A grouping of two autograph letters signed by James Minchin Bruce, written while serving aboard H.M.S. Styx during his station in East Asia, with correspondence sent from Nagasaki and Shanghai.

James Minchin Bruce (1833–1901) served in the British Royal Navy during a pivotal moment in Anglo-Japanese relations. At the time these letters were written in 1855, he was operating alongside the squadron commanded by James Stirling (1791–1865), whose mission resulted in the signing of the Anglo-Japanese Friendship Treaty of 1854–1855, often associated with the so-called “Stirling Convention.” Concluded during the broader context of the Crimean War, the treaty secured limited access to Japanese ports for British vessels, allowing them to obtain supplies and effectively limiting the ability of Russian naval forces to use the same harbors. These negotiations marked an early stage in Japan’s gradual opening to Western diplomatic and commercial relations after centuries of relative isolation.

The two letters letters provide a firsthand perspective from a Royal Navy officer stationed in East Asia during a transformative moment in global diplomacy. The mid-1850s saw the forced opening of Japan to Western powers following centuries of relative seclusion under the Tokugawa shogunate. British naval missions such as that led by Admiral Stirling sought both diplomatic and strategic advantages during the Crimean War, ensuring access to Japanese ports while limiting Russian naval activity in the region.

The lot includes:

1.) Autograph letter signed by James Minchin Bruce.

H.M.S. Styx, Nagasaki, Japan, 14 May 1855. Four pages, folio, with postal transit stamp and address panel to the verso. Some tearing present.

Addressed to his wife in London, Bruce describes his experience while stationed at Nagasaki. His tone is often candid and unfiltered, expressing frustration with the restrictions placed on foreign sailors during this early period of contact:

“I arr’d here a week ago & old ‘Winchester’ soon after me… my drooping spirits… have been very low since leaving Shanghai where… I was very jolly. Nagasaki is very much the reverse, as we are not allowed to land…”

He notes the presence of the warship Winchester, the flagship of Admiral Stirling, suggesting the proximity of the squadron responsible for negotiating the Anglo-Japanese agreement. Bruce writes that the fleet expected shortly to leave for Hakodate and then sail northward, likely in connection with naval operations associated with the Crimean War:

“…before going to the North where we are to perform deeds of awful daring… for the commencement of a campaign in high Northern latitudes.”

Despite his personal complaints about life in Nagasaki, the letter hints at the diplomatic activity unfolding around him, mentioning the possibility of an audience with the local governor while negotiations were underway.

2.) Autograph letter signed by James Minchin Bruce.

Shanghai, China, 1 June 1855. Two pages, 8vo.

Written less than a month later, this second letter offers a lighter glimpse of social life among the foreign community in Shanghai. Bruce describes entertaining guests aboard ship:

“I had a party of ladies onboard here yesterday, about a dozen only one unmarried… we eat & drank & made ourselves merry…”

He also briefly references diplomatic interactions with Japanese officials, noting that the admiral had paid a visit to the governor of Nagasaki and received a ceremonial gift. Though casual in tone, this remark reflects the ceremonial exchanges that often accompanied treaty negotiations between Western naval officers and Japanese authorities during this early phase of diplomatic contact.

[Royal Navy, Crimean War, Anglo-Japanese Treaty, British]