Antiquarian and Collectors’ Books

SUSSEX. – Edward-Gibbon SWANN. General Santa Anna’s Ghost: The Story of a Revenant Which is Actually True. Burgess Hill: Charles N. Blanchard, 1894. 8vo (209 x 131mm.) (Toning, stamp to title and verso.) Full black morocco, gilt borders, g.e. (surface loss at base of spine). Provenance: Worthing Library (labels to pastedowns).

SUSSEX IMPRINTS. – Charles CROCKER. The Vale of Obscurity, The Lavant, and Other Poems. Chichester: for the Author by W. Mason, 1830. First edition, inscribed by Charles Crocker, 8vo (213 x 132mm.) 6pp. ‘Subscribers List’. (Spotting and browning to preliminaries and last leaves.) Near contemporary full straight-grain morocco, black morocco lettering piece (extremities rubbed, surface loss at base of spine). Provenance: Worthing Public Library (stamps to preliminaries and to text); William Hayley Mason (gift inscribed to from the author). – And a further seven volumes of poetry published in Sussex (including John Peter Roberdeau’s ‘Fugitive Verse and Prose: Consisting of Poems Lyric, Obituary, Dramatic, Satiric, and Miscellaneous’, 1803, 4to, and E. Cornwall’s ‘Miscellaneous Poems’, 1828, 8vo, and William Hayley’s ‘The Triumphs of Temper’, and a third edition of Charles Crocker’s ‘The Vale of Obscurity’, 1841, 8vo, and Albany Wallace’s ‘Elfrida. A Drama In Five Acts. (Design’s for the Closet, not the Stage)’, inscribed by the author, 1850, 8vo, and Albany Wallace’s ‘The Death of Mary, Queen of Scots’, signed by the author, 1827, 4to, and William Hayley’s ‘The Triumphs of Temper’, new edition, 1817, 8vo) (8).

HARFORD, Alice (editor). Annals of the Harford Family. London: Westminster Press, 1909. Limited edition, this being number 72 of 100 copies only, 4to (251 x 192mm.) 9 portrait plates, folding genealogical table. (Mild toning.) Original half vellum over red morocco, morocco label to spine, armorial gilt of Harwood family to upper cover (rubbed to extremities).

BIBLE, In English. The Holy Bible Containing the old Testament and the New. Newly translated out of the Original Tongues, And with the former Translations diligently Compared and revised. Cambridge: by John Field Printer to the University, 1663. 8vo (228 x 167mm.) General title engraved by John Chantry, letterpress NT title, with Apocrypha. (Light browning throughout and scattered spotting, small corner repair to Pp3, small corner loss to Qq3, heavy spotting to Qq8-Uu1.) 18th century full calf, red morocco lettering piece to the spine (rebacked with original lettering piece, endpapers replaced, light rubbing). Note: loosely inserted later hand-written notes relating to provenance. Provenance: Jacob Astley, M.P. (armorial bookplate to front pastedown). [Herbert 684].

INDIA. – John Henry SYLVESTER. Recollections of the Campaign in Malwa and Central India Under Major General Sir Hugh Rose, G.C.B. Bombay: Smith, Taylor, & Co., 1860. First edition, inscribed by the author, 8vo (181 x 116mm.) Large folding lithographed map. (Toning, a two inch tear to map.) Contemporary black straight-grain morocco bound at The Exchange Press, Bombay, blind-stamped and ornate gilt to covers, binder’s ticket to front pastedown, g.e. (extremities rubbed, some staining to endpapers). Note: the inscription reads: ‘Colonel G.H. Robertson, C.B. & ADC to the Queen, 25th Regt. Native Light Infantry, Bombay. With the Author’s kind regards & admiration of his soldierly bearing when commanding in the Field.’ Provenance: G.H. Robertson, C.B. & Aide-de-Camp to Queen Victoria (gift inscription in ink from the author on the front-free endpaper).

CATHOLIC SECRET PRESS. – [Thomas WRIGHT.] The Disposition or Garnishmente of the Soule to receive worthily the blessed sacrament devyded into three discourses, 1 Preparation. 2 Presentation before Christ. 3 Enterteinment. Antwerp [but England:] Joachim Trognaesius [but secretly printed], 1596. 8vo (148 x 91mm.) Title and text with ruled borders, leaf D3 blank but for ruled borders and signature. (Lower margin loss to title and to lower margins of A2-A5, also to C2, D2-M1 with damp-staining, M8 loosened, lacking last blank Y4, marginal losses to last three leaves and ink drawing and annotation to last leaves.) Contemporary vellum (some loss to spine, stained, dust-soiled). Provenance: William Squire (ink inscribed verso last leaf); Elizabeth Russell (ink name inscribed verso last leaf). Note: rare. The additional signature y (‘A Conclusion, Conteining an Admonition..’) is not in this copy. Thomas Wright was a Jesuit priest and recusant who had studied at the English College in Rome. He also wrote a work ‘The Passions of the Minde’, published in 1601, which is considered an early work on emotions and moral development. [STC 26038.8].

