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Roscoe (William and Jane Griffies) Collection
MS.2008.023  
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Table of contents What's This?

 

Correspondence Series 1. 1796-1833, 1887, undated

Physical Description: 0.42 Linear Feet1 box

Scope and Contents note

The majority of the correspondence collected here consists of outgoing letters written by Roscoe to his sons and to colleagues and friends in the worlds of publishing, art and politics, though there are also incoming letters addressed to him and others close to him. Some letters are brief notes regarding social engagements, while others contain more substantive discussions of topics ranging from slavery to bookselling and art collecting. Frequent correspondents include sons Robert, Richard, Thomas and Henry as well as booksellers Cadell and Davies and artist Martin Archer Shee.

Arrangement note

Items are arranged in two subseries: Subseries 1. Correspondence from William Roscoe, 1797-1830, undated and Subseries 2. Correspondence and material from others, 1796-1833, 1887, undated.
 

Outgoing correspondence from William Roscoe Subseries 1. 1797-1830, undated

Container Summary: 47 letters

Arrangement note

Letters are arranged in chronological order.
Box 1, Folder 1

To James Heath (1757-1834) 4 March 1797

General Physical Description note: 1 item
Box 1, Folder 2

To Cadell & Davies [1799?]

General Physical Description note: 1 item
Box 1, Folder 3

From Rev. Henry Boyd, with appended note from Roscoe to Cadell & Davies, booksellers August 1802

General Physical Description note: 1 item
Box 1, Folder 4

To Messrs. Lackington, Allen & Co., booksellers 8 December 1803

General Physical Description note: 1 item

Scope and Contents note

Ordering 13 books and requesting book catalog.
Box 1, Folder 5

To unknown correspondent 8 February 1805

General Physical Description note: 1 item

Scope and Contents note

Regarding an engraving of Allerton Hall.
Box 1, Folder 6

To unknown correspondent 9 June 1805

General Physical Description note: 1 item
Box 1, Folder 7

To Joseph Cooper Walker 26 August 1805

General Physical Description note: 1 item
Box 1, Folder 8

To Rev. William Parr Greswell (1765-1854) 22 June 1806

General Physical Description note: 1 item
Box 1, Folder 9

To Cadell & Davies 6 September 1806

General Physical Description note: 1 item
Box 1, Folder 10

To Richard Taylor (1781-1858) 30 January 1807

General Physical Description note: 1 item
Box 1, Folder 11

To [David Steuart Erskine], Lord [Buchan] 3 March 1807

General Physical Description note: 1 item
Box 1, Folder 12

To William Barber 19 March 1807

General Physical Description note: 1 item
Box 1, Folder 13

To Thomas Winstanley 6 April [1807?]

General Physical Description note: 1 item
Box 1, Folder 14

To [Thomas Cadell?] 5 December 1807

General Physical Description note: 1 item
Box 1, Folder 15

To [Cadell & Davies] [24 January 1808]

General Physical Description note: 1 item

Scope and Contents note

List of persons to whom WR would like sent his Considerations.
Box 1, Folder 16

To Cadell & Davies 26 May 1808

General Physical Description note: 1 item
Box 1, Folder 17

To Martin Archer Shee (1769-1850) 4 November 1808

General Physical Description note: 1 item
Box 1, Folder 18

To W[illiam] M[acDowal] Tartt 2 January 1809

General Physical Description note: 1 item
Box 1, Folder 19

To William Wilberforce 10 July 1809

General Physical Description note: 1 item
Box 1, Folder 20

To Henry Wilckens 18 April 1810

General Physical Description note: 1 item
Box 1, Folder 21

To unknown correspondent 20 October 1814

General Physical Description note: 1 item
Box 1, Folder 22

To [Dawson Turner (1775-1858)?] 25 November 1814

General Physical Description note: 1 item
Box 1, Folder 23

To Martin Archer Shee 17 April 1819

General Physical Description note: 1 item
Box 1, Folder 24

To Robert Roscoe 24 April 1819

General Physical Description note: 1 item
Box 1, Folder 25

To Archibald Constable 28 July 1819

General Physical Description note: 1 item
Box 1, Folder 26

To Thomas Winstanley [ca. 1820]

General Physical Description note: 1 item
Box 1, Folder 27

To William Bullock (fl. 1808-1828) 1 January 1820

General Physical Description note: 1 item
Box 1, Folder 28

To Edward Rushton 15 September 1821

General Physical Description note: 1 item
Box 1, Folder 29

To unknown recipient 13 October 1821

General Physical Description note: 1 item

Scope and Contents note

Fragment of a letter, with signature on verso and six lines of text on recto. Mentions a present to His Majesty and Sir Benjamin Bloomfield.
Box 1, Folder 30

To William Earle 6 October 1822

General Physical Description note: 1 item
Box 1, Folder 31

To [James Cropper?] 23 January 1823

General Physical Description note: 1 item
Box 1, Folder 32

To Mrs. [Frances Smith] Martin 10 Sept [ca. 1825-27?]

