English History – Rare (141 items)

Randle Holme III (1627–1700), The Academy of Armory, or, A Storehouse of Armory and Blazon.

102. Holme, Randle [Randle Holme III (1627–1700)] / [Provenance: Thomas Pennant].

The Academy of Armory, or, A Storehouse of Armory and Blazon. Containing the several variety of Created Beings, and how born in Coats of Arms, both Foreign and Domestick. With the instruments used in all Trades and Sciences, together with their Terms of Art. Also the Etymologies, Definitions, and Historical Observations on the same, explicated and explained according to our modern Language. Very usefel [sic] for all Gentlemen, Scholars, Divines, and all such as Desire any Knowledge in Arts and Sciences. By Randle Holme, of the City of Chester, Gentleman Sewer in Extraordinary to his late Majesty King Charles 2. And sometimes Deputy for the Kings of Arms. [With 48 Plates, showing hundreds of symbols].

First Edition. Chester, Printed for the Author, 1688. Folio (24 cm x 35 cm). Pagination: Engraved Titlepage by P. Edwards, Printed Titlepage, [10 unnumbered], [Book I]: 107, [9 unnumbered] pages / Book II: [1], 488 pages / Book III: [1], 501, [1 unnumbered] pages / Plus [Bound with the rare Index]: “Index of the Names of Persons contained in the Academy of Armory and Blazon by Randle Holme. Printed at Chester in One Volume, Folio, 1688”. London, McMillan / Robert Triphook, 1821. Pagination: [1], 46 pages. Hardcover / Modern Masterbinding with original endpapers bound in, bearing all the original ExLibris of previous owners. Stunning, modern half-leather with marbled-paper-covered Boards and gilt lettering on spine. All edges in original gilt. In protective Mylar. Provenance: From the library of welsh naturalist Thomas Pennant. Historically inherited from Thomas Pennant’s father, David Pennant of Bighton, who received it as gift from Randle Holme. Very good condition with only minor signs of wear. See original, tipped-in, sales-note from AUctioneer “Henry Young and Sons Ltd.”. See also extensive images on our company’s web site. An extremely rare book, purchased as Duplicate from the Historical Library of the Athenaeum in Liverpool, with an ExLibris of the “Public Libraries of Liverpool” decommissioned from the “Historic Society of Lancashire & Cheshire”, formerly presented with an original ExLibris from “Jacob Kendrick of Warrington” (with his original ExLibris). Titlepage by Edwards cropped and pasted on stronger paper. Original titlepage cropped and pasted on normal paper (these two defects were already indentified by auctioneer Henry Young & Sons” and are clear markers of this being the original Randle Holme-Pennant-copy. Contents-page slightly frayed only. Corner of one page in the contents section torn. An extremely scarce publication, especially with the addition of the later published Index of Names. Interior in excellent condition.

EUR 18.800,-- 

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John Guillim - A Display of Heraldry. By John Guillim, pursuivant at Arms. The Sixth Edition.

103. Heraldic Illustration of the 18th century – Guillim, John / [ Edward Le Davis ] / [ Michael van der Gucht].

A Display of Heraldry. By John Guillim, pursuivant at Arms. The Sixth Edition [on fine paper]. Improv’d with large Additions of many hundred Coats of Arms, under their respective Bearings, with good Authorities from the Ashmolean Library, Sir George Mackenzie, &c. With his Tract of Precedency, containing all his Rules, Observations, Arguments, and chief Instances. To which is added, “A Treatise of Honour Military and Civil”, According to the Laws and Customs of England, By Capt. John Logan. Illustrated With the Arms, Crests, Supporters, and Motto’s of the Royal Familly, and Nobility: The Arms of the Sees of the English Bishops, and several of the Gentry. Together With the proper Habits of the different Degrees of the Nobility of England, and the Emblems of the chief Orders of Knighthood in Europe; all fairly engraven on Copper Plates. Also An Exact List of the Baronets, from their first Creation to this present Time; and most of their Arms Blazon’d. With an Account of the Customs, Government, and Privileges of the City of London, the other Cities of England, and Shire-Towns of each County, and their Arms. Likewise A Supplement of Scarce tracts relating to the Office of Arms, taken from Authentick Copies. And A Dictionary, explaining the several Terms used by Heralds, in English, Latin and French. With proper Tables to the Whole. [With 17 full-page, original portraits, engraved by Edward Le Davis and flemish engraver Michael van der Gucht / With 295 engraved crests / coat of arms, displayed on 47 pages].

