Victorian true crime collection, centring on the notorious 1850s case of the poisoner William Palmer, known as ‘The Prince of Poisoners’, a doctor found guilty of murdering his patients and described by Charles Dickens as ‘the greatest villain that ever stood in the Old Bailey’.
A quarto half binding of calf over marbled boards in fair to good condition. Shelf wear to corners and hinges. Six panelled spine, bumped to ends, worked in gilt and titled ‘Pamphlets’. Front board and spine panel loosening from text block but held by rear board though cracked to top 5 cm along rear hinge. Endpapers clean. Small heraldic printed ownership stamp to front free endpaper. Text block in very good condition throughout. Clean, crisp and sound. Numerous illustrations. Contents include:
1 Illustrated Life and Career of William Palmer of Rugeley: Containing Details of His Conduct as Schoolboy, Medical Student, Racing-Man, and Poisoner; With Original Letters of William and Anne Palmer, and other Authentic Documents. Together with the Whole of His Private Dairy up to the Hour of His Arrest and Fullest particulars respecting his Execution at Stafford. Illustrated with Views, Portraits and Representations of the Chief Incidents of his Career’. Original pamphlet published by Ward and Lock, London, 1856. Full page b/w frontispiece depicting ‘The Only Authentic Likeness of William Palmer’. Beautifully and abundantly illustrated throughout including decorative initials, a double page illustration from Derby Day, a fold out b/w illustration of the courtroom and a 2pp. reproduction of a diary entry. All in excellent condition. 136 pp.
2 Illustrated and Unabridged Edition of The Times Report of the Trial of William Palmer for Poisoning John Parsons Cook, at Rugeley. From the Short Hand Notes Taken in the Central Criminal Court from Day to Day’. Original pamphlet published by Ward and Lock, London, 1856. Title page depicts an illustration of ‘The Talbot Arms, Rugeley, The Scene of Cook’s Death’. Illustrated throughout with vignettes of the characters and locations involved in the trial proceedings. In excellent condition. 184pp.
3 [George Godwin] Town Swamps and Social Bridges. The Sequel of A Glance at the Homes of the Thousands by George Godwin, F.R.S’. Original pamphlet published by Routledge, Warnes and Routledge, London, 1859. Circular frontispiece depicts ‘The Rising Generation Taking their Lessons’ by W Thomas. Illustrations throughout. In excellent condition. 102 pp.
4 A Letter to the Lord Chief Justice Campbell containing Remarks Upon the Conduct of the Prosecution and the Judges; Strictures on the Charge Delivered to the Jury, Illustrative of its Dangerous Tendencies to the Long Enjoyed Rights and Privileges of Englishmen by The Rev Thomas Palmer brother to the Prisoner Thomas Palmer’. Original pamphlet published by T Taylor, London, 1856. 48pp. plus appendix of documents. In excellent condition.
5 Edwin James, The Speech of Edwin James Esq, one of Her Majesty’s Counsel, in Defence of Dr Simon Bernard, Delivered at the Central Criminal Cout on Friday the 16th of April, 1858. Revised and edited by James Gordon Allan’. Original pamphlet published by Effingham Wilson, London, 1858. 30 pp. In very good condition.
