PHILLIPPS, THOMAS, SIR. Will [autograph manuscript], March 18, 1863
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Sir Thomas Phillipps: Will, dated March 18, 1863


RLIN ID No.
NYGG04-A4

Main Entry
Phillipps, Thomas, Sir, 1792-1872.

Title
Will of Sir Thomas Phillipps, Bart., Thirlestaine House, Cheltenham [autograph manuscript], March 18, 1863.

Physical Description
[3] p. ; 16 x 21 cm.

Historical/Biographical Note
English antiquary and collector. His estate at Middle Hill, Worcestershire eventually contained over 60,000 manuscripts and over 30,000 printed books. He also established a press on his estate for the printing of some of the manuscripts. Middle Hill was an entailed estate. The Shakespearean scholar James Orchard Halliwell, who had married his eldest daughter against Phillipps’s wishes, would inherit the house and original property, but Phillipps drafted various wills that would prevent Halliwell from obtaining his collections and the properties not part of the original estate.

Scope and Contents Note
In this will Phillipps settles his unentailed land on distant cousins and plans to place his library in Manorbier Castle, the ancestral seat of the Phillipps family in Wales. Phillipps had to abandon this scheme in 1866 when he proved unable to purchase the property, and he drafted later wills; he ultimately moved the collections to Thirlestaine House. Another provision of the 1863 will leaves all his printing equipment to James Rogers, printer at Middle Hill.

General Note
Tipped into custom-made dark blue morocco album laid inside modern folding cloth box with other items. Spine title in gilt: Phillipps Private Papers/Last Will.

General Note
Cover title on album: The Will of Sir Thomas Phillipps/Thirlstane [sic], 1863.

Immediate Source of Acquisition
Purchase; Sotheby’s auction no. 3243, Lot 0053, London; 2003/12/02.

Provenance
From the collection of Martin Schoyer of Spikkestad, Norway, who purchased it from the dealer H. P. Kraus of New York City. Previously owned by W. H. Robinson, Ltd. of London. It was sold at one of the numerous sales of Phillipps manuscripts at Sotheby’s starting in 1886.

Names
Phillipps, Thomas, Sir, 1792-1872.
Rogers, James.
Schoyer, Martin, former owner.

Subjects
Book collectors. England. 19th century.
Wills. England. 19th century.
Phillipps family.
Middle Hill (Worcestershire), England.
Thirlestaine House.

Genre Note
Wills. England. 19th century.

Occupation (as reflected in collection)
Book collectors. England. 19th century.

Location
Grolier Club, 47 East 60th Street, New York, N.Y. 10022-1098.

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