Charles Longley, Archbishop of Canterbury 1866 autograph letter & photo for Sale

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Charles Longley, Archbishop of Canterbury 1866 autograph letter & photo For Sale

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Charles Longley, Archbishop of Canterbury 1866 autograph letter & photo:
$40.00

A one-page handwritten letter dated September 17, 1866, SIGNED by Charles Thomas Longley, then Archbishop of Canterbury. The letter measures about 4 3/8" x 7". It is signed "C.T. Cantuar," the signature that Longley used while in office as Archbishop. (Cantuar is an abbreviation of the Latin term Cantuariensis, meaning "of Canterbury".) The stationery is embossed "Addington Park, Croydon."

Included with the letter is a small published photograph of Longley measuring about 2 7/16" x 3 7/8".

Both items are in very nice condition. The letter has long-flattened fold marks which are visible from the back. There is a very slight stain on the left edge, which does not affect the text.

The photograph has very faint pencil notes on the bottom and the reverse, which do not affect the picture and may be erased by the purchaser. The notes simply identify the person in the photo as Longley.

The letter states:

My dear Sir,

In reply to your letter I write to say that I have no authority to sanction the use of the Harvest Thanksgiving Service agreed upon by Convocation in 1862; no order from the Privy Council has been issued and it would be illegal to use it.

Believe me.

My dear Sir

Very truly yours,

C.T. Cantuar

The letter and photograph come with biographical information about Longley and, as provenance, a clipped excerpt from the dealer's catalog through which our father purchased this item.

Charles Thomas Longley (1794 – 1868) was a bishop in the Church of England. He served as Bishop of Ripon, Bishop of Durham, Archbishop of York, and Archbishop of Canterbury from 1862 until his death. The chief event of his primacy was the meeting at Lambeth, in 1867, of the first Pan-Anglican conference of British, colonial and foreign bishops. His published works included numerous sermons and addresses. He died at Addington Park, near Croydon.

Please check our other listings for a handwritten letter from John Bird Sumner, Longley's

Our father was a bibliophile who collected rare books, letters, and ephemera for more than 60 years. For now and into the foreseeable future, we will be listing rare paper items from his estate.

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