English History – Rare (132 items)

Shaw, The History and Antiquities of Staffordshire.

53. [Earliest Illustraton of Kings Bromley Manor] 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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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.

56. 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 480,-- 

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Daniel Paterson & Edward Mogg - Paterson's Roads [1831/1832 Edition (18th Edition) with 12 Maps]

59. [Paterson, Daniel] Mogg, Edward.

Paterson’s Roads [1831/1832 Edition (18th Edition)] – Being an entirely original and accurate Description of all the direct and Principal Cross Roads in England and Wales, with part of the roads of Scotland. [Including an “Appendix to the Eighteenth Edition of Paterson’s Roads; being An Accurate Description of the Direct and Principal Cross roads communicating with the Improved Old Passage Ferry, across the River Severn, between Aust and Beachley, near Chepstow. Accompanied by a Map of the Banks of the Wye. To which are added, Course of the Chepstow Steam Packets; and An arranged Tour through Wales, with References to the pages in the Body of the Work, where connection with various lines of Road takes place.”]. The Eighteenth Edition. To which are added Topographical Sketches of the several Cities, Market Towns and remarkable Villages and descriptive accounts of the principal seats of the Nobility and Gentry, the Antiquities, Natural Curiosities and other Remarkable Objects throughout the Kingdom. The whole Remodelled, Augmented and Improved by the Addition of Numerous New Roads and New Admeasurements, and Arranged upon A Plan at once Novel, clear and intelligible, is deduced from the latest and best Authorities: Including a Table of the Heights of Mountains from the Grand Trigonometrical Survey of the Kingdom; Also a Table of the Population, From the Census of 1831; To which is annexed the Arrival and Departure of the Mail, together with the Rates of Postage and An Entirely New Set of Maps.

London, Printed for Longman, Rees, Orme, Brown, Green and Longman, 1831/1832. Octavo (15 cm x 21,5 cm). Fontispiece – Fold-out-Map, 715 pages plus 44 pages of an Appendix. With twelve (12) Maps, including the frontipiece-map and full-page maps throughout the publication. Hardcover / Private half-leather of the early 20th century with gilt lettering on the spine. Some of the maps with visible reapirs but complete. Very good condition with only minor signs of wear. This being the so-called “Best Edition”.

EUR 480,-- 

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

63. [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 and 6 (two large Volumes): Basil Rees 4-5-1902 AND Basil Rees 4-5 1902 [William Basil Benwell Rees ; Birth: 4 May 1902. Alexandria, Al Iskandariyah, Egypt ; Death: 10 Feb 1967 (aged 64). Monaco]. Volume I covers the early days of the Alexandria – Period and beautiful ephemera of a Rees-wedding (Miss Elaine Trevitt Briggs to Charles Owen Benwell Rees, social life in Alexandria, Theatre and Dinners etc. as well as the many Freemason – Engagements of the “Alexandria Lodge No.4184” in the year 1942 and also a rare Volume of Bye-Laws for the District Grand Lodge of Egypt and the Sudan Volume II covers 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. Six Volumes with hundreds of pieces of Ephemera, an original Theatre Couplet, photographs, newspaper-clippings, Theatre Programmes etc. Half Morocco. Bindings stronger rubbed and slightly damaged.

EUR 12.800,-- 

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King Edward VII - [Buckingham Palace] Colonel F.M. Wardrop, Original Coronation Luncheon-Invitation-Ticket-List for the Year 1902

66. [Buckingham Palace] Wardrop, Colonel F.M. [C.B. abd Military Attache to the British Embassy in Vienna (1900-1909) as well as Aide de Camp during the Egyptian War].

Original Luncheon-Invitation-Ticket-List, published in Book-Form with original Ivory-Head-Pencil by Johann Faber (Bavaria), attached on the occasion of King Edward VII’s Coronation Dinner at : “Hotel Belgravia / Buckingham Palace” – Original Ticket-Book: “List of Guests for Luncheon and Dinner – 1902 for King Edward VII’s Guests Colonel F.M.Wardrop, C.B., Colonel Commandant Johann von Belnay, Lieutenant-Colonel Ludwig Koch and Captain Adalbert Guilleaume”.

[London], Buckingham Palace / Hotel Belgravia, 1902. Oblong Octavo (14.6 cm wide x 11.8 cm high). 40 pages with partial perforation for detaching of Luncheon- and Dinner-Tickets. Hardcover / Original Royal Blue Publisher’s cloth with gilt lettering on cover and pencil-satchet attached to the binding. Some minor staining to the binding only. Overall in very good condition with only minor signs of wear. With the pencil included and the original elastic ribbon which allows the booklet to be closed. Wonderful example of the wealth of the Coronation-Event at the end of the Victorian and the beginning of the Edwardian Age (printed ticket-books for 4 attendees seem very luxurious indeed). Five tickets were used for Dinner at the Belgravia and each remaining stub was signed / monogrammed by Colonel F.M.Wardrop.

