56 



Eichardson than the one which Mr. T. T. Trevor, of Guisbrough, 

 Atkinson's solicitor, had previously been trying to get Richardson 

 to sign. Mr. Bolckow paid Richardson's costs, amounting to 

 £259. Atkinson's costs were less than one-fourth of that sum.- 

 In the " Yorkshire Bibliographer," edited by Mr. Horsfall Turner 

 (vol. I., pp. 184-186), 1888, is an article, inspired by Richardson, 

 giving some account of this matter. After speaking of the trial 

 above-mentioned, the following passage occurs : — " The work was 

 then proceeded with, but the £200 Mr. R. had at the commence- 

 ment was all the money he received for the bona fides of the 

 work, with the exception of the £60 he paid Mr. Atkinson for 

 the balance of the MSS., after 19 parts had been issued, at a 

 cost of Mr. Richardson of about £3,500. When Mr. Bolckow 

 was removed by death the MSS. for the completion of the 

 work passed into the hands of his heir, Mr. Carl Bolckow, and 

 are still in his possession, though Mr. Richardson has oifered to 

 complete the work at his own cost if the INISS. for the nine 

 remaining parts are handed to him. This Mr. Carl Bolckow 

 refuses to give up, unless Mr. Richardson will pay him the £60 

 the late Mr. Bolckow paid Mr. Atkinson.' 



In 1892 I called Atkinson's attention to this statement, and 

 remarked that if the completion of his "History of Cleveland" 

 depended upon a sum of £60, the amount could, no doubt, 

 easily be raited. He replied that he had never heard that Mr. 

 Bolckow wanted £60 as a condition of giving up the MSS. 

 He said, " The arrangement — articles of agreement between 

 the late Mr. Bolckow and myself, drawn up by Mr. W. C. Trevor, 

 are in my possession, as also Mr. Bolckow's assent to them ; and 

 Mr. Carl Bolckow might make such a reply to Mr. Richardson's 

 application (which I had reason to believe either would be or 

 had been made), though I do not think it likely he would 

 answer so, inasmuch as his uncle's arrangement with me was 

 that if the book was not completed ivithin hvelve months of the 

 delivery of the MSS. to his keeping, the said MSS. was to he 

 returned to me. Any way, under the existing written agreement 

 or arrangement — for it was never made formal, or of legal force, 

 inasmuch as it was never stamped, and otherwise publicly 

 accredited — it would have been somewhat strange if any mention 

 of £60, or any other sum, for the return of the MSS. had been 

 made in the lengthened series of communications passing between 

 Mr. C. Bolckow and my solicitor, or any one else acting on my 

 behalf ; and as far as my knowledge, or even suspicion, extends, 

 no hint of anything of the kind ever took place. It was by 

 reason of Mr. Richardson's inability to continue the publication 



