The Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell and Ellen Archer Letters contains a letter from E.C. [Elizabeth Cleghorn] Gaskell, dated "The Star [possibly a hotel in Oxford, England], Tuesday evening", to "Madam", probably the wife of Dr. Cradock [possibly Harriet Cradock, wife of Rev. Edward Cradock]. She declines on behalf of herself and her daughter an invitation to join the recipient that evening due to being "extremely tired with our day's work of sight-seeing" and ends with "compliments to Dr. Cradock and yourself." Although undated, it is likely from the mid-1800s.

The Archer letters are all from Ellen Archer of 15 Grange Field Avenure, Burley in Wharfedale, Leeds, Yorkshire, England to F. Redway of 37a Trinity Road, Wimbledon, S.H., [Frank Redway, rare book dealer] and date July 11, November 6, November 23, and November 24, all in 1909. They discuss the history and sale of Charlotte Brontë's Bible, which was signed by Brontë at Haworth on April 21, 1834. In the July 11 epistle, Archer writes, "I got it from the late Mr. Wm. [William] Green, he got it of Charlotte Brontë on condition that he never parted with it so long as he lived & he faithfully kept his promise".

Archer writes on November 6 about her disappointment that the Bible did not fetch more at auction. She gives a little more detail about the history of the Bible, saying that the Blands originally owned it, and the family knew both Charlotte Brontë and William Green. She also suggests they may have all met while Brontë was a governess at Stone Gappe. [Brontë was governess there for the Sidgwick family in 1839.]

On November 23, Archer asks about the final sale price of Charlotte Brontë's Bible and informs Redway of letters she received at the auction and afterwards "from a Gentleman at Manchester" who may be related to the Blands and offers to share them with Redway.

These missives are transcribed by Archer to Redway on November 24. First, a copy of an October 29 inquiry to Sotheby & Co. from Harry B. Wood indicates that he learned they would be selling "'Charlotte Brontë's Bible, issued by Robert Barker,' bound in calf" and that he would like to know "whether the Blands in question were family connections of the well-known artist, Julius Caesar [Ibbetson]". Wood on November 7 elaborated on his family history, stating that his grandmother was a Miss Bland who gave him miniatures of two children, and the minatures were likely copied from a painting by Ibbetson of his own children. Family rumor has it that the artist may be "connetions of my grandmother's" and is asking if Archer can help him trace the connection between his own family, the Ibbetsons, and the Blands who previously owned Charlotte Brontë's Bible. Wood also proclaims, "Seems a pity however that such an interesting Souvenier [referring to the Bible] should be allowed to leave the country of origin" and implies the Bible was sold to someone in America. Archer ends her letter to Redway by stating that she has misplaced a leaf from the Bible that included names and dates for births, marriages, and deaths for the Blands in the 1600s and 1700s.

Finally, the collection includes an envelope to F. Redway, probably from one of these letters from Ellen Archer, stamped Burley in Wharfedale, Leeds, November [maybe 23?], 1909.

The collection accompanied Charlotte Brontë's Bible, which are discussed in the aforementioned Archer letters. The Bronte Bible (as it is now called) has been cataloged in the Rare Book Collection with call number BS185 1612 .L8 Spec Large.