comprising two Continental paper passports dated 1836 (one Belgian, one Luxembourg), an annotated leather bound copy of 'Repertoire des Lettres, Instructions et Autres Pieces de Marie Stuart' with pasted-in letters, one dated May 1839, together with an early 19th Century three-quarter leather bound notebook containing extensive handwritten notes on mixed subjects from Chinese song to English language, annotated to front flyleaf 'These extracts made in France during my detention' (4)
| Condition Report: | click here |
| Estimate: | £100 - £200 |
| Hammer price: | £500 |
Note: Sir Cuthbert Sharp's life began in Hartlepool, where he was born in 1781. The son of shipowner Cuthbert Sharp and Susannah Crosby, he came from a family with notable connections, including his uncle, the former Lord Mayor of London, Brass Crosby. After receiving his early education in Greenwich, a young Sharp served as an officer within the fencible cavalry, in Ireland during the rebellion at the tender age of 18. Upon his return, he pursued studies at Edinburgh University, forging a close friendship with the celebrated Sir Walter Scott. This period of intellectual growth was temporarily interrupted when Sharp's visit to Paris for peace talks unexpectedly led to his detention following the resumption of the Napoleonic Wars; a fortunate acquaintance with Claude Ambroise Régnier, the Minister of Justice, allowed him to escape the worst outcome and return to Britain.
Sharp's later life saw him embrace his hometown of Hartlepool, where he became a close acquaintance of Robert Surtees, assisting him with his "History of County Durham." Inspired by this collaboration, Sharp produced his own well-received "History of Hartlepool" in 1816, the same year he was knighted by the Prince Regent. He held the position of Mayor of Hartlepool on three separate occasions (1813, 1816, and 1824), displaying a commitment to civic duty. His career shifted to broader administrative service when he was appointed the Collector of Customs for the port of Sunderland in 1823, later taking up the same role in Newcastle in 1845, His final residence, in Northumberland Street, Newcastle marked the place where Sir Cuthbert Sharp passed away in August of 1849.
Passports torn and binding to sketch book damaged