London, R. and J. Bonwicke and R. Wilkin in St.Paul’s Church-Yard / And J. Walthoe and Tho. Ward, in the Temple, 1724. Folio (26 cm x 39 cm). Frontispiece, [5], 20 pp. [″The Introduction”], [1], 460 pp. [″A Display of Heraldry”], [2], 275 pp. [″Observations upon the Laws and Customs of Nations”], 58 pp. [″Honour Civil of the City of London”], 24 pp. [″Dictionary used by Heralds”], [11] pp. [″Alphabetical Table of the Names of the Nobility and Gentry”]. Illustrated and complete with 17 portraits of courtyard and apparatus and 47 plates, engraved on wood, reproducing a total of hundreds of coats of arms with coats, crests, lambrequins, helmets and coins. Very many coats of arms in the 2-columned text. Hardcover / Original 18th-century binding with modern restauration (rebacked) to the highest standards. Superior example of this publication ! Unusually excellent condition with only very minor signs of external wear. Frontispiece and last page of the work with minor crease. Two corners torn (two pages following the title), corner of page 185 torn and page 92 of the second part of the book with longer lesion within text (no loss of text). Endpapers and pastedown with some minor spotting. All these descriptions of faults sound worse than they are. Interior text, plates and portraits overall in unbelievably clean and excellent condition. Name of pre-owner in ink on title and verso frontispiece (″J.Stilwell”).

EUR 3.800,-- 

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Luke Hansard, The Imperial Review ; or London and Dublin [Edinburgh] Literary Journal

105. [Hansard, Luke].

The Imperial Review ; or London and Dublin Literary Journal [From 1805 on called “The Imperial Review or London, Edinburgh and Dublin Literary Journal”].

First and only Edition. Five Volumes. London, Printed by Luke Hansard, for T.Cadell and W. Davies, in The Strand, also for J.Archer, J. Cooke (Ormond Quay); and M.N.Mahon (Grafton Street, Dublin); A. Edwards (Cork Printer); J. Barry (Limerick) and W. Magee (Belfast), 1804 – 1805. Octavo. Two Annuals (complete for the Year 1804 and 1805) of this Rare Periodical, bound in five Volumes. Year 1804: Volume the First: (January to April, 1804) XII, 654 pages including Index / Volume the Second: (May to August, 1804) VIII, 639 pages including Index / Volume the Third: (September to December, 1804) VIII, 628 pages including Index // Year 1805: Volume the Fourth [Titlepage missing] (January to June, 1805): VII, 733 pages including Index / Volume the Fifth (July to December, 1805): VII, 706 pages including Index. Original Hardcover with new spinelabels. All Volumes in collector’s Mylar. Very good condition with only minor signs of wear. Provenance: From the library of Richard Meade (Ballymartle), with his Exlibris / Bookplate to pastedown. Minor browning only. Titlepage of Volume four missing, otherwise complete and the interior in excellent condition. A very rare find, this is one of the more elusive periodicals of the early 19th century, printed just after the Act of Union in 1800 was established and printed by english printer Luke Hansard for publishers and printers in London, Dublin and Cork.

EUR 1.400,-- 

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Sammelband with important original Works by Vincent Dowling and other writers

114. [Dowling, Vincent] / Anonymous / Gower, Roger / [Callaghan, Daniel – Esq. of Lotabeg (Provenance – Bookplate)].

Sammelband with important original Works by Vincent Dowling and other writers / Satirical Tracts, Satirical Pamphlets and Satirical Periodicals of 18th century Ireland. A stunning and very rare Collection from the Library of Daniel Callaghan, Esq. of Lotabeg, MP for Cork. The Volume includes: I. [Anti-English Satirical Periodical by Vincent Dowling – 25 (of 34) Issues of one of the most important satirical periodical of 18th century Ireland, called “Collection of Proceedings and Debates of the Parliament of Pimlico – In the Last Session of the Eighteenth Century. [Dublin], Published by the Executors of Judith Freel and sold by all Flying Stationers” [see detailed Bibliography and Pagination below], [1799-1800]/ II. Continuation of the Periodical happened under the Title “The Olio or Anything-arian Miscellany”, of which issues No.I – No. V are bound after (The titlepage of No. I of the “Olio” states: “Debates in the Pimlico Parliament (Continued from No.XXVIII)” [which means these five issues bring the tota l of the periodical to 30 (of 34)] / III. S.P.Bluddengutz (Pseudonym) / Anonymous: “The Vaticination – As you will find it written in the 110th No. of Pue’s Occurences, Redivivus ! – The Fifth Year of the Incorporation” – Dublin, Printed by Fitzpatrick, 1799. 16 pages / IV. [Lord Camden] – “Considerations on the Situation to which Ireland is Reduced by the Government of Lord Camden” – The Sixth Edition, Improved and Corrected. To which is added a copy of the STATE PAPER !!! – Dublin, Printed in t he Year 1798 – 34 pages / V. Roger Gower / Anonymous – “Hosier’s Hall” [an address to Lord Cornwallis, by the Corporation of Hosiers of Dublin, with his reply, and an attack on it by Roger Gower, clerk of the Corporation] – Dublin, 1798 – 14, [1] pages. [with printed NOTE at the end of this pamphlet stating:″The foregoing Notice should have appeared sooner, but Faulkner’s Journal refused to receive it” //