General Physical Description note: 1 item
Box 1, Folder 33

To Miss [Margaret] Holford 19 January 1825

General Physical Description note: 1 item
Box 1, Folder 34

To [Mr. Barclay?] 15 September 1825

General Physical Description note: 1 item
Box 1, Folder 35

To unknown correspondent 12 November 1825

General Physical Description note: 1 item
Box 1, Folder 36

To Rev. Domenico Moreni 20 January 1826

General Physical Description note: 1 item

Scope and Contents note

In Italian.
Box 1, Folder 37

To J. Wesley? 29 September 1826

General Physical Description note: 1 item

Scope and Contents note

Name of correspondent from docket; not clearly legible.
Box 1, Folder 38

To Jonathan Trevanion Hatfield (1793-1840) [February 1827]

General Physical Description note: 1 item

General note

Signature and date cut away from original letter, affecting several lines of text. Modern paper inlaid, with missing text supplied in pencil and autograph supplied from another source.
Box 1, Folder 39

To [William] Jevons 15 August 1827

General Physical Description note: 1 item
Box 1, Folder 40

To Thomas Thompson (1776-1861) 5 December 1827

General Physical Description note: 1 item
Box 1, Folder 41

To Samuel Parker 7 December [1827]

General Physical Description note: 1 item

Scope and Contents note

Remargined and repaired with modern paper.
Box 1, Folder 42

WR autograph and poetical quotation 26 March 1829

General Physical Description note: 1 item

Scope and Contents note

With pencil note from one of WR's grandchildren. Remargined in modern paper.
Box 1, Folder 43

To George Smith 23 July 1829

General Physical Description note: 1 item

General note

Tipped onto gray album page.
Box 1, Folder 44

To [Nathaniel Wallich] 17 May 1830

General Physical Description note: 1 item
Box 1, Folder 45

To Mr Dodd 20 September 1830

General Physical Description note: 1 item
Box 1, Folder 46

To John McCreery (1768?-1832) undated

General Physical Description note: 1 item
Box 1, Folder 47

To William Rathbone (1787-1868) undated

General Physical Description note: 1 item
 

Correspondence from others Subseries 2. 1796-1833, 1887, undated

Container Summary: 14 letters

Arrangement note

Letters are arranged in chronological order.

Scope and Contents note

This subseries includes letters written to Roscoe, as well as letters written to third parties connected to him. Several letters communicate messages to and from Roscoe to other parties via his sons Robert, Richard, Thomas and Henry. A letter from 1887 to great-grandson Frederick Warburton Dunston documents his acquisition of the items detailed in Series 2 of this finding aid.
Box 1, Folder 48

From Cadell & Davies to WR 30 Oct [1796]

General Physical Description note: 1 item

Scope and Contents note

Apparent draft copy of a letter to WR.
Box 1, Folder 49

From Georgiana Cavendish, Dutchess of Devonshire, to Dr. John Moore (1729-1802) [19 December 1798]

General Physical Description note: 1 item

Scope and Contents note

Letter intended to be forwarded by Moore to WR.
Box 1, Folder 50

From Mary Ann Roscoe Jevons to Mr Marples 9 January 18--?

General Physical Description note: 1 item
Box 1, Folder 51

From William Parr Greswell to Cadell & Davies 6 April 1801

General Physical Description note: 1 item
Box 1, Folder 52

From Richard Roscoe to Cadell & Davies [ca. 1814]

General Physical Description note: 1 item
Box 1, Folder 53

From Robert Roscoe to Cadell & Davies 7 June 1819

General Physical Description note: 1 item

Scope and Contents note

Gives instructions sent from WR.
Box 1, Folder 54

From Robert Roscoe to [?] Horwood 2 October 1826

General Physical Description note: 2 items

Scope and Contents note

Letter and autograph of W. Roscoe.
Box 1, Folder 55

From Henry Roscoe to unknown correspondent 19 June 1833

General Physical Description note: 1 item

Scope and Contents note

Regards his biography of WR and the unknown's friendship with WR.
Box 1, Folder 56

