[3 works, presentation copies]

Offered for sale by Adam Langlands of 'Shadowrock Rare Books' - for more information please contact him via email at [email protected] 

Mrs Emily S. PATTON (1831-1912). 3 works, all published in Japan, all presentation copies.

[comprising:]

Two Visits to the Island of Saghalien and the Gulf of Tartary during the summers, 1897-8. By Mrs. Emily S. Patton. Yokohama: printed at the “Japan Gazette” Press, 1905. Small quarto (9 ¾ x 7 ins; 247 x 178mm). Pp. [i-ii, 1]-30. Frontispiece with a view on the recto and a map on the verso. Stapled within original green paper wrappers. Provenance: Mr. William Abbs (inscribed and dated 1909 by the author). Rare pamphlet: a presentation copy inscribed by the author.

Japanese Topsyturvy-dom  by Mrs. E. S. Patton. Tokyo: published by Takejiro Hasegawa, [undated but 1896]. Small square octavo (7 ¾ x 6 ½ in; 197 x 165mm). Pp.[i-ii; 1-]3-36[-37-38]. Creped paper with colored illustrations throughout. Provenance: Mr. William Abbs (inscribed and dated 1909 by the author). Rarely found inscribed by the author. – a nice copy. One of the largest crepe paper books produced by Hasegawa.

Emily Sophia PATTON & Minnie A. SCHWABE (1877-1918). Japanese Types. Sketched with brush and pen. A series of 30 pictures by Minnie A. Schwabe, with descriptive text by Emily S. Patton. [Yokohama:] Kelly & Walsh, Ltd., [undated but 1905]. Quarto (10 ¾ x 8 ¼ in; 273 x 209mm). Pp. [1-63] including the final page of Japanese character printing on te recto of the rear free endpaper. Decorative title, 30 full-page uncolored illustrations by Minnie Schwabe. . Provenance: Mr. William Abbs (inscribed and dated 1909 by the author). Rarely found inscribed by the author. – a nice copy. The illustrator Minnie Agnes Schwabe was the daughter of Robert Stephen Schwabe and Miyadera Kini. See https://www.manfamily.org/about/other-families/loeck-family/may-family/wolff-family/schwabe-family/stephan-samuel-schwabe-1803-1878/stephan-robert-schwabe-1841-1908/ for more details. This work offers a series of sketches of Japanese professions, types and scenes.

3 works, all published in Japan, all inscribed by the author, a Japanophile.

Mrs Emily Patton second husband was Horatio William Patton (1829-1888). Dies 7^th July 1888 aged 59 in Melbourne).

Their son: Reginald Holroyd Patton (1864-1886) died 1886 aged 23 in Melbourne.

Their daughter: Gwendoline Laura Patton (1868-1891) died aged 23, in Yokohama, of ‘malignant cholera, after an illness of 15 hours’, 29^th December 1891

‘Mrs. Patton was the only daughter of Arthur Todd Holroyd, a barrister, who was distinguished in literature, law, and travel before he came to New South Wales in 1845, and joined the bar at Sydney in that year. From 1851 to 1856 he represented the Western Boroughs, Bathurst and Carcoar, in the old Legislative Council of New South Wales, and on the concession of Responsible Government in the latter year, was elected be the Legislative Assembly for the same constituency, for which he sat until 1858, when he was defeated; but two; years later he was elected for Parramatta, and was for some time Chairman of Committees. He was Minister for Works in the first Martin Ministry (October, 1863, to February, 1865). In 1866 he was appointed Master-in-Equity, and was an Acting Judge of the Supreme Court. He died June 16, 1887, aged 81 years.

Miss Emily Holroyd married Mr. Frederick Terry, who, in 1855, was manager of the old A.S.N. Company. He went to Melbourne as representative of the company, and died there in May, 1858, leaving his wife a widow at 27 years of age. Mr. Terry belonged to the old dramatic family of that name, and was intimately acquainted with Mr. G. V. Brooke. Mrs. Patton wrote me the story of her life, May, 1908. She said: — "It was through Mr. Terry calling on Mr. G. V. Brooke on his arrival in Sydney that my first introduction to theatrical life began, and when — six months after my husband's premature death in Melbourne — Mr. Brooke offered me a vacancy in his company, caused by the unexpected death of Miss Ellen Mortyn, a leading lady imported by Messrs. Brooke and Coppin to fill the vacancy caused by Miss Fanny Cathcart's marriage to Mr. Robert Heir, and as I was left perfectly free. I saw no reason for refusing Mr. Brooke's kind offer."