[Dublin], Flying Stationers [Dowling] / M.Fitzpatrick / 1799 – 1800. Quarto. Pagination: “Parliament of Pimilico”: 100 pages / “Olio”: 40 pages / “Vaticination”: 16 pages / “Considerations”: 34 pages / “Hosier’s Hall”: 14, [1] pages. Private half – leather with gilt lettering on spine. Wonderful binding with marbled papaer-covered pastedowns and endpapers. The armorial bookplate of Daniel Callaghan, Esquire of Lotabeg (County Cork) to the pastedown with his Motto: “Fidus et Audax” / Endpapers and first four pages with minor wormhole-damage. The Volume overall in excellent condition !

EUR 1.800,-- 

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[Cumberbatch, Large Family Archive of the Benwell Rees - Family, including William Benwell Rees

117. [Cumberbatch, Benedict] Cumberbatch, Henry Arnold / Rees, Helen / Basil Benwell Rees / William Benwell Rees / Etheldreda Blanche Barker / [Sir Winston Churchill / Sir Anthony Arthur Duncan Montague Browne [Private Secretary to Sir Winston Churchill]].

Large Family Archive of the Benwell Rees – Family, including William Benwell Rees (brother to actor Benedict Cumberbatch’s grandmother Helen Rees, by marriage to British Diplomat Henry Arnold Cumberbatch, who was Consul in Romania, Turkey and Lebanon ). The archive includes at least one manuscript letter by Henry Arnold Cumberbatch and around one thousand documents chronicling the lives of the ex-patriate Benwell Rees family from 1890-1970 in Alexandria and Monaco, including William Benwell Rees, whose marriage to Etheldreda Blanche Barker cemented the family’s role in the highest circles of Alexandria life. The archive also charts their son Basil Rees’ decade in Monaco under Princess Grace and Prince Rainer III where he served as President of the British Association in the 1950’s-‘60s and solicited a letter written by Sir Anthony Arthur Duncan Montague Browne, on Winston Churchill’s behalf on Chartwell headed paper in which the former Prime Minister declined to attend an event in Monaco [signed by Montague Browne]. The archive is held in five heavy volumes, bursting with a plethora of amazing and wonderful historical letters, ephemera, emotional messages and telegrams, old images, theatre-programmes, and especially also includes programmes of plays in which ancestors of Benedict played (J.M.Barrie, Shakespeare etc.). The original letters and documents paint an interesting picture of Benedict Cumberbatch’s grandmother’s side of the family history in the Levant, their service in the Middle East and their social lives. The five volumes are bound in bespoke red morocco over textured paper-covered-boards and they contain at least one reference to Helen Rees next to a newspaper-clipping and dozens of wonderful handwritten letters and cards. Each volume about four inches across spine with title in gilt to upper cover and around 100 leaves in each with documents mounted recto and verso throughout, with photographs, invitations, business materials and clippings that chart the family’s life in their service for the British Colonial Office. The five Volumes include for example: Volume 1: The Benwell Rees’: begins with Egyptian Gazette, 1890 and a programme for a performance c1900 at the Port Theatre, Marina, Alexandria of Rumpelstilkskin; visiting cards and contemporary reports of the marriage of W B Rees and Etheldreda Blanche Barker in Alexandria, February 1901; Windsor Hotels prospectus and flyer (a WBR enterprise); 1913 Casino de Monte Carlo ticket for Ethel Rees; Kings School Canterbury ephemera and St Johns’ College, Cambridge for Basil Rees from 1920’s, graduated June 1924. Volume 2: The Benwell Rees’ Vol II, 1920’s-1990’s: includes J M Barrie, Quality Street programme for English Girls’ School, Alexandria, 1941; invitations from Princess Grace of Monaco etc Volume 3: Basil Rees Vol III, cover nearly detached, 1953- Basil Rees living at 2 Rue Origene, Alexandria, and covering period of move to Palais Majestic, Monaco after which he served as President of the British Association and his sudden death in 1967. Invitations to dinner and place settings with the Prince and Princess of Monaco. Birthday greetings; international stamp collecting societies. Photographic ‘Permis de Sejour’ for William Benwell Rees in Monaco, October 1918. Volume 4: Basil Rees Vol. IV Begins with telegram from Rees to the Queen; mostly very extensive formal correspondence concerned with Rees’ Presidency of he British Association in Monaco; invitations, notes, printed volume of Statutes of association from 1950, royal correspondence with Monaco and Britain. Volume 5: Basil Rees 4-5 1902 Vol II; William Basil Benwell Rees; Royal Navy ID card, British Forces, September 1943 – other material relating to Rees’ work as Duty Defence Officer at the Royal Navy Defence Base in Alexandria, HMS Nice. Volume begins in 1902 and includes Alexandria Dog Show, W B B Rees at Jesus College, Cambridge; Egypt NAAFI permits; lock of Basil Rees’ hair, aged 2 etc.

