Add MS 72854-72855

PETTY PAPERS. VOLS. V, VI. Letters and papers from Petty, his wife and sons, to Sir Robert and Edward Southwell, with drafts and copies of the Southwells' replies; 1661-1686. Some of the originals of Southwell's letters are in Add. 72851 above. A preliminary note by Abraham Hill, F.R.S., 1703 (f. 1), indicates that it was he who placed the documents in their present order; he adds, 'Sr Will Pettys letters beside other considerable matters, containe a good vindication of his proceedings, & the other letters also doe highly merit to be preserved & will be accompted a family jewel'. This note also lists manuscripts by Petty then belonging to Southwell, some of which are now in Add. MSS 21127 and 21128. Purchased by the London bookseller, Thomas Thorpe, 11 Feb. 1834, at Christie's sale of the manuscripts of Edward, Lord De Clifford, descendant of the Southwells, and acquired in the same year by the Marquess of Lansdowne (see excerpts from the sale catalogues, in Add. 72905, ff. 104-116, below). For an item by item list, see Slatter, 'Report', I, pp. 98-112. Formerly Bowood Vols. 11, 12.

Two volumes. The documents are mounted on guards, interleaved with sheets of gilt-edged paper and bound in plain brown leather, gilt- ruled, with label panels in lighter brown on the spine; this was possibly done by the bookseller Thorpe, [1830s?]. 345 x 230mm.