Copy of the Charter, Correspondence respecting it, & Law Charges
Scope & Content:
Contains documents relating to the Literary Fund's attempts to acquire a royal charter, first in 1808 and then (successfully) in 1818. Includes copies of the draft 1808 charter and of the approved 1818 charter, as well as copies of addresses to George III and letters from interested parties and ...
The Corporate Seal & the Prince Regent's Approval of it
Scope & Content:
Contains correspondence between Thomas Pelham, Earl of Chichester, and Sir Benjamin Bloomfield relating to the Prince Regent's approving in May 1819 a design for the corporate seal of the Literary Fund. Also includes a copy of the design with heraldic description and a letter from Thomas William ...
Contains a single sub-committee report related to the granting of pensions to the widows of deceased authors, with a note by Octavian Blewitt stating that no record of this being taken forward can be found in the minutes of the General Committee of the Literary Fund.
Contains a letter from William Tooke to John Bowyer Nichols with a copy of a petition presented to George IV on behalf of the Royal Society of Literature soliciting a charter of incorporation.
Contains a letter from the Clerk to the Charity Commisioners to the Secretary of the Literary Fund (13 May 1836), a response from Cusack Patrick Roney (23 May 1836), a copy of Octavian Blewitt's response to a Charity Commission enquiry (24 Mar 1869) and a further note to Blewitt (6 Dec 1872).
Arrangement & Adoption of the new list (of members for the Annual Reports) in 1840
Scope & Content:
Contain correspondence, much of it undated, principally between Octavian Blewitt and officers of the Litearry Fund relating to compiling the details of members of the society for its Annual Reports. Correspondents include John Bowyer Nichols, Edward Foss, John Thomas Hope, John Britton, Thomas C...
Contains a letter from John Bruce to Octavian Blewitt on changes made to the proposed Form of Application for the Literary Fund, and a printed copy of the form.
Papers relating to the British Literary & Scientific Life Assurance Co.
Scope & Content:
Contains letters from C. Douglas Hope to William Tooke and Thomas Crofton Croker on the British Literary and Scientific Life Assurance Co., with copies of their replies (Jul 1842), and correspondence on excising mentions of the Literary Fund from the Assurance's promotional materials between Crok...
Contains a letter on Literary Fund donations from Edmund Baker to Richard Yates (8 Aug 1805) with an 'Alphabetical List of persons relieved by the Literary Fund', as well as one letter to Yates from Robert Gray (17 Apr 1823) and three from Francis Dawes Danvers (11 Oct 1823; 11 Oct 1824; 13 Apr 1...
Resolution of thanks to Sir James Clark, Baronet, M.D. for his services obtaining the Title of Royal & the Grant of the Imperial Crown for the Corporation
Scope & Content:
Contains two groups of letters. The first, containing documents dated between 1843 and 1845, includes Fund resolutions and letters from Sir James Clark relating to Clark's successful attempt to obtain for the society the right to add 'Royal' to its title. The papers in the second group, dated bet...