¶1. Seven draft autograph letters relating to Ross' work as a painter. The most important is a 3 page 4to draft to 'Your Royal Highness - or Sir' requesting a sitting by Her Majesty the Queen, The Prince of Wales, and the Princess Royal; 'and I think the Queen has intimated a gracious intention to give me a commission to paint such a picture...'. Mr. McLean (Thomas McLean, the printseller and publisher) has so repeatedly urged me to paint such a Group for him so that a print may be engraved by one of the first Engravers...' The draft is undated but may be 1839. The second letter (1843) concerns arrangements to paint a miniature of 'The Royal Child', the daughter of the Duke and Duchess de Remours, subsequently published in the Keepsake. The third letter concerns a request to 'improve the plate' of Ross's portrait of the King of Portugal, to be engraved by Mr Brown, 'but the alterations are so great as to make it no more my work...'. A June 1843 note is to accompany his design for 'The Angel Discoursing with Adam' for the Westminster Hall Competition. In September 1844, Ross writes to Lord Folkestone about an uncompleted miniature of Lady Folkestone, for which he apologises ('I was obliged to go to Windsor') and promises to complete the commission after his return from Italy. Ross writes to 'My Lord' in August 1846, thanking him (and Lady Harriet) for the Draft for 63£ and agreement to allow the picture to be exhibited. The last letter is to James Reade concerning a half-finished portrait of Mrs Reade for which she has suggested paying half-price: 'This is an arrangement I certainly do not like', but Ross reluctantly accepts, with an account, leaving £28.15s to pay on top of the deposit paid at Rome. 2. 16 draft autograph letters, retained as 'Copy' letters, by Ross, signed by him, 1839-57, on personal and business matters, including 'the state of affairs' at the Loan Society, agreeing to pay Mr Tims' claim, three letters on railway investment ('I am not connected with any Railway except that of the Thames Valley'), in French to his cousin, asking for advice about the appointment of an Executor, to Mrs Ganci seeking to smooth waters over a 'controversy', another (probably to the same person) about a family dispute, the appointment of a corn factor, refusing to give a letter of recommendation to another cousin, the High Constable of Oxford, asking if Mr Broadly is 'out of debt', refusing to make an investment, 'It was certainly never my intention to embark so much money as £10000...' TOGETHER WITH: Omaggio Al Celebre Artista William Ross Bat. Cantata Acrostica. Manuscript, 28 line acrostic poem, the first lines spelling out 'To the Honorable Sir William Ross', 1p folio, signed A.Maggi. William Charles Ross, 1794-186; portrait and portrait miniature painter with 'a sizeable and elite clientele'; member of the R.A. and knighted in 1842. Early in his career he was known for his historical paintings, to which he returned for the Westminster Hall competition of 1843 - see note above. He became paralysed in 1857, died in 1860 and was buried in Hampstead Cemetery. He painted over 2,000 miniatures, including Queen Victoria.