The collection includes items of national and international significance which were not part of the famous Christie's sale of The Library of William Foyle held in July 2000. Christopher Foyle, entrepreneur, philanthropist and moderniser of Foyle's famous bookshop in London's Charing Cross Road, died in August 2022. He was the grandson of William Foyle, the bookshop's founder. When his aunt Christina died in 1999 and left instructions that her grandfather's library should be sold, Christopher and his wife Cathy took the decision to buy back as much of the library as they could before it went up for sale. Christopher was particularly keen to recover items which had a close association with his beloved grandfather.
The items now offered for sale from Beeleigh Abbey comprise:
The majority of the items offered for sale will be books, most of them beautifully bound with the bookplate of William Foyle, including hundreds of early editions of English literature, history, topography and travel. The collection also includes miniature books, illuminated medieval and rare Tudor manuscripts, seals, authors' letters, as well as significant paintings and drawings. Christopher continued collecting books until his death, some of which never made it into the main library and were discovered squirrelled away in cupboards and under a vast model railway layout.
One highlight from the first portion of the library to be offered for sale on 27 September 2023 is a historically important document signed at the head by Queen Mary I (estimate: £15,000-£20,000).
It is an appeal for reinforcements to be raised for the defence of Calais, signed 'Marye the Quene' on the day on which the city fell to the French.‘Letting you wite, that having certaine knowledge that our ennemys of Frannce ar[e] p[rese]ntly w[t]h great puissance and force arryved at our toun of Callays, and do besiege the same whereby it is in gret distress and dannger except succours be most spedely sent, forasmuch as that pece is a principal member and chief jewell of our realme Although we have p[rese]ntly sent such relief as we hope shall suffice for the souders yet for the more surete, and the better to p[er]mit for all events, we have appointed to leavye of our good loving subjets a convenient armye out of hand.’The recipients Lord North and Sir Giles Alington, both Commissioners for Musters, are required to raise and equip a force of four hundred ‘good and able sould yours’ in the county of Cambridge. Among other instructions, the soldiers are to be given conduct money and uniforms of ‘white cotes with red crosses after accustomed manner of this our realme’. However, the Queen's appeal for reinforcements to be sent to the French coast at the beginning of January 1558 was too late and the ill-provided garrison fell to the Duke of Guise on 7 January.
Other highlights include:
Specialists in charge: Nathan Winter & Chris Albury.
Printed catalogues for Part I will be available from 11 September (and online 3 days prior).
Printed catalogues can be bought for: £25 (UK), £30 (Europe) & £35 (ROW)
All enquiries please to: FoyleLibrary@dominicwinter.co.uk
Early Printed Books, Maps & Manuscripts • Queen Mary I Binding
To see a page-turning version of our catalogue, please see the Virtual Catalogue.
Live bidding is available on our website on sale day, a BID LIVE button will appear 60 minutes before the sale starts. Please register at least 24 hours before the sale starts. Commission bids can be left on our website up to 1 hour before the sale commences. For telephone bids, please call the office on 01285 860006.