"Abrm Tucker" letter written, possibly by an amanuensis, to a "Mr. Bray", writing within 6 months of Tucker's death,

1 page 4to with integral address panel (Mr Bray, Gt Russell Street, Bloomsbury, London), Beachworth (Betchworth) Castle, 22 June 1774. 

 

A letter from Tucker, written the year he finished his magnum opus, The Light of Nature Pursued (the first two volumes of which were published in 1768, the final, posthumously) and the year that he died. 

It is likely that this letter was written either by his daughter or with the help of a mechanical contraption Tucker invented after going completely blind in 1771. His daughter Judith transcribed what remained to be written of The Light of Nature Pursued, learning Greek in order to do so, "like Milton's daughter" (Mildmay, xxii). A highly technical and rather eccentric text devoted to the relationship between sounds and letters, Vocal Sounds, was published as the work of Edward Search in 1773. This work emphasised the important differences between spoken and written language, and is of some importance in the history of language theory. (B. W. Young, ODNB biography of Tucker).

Written from Betchworth Castle (near Dorking, where Tucker lived from 1927, and which is now an apparently haunted ruin); Tucker writes that is in "no way inconvenient" to "change the day of meeting of Smith's Trustees" to the 15th August. "Mr. Bray" is possibly William Bray, an antiquary and writer who was elected to the Society of Antiquaries in 1771.

Four pinholes and one larger hole (contemporary), left margin, not affecting text. Otherwise very good.

Stock Code: 242749