The library at Beeleigh Abbey.
The first sale took place in September and generated a total of £1m including premium (hammer price £848,000).
Across the two sales more than 10,000 books and artworks from the library of the late Christopher Foyle are offered. Among the highlights of the second tranche on January 31 are numerous books with fore-edge paintings, Cosway-style bindings with miniatures (mostly commissioned by William Foyle from Bayntun Riviere following the firms’ merger in 1939), and dozens of profusely extra-illustrated works.
One example is a two-volume work of the life and adventures of the writer George Sala. Across nine volumes with 300 autograph letters and countless portraits and views by the book grangeriser Alexander Meyrick Broadley (1847-1916). It is estimated at £4000-6000.
One of the images in the two-volume work of the life and adventures of the writer George Sala, estimated at £4000-6000.
Another highlight is correspondence from Charles Dickens regarding his move to Gad’s Hill Place. The book includes letters with an introductory essay by F J Harvey Darton and drawings by Alicia Darrington. It is estimated at £2000-3000.
Letters from Charles Dickens regarding his move to Gad’s Hill Place, estimated at £2000-3000.
A series of 27 documents signed by Samuel Pepys as Clerk of the Acts of the Navy, arranged chronologically in three folio volumes and bound in early 20th-century crushed blue morocco gilt by Sangorski & Sutcliffe, is estimated at £10,000-15,000.
A series of 27 documents signed by Samuel Pepys as Clerk of the Acts of the Navy, estimated at £10,000-15,000.
One of the letters from Samuel Pepys.
Beeleigh Abbey, a 12th century monastery near Maldon, was bought by the bookshop’s co-founder William Foyle during the Second World War and housed his extensive collection of books and manuscripts.
When his granddaughter Christina (Christopher’s aunt) died in 1999 the library was sold, Christopher and his wife Cathy then bought back as much of the library as they could.
Christopher Foyle died in August 2022.
Read ATG's report of the first part of the sale in ATG no 2619.
