W.P. SCHREINER Autograph Legal "Opinion" & Documents

William Philip Schreiner (1857-1919) was Olive Schreiner's younger brother and and himself an important political and legal figure. He was a distinguished advocate of the Cape Supreme Court, Attorney General in Rhodes cabinet and subsequently Prime Minister of the Cape Colony. This small archive comprises the following: 1. 6pp. ribbon typescript prepared by Mackintosh McIntyre Solicitors of details of a Will and requesting "Counsel's Opinion" regarding the children's share of the income. The last page is signed in ink and addressed to The Hon. W.P. Schreiner K.C. in Cape town. It is dated East London, June 1903. 2. On the verso of the last page of the above document, W.P. Schreiner has written in ink a detailed opinion. This is written in a very small closely spaced script and continued in like vein on the side of page and signed by Schreiner. There are c65 lines and c800 words crammed on to the foolscap page. 3. Attached by paper clip to the first page of the typescript is a small note in the hand of Justice Oliver Deneys Schreiner, W.P. Schreiner's son and well known judge and chancellor of Wits University. In it he states: "This case for opinion and the opinion was given to me by an attorney - I have forgotten who it was - in Bloemfontein several years ago. Signed with initials O.D.S. and dated 21.3.61. He was obviously passing this on for use in a similar case which is quoted at the top of the note. The condition of this lot is fair with some fraying and splitting at the folds, particularly the page with W.P. Schreiner's autograph notes which is fragile. Schreiner's autograph is uncommon and the joint presence of the autograph note from Oliver Schreiner, his son, makes for additional interest, linking the two great legal minds.