Times of the purchase by Mrs Rylands of the Crawford manuscripts, 3 September 1901.
• /41: Cutting, unsourced, on the purchase of the Crawford manuscripts, n.d. [September 1901].
• /42-43: Letter from Mrs Rylands and telegram both dated 5 September 1901 and copy reply dated 10 September, concerning arrangements for transfer of manuscripts.
• /44-48: Five telegrams from Mayhew concerning arrangements for transfer of manuscripts, 10-11 September 1901.
• /49-50: Letter from Crawford, 14 September 1901. He comments 'I envy your principal more than I can express the joy of possession which passes from me to her the more so as I believe she can appreciate the subtle joys that lie in a MS saec ix-xii - a gift that all do not possess', with copy letter to Mrs Rylands, 17 September 1901 concerning receipts for payment and arrangements for transfer of manuscripts.
• /51: Copy letter to Mrs Rylands, 23 September 1901, concerning checking of catalogues and transfer of manuscripts.
• /52-54: Letter from J.W. Kiddle, 26 September 1901, sending the cheque for the final instalment for the Crawford manuscripts, with copy letter to Crawford forwarding the cheque, 27 September 1901, and reply to Mrs Rylands, 27 September 1901.
• /55-57: Letter from Crawford, 27 September 1901, acknowledging receipt of the cheque and sending a cheque for commission, with copy reply and copy letter to Mrs Rylands enclosing receipt, both dated 28 September 1901.
• /58-59: Letter from J.P. Edmond, 1 October 1901, thanking him for the gift of £100 and describing his meeting with Mrs Rylands. He notes that she was checking each manuscript and comments 'I don't think she will be in any hurry to give them to the library and I am very glad to think so, for entre nous [his emphasis] I should fear that our friend Guppy might in his zeal do indiscreet things with them', and letter from A. Mayhew, 2 October 1901 thanking him for the gift.
• /60: Copy of letter from A. Player Fedden, The Fine Art Insurance Co., to J. W. Fair, Haigh Hall, 27 July 1893, concerning insurance of the Library.
• /61-62: Two letters from A. Player Fadden, 4 and 7 September 1901, concerning insurance of the manuscripts.
• /63-65: Letter from A. Player Fadden, 10 September 1901, with copy reply dated 12 September and copy letter to J.P. Edmond, 9 September 1901, all concerning insurance policies.
• /66-68: Letter from J.P. Edmond, 10 September 1901, charge note for insurance premium dated 10 September, and letter from A. Player Fadden concerning transfer of Crawford's policy, 13 September 1901.
• /69-70: Copy letter to Player Fadden, 14 September and reply dated 16 September 1901 concerning insurance arrangements.
• /71-72: Letter from Walter Heaton of the Fine Art Insurance Company, 3 October 1901, and copy reply dated 3 October 1901.
• /73: Copy letter to Mrs Rylands, 13 October 1901, concerning insurance, transport of photographic material, and arrangements for cataloguing [blurred].
• /74-96: Published list of manuscripts and bindings from the Bibliotheca Lindesiana exhibited to the Bibliographical Society in June 1898.