Gracious 1874 Autograph Letter Signed of Prolific English Novelist Anthony Trollope, Hoping to Arrange a Visit at a College

Anthony Trollope was an English novelist of the Victorian era. Among his best-known works is a series of novels including Barchester Towers, collectively known as the Chronicles of Barsetshire, which revolves around the imaginary county of Barsetshire.

Autograph Letter Signed, 2 pages, [London], November 2, 1874. “I have written to the Subwarden and Bursars saying that I shall be most happy to dine with them on the 16th. Pray do not let me disturb you at your house if you three are still unwell. Of course I shall be delighted to go to you if it should suit you; but I beg you to believe that it will cause me great pain to be in your way: & that, should this be still not convenient I can do very well elsewhere. My absence from London has prevented me from writing earlier.” On his letterhead from 39 Montagu Square with a small engraving of a jumping deer. The name of the recipient has been crossed out. Apparently some college had invited Trollope to dinner.

Trollope wrote dozens of books and short stories, both fiction and non-fiction. In all, he wrote 47 novels, 42 short stories, and five travel books. In the year of this letter he had published Harry Heathcote of Gangoli, Phineas Redux, New South Wales and Kingston and Lady Anna and was working on the sweeping satire “The Way We Live Now”, which many consider his masterpiece.