EUR 1.275,-- 

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Vere Foster, The Two Duchesses - Presentation copy with important manuscript letter [signed and inscribed]

67. Foster, Vere [Henry Louis / Lewis] / [Georgiana Duchess of Devonshire / Elizabeth, Duchess of Devonshire].

The Two Duchesses – Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire / Elizabeth, Duchess of Devonshire – Family Correspondence of and Relating to Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire / Elizabeth, Duchess of Devonshire, Earl of Bristol (Bishop of Derby), The Countess of Bristol, Lord and Lady Byron, The Earl of Aberdeen, Sir Augustus Foster Bart, and Others, 1777-1859. First Edition. With 17 illustrations.

London / Glasgow and Dublin, Blackie & Son Limited, 1898. Octavo (16 cm x 22,5 cm). XII, 497 pages with 16 full-page-illustrations and one small vignette, showing the Two Duchesses in cordial embrace. Hardcover / Original, green publisher’s cloth with gilt lettering and ornament to spine and armorial supralibro to cover with the Motto of the “British chivalric Order of the Garter”: “Honi soit qui mal y pense” [″shame on anyone who thinks evil of it”]. Very good condition with some minor signs of wear only. “Presentation Copy of “The Two Duchesses” with Autograph / Manuscript – Letter by Vere Foster to his niece, Emily Albinia “Alba” Foster. With a stunning, unpublished, two-page manuscript letter, revealing several important details about the immediately favorable reviews and reception of the book “Two Duchesses” [″in the Daily Telegraph”] and Vere Foster’s disdain about some criticism from one J.Donohue [which led to an alteration in the second edition of the book]. Vere Foster is also expecting a review to appear in the “Athenaeum” but reports: “the Athenaeum has nothing yet”. Vere Foster apologizes to his niece for the delay in sending the book and explains that he had left 12 “parcels” with Blackie’s agent and gave instructions to send them, but a few days later found they had been “untouched”. One of the most important finds of Vere Foster – Material in recent years with no sign of similar material on offer in the past years on the international market.

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Vere Foster, Publisher's original "Private Library" - Correction-Copy of "The Two Duchesses"

68. Foster, Vere [Henry Louis / Lewis] / [Georgiana Duchess of Devonshire / Elizabeth, Duchess of Devonshire] / [Publisher Blackie & Son – Publishing House in Glasgow].

Publisher’s original “Private Library” – Correction-Copy of “The Two Duchesses”, for the “Second Edition”, with necessary alterations and wishes for changes marked by the corrector / publisher in pencil. Comparisons between pages allow to see the changes in effect if one compares the first and second edition. [A sensational find] / Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire / Elizabeth, Duchess of Devonshire – Family Correspondence of and Relating to Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire / Elizabeth, Duchess of Devonshire, Earl of Bristol (Bishop of Derby), The Countess of Bristol, Lord and Lady Byron, The Earl of Aberdeen, Sir Augustus Foster Bart, and Others, 1777-1859. First Edition. With 17 illustrations.

London / Glasgow and Dublin, Blackie & Son Limited, 1898. Octavo (16 cm x 22,5 cm). XII, 497 pages with 16 full-page-illustrations and one small vignette, showing the Two Duchesses in cordial embrace. Hardcover / Original, green publisher’s cloth with gilt lettering and ornament to spine and armorial supralibro to cover with the Motto of the “British chivalric Order of the Garter”: “Honi soit qui mal y pense” [″shame on anyone who thinks evil of it”]. Excellent, very clean binding. Very good condition with some minor signs of wear only. “Publisher’s Copy” with the publisher’s library sticker and bookplate to pastedown: “Blackie & Son Limited – Private Library – Case Kd – Shelf 5” – Exlibris of Blackie & Son below the library-sticker.

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Vere Foster, "Presentation Copy of "The Two Duchesses" with Autograph / Manuscript-Letter

69. Foster, Vere [Henry Louis / Lewis] / [Emily Albinia “Alba” Foster] / [Georgiana Duchess of Devonshire / Elizabeth, Duchess of Devonshire].

Amazing Vere Foster-Collection including Educational Materials and as a centerpiece the “Presentation Copy of “The Two Duchesses” with Autograph / Manuscript – Letter by Vere Foster to his niece, Emily Albinia “Alba” Foster. With a stunning, unpublished, two-page-letter, revealing several important details about the immediately favorable reviews and reception of the book [″in the Daily Telegraph”] and Vere Foster’s disdain about some criticism from one J.Donohue [which led to an alteration in the second edition of the book]. Vere Foster is also expecting a review to appear in the “Athenaeum” but reports “the Athenaeum has nothing yet”. Vere Foster apologizes to his niece for the delay in sending the book and explains that he had left 12 “parcels″£ with Blackie’s agent and gave instructions to send them but a few days later found they had been “untouched”. / The Two Duchesses – Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire / Elizabeth, Duchess of Devonshire – Family Correspondence of and Relating to Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire / Elizabeth, Duchess of Devonshire, Earl of Bristol (Bishop of Derby), The Countess of Bristol, Lord and Lady Byron, The Earl of Aberdeen, Sir Augustus Foster Bart, and Others, 1777-1859. [See Full list of items which are part of this collection, on our website under the topic “Libraries & Collections”].

