Description:

Stanley Henry

Henry M. Stanley, African Explorer, ALS re: British Parliamentary Transvaal Debates

 

2pp ALS inscribed overall and signed by British explorer Henry M. Stanley (1841-1904) as "Henry M. Stanley" near the bottom of the second page. On cream watermarked bifold stationery paper with "2, Richmond Terrace, Whitehall, S.W." letterhead (Stanley lived at this address between 1892-1904). Written on May 6, 1896 from London. With minor paper folds and isolated light soiling on fourth page, else near fine. Each page measures 4.125" x 6.5."

 

Sir Henry M. Stanley wrote this note to an unknown recipient declining a dinner invitation during the spring of 1896. He wrote: "I regret to say that since I accepted your invitation to dine with the 'Turners' - it has been decided the Transvaal Debate should take place on the same Evening as the Turner's Dinner. Many of my friends have urged me to take a part in the Debate and if I must do so I must watch for an opportunity. I therefore beg you will kindly excuse my presence from your Feast - and accept my assurance that nothing less than a question of national Legislature would have caused my absence from it."

 

Stanley, internationally recognized as an intrepid journalist and world explorer, had been elected to British Parliament a year earlier, in 1895. He served as a Liberal Unionist (center-right) delegate who would represent Lambeth North, a district in southern London, until 1900.

 

"The Transvaal Debate" referred to Britain's continued economic interest in annexing the Transvaal and the Orange Free State, predominately ethnically Dutch sovereign nations located in modern day South Africa. The British coveted the natural resources of this region and its access to significant trade routes. Britain's first takeover attempt was the disastrous First Boer War (1880-1881).

 

On New Year's weekend 1895-1896, Sir Leander Starr Jameson, along with around 1000 of his mounted corporate police, led a raid on the Transvaal. Jameson and other jingoistic Britons had hoped to spark an insurrection among British expatriates, but their attempt failed and they were arrested. Stanley would have heard a discussion about the Raid and its consequences during the parliamentary meeting he hoped to attend. In fact, the question would not be settled until Britain won the Second Boer War (1899-1902).

 

The "Turners" likely referred to a meeting of The Worshipful Order of the Turners, a fraternal organization which grew out of a medieval guild. Its original members were mostly wood- and metal-working craftspeople. In the nineteenth century, the Turners functioned as more of philanthropically minded civic and social club. Henry M. Stanley was a member, as was William Gladstone and Lloyd George.

 

Sir Henry Morton Stanley emigrated to the United States as a teenager, and his early life demonstrated both his thirst for novelty and his patchy track record. Stanley served as a foreign correspondent cum explorer for the New York Herald. Stanley’s search missions for Scottish missionary David Livingston and regional governor Emin Pasha garnered him celebrity, as did his scouting and mapping expeditions along the Nile and in the Congo Basin.

 

WE PROVIDE IN-HOUSE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE!

Accepted Forms of Payment:

American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Paypal, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

We do our own in-house worldwide shipping!
Applicable shipping and handling charges will be added to the invoice. ***PLEASE NOTE: IF YOU WOULD LIKE YOUR SHIPMENT TO BE SENT TO AN ADDRESS OTHER THAN THE ONE YOU HAVE ON FILE WITH INVALUABLE, YOU WILL NEED TO INFORM US OF THIS AS SOON AS PAYMENT IS SUBMITTED FOR YOUR WINNINGS*** Shipping and handling costs are competitive as we maintain discounted contracts with FedEx. If you have any questions, contact University Archives prior to bidding. After payment has been made in full, University Archives will ship your purchase within 5 business days following receipt of full payment for item. We currently ship via FedEx but if your purchase is shipping to a P.O. Box, we ship via USPS. All items are insured. We ship from our offices in Westport, CT. We may opt to use a third party shipper for very fragile, bulky or oversized items. Items requiring third party shipping will be denoted in the item description. Packages shipped internationally will have full value declared on shipping form. International buyers will be responsible for any customs fees incurred.

Please remember that the buyer is responsible for all shipping costs from University Archives' offices in Westport, CT to the buyer's door. Please see full Terms and Conditions of Sale.

University Archives

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 25% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $299 $20
$300 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $2,999 $200
$3,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 + $5,000