INDIA. – R. NORTH. The Punjab Frontier Force. A Brief Record of Their Services 1846-1924. Dera Ismail Khan: Commercial Steam Press, 1934. 4to (253 x 180mm.) Folding map of North West Frontier to rear pocket. (Toning.) Original green cloth (spotting to edges), dust-jacket (chipping to extremities, some loss at base of spine, minor spotting). Note: scarce. The Punjab Frontier Force was initially known as the ‘Punjab Irregular Force’ and was created to protect the newly acquired frontier with Pakistan. It was known as ‘Irregular’ because it was outside the control of the East India Company’s army and reported instead to the Chief Commissioner of the Punjab. Provenance: Captain L.V. Dart (ink name to upper panel of dust-jacket).

VINE PRESS (publisher). – Vera G. PRAGNELL. The Story of the Sanctuary. Steyning: The Vine Press, 1928. Limited edition, this being number 371 of 600 copies, 8vo (189 x 124mm.) Woodcut decorations, errata leaf bound-in. (Toning, spotting to preliminaries.) Original cloth-backed paper-covered boards (minor staining, extremities bumped). Note: in 1923 Vera Pragnell founded a utopian community in Washington, West Sussex, called ‘The Sanctuary’. Using her inheritance, she purchased fifty acres of land and gave plots away free to anyone who wanted to live there. Inspired by Edward Carpenter and with most residents adapting a vegetarian diet, the community lasted for ten years.

GUITAR. – PATOUART, Fils. La Muse Lyrique: Dédiée a la Reine. Recueil d’ Airs avec Accompagnement de Guitarre. Paris: Baillon, [1775.] 8vo (221 x 139mm.) Engraved title and engraved frontispiece, 190pp. engraved music, 2pp. engraved ‘Table’ to rear. (Marginal damp-staining to first leaves and from pp.79-133, text-block fragile, one leaf nearly detached.) Near contemporary paper-covered boards (painted, stained, rubbed and discoloured). Note: scarce. The cellist and composer Patouart transcribed forty-eight of the most fashionable airs for guitar and voice, dedicating them to Marie Antoinette, the last Queen of France.

BINDING. The Holy Bible, Containing the Old and New Testaments: Newly translated out of the Original Tongues; and with the former Translations Diligently Compared and Revised. Edinburgh: Alexander Kincaid, 1772. 8vo (208 x 128mm.) Separate titles for NT and for ‘The Psalms of David’, both 1772, 6pp. of ‘Tables of Scripture’ to rear. (Occasional corner creases, short tear to A6, toning.) Contemporary Scottish ‘Wheel’ binding of red full morocco with floral ‘Dutch’ endpapers, herring-bone spokes, floral and pointelle tooling, saw-tooth borders, g.e. (some fading to the gilt, some loss to rear endpaper, extremities rubbed). Provenance: Jenet Wilson (morocco name-plate to front pastedown).

KIPLING, Rudyard. Soldier’s Three, a Collection of Stories. Allahabad: A.H. Wheeler & Co., 1889. Second edition. (Toning.) [Bound with:] ‘The City of Dreadful Night and Other Places’. Allahabad: A.H. Wheeler & Co., [1889.] Publisher’s slip bound-in. (Mild toning.) ‘Under the Deodars’. Allahabad: A.H. Wheeler & Co., [1889.] Fifth edition. (Toning.) [Bound with:] ‘The Phantom Rickshaw’. Allahabad: A.H. Wheeler & Co., 1889. Second edition. (Mild toning.) 8vo (198 x 127mm.) Original red cloth (some staining to spine, browning to endpapers). – And a further eleven volumes by Rudyard Kipling (including ‘The City of Dreadful Night and Other Places’, [1889], 8vo, and ‘Wee Willie Winkie’, 1892, 8vo, and ‘Kim’, 1901, 8vo, and ‘The Story of the Gadsbys’, 1891, small 8vo) (12).

MINIATURE BOOK. The Smallest Dictionary in the World. Glasgow: David Bryce and Son, [1893.] 64mo (27 x 18mm.) Frontispiece of Samuel Johnson. (Toning, slight corner creases.) Original red limp roan, gilt lettering to covers and spine (slight loss to spine gilt), tin case with inlaid magnifying glass (dulling to the tin).

