Varied Antiquarian Material from Samuel Gedge Ltd.
- by Michael Stillman
Manuscript letter from Nathaniel Ward.
Item 134 is a letter from a notable figure in very early American history. Nathaniel Ward was a Puritan clergyman who came to America in 1634. He served as a minister, but is most noted for writing the BodyofLiberties. Adopted in 1641, it was the first legal code in America. Much of it was very humane and ahead of its time. Many of the individual rights it granted would later become part of the Bill of Rights. However, religious toleration was not one of Ward's strong suits, and he allowed for severe church authority and biblical punishments (death) for causes such as not worshiping the right god or witchcraft. This letter is addressed to Simon Stock, a Catholic missionary with whom he had running disagreements. It is filled with comments such as “you manifest your impudent arrogance,” and “logicke being an art that you are utterly unacquainted with.” This copy was evidently not sent to Stock, but a manuscript copy Ward sent to his friend Sir Edward Deering for review. It is undated, but based on references in it, would appear to be from 1642. £9,500 (US $15,102).
Not everyone focused on religion as a grounds for killing people. John Adams (not the American John Adams, but the rector of Blackawton) kept a commonplace book of his notes. On July 10, 1735, he wrote of some “motives to cheerfulness in religion.” One of those is, “God is your portion, Christ is your savior, the spirit is your guide, life is given you for your own improvement, death will be your gain & Heaven will be your home.” This is really much nicer. Item 2. £750 (US $1,192).
Item 57 is a collection of 8 documents concerning a terrible seafaring tragedy in 1833. The Amphitrite was a convict ship, transporting 106 women prisoners, 12 of their children, and a crew of 16 to Australia. It didn't get very far. She ran aground off the French coast. The French offered to bring the passengers into port for the night, but Captain John Hunter refused. He figured a rising tide would lift the boat free in the morning. After a storm began to brew he still refused all help. The winds and waves eventually tore the ship apart, and all but three of the crewmen who were good swimmers perished. The pieces in this collection were once possessed by William Hamilton, British consul at Boulogne-sur-Mer, whose actions that night were brought into question, but who was later exonerated. £1,250 (US $1,987).
Swann Maps & Atlases, Natural History & Color Plate Books December 9, 2025
Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 156: Cornelis de Jode, Americae pars Borealis, double-page engraved map of North America, Antwerp, 1593.
Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 206: John and Alexander Walker, Map of the United States, London and Liverpool, 1827.
Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 223: Abraham Ortelius, Typus Orbis Terrarum, hand-colored double-page engraved world map, Antwerp, 1575.
Swann Maps & Atlases, Natural History & Color Plate Books December 9, 2025
Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 233: Aaron Arrowsmith, Chart of the World, oversize engraved map on 8 sheets, London, 1790 (circa 1800).
Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 239: Fielding Lucas, A General Atlas, 81 engraved maps and diagrams, Baltimore, 1823.
Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 240: Anthony Finley, A New American Atlas, 15 maps engraved by james hamilton young on 14 double-page sheets, Philadelphia, 1826.
Swann Maps & Atlases, Natural History & Color Plate Books December 9, 2025
Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 263: John Bachmann, Panorama of the Seat of War, portfolio of 4 double-page chromolithographed panoramic maps, New York, 1861.
Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 265: Sebastian Münster, Cosmographei, Basel: Sebastian Henricpetri, 1558.
Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 271: Abraham Ortelius, Epitome Theatri Orteliani, Antwerp: Johann Baptist Vrients, 1601.
Swann Maps & Atlases, Natural History & Color Plate Books December 9, 2025
Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 283: Joris van Spilbergen, Speculum Orientalis Occidentalisque Indiae, Leiden: Nicolaus van Geelkercken for Jodocus Hondius, 1619.
Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 285: Levinus Hulsius, Achtzehender Theil der Newen Welt, 14 engraved folding maps, Frankfurt: Johann Frederick Weiss, 1623.
Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 341: John James Audubon, Carolina Parrot, Plate 26, London, 1827.
Sotheby’s Book Week December 9-17, 2025
Sotheby’s, Dec. 11: Darwin and Wallace. On the Tendency of Species to form Varieties..., [in:] Journal of the Proceedings of the Linnean Society, Vol. III, No. 9., 1858, Darwin announces the theory of natural selection. £100,000 to £150,000.
Sotheby’s, Dec. 11: J.K. Rowling. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, 1997, first edition, hardback issue, inscribed by the author pre-publication. £100,000 to £150,000.
Sotheby’s, Dec. 11: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Autograph sketchleaf including a probable draft for the E flat Piano Quartet, K.493, 1786. £150,000 to £200,000.
Sotheby’s, Dec. 12: Hooke, Robert. Micrographia: or some Physiological Descriptions of Minute Bodies made by Magnifying Glasses. London: James Allestry for the Royal Society, 1667. $12,000 to $15,000.
Sotheby’s, Dec. 12: Chappuzeau, Samuel. The history of jewels, first edition in English. London: T.N. for Hobart Kemp, 1671. $12,000 to $18,000.
Sotheby’s, Dec. 12: Sowerby, James. Exotic Mineralogy, containing his most realistic mineral depictions, London: Benjamin Meredith, 1811, Arding and Merrett, 1817. $5,000 to $7,000.
![<b>Sotheby’s, Dec. 11:</b> Darwin and Wallace. On the Tendency of Species to form Varieties..., [in:] <i>Journal of the Proceedings of the Linnean Society,</i> Vol. III, No. 9., 1858, Darwin announces the theory of natural selection. £100,000 to £150,000.](https://ae-files.s3.amazonaws.com/AdvertisementPhotos/00d5fd41-2542-4a80-b119-4886d4b9925f.png "<b>Sotheby’s, Dec. 11:</b> Darwin and Wallace. On the Tendency of Species to form Varieties..., [in:] <i>Journal of the Proceedings of the Linnean Society,</i> Vol. III, No. 9., 1858, Darwin announces the theory of natural selection. £100,000 to £150,000.")