From Richard Roscoe to unknown correspondent undated

General Physical Description note: 1 item
Box 1, Folder 57

From Henry Roscoe to unknown correspondent undated

General Physical Description note: 1 item
Box 1, Folder 58

From Thomas Roscoe to Cadell & Davies undated

General Physical Description note: 1 item
Box 1, Folder 59

From Henry Roscoe to John McCreery undated

General Physical Description note: 1 item
Box 1, Folder 60

Excerpt from The butterfly's ball and the grasshopper's feast in Jane Griffies Roscoe's hand undated

General Physical Description note: 1 item
Box 1, Folder 61

From Sotheran and Co., booksellers, to Frederick Warburton Dunston 15 July 1887

General Physical Description note: 1 item
 

Jane Griffies Roscoe poetical commonplace books Series 2. 1774-1790

Physical Description: 1 Linear Feet4 bound volumes

Scope and Contents note

This series consists of 4 volumes of commonplace books kept by Jane Griffies Roscoe before and after her marriage to William Roscoe in 1781 The volumes each contain contributions from William Roscoe in his own hand, as well as poems composed by him but written here by Jane. They also contain original work written by Jane, as well as works by poets such as William Collins, Thomas Gray, Phillis Wheatley, Anna Laetitia Barbauld, Lord Lyttleton and Samuel Johnson. Each volume contains an inscription on the first page by Frederick Warburton Dunston, dated 3 November 1893, noting that he purchased the "volumes at Sotheby's on or about 19 July 1887" and that the writer was Jane Griffies, "afterwards wife of Wm. Roscoe of Liverpool." Dunston owned 5 volumes of these commonplace books, but there are now only 4 volumes; it is unclear when the fifth may have been lost. He believed that all 5 volumes were at "one time in the possession of the late Joseph Mayer of Liverpool," who probably purchased them "from the widow of my great uncle Richard Roscoe MD," who had been a great collector of Roscoe family documents.
These commonplace books have all been fully digitized and are freely available from the Calisphere  website.

Arrangement note

The four volumes of this work are organized in chronological order.
Volume MS.2008.023 v.1

Volume 1 1774

General Physical Description note: 180 p. ; 21 cm.

Scope and Contents note

Calligraphic title page with ink drawings, reading "Poems extracted from several authors : with a few originals, JG, 1774." Contains what appear to be original compositions by JGR and WR on pages 1-21, and in other places throughout the volume.

Digital Surrogate

Digitized version available on Calisphere .
Volume MS.2008.023 v.2

Volume 2 1775

General Physical Description note: 7, [173] p. ; 21 cm.

Scope and Contents note

Calligraphic title page with embellishments reads, "Poems, JG, 1775."

Digital Surrogate

Digitized version available on Calisphere .
Volume MS.2008.023 v.3

Volume 3 about 1775-1780

General Physical Description note: 160, [20] p. ; 21 cm.

Scope and Contents note

Calligraphic title page reading, "Poems collected by JG, Liverpool." There are black and white watercolor illustrations presumably by Jane Griffies on both the title page and a later page in the text. "To Julia" (the title has been supplied in pencil) on p. 1 is in the hand of William Roscoe.

Digital Surrogate

Digitized version available on Calisphere .
Volume MS.2008.023 v.4

Volume 4 about 1780-1790

General Physical Description note: [180] p. ; 21 cm.

Scope and Contents note

No title page. Several works apparently by JGR or WR; several works closer to the end of the volume signed "WR."

Existence and Location of Copies

Digitized version available on Calisphere .
 

Images, ephemera and Roscoeiana Series 3. 1805-1979

Scope and Contents note

This series contains various pieces of Roscoe-related ephemera and images of William Roscoe and his residences, collected by donor David H. Weinglass. Some 20th century published works related to Roscoe and correspondence between David Weinglass and other scholars are also included here. Many items are undated, but the bulk of material appears to date from the first half of the 19th century. A medal issued on Roscoe's centenary (1853) by Joseph Mayer, a Liverpool arts patron and possible former owner of parts of this collection is also included.
Box 2

"Allerton Hall, Lancashire" colored engraving in frame undated

General Physical Description note: In frame 23 x 27 cm.

Scope and Contents note

Additional unframed copy of this print in Box 1, Folder 74.
Box 2

"Birth-place of William Roscoe, Liverpool" hand-colored engraving in frame undated

General Physical Description note: In frame 23 x 27 cm.
Box 1, Folder 62

Memoir of William Roscoe, Esq. The European Magazine July 1822

General Physical Description note: 10 p.

Scope and Contents note

An article about WR published in 1822, with an engraved portrait by J. Thompson.
Box 1, Folder 63

Engraved monogram "J McC" undated

General Physical Description note: 1 item

Scope and Contents note

Possibly the monogram of WR correspondent and Liverpool printer John McCreery.
Box 1, Folder 64

"W. Roscoe aetat: 38" black and white engraving from Bohn's standard library edition of the Life of Leo the Tenth undated

General Physical Description note: 6 p.

