A compelling collection chronicling the short-lived Antiquaries’ Presidency of Edward King, owned and annotated by a friend of King’s and including 5 unrecorded imprints.
Large quarto (27x21.5cm), 18th-century full calf; narrow gilt border to the boards, spine prettily tooled in gilt, red morocco label, marbled endpapers, red sprinkled edges - binding carefully repaired. Armorial bookplate of Benjamin Way FSA (1740-1808) to the front pastedown surmounted by that of the book’s second owner, Liverpool merchant, John Bolton (1756-1837). 22 imprints in all, in fine condition throughout but a mixture of formats, the items relating to King’s disastrous Presidency bound in at the end of the volume: see list below. ($3650)
The first owner of this volume, Benjamin Way, MP for Bridport and Director of the South Sea Company was elected to the Royal Society in 1771 and Society of Antiquaries in 1776. He collected and bound these imprints including the sequence at the end of the volume that relate to the election and dismissal of one of the Society’s Presidents. After his unexpected election in February 1784 Edward King had attempted far-reaching administrative reforms to the Society but was ousted when he sought reelection soon after. Benjamin Way has preserved several apparently unrecorded items including printed letters from King sent to members as well as King’s proposed slate of candidates for the second election of April 1785. Way, who seems to have taken King’s side, has annotated several of these items, highlighting members names as proposed by King, probably revelaing his voting intentions. The Earl of Leicester succeeded King as President of the Society, staying in post until 1811. The rest of the volume is made up of a mixture of more typical antiquarian, artistic and documentary studies from the 1760s-1780s published by or on behalf of the society.
1. A Copy of the Royal Charter and statutes of the Society of Antiquaries of London. 8vo. 40pp. London, 1777. Huntington and Yale only in the USA.
2. WEBB (Philip Carteret). A Short Account of Some Particulars concerning Domes-Day Book...4to. [2], 21, [1] pp. London, 1756.
3. WEBB (Philip Carteret). A Short Account of Danegeld. 4to. [2], 38 pp. London, 1756. Bowyer's records suggest 500 copies printed.
4. WEBB (Philip Carteret). An Account of a Copper Table: containing two inscriptions, in the Greek and Latin Tongues. 4to. 10pp., with 4 engraved plates; plate II is duplicated. London, 1760.
5. PETTINGAL (John). The Latin Inscription on the Copper Table Discovered in the Year 1732, near Heraclea. 4to. 9, [1] pp., with the engraved plates, see above, London, 1760.
6. PETTINGAL (John). A dissertation upon the Tascia, or Legend, on the British Coins of Cunobelin. 4to. [2], 9, [1]., with the engraved plate. Early repaired closed tear to the fore-margin of the final leaf (just touching a couple of letters of text). London: 1763.
7. AYLOFFE (Joseph). An Historical Description of an Ancient Picture in Windsor Castle. 4to. [4], 45, [1] pp., with the half-title. London, 1773.
8. TOPHAM (John). A Description of an Antient Picture in Windsor Castle, representing the Embarkation of King Henry VIII at Dover...4to. [2], 42, [2]., with two engraved plates, the second being a fine folding image of ‘The Ship Harry Grace a Dieu from the original Drawing preserved in the Pepsyian Library in Magdalen, College, Cambridge’, London, 1781.
9. AYLOFFE (Sir Joseph). An Historical description of an Ancient Painting at Cowdry, in Sussex. 4to. 20pp. London, 1778.
10. An historical and descriptive account of the ancient painting, preserved at Cowdray in Sussex. 4to. 20pp., drop-head title. [London, 1785?]
11. A Description of some ancient historical paintings preserved at Cowdray in Sussex. 4to 32pp., drop-head title. [London, 1788]
12. MILLES (Jeremiah). A speech delivered to the Society of Antiquaries, on Thursday January the 11th, 1781, upon their removal into the apartments assigned to them in Somerset House. 4to. 11, [1]pp. 4 copies only in the US (3 at the Walpole Library, Yale).
13. Works published by the Society of Antiquaries of London. 4to. 8pp., drop-head title. Not in ESTC.
14. Orders and regulations established by the council of the Society of Antiquaries; Concerning forms and proceedings to be henceforth observed in the transacting the business of The Society. 8vo. 35, [1]pp. London, 1784, no copies recorded in the US.
15. KING (Edward). A speech delivered by Edward King, Esq. President of the Society of Antiquaries of London...upon his quitting the Chair, in order to introduce the Right Honourable George Lord de Ferrars, now Earl of Leicester, as their future President. 4to. 12pp. London: by J. Nichols, [1784]. 4 copies only in the US (x2 at Walpole Library).
16. KING, Edward, Mr. King, after all that has passed...4to. Single sheet printed on the recto only, drop-head title. Folded and with the remains of sealing wax on the blank verso. Signed in manuscript ‘John Street / April 21st 1785’. Unrecorded
17. KING, Edward, Mr King thinks his Duty to his friends requires...4to. 2pp. Unrecorded
18. KING, Edward, Mr King presents his Compliments... Small 4to. [2]pp. With "Mr Way" - Benjamin Way’s name - entered in manuscript and signed at the end "John Street Bedford Row". London, April 10, 1785. Unrecorded
19. [Officers of the Society of Antiquaries]. 4to. Single sheet printed on the recto only, one manuscript correction. Unrecorded - possibly the conjugate leaf of 17, above.
20. A List of the Society of Antiquaries of London, April 14, [1785]. 4to. 8pp. [London, 1785]. With some manuscript annotations, highlighting members’ names and a manuscript note of the Officers carefully preserved in the blank lower margin of the final leaf. Bodley and Soc Antiquaries only in ESTC.
21. FENN, John, Three Chronological Tables, exhibiting a State of the Society of Antiquaries of London... 4to; WITH An Index to the Prints Published by the Society of Antiquaries of London from 1717, to 1784, pp36, London, J Nichols, London, 1784.
22. A List of The Society of Antiquaries of London, April 30, [1790]. 4to. 8pp., drop-head title. [London, 1790]. Society of Antiquaries only in ESTC. Bound between the two final leaves is an unrecorded printed handbill "requesting the Favour of your Vote" by John Pridden and a single partial sheet from a list of Officers of the Society of Antiquaries.
