By Deed of Gift

Reed Autograph Letters Album B1, no. 63: Sir Robert Peel.

Reed’s original gift included approximately 900 autograph letters, which he had collected since 1907. In addition, there were three albums of mounted letters (Reed Albums A, B1 and B2), which had been deposited on loan to the Library years earlier.

The terms of the donation explicitly required that Reed would continue to have access to the collections for research purposes. Reed subsequently utilised letters from his original gift to complete a further two letter albums (B3 and B4). Albums B1, B2, B3 and B4 collectively contain exactly 366 letters – a deliberate design by Reed who created the albums for display, and intended that the page be turned every day for an entire year (even allowing for a leap-year).

Album B1 includes a franked envelope autographed by Sir Robert Peel (1788-1850), English Conservative statesman and Prime Minister most renowned for establishing the Metropolitan Police Force. The recipient was the daughter of Henry Addington, Viscount Sidmouth.

Reed Autograph Letters Album B1, no. 63: Sir Robert Peel.
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Reed Autograph Letters Album B2, no. 24: James Hogg.

Album B2 contains a letter by James Hogg (1770-1835), the Scottish poet known as the ‘Ettrick Shepherd’ and befriended by Sir Walter Scott. The recipient was James Cochrane, publisher of Hogg’s Altrive tales, issued in 1832 – the probable year of this letter.

Reed Autograph Letters Album B2, no. 24: James Hogg.
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Reed Autograph Letters Album B3, no. 8: Lord Byron.

Album B3 contains an envelope dated 8 July 1814, autographed by the Romantic poet Lord Byron (1788-1824). The recipient was Francis Hodgson (1781-1852), Provost of Eton College, with whom Byron corresponded until his premature death. It was one of the many autographs and letters which Reed purchased from London dealer E.G. Friehold in 1927.

Reed Autograph Letters Album B3, no. 8: Lord Byron.
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