Scope and Contents note

Engraving and several pages from a later 19th century edition of WR's work.
Box 1, Folder 65

"Roscoe" engraving with pencil attribution to Williamson and Edwards undated

General Physical Description note: 26.5 x 17.5 cm.

Scope and Contents note

Apparently original printing of the same portrait as in folder 64. Light foxing to edges of sheet.
Box 1, Folder 66

Photograph reproduction of Roscoe portrait in Walker Art Gallery collection undated

General Physical Description note: 18.5 x 16 cm.
Box 1, Folder 67

Engraving of Roscoe portrait by J. Lonsdale, undated

General Physical Description note: 21 x 16 cm.

Scope and Contents note

Engraved by S. Freeman.
Box 1, Folder 68

Prospectus for the Landscape Annual, edited by Thomas Roscoe 1830

General Physical Description note: 1 item
Box 1, Folder 69

Roscoe portrait etching by Alfred Croquis undated

General Physical Description note: 22 x 13 cm., mounted to 25 x 21 cm.

Scope and Contents note

Published by James Fraser, 245 Regent Street, London. Pasted to gray album page.
Box 1, Folder 70

Cabinet card photograph of Roscoe portrait undated

General Physical Description note: 10 x 6.5 cm.

Scope and Contents note

Captioned "Wm. Roscoe" in ink. Produced by E. Cox-Walker, Liverpool & Rock Ferry.
Box 1, Folder 71

Engraving of Roscoe portrait by Hopwood 1815

General Physical Description note: 12.5 x 10.5 cm.

Scope and Contents note

Published by I.W.H. Payne, July 1st, 1815. Trimmed down from original size.
Box 1, Folder 72

Modern Roscoe related postcards and ephemera 20th century

General Physical Description note: 4 items
Box 1, Folder 73

Engraving of Allerton Hall by J. Storer from a drawing by E. Goodwin 1805

General Physical Description note: 21.5 x 13 cm.

Scope and Contents note

Captions read "For the Beauties of England and Wales" and "Allerton Hall, the residence of W. Roscoe, Esqr., Lancashire." Published by Vernor & Hood Poultry, March 1, 1805.
Box 1, Folder 74

"Allerton Hall, Lancashire" colored engraving undated

General Physical Description note: 20 x 13 cm.

Scope and Contents note

Framed copy of the same engraving stored separately, as above.
Box 2, Folder 1

William Roscoe, Esq., Engraved by C. Picart from an original picture by M. Haughton in the possession of Mr. J. McCreery 1813

General Physical Description note: 36 x 23.5 cm.

Scope and Contents note

Published Jan. 11, 1813 by T. Cadell & W. Davies, Strand, London.
Box 2, Folder 2

"Letter to William Roscoe, Esquire of Toxteth Park near Liverpool" from Roberts Vaux, Philadelphia, 10 May 1827. In Paulson's American Daily Advertiser 18 May 1827

General Physical Description note: 4 p.

Scope and Contents note

4 pages from the American Daily Advertiser of Philadelphia.
Box 2, Folder 3

Roscoe centenary commemorative medal 8 March 1853

General Physical Description note: 1 item

Scope and Contents note

Recto with Roscoe bust in profile also reads "Mayer Liverpool direxit" and "Allen & Moore f[ecit]." Joseph Mayer, the former owner of parts of this collection, is the likely candidate for the "Mayer" mentioned here.
Box 3, Folder 1

Correspondence and papers of David Weinglass, inserted into Roscoe's Whole proceedings (1791)

Physical Description: Items removed from Clark call no. *K .A51w 1791
Box 3, Folder 2

Men of Letters, Public Record Office publication 1974

Box 3, Folder 3

Newspaper clipping on the Washington family, The London Times 1894 Sep 24

Box 3, item 4

A guide to Liverpool (folding pamphlet) about 1970-1990?

Box 3, Folder 5

Liverpool Packet no. 5 in the Scouse Press series of Collections of Local History material: Slavers and Privateers, by Fritz Spiegl 1972

Box 3, Folder 6

Liverpool History Teaching Unit No. 2: The Slave Trade and Liverpool 1973

Box 3, Folder 7

Receipt for Roscoe's The Life and Pontificate of Leo X 1979

Physical Description: Previously inserted in Clark call no. DG737.9 R794 1864 * (The life of Lorenzo de' Medici). Invoice made out to David Weinglass from Alan Wilson.