Previous Lot Next Lot

Auction: 18038 - Autographs, Historical Documents, Ephemera and Postal History
Lot: 3105

Autographs
British New Guinea, Newfoundland, Queensland
Sir William MacGregor
1839 - 1915 the papers of Sir William MacGregor with numerous papers retaiing to his overseas appointments.



British New Guinea - appointed Administrator in 1888. Includes notice of his appointment from Downing Street, 16 page representation dated 1886 from Tonga arguing for a British protectorate, with a detailed assessment of the state of Tonga, its peoples, economy and future; printed folder titled "New Guinea / Special Papers", dated July 1887 with ten documents addressed to the Governor from Rego relating to the natives, exploration of the district, natural resources; ten page manuscript travel diary of a trip on the island (1887); a description of the Owen Stanley range "a perfect paradise" detailing natural history specimens collected, "we had 183 Natives with us and sometimes at the Camp at night over 250 of them (no one need go with many less, the villages … are very hostile and fearless)"; a correspondence relating to the murder of A. Ansall by natives; 1889 autograph letter from Baron von Mueller with printed sheet "Exploration of New Guinea" ex the Record 1887 regarding the flora of BNG; typescript (22p) "Exploration of the Owen Stanley Range by Sir William MacGregor" dated at Brisbane August 1889; a missionary letter from Ternate, Netherlands Indies dated March 1892, with a manuscript map, giving a report on the Tugere tribes and their country; 1900 letter on printed notepaper from Bartle Bay, British New Guinea via Australia from the Bishop of NG, etc


1883 manuscript map with numerous annotations and a letter from "Gibson's Terrace, Milson's Pont" to the Secretary of the Geographical Society of Australasia written by Law Hargrave sending his survey map of New Guinea.



Fiji - 1885 nine page lengthy letter in the local language (not translated), 1888 letter from Government House, Suva, Fiji advising of a telegram from London - "Proclamation sovereignty New Guinea early".


1888 written from Samarai with hand delivered envelope to MacGregor - "I am very glad to hear of your successful skirmish with the natives, they indeed want a thorough good lesson, because they are becoming too bold in this part of the possession".


1890 on Parliament of Tasmania notepaper, written by Audley Coote, advising MacGregor "that the island of St George one of the Solomon Group has been placed under offer to me", with a manuscript map of the Solomon Archipelego.


1897 Electric Telegraph, Queensland form with the handstamp of Thursday Island from Brisbane to MacGregor in BNG, another telegram advising "accept best felicitations at bestowage founders medal Royal Geographical Society, Baron von Mueller"; Queensland Geological Survey regarding "shells" collected.



1899 - 1904 five items addressed to MacGregor as Governor of Lagos Colony, Nigeria, including a 1900 letter regarding the WAFF, 1901 regarding rubber; , 1904 from the Colonial office "the report that the acting Resident proposed to hoist the British flag in Ibadan is wholly untrue".


Included is a watercolour (245 x 165cm) titled "Fort Munoora at the entrance of the harbour of Karachy taken by HM Ship Wellesley 74 bearing the flags of Admiral Sir Frederik Maitland KCB and HM 40th Reg under Brigadier Valiant KH February 2 1839 - from a drawing by Capt Harris Bombay Engineers".



1876 Morocco - a twenty page autograph manuscript, not signed by the writer, written at Saffi, of "my long promised account of my journey from Mogador to Agader".


Sir William MacGregor (1846 – 1919) was a Lieutenant-Governor of British New Guinea, Governor of Newfoundland and Governor of Queensland.

Subject to 20% VAT on Buyer’s Premium. For more information please view Terms and Conditions for Buyers.

Sold for
£1,500