Alexandria / Monaco / etc., c. 1902 – 1967. Octavo. Half Morocco. Bindings stronger rubbed and slightly damaged.

EUR 7.800,-- 

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Cary's New Itinerary: Or an Accurate Delineation of the Great Roads, Both Direct and Cross throughout England and Wales: With Many of the Principal Roads in Scotland.

118. Cary, John.

Cary’s New Itinerary: Or an Accurate Delineation of the Great Roads, Both Direct and Cross throughout England and Wales: With Many of the Principal Roads in Scotland. From an Actual Admeasurement by John Cary: Made by Command of his Majesty’s Postmaster General for official purposes: Under the Direction and Inspection of Thomas Hasker Esq., Surveyor and Superintendant of the Mail Coaches. [Including an advertising for Cary’s New Celestial and Terrestrial Globes (with Illustrations of Globes)]. [Subtitle:] This work shows the immediate Route from the Metropolis [London] to all parts of England and Wales: And from Town to Town in every direction, distinguishing also the Cities, Market, Borough and Corporate Towns: And those at which the Assizes are held and gives the time of the Mails, Arrival and Departure from each, Describes the Line of the Navigable Canals and the Course of the Rivers passed over, The Number of Houses and Inhabitants contained in each Town, And those Inns which supply Post Horses and Carriages. Also The Inn’s throughout the Metropolis [London] from which the Mail and Stagecoaches go, their time of departure & the Route they seveerally take. The Noblemen and Gentlemen’s Seats situate near the Roads, A List of the Packet Boats and their time of sailing. Copious Indexes. Maps of the Lot Wight Environs of London, Bath, Brighton, Margate & Cheltenham & a Large Map of England and Wales peculiarly adapted to the Work. – [An Advertisement juxtaposed to the titlepage reads: “This Edition contains the Routes to upwards of Nine Thousand Places, which have never been given in any work of a similar Description; being a complete Directory to every Parish situate out of the Line of the Direct and Cross Roads throughout England and Wales”].

Seventh Edition, with Improvements [complete with all maps as called for]. London, Printed for J. Cary, 1817. Octavo. Pagination: [1], 647 pages plus 7 maps / Detailed pagination see here: [1], Title, Large Folding Map, [121], 6 folded Maps, [526] pages. Modern, recent Hardcover / Very decorative half-leather with marbled-paper-covered boards. Gilt lettering on new sppine-label. New endpapers. Protective Mylar. Only the large folding map with a inor tear (one part of the map deliberately bound separate (geniously folding out to meet th erest of the map). Interior text and maps all in excellent, unusually clean condition !!

EUR 780,-- 

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John Campbell, Lives of the Admirals, And other eminent British Seamen

119. Campbell, John.

Lives of the Admirals, And other eminent British Seamen; containing Their Personal Histories, and a Detail of all their Public Services. Including A new and accurate Naval History, from the earliest Account of Time; and clearly proving by a continued Series of Facts, our uninterrupted Claim to, and Enjoyment of, the Dominion of our Seas. Interspersed With many curious Passages, relating to our Discoveries, Plantations and Commerce. Supported throughout by proper Authorities.

The Third Edition. In Four Volumes (complete set). London, Printed for T.Osborne, C.Hitch and L.Hawes, H.Woodfall, J.Rivington and others, 1761. Octavo (13.5 cm x 20.5 cm). Pagination [see full list of maps and portraits below the description]: Volume I: 587 pages with one folded map and two portraits / Volume II: 580 pages with one folded map and two portraits / Volume III: 488 pages with two fold-out maps / Volume IV: 519 pages with two fold-out maps. Hardcover / Original 18th century – calf with gilt ornament and original spine-labels [of which one spine-label has been recently replaced in matching style]. Bindings all firm and with only minor signs of wear and bunping to top and bottom of spine’s. Interior, Maps and Portraits all in excellent condition. Very inor, faded dampstain to the outer margins of some pages of Volume III. From the library of Daniel Conner (Connerville / Manch House), with his Exlibris / Bookplate to pastedown.

