An Original Letter Handwritten to Historian Sir Henry James Sumner Maine from a Mr Reeve Including an Original Manuscript in the hand of Classical Historian George Grote. Undated but circa 1874. A letter sent on behalf of Mrs Grote (Harriot Lewin) to Sir Henry Sumner Maine with regards to an example of her husbands hand writing. This original manuscript details the travels of Colonel Sleeman's in a part of India which George Grote used in one of his books. Sir Henry James Sumner Maine, 1822-1888, was a British Whig comparative jurist and historian. He is famous for the thesis outlined in his book Ancient Law that law and society developed "from status to contract." According to the thesis, in the ancient world individuals were tightly bound by status dealing with(in) a particular group while in the modern one, in which individuals are viewed as autonomous agents, they are free to make contracts and form associations with whomever they choose. Because of this thesis, Maine can be seen as one of the forefathers of modern legal anthropology, legal history and sociology of law. George Grote 1794-1871 was an English political radical and classical historian. He is now best known for his major work, the voluminous History of Greece. Size is 185mm x 120mm. Condition is good. Light folding crease.