THREE AUTOGRAPH LETTERS SIGNED BY CORMELL PRICE AND ONE SIGNED BY ROBERT W. CARDEN by Kipling, Rudyard] - Price, Cormell; Carden, Robert W

London: [1894, 1899, 1900, 1902] Four handwritten letters addressed to JULIUS H. GRIFFITH. Griffith was born 2 October 1866 in Bombay, India, and was a friend of Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936). He also attended the United Services College (USC), (No. 419), located at Westward Ho! in North Devon. Like Kipling, Griffith kept regular correspondence with Cormell Price, the Headmaster of the school. His son, Julius Griffith, was born in Vancouver, Canada in 1912. He was multi-talented, painting in watercolour and oils, was a graphic artist, illustrator, teacher, and fine print maker. His work is in the collections of many museums and galleries across Canada, as well as numerous corporate and private collections. CORMELL PRICE. (1835 - 1910), was Headmaster of The United Services College at Westward Ho! since its inception in 1874, and retired 20 years later in 1894. Celebrated by Kipling as "The Head" in his book, Stalky & Co. (1899), which was dedicated to him. He was educated in Birmingham and then Oxford, was part of a small group known historically as The Birmingham Set along with the Pre-Raphaelite artists, Edward Burne-Jones (Kipling's uncle), and William Morris. The group called themselves The Brotherhood. Price remained life-long, close friends with Burne-Jones, Morris and their families. ROBERT W. CARDEN A.R.I.B.A. (Associate of the Royal Institute of British Architects) and author, was possibly the grandson of Sir Robert W. Carden, 1st Baronet, who was a banker and politician, Sheriff of London and Lord Mayor of London. Carden is listed as #383 in the United Services College Office List of 1881; ..... LETTER 1) 4-page, single-fold, light vertical and horizontal creases where it had been folded, otherwise very good and clean. On embossed Letterhead stamped United Services College, Westward Ho: N. Devon. Apr. 19, '94. My Dear Griffith, It is quite true that I am resigning my post in July. I meant to do so two years ago, but a crisis in finance was to my mind imminent just then, & I thought I ought to stick a little longer - I cannot say that I have helped much by postponement but I think there is a chance of recovery. Our connexion was too exclusively Indian & Military. The dwindling rupee reduced the former & the universal establishment of Army rides at the Public Schools under the new programme of exams, deprived us of our monopoly there. A "new broom" is now imperatively needed. I quailed before the task of getting rid of old friends on the staff, & moreover I disagreed with two or three influential members of the Council, & so I resigned. I can't afford to go out of harness entirely, & you will perhaps soon hear of me as settled in London & I must say proximity to old friends is some compensation to disappointment about the school. Two years ago you were good enough to subscribe to a new football challenge cap : just then my misgivings began & I withheld the subscriptions. Your own I herewith return : but should the school re-enter upon a career of glory, I hope you will renew the benefaction. It is some consolation that the XV this year has been the strongest that even we ever had, & trust our success in June next promise to be our most brilliant. I shall write to George & David as soon as I can find time : I owe a letter to the former. I trust your mother is well. Yours ever, Cormell Price. (At head of letter) PS. I send you an article by Kipling on the School. Ans 20 Apr/94; ..... LETTER 2.) 4-page, single-fold, light vertical and horizontal creases, else very good and clean. 38 Jarvis Square, W. / Jan. 8, '99 / My Dear Griffith, I was extremely sorry that I was away when you called - it is so frequently my luck to miss old friends like that - that I begin to suspect myself of never being at work. Thanks, too, for your congratulations; it was a reckless act for a man of my years. I heard from [Trent?] the other day; he tells me has has just been best-man to Gilbert in the A.M.D. - a second lapse on Gilbert's part, I believe. I see Kipling had another school story in the June 3 Windsor : I suppose you have read that as well as the other two. His touches of scenery are marvellously good, & the whole narrative is most clever, but whether it displays most of imagination or memory I cannot say - perhaps you can judge of that better than I. The death of Babington mi (#437 in 1881 U.S.C. Office List] was sorrowful; he was hardly robust enough for a military life. Your brother George surely doesn't want to be killed by mad Mullahs just yet. I heartily hope they will be quiet on the frontier and elsewhere - it's time our soldiers turned policemen once more. We did well at Khartoum - of the dozen O.U.S.C.s one got a C.B. (Collinson), four D.S.O.s (Blomfield, Hamilton iv, Blakeney, & Young), & Hamilton iii a Brevet. With best wishes for the New Year, & kind regards to your mother. Believe me, Yrs always truly C. Price; ..... LETTER 3.) 