MAGINN, William (1793-1842). Poet, journalist & miscellaneous writer.
Series of 4 Autograph Letters Signed (initials) to 'W', in all 5 pages 8vo, no place, no date. Suggesting a project ('which if it had success might be a most capital thing'), asking for loans and imploring 'W' to hide these requests.
The 'W' is certainly Charles Molloy Westmacott (1787/8-1868, journalist & blackmailer) for whom Maginn wrote, much to the degradation of his reputation.

'Much to my astonishment Charles Baldwin [the newspaper proprietor] is, I find, about to call on you tomorrow to ask you for some money on my behalf. ... oblige me by saying something like this: That I have no claims whatever upon you as I do not write for the Age except now and then ... and that there never were any precuniary dealings between us. ...'

Maginn was often short of funds, at one time suffering imprisonment for debt.
[No: 22728]