GRENVILLE, Thomas (1755-1846). Politician and book collector.
Autograph Letter Signed to an unnamed correspondent ('Sir'), 1 page 4to (mounting strip to the reverse), Cleveland Square, 7 ?December 1826. Making remarkably convoluted arrangements to complete a number of sets of Rerum Hibernicarum scriptores veteres, which had been published in four volumes between 1814 and 1826.

'The 2d vol of the Hibernici Scriptores was lent by me to Mr Petrie. the D. of Buckingham told me that he would give to Mr Petrie the 2d, 3d, & 4 vols small paper to compleat his set, he being already possessed of the 1st vol. as soon therefore as those 3 vols are forwarded to Mr Petrie Record Office London, he will return to me the 2d vol, which I lent him, & I will then send that vol to the Duke's house in Pall Mall. I have also a 3d vol that came with the 2d (& which seems to me to be in L[arge] P[paper]), & two imperfect fragments, of small paper.
 I had originally ten copies in small Paper of which I gave one to
Dr Charles Burney - left for him at Payne's (probably John Payne, bookseller of Pall Mall, his father Thomas Payne having retired the previous year).
One to Rt. Hon. G. Ponsonby.
One to Ocheda librarian to Ld Spencer
One to Dr Jamieson the author through Rivington & Cochran.
four shall be sent to the Duke to help to make out other sets & for the tenth (which I retain) I am promised by the Duke that three other small paper vols to make me a set in small as well as in L.P.'
P.S. as soon then as I receive the vol. from Mr Petrie, which he will return to me when you send him the 2d. 3d. & 4th, I will then send to Pall Mall the 2d & 3d vols which I think are in L.P. - 4 of the 1st vol in small paper -& 2 fragments - there will then remain to be sent to me to compleat my small paper - the 2d. 3d & 4th.'

Rerum Hibernicarum scriptores veteres was a chronicle of early Irish manuscripts complied by Charles O'Conor (1764-1828) an Irish Roman Catholic priest who had become chaplain to the marchioness of Buckingham and effectively librarian to the duke at Stowe, where he spent most of his life. The work was widely consulted in the early part of the nineteenth century but its scholarship was doubtful, and the volumes later fell into disuse.
Provenance: from a collection formed by A.M. Broadley in 1903.
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