Probably bound ca, 1820, when the firm of Edwards of Halifax was under the aegis of Richard Edwards, in London, (1768-1827) or Thomas Edwards (1762-1834), in Halifax.
In 1785 James Edwards was granted specification No. 1462 for Embellishing Books bound in Vellum, by making Drawings on the Vellum which are not liable to be Defaced but by Destroying the Vellum itself.
Although Edwards of Halifax bindings more usually have drawings showing through the vellum. an excerpt of the patent, relevant here, tells us that: “Copperplates may also be impressed, so as to have a similar effect."
Therefore, although unsigned, and although the finishing is not top-notch, the technique and the use of the signature blue for the label (instead of an actual leather label) are fairly emphatic indicators that this binding comes to us from the closing years of the bindery and its outlying craftsmen. The condition of the binding and the contents is virtually mint; the text and plates close-cut in places, touching letters, etc.