I was present at the lady's first appearance on any stage. She appeared in her maiden name, Emily Holroyd, as Emma Torrens in the comedy of "The Serious Family." ... That first appearance was made in 1859. Miss Holroyd played with Brooke's Company up to the time that gentleman returned to Europe, in 1861. Mrs. Terry married Mr. Patton, who was averse to her remaining on the stage, and, after her marriage, she concluded a short engagement upon the stage. Once—in May, 1866, on the occasion of Mr. Lambert's farewell benefit, previous to his departure to end his days in England—she played Maria in "The School for Scandal," and in July in the same year she assisted the press historians in the performances which helped purchase the Brooke Bust in the Melbourne Public Library.

The loss of Mrs. Patton's only son, and shortly afterwards of Mr. Patton, after 26 years of married life, gave the lady such a distaste for Australia, where she had lived for 45 years (between Sydney and Melbourne, from the age of 15 until nearly 60), that she determined to migrate to Japan with her daughter, the only one of her family remaining. They were happily fixed in Japan, when the daughter was suddenly taken from her by cholera, after a few hours' illness. Since then, for over 20 years, she had been quite alone in the world. Shortly after the death of her daughter, the Oriental Bank failed, and swallowed up her savings. After that, she kept herself solely by her own exertions. She taught dancing and singing with much success in Yokohama, and only removed to Shanghai in 1901 because she was assured that she would have a much wider field for teaching.

Mrs. Patton did a good deal of journalistic work, and published at least two books, copies of which she sent me. Much of her journalistic work found its way into Sydney and Melbourne papers, and during the Russo-Japanese war, she contributed a series of articles to the "Town and Country Journal."

Subsequently, notwithstanding her great age, she paid a visit to the battlefields of Port Arthur, her observations on which were published in a Sydney newspaper. Less than a year ago Mrs. Patton wrote me that she had again returned to Japan, and would end her days there. Of Mrs. Patton's stage contemporaries, there are still living Mrs. L. L. Lewis (Rosa Dunn), Mrs. Marcus Clarke (Marion Dunn), and Mrs. G. B. W. Lewis (Rose Edouin), with whom she kept up correspondence to the last. Some months ago she paid a visit to Vancouver, and gave the public her opinions of Seattle and its lumber industry—not a favorable one by any means.’ (‘Truth’. Sydney: 25 Feb, 1912, p.12)

‘Information has just been received in Sydney of the death, at her residence, 142 Bluff, Yokohama, Japan, of Mrs. Emily Sophia Patton. The deceased lady, who had reached the advanced age of 80, was a close student of Eastern affairs, and was the author of a number of special articles dealing entertainingly and informatively with life in Hongkong, Yokohama, etc. Those articles were printed in the "Evening News", and aroused considerable interest, being widely appreciated for the true insight they gave to many things, and also for their literary excellence.

Apparently Mrs. Patten, having advanced so far along life's uncertain pathway, was prepared for the turning which leads to the unknown land lying beyond; a turning she knew might be reached suddenly. Among her arrangements was the preparation of a card, bearing full personal particulars, and with blanks, in which the record of the demise might be written. It is so unique an obituary, that its reproduction will be of interest. The card reads:—

DIED.
ON January 7, 1912
AT her residence, Mt Bluff, Yokohama
OF heart failure, suddenly.
AGED eighty

EMILY SOPHIA, widow of the late Horatio W. Patton of Melbourne, Australia, and only daughter of the late Arthur Todd Holroyd. Esq., for many years Master-ln-Equity, Sydney, New South Wales.

Her remains were cremated, and placed in the same grave with those of her daughter Gwendoline, in the Bluff Cemetery, Yokohama, Japan, and these lines were, by her own wish, engraved on the stone:—

"Transient are all;
They, being born, must die;
And being born, are dead.
And, being dead, are glad to be at rest."
— Buddhist Writings.

If further particulars an desired, please communicate with Mr. J. O. Heath, 75 Settlement. Yokohama.  In addition to causing the above to be printed, Mrs. Patton also made preparation for the proper despatch of the announcements, leaving in readiness  a number of addressed and stamped envelopes. Thus it is that her friends have received the news of the end which Mrs. Patton anticipated. In an envelope bearing that lady's own writing. The card, of course, has been filled in by another hand… ‘.