SEVEN SCOTTISH CHAPBOOKS: The History of Dick Whittington & his Cat [&] The Celebrated History of the Renowned Robin Hood [&] The History of the Sleeping Beauty ETC

Good quality recent half calf binding which incorporates the 19th century binder’s instructions for a client named ‘McGregor’ who had requested half calf with a ‘yellow top’ edge - just visible still. The binder’s stamp of J Ferguson of Argyle Street, Glasgow appears on the verso of this preliminary leaf. The chapbooks are in very good condition, a little soiled to the wrappers but complete and well preserved examples of their kind, as enumerated below:

1 The History of Dick Whittington & his Cat, James Watt [1840] Montrose, pp32 (Princeton, NLS)

2 The Little Deserter, James Watt [1840] Montrose, pp32 (Princeton, NLS)

3 The Pocket Reciter [1840?] Edinburgh, J M Miller, pp32 (NLS, NLW)

4 The Celebrated History of the Renowned Robin Hood, Montrose [1840] James Watt, pp32

5 The Seven Champions of Christendom, Montrose [1840] James Watt, pp32 (Princeton)

6 The History of the Sleeping Beauty in the Wood, Montrose [1840] James Watt, pp32 (NLS, Rochester, Princeton)

7 The Game of Whist by ‘Trumps’, London [1870] Milner and Sowerby, pp32 (BLx2, Oxon)

Montrose was a relatively late centre of Scottish printing; it’s first imprint dates from 1784. An attractive collection of vernacular literature.