PALM LEAF MANUSCRIPT. [Seven leaves of a Burmese Buddhist text in Pali script with ink illustrations. N.p.: circa 1900.] 7 leaves, manuscript, oblong loose-leaf (53 x 202mm.) Ink illustrations with Pali script surround recto and verso on palm leaves. Original painted wood covers, disbound (slight chipping).

TREES. – William BOUTCHER. A Treatise on Forest-Trees: Containing Not only the best Methods of their Culture hitherto practised, but a variety of new and useful Discoveries. Edinburgh: R. Fleming, 1775. First edition, 4to (259 x 208mm.) Title, 17pp. ‘Subscribers Names’, 3pp. ‘Postscript’ to rear. (Toning, occasional spotting, slight marginal loss to X1, lacking additional title.) Contemporary full calf, red morocco lettering piece to the spine (minor scuffing, light rubbing).

EUROPE. – Gabriel RICHARDSON. Of the State of Europe. XIII Bookes. Containing the Historie, and Relations of the Many Provinces Hereof. Oxford: [John Lichfield] for Henry Cripps, 1627. First edition, folio (289 x 183mm.) Title with printer’s woodcut device and decoration, woodcut initials and head-pieces. (Toning, marginal insect-damage title-B2, increasing marginal insect damage from T3 to last leaf Y3, small rust hole to 2L4.) Late 18th century red half morocco, eight-pointed gilt stars to spine (extremities rubbed). Note: the 19th century Gaddesden Library bookplate suggests this book may have previously been owned by Thomas Henshaw. Henshaw’s books made up the bulk of the Gaddesden collection, of which a significant part was sold at auction in 2021. Provenance: Gaddesden Library (bookplate to front pastedown).

HEYLYN, Peter. Ecclesia Restaurata; or, the History of the Reformation of the Church of England. London: for H. Twyford & T. Dring, 1661. First edition, 4to (278 x 176mm.) 3 parts in 1 with separate titles, also separate title for ‘An Appendix’, wood-cut initials and head-pieces. (Title with paper repair and publishing details in manuscript, browning, occasional pencil annotation, damp-staining from A2-L2, blanks replaced.) Late 20th century red half morocco over marbled paper-covered boards (endpapers replaced). Note: the date of publication erroneously says ‘1660’ in manuscript on the title page and in gilt at base of spine.

[CARY, Henry, Viscount of Falkland.] The History of the Life, Reign, and Death of Edward II. King of England Lord of Ireland. With the Rise and Fall of his great Favourites, Gaveston and the Spencers. London: by J.C. for Charles Harper, Samuel Crouch and Thomas Fox, 1680. First edition, small folio (299 x 193mm.) Title in red and black, engraved portrait frontispiece. (Marginal chipping to preliminaries and some leaves, minor dust-soiling, marginal damp-staining.) Contemporary speckled calf, later paper label with manuscript titling (rebacked, tips renewed, endpapers replaced).

FULLER, Thomas. [The History of the Holy Warre]. Cambridge: Thomas Buck, 1639. First edition, folio (265 x 174mm.) 28pp. ‘Table’ to rear. (Lacking title and all before A1, lacking half the map, damp-staining to first leaves, lacking rear blank.) Contemporary calf (worn). Note: 2N6 a blank leaf. – And a further four volumes (including R. Darvill’s ‘A Treatise on the Care, Treatment, and Training of the English Race Horse’, 1828, 8vo, and Charles Hutton’s ‘Mathematical Tables’, 1804, 8vo, and John Abercrombie’s ‘The Gardener’s Pocket Journal and Daily Assistant’, 1804, 12mo) (5).

[COLQUHOUN, Patrick.] A Treatise on the Police of the Metropolis, Explaining the Various Crimes and Misdemeanours Which at Present are Felt as a Pressure Upon the Community. London: H. Fry for C. Dilly, 1796. First edition, 8vo (209 x 126mm.) Title, 1 folding table. (Occasional browning, lacking half-title.) Contemporary marbled calf, red morocco lettering piece to the spine (minor scuffing, joints splitting at head of spine). Note: a scarce first printing of Colquhoun’s work on policing. In 1798, along with Jeremy Bentham, Colquhoun devised a method of utilitarian preventative policing when he established the Marine Police Force on the River Thames. – And a further seven volumes (including ‘Certain Sermons or Homilies Appointed to be Read in Churches at the time of Queen Elizabeth of famous Memory…’, [title with loss], 1635, folio, and a Bible in Greek, [circa 1684], 12mo) (8).