4-pages, single-fold, vertical and horizontal creases where it had been folded, blue ink writing in top left corner of first page: "letters from Cormell Price, Headmaster of United Services College, Westward Ho!", otherwise very good and clean. Minster Lovell / Witney / Oxfordshire / Nov. 19. 1900 / Ans 20/11/00 / My Dear Griffith, I see your much cherished name on the gracious list forwarded to me by R. Kipling the other day. It is impossible for me to express how keenly I feel the kindness of the O.U.S.C.s whose names appear there - it was a great surprise & made me doubt at first whether I was justified in accepting a second present from my old W. Ho! school-mates. You dear fellows must have short memories or lapse of time has magnified in your eyes what service I ever did you - indeed I have been more than repaid by the continual expression of regard & affection that reaches me from all quarters from time to time. You will be glad to hear that I am getting more robust; the microbes are oozing out of my every pore - they don't like gardening, I find. This house, where I intend to try the winter, is an old farm-house, surrounded by barns & trees. - I think it can be made snug. I have just laid-in a store of tar & cement & shall spend an hour or two daily in caulking planks & plugging crannies - The sunrises are delightful & Oxford is within an hour by cycle & tram. I wish you would come this May in spring. I can put you up comfortably, & we can play quoits & eat the green vegetables that I've just been planting. I trust your brothers are well - my love to them. I shall do my utmost to trust to the O.U.S.C. dinner though I feel the odds are against it. [Written sideways and across the lines of the letter on the last page] My kind regards to your mother, & believe me, my dear Griffith, Yours always, Cormell Price; ..... LETTER 4.) 4-page, single-fold, vertical and horizontal creases where it had been folded, light tanning around margins of first page, shallow chipping to lower edges not affecting text, otherwise quite good. On Letterhead of G.A.T. Middleton, A.R.I.B.A. , R.W. Carden, A.R.I.B.A.. 1 Portland Street, Southampton. And at 19 Craven Street, London, W.C. Feb'y 17th 1902 / My Dear Griffith, / My best answer to the Walker part of your letter is enclosed, & you may use my name for what you like. It was even Tracy himself who thought there might be something in the suggestion of a possible protest on our part & turned me on to you & Merriman to consult. I think I have seen Tracy since you did as he referred to your meeting him on Thursday last when I was with him on Coll. matters for about four hours. My suggestion for your consideration is a round-robin-kind-of-epistle to the Coll. Chronicle signed largely by O.U.S.C.'s & protesting that S. & Co. (Kipling's Stalky & Co.) is universally misunderstood & is only understandable of O.U.S.C.'s. This letter, per the Chronicle, would reach every spot in the Empire where there is a military garrison & these as you are well aware form a large part of the Coll's recruiting ground. I would then suggest that we get the letter copied in the "Public Schools Journal" & that by so doing we might get straight again with most of the peoples concerned. We should want to show that S. & Co. is practically a series of tours de force resting on the local colouring of W. Ho!, & not only that but that it is unfortunate that the book has been unrestrictedly circulated, whereas had it been confined to those who know the inner workings of W.Ho!, the false impression of the meaning of the book would never have got abroad & damaged us as much as it has. Of course you may easily pick holes in this suggestion, & I hope you will do so without fear or favour: I have written the same to Merriman. If it comes to anything I will gladly make myself responsible for the work which it will involve. With kind regards in which my wife joins, Believe me, Very sincerely yours, Robert W. Carden. . AUTOGRAPH LETTERS SIGNED. Very Good. Ephemera.