MANUSCRIPT from the Phillips collection
Book Description
Manuscript. Small folio contained within a good quality recent collector's box with label to spine. Numbered to rectos only. Ff 55; 61-63, followed by 22 unnumbered pages of pasted in coats of arms, seemingly cut from a map border and laid in. Each side or double side is given over to the genealogy of a family laid out in the form of an early kinship diagram, showing occasionally the oldest son with his spouse, children and forebears, sometimes other children as well. Occasionally there is an additional note as to their coat of arms. Bookplate of The Right Hon Geo. Lord Macartney, Knight of the Order of the White Eagle and of the Bath. Phillips Ms 13388 & 1340 to front pastedown below bookplate. Early ownership initial C S to flyleaf. Two discernible watermarks: GR with a crown; and a larger Pro Patria Provenance: George, Earl Macartney (1737-1806), armorial bookplate; sale of his library, Puttick and Simpson, 24 January 1854, lot 1020, to Sir Thomas Phillipps (Phillipps MS 13388); this appears to be the copy from which the printed version of 1820 was produced, which was printed by Nichols edited by Phillips.
Dealer Notes
The College of Arms was traditionally jealous of the information held in its original manuscript books, still held at the college, which resulted from their visitations to establish the gentry in different counties. For this reason, copies made from their books would circulate, which differ from the originals in various ways. Our copy has one less family record than the original, which has an extra leaf at the beginning, and sometimes summarises information in the original rather than writing it out in full: these differences were carried over to the 1820 printed version. Additionally, pasting in the arms from the map border saves the scribe from having to copy them across by hand. A fascinating insight into English social history, and the circulation of knowledge in the eighteenth century.
Author
The Visitation of Middlesex. Began in the year 1663
Binding
Early eighteenth century half calf on marbled boards
Condition
Binding rather worn, boards detached, paper label to spine 1716, in a folding collector's box
Friends of the PBFA
For £10 get free entry to our fairs, updates from the PBFA and more.
Please email info@pbfa.org for more information