First Edition. London / Glasgow and Dublin, Blackie & Son Limited, 1898. Octavo (15 cm x 22 cm). Pagination: Frontispiece, IX, [3], 497 pages with 18 Illustrations (including frontispiece and one Vignette of the two Duchesses opposite page 1). Hardcover / Original, publisher’s green cloth with gilt lettering on spine. Very good condition with some minor signs of wear only. This is an astonishing find for the Vere Foster Research Community and the letter gives significant insight into the importance the publication had for him, its reception as seen by Vere Foster and it solves the riddle why an altertaion was necessary for the second edition [which Vere Foster explains in a brief note to the reader at the beginning of the second edition]. The heartfelt inscription to his niece Albinia Foster is also of great importance and to our knowledge the only presentation-copy of this book on the international market for the several decades we can look back at auction records.

EUR 4.800,-- 

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Montgomery Martin, The British Colonies; Their History, Extent, Condition and Resources

74. Martin, Robert Montgomery.

The British Colonies; Their History, Extent, Condition and Resources. 6 Volumes bound in 3 Volumes (Text only without maps and illustrations). The Set includes: Volume I – British North America / Volume II – Australia / Volume III – New Zealand, Tasmania / Volume IV – Africa and the West Indies / Volume V – British India / Volume VI – Ceylon, East India and Meditteranean Settlements /

First Edition. London and New York, The London Printing and Publishing Company [that was J. and F. Tallis], no year (c. 1850). Quarto (20 cm x 27 cm). Volume I (British North America [Canada / USA]): Frontispice illustrated titlepage, XXIV, 360 pages with pages 1 – 9 missing / Volume II (Australia): pages 361 – 744 pages / Volume III (New Zealand / Tasmania): II, 384 pages. / Volume IV (Africa and the West Indies): II, 188 pages / Volume V (British India): II, 564 pages with pages 455 – 456 missing / Volume VI (Ceylon, East India and Mediterranean Settlements): II, 172 pages. Hardcover / Original, decorative publisher’s halfleather with gilt lettering and ornament to spines. Bindings rubbed but overall in firm and very good condition with only minor signs of wear. All maps and illustrations besides one illustration removed by a previous owner. In the course of removal of maps and illustrations, one page slightly torn and 11 pages of text missing. This is still one of the most important text-sources of British Colonial History, itsevaluation in Britain and a plethora of data on economical and political impact the Colonies had for the former Empire. No other contemporary 19th century publication includes details on colonial produce, movement of population and local History from Tasmania to Quebec, from Hong Kong to Heligoland (Helgoland), and in general on the depition of “England, the ‘Nursing Mother’ of Nations” (Introductory page XXIV by Montgomery Martin).

EUR 280,-- 

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[Saunders, Rider's British Merlin: For the Year of our Lord 1799.

98. [Saunders, Richard] Rider, Cardanus.

Rider’s British Merlin: For the Year of our Lord 1799. Being the Third after Bissextile or Leap-Year. Adorned with many delightful and useful Verities, fitting all Capacities in the Islands of Great Britain’s Monarchy. With notes of Husbandry, Fairs, Marts, High Roads and Tables for many necessary uses. Compiled for the Country’s Benefit by Cardanus Rider. [With: “The Arms of the Peers, Peeresses &c. of England, Scotland & Ireland the Insignia of the Different Orders of Knighthood with the Baronets of Great Britain and the Dates of their Creations” [With: “Heraldry in Miniature” / Including a small section to the end of the publication with “British Governments in America and the West-Indies with Upper Canada – Lower Canada – Cape Breton – Virgin Island – Montserrat – Grenada – Jamaica – Leeward Islands – Barbados [Barbadoes]” etc.]. [ With a section on “Peers, Peeresses and Bishops of Ireland – That are Not Peers of England”].

London, Printed for the Company of Stationers, 1799. Slim-Octavo (9,5 cm x 16 cm). Collation complete with parts of the book interleaved: 60, XXXVI, [122 + 4 misbound planches with coats of arms, pagination incorrect but all plates available that are called for], plus 321 pages [House of Peers of Great Britain with misprinted pagination to the beginning of the 321 pages]. Original Hardcover / 18th century or early 19th century red leather. Stronger rubbed but firm and intact binding. Interior with tear to page 15/16, some minor foxing and browning only, some writing to interleaved pages in a child’s hand. All plates with Heraldic Bearings, Coat of Arms, Emblemata, Badges etc. included. Here the rare 1799 publication with over 500 examples of Heraldry of Ireland, Scotland and England. Includes Irish Earls, Irish Barons, Irish Archbishops, Irish Viscounts, etc. [Coat of Arms of Fingal, Glandore, Lisburne, Winterton, Arran, Barrymore, Marq. Donegall, Clanricarde, Fife, Lowth, Upper Ossory etc. etc.]

EUR 380,-- 

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