EUR 1.480,-- 

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Bellin / Senex / Ogilby - The Roads through England or Ogilby's Survey. Revised, improved and reduced by Senex. [Enlarged Edition of John Ogilby's 1675 published "Britannia"]

122. [Bellin, Jacques Nicholas / Senex, John / Ogilby, John]

The Roads through England or Ogilby’s Survey. Revised, improved and reduced by Senex. [Enlarged Edition of John Ogilby’s 1675 published “Britannia”] Distinctly laid down on onehundred & one Plates with the addition of some Roads newly drawn and several corrections of more general use to Travellers. [Including an Appendix with Cityplans of London (double-page), Plymouth, Shrewsbury, Yorck (York), Chester, [Scene of Carrick-Fergus (Ireland)], Waterford, Oxford, Leith [Edinburgh], Harwich, Scenery of Edinburgh / Itinéraire de toutes les routes de l ‘Angleterre. Revues corrigées, augmentées & réduites par Senex en 101 Cartes. [Titlepage bilingual in french and english].

Paris, Desnos, 1766. Quarto (30 cm x 22.5 cm). Collation complete: Bilingual titlepage, 12 double-page maps of England, partly beautifully border-coloured, 6 unnumbered pages of Index with distances in miles, one (1) General Map of England (″Carte Generale” of Engand by D’Ogilby), 101 full-page maps of routes/streets, Engraved titlepage for the Appendix, One (1) double-page of explanations for the London-City-Plan, 17 beautiful maps and engravings of a variety of english cities, also with a section on Ireland (Dublin, Waterford, Kinsale, Galway, Limerick). Original 18th-century contemporary calf with gilt lettering on spine and on five raised bands. The Volume is now protected in Collector’s Mylar. Very good+ condition with only minor signs of external wear. Some rubbing and corners slightly bumped but overall excellent. Interior near fine with only the slightest occasional spotting. Extremely Rare and even rarer in this condition !

EUR 3.800,-- 

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Shaw, The History and Antiquities of Staffordshire.

140. Shaw, Rev. Stebbing.

The History and Antiquities of Staffordshire. Complete Set of two Volumes (all published/fully restored). With an original Plan of Wolverhampton, A large map of Staffordshire, Engravings of Boscobel House, The Pedigree of Turton, Etchings of Kings Bromley, Pipe Ridware House, Lichfield, Site of Blythbury Priory, Mavesyn Ridware, Cathedral of Lichfield, View of Freeford, etc. etc. Volume I – Containing the Ancient and Modern History of Thirty Parishes in the Hundred of Offlow, arranged Geographically, with an Appendix of the most curious Charters &c. Illustrated with sixty-two copper plates and a copious Index / Volume II – Part1 (all published) – Containing the Prefatory Introduction, commencing with a Series of Original Letters from Plot’s time to the present; General and Natural History &c. Ancient and Modern History of the remaining Parishes in the Hundred of Offlow and the Whole of Seisdon, arranged Geographically with an Appendix of curious Charters and other additions and Corrections &c. Illustrated with fifty copper plates and a copious Index. Compiled from the Manuscripts of Huntbach, Loxdale, Bishop Lyttelton, and other Collections of Dr.Wilkes, the Rev. T.Reilde. Including Erdeswicke’s Survey of the County and the approved parts of Dr. Plot’s Natural History. The whole brought down to the present time. Interspersed with Pedigrees and Anecdotes of Families, Observations on Agriculture, Commerce, Mines and Manufactories and illustrated with a very full and correct new map of the County, “Agri Staffordiensis Icon” and numerous other plates.

London, J.Nichols and Son, 1798-1801. Large-Folio. Volume I: Folded Map of Staffordshire by W.Faden, Portrait of Rev. Shaw (detached), XXIV, (2), 125, XXXVIII, 434, 38 pages / Volume II, Part I: A Plan of Wolverhampton, XXXII, 290, 20 pages. With a double-page plan, a large, folded county map (coloured), 82 engraved plates, numerous vignettes within the text and 3 folded pedigree – tables. Modern Hardcover. Exceptionally restored. This work is difficult to handle if not in a sturdy binding ! Original Edition in professionally rebound halfleather with gilt lettering on spine and extra-strong boards, suited for this heavy set. This masterpiece of underestimated english local history is of great interest because of its fold out maps and numerous large folio etchings.

EUR 3.500,-- 

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