Catalogue of very important manuscripts by or relating to Captain James Cook, explorer : the property of H.W.F. Bolckow Esq., M.P. deceased

… which will be sold by auction by Messers. Sotheby, Wilkinson & Hodge … on Wednesday, the 21st of March, 1923. London : Sotheby, Wilkinson & Hodge, 1923. Quarto, lettered green wrappers, pp. 16, black and white plate, light foxing and handling marks, a very good copy.

The original catalogue of the extraordinarily important manuscripts relating to Captain Cook sold at Sotheby’s in 1923.

‘HENRY WILLIAM FERDINAND BOLCKOW (1806–1878) was born in Mecklenburg in Prussia (now northern Germany), but migrated to England in 1827. In 1841 he established the first iron foundry and rolling works in Middlesbrough, UK, in partnership with John Vaughan. Between 1827 and 1868 the population of Middlesbrough grew from less than 100 to more than 40,000, and when the town was gazetted as a municipality in 1853, Bolckow was elected its first mayor. In 1868 he was elected a Member of Parliament. His Yorkshire residence and property, Marton Hall, incorporated the birthplace of James Cook.

Living on the site of Cook’s birthplace inspired Bolckow – already a serious art collector – to assemble one of the world’s finest Cook collections. In 1868 he purchased Cook’s original manuscript journal of the Endeavour voyage as well as the Admiralty’s secret instructions. In that same year several works of art from his collection were displayed at the National Exhibition of Works of Art, Leeds, including a portrait of James Cook by John Webber, now held by the National Portrait Gallery, Canberra.

In 1923 a small number of Cook-related objects from H W F Bolckow’s collection were sold by Sotheby, Wilkinson and Hodge. Cook’s Endeavour journal and letter book (with the Admiralty’s secret instructions) were bought by the Australian government. Now designated Manuscripts 1 and 2 (MS 1, MS 2), the journal and letter book are regarded as foundation documents of the National Library of Australia. ‘ – Sea Museum https://www.sea.museum/2019/04/15/anyone-for-tea