African Memoranda: Relative to an attempt to establish a British Settlement on the Island of Bulama.

Author: Philip Beaver.

Publisher: London, C and R Baldwin, 1805. First Edition.

About this Item

First Edition in Very Fine Binding. The complete first edition in a rare original full leather gilt decorated binding. Condition is very good. Black leather spine has seven decorated bands with title and gilt decorations between the bands. Brown leather boards have delicate criss-cross pattern and gilt decorations on borders and black leather corners.Ends of boards also decorated. Corners slightly bumped and there is a small scuff to rear board. Original marbled endpapers. Bookplate of Syston Park inside the front board, with the initials presumably of Sir John Thorold. His ornate signature also appeared on the second front free endpaper, which has been pasted to the rear of the marbled endpaper. The large fold-out map with colour outline has two closed tears at the join but no loss. There is slight ghosting on the map. Text is clean and complete with the two engravings of the plans of the buildings on the island. Syston Park Hall was built in 1775 for Sir John Thorold. The 10th Thorold baronet built a library which was stocked with rare books and manuscripts, including a copy of the Gutenberg bible. The contents of the house were dispersed in 1884 and 1923 and the house demolished soon afterwards. That this book found itself in Cape Town in such a fine binding may indicate some connection to the owner: he died in Cape Town. Price has been reduced.