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Autograph Letter Signed (ALS) by Joseph Jackson Howard, LL.D.
Dated November 9, 1857, written from Dartmouth Row, Blackheath, Kent (England) to an American correspondent, discussing The Spalding Genealogy and his efforts to expand the circulation of Miscellanea Genealogica in the United States.
Howard offers to exchange privately printed pedigrees and expresses his interest in genealogical research, closing the letter with a note about the annual subscription price and signing boldly as:
> “J.J. Howard, LL.D.,
Honorary Editor of the Miscellanea dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0; margin-bottom:0;">---
Full Transcription (excerpted for clarity)
> “I much wish to possess a work which was compiled by you, ‘The Spalding Genealogy,’ as the same cannot be obtained here… I am greatly interested in genealogical researches.
I am also anxious for an extended circulation of the work in the United States and should therefore feel deeply if you mention it to your friends and dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0; margin-bottom:0;">---
About the Author
Joseph Jackson Howard, LL.D. (1827–1902) was a leading 19th-century British genealogist and herald, serving as Maltravers Herald Extraordinary at the College of Arms and as Honorary Editor of the Miscellanea Genealogica et Heraldica. His extensive network of correspondents across Britain and America helped shape early transatlantic genealogical scholarship.
Letters by Howard are sought after for their association with the Victorian genealogy movement and the growth of organized family history publishing.
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Item Details
Date: November 9, 1857
Location: Blackheath, Kent, England
Format: 2-page folded letter
Ink: Brown ink on cream paper
Condition: Excellent legibility with light age toning and minor handling marks consistent with age.
Signature: Boldly signed "J.J. Howard, LL.D."
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Historical Significance
This letter is an excellent example of Howard’s professional correspondence as editor of Miscellanea Genealogica, one of the earliest genealogical periodicals. It documents his outreach to American researchers and his interest in expanding the network of family historians between England and the United States — a valuable glimpse into 19th-century transatlantic scholarship.
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A fine addition to any collection of genealogical history, 19th-century correspondence, or autograph letters from editors and antiquarians.
📦 Ships securely in archival sleeve and rigid mailer.
✉️ From a private collection offered publicly for the first time.
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