Clan Blair: a small archive
Including Simon Fraser of Lovat, Royal signatures and War of the Austrian Succession correspondence
Estimate: £1,200 - £1,800
Auction: 18 June 2025 from 10:00 BST
Description
Red half morocco ‘autograph’ album containing a large number of laid-down letters and signatures, many relating to the Blair Clan, including:
Hamilton, Lady Margaret [wife of William Blair of that Ilk]. 2 letters, signed;
Blair, Hamilton. Autograph letter signed, dated 18th December 1746, sent from Walisick[?]: “The Marshall Bathiani is expected this day at [?] to the Hague in order to confer with the Duke of Cumberland on the plan of the ensuing operation…”;
idem. Autograph letter signed, dated 22nd June 1747, written whilst stationed near Maastricht: “The longer the campaign lasts the better it is for the Captain if he be lucky for we have twenty six shillings a day extraordinary alow'd us during the time we are in the field…”;
George II. Clipped signature;
Queen Victoria & Prince Albert. Clipped signatures;
Fraser, Simon of Lovat, Colonel. Memorial request signed, entitled: “Extract of the Memory of James Beaty, Angus McDonald, George Munro, Donald Urquhart, William Ross and Dougald Cameron”, to commemorate those who were killed in conflict with “French invaders” on the 27th August 1798;
and many others, including notes by the Duc de Conéliano, 1754-1842, Marshall of France; Francois Christophe de Kellerman, 1st Duc de Valmy, 1735-1820, Marshall of France; Alexander Leven, 1st Earl of Leven, 1582-1661Louis Antoine de Bourbon, 1775-1844, son of Charles X of France; Patrick Campbell, 1773-1841, Royal Navy Officer; Philip Charles Durham, 1763-1845, Royal Navy Officer; all contained in one album, covers detached
Provenance
Blair Castle, Ayrshire. Sold in these rooms, The Blair Sale, 14th March 2012, lot 345.