CHARLES ROACH-SMITH’S COPY The Etymological Compendium or Portfolio of Origins and Inventions

Archaeologist Charles Roach-Smith’s copy of this second edition, in very good condition, with a few combative annotations correcting the author’s assertions about the Roman world. Roach-Smith strongly disagrees in his annotation with Pulleyn’s stated view of the origins of pottery and the use of glass in the ancient world. ‘Window glass is often found in Roman villas’ is how he counters Pulleyn’s statement on the matter (p21) and is equally assertive on the Roman use of knives. A few years before his death Roach-Smith gave the book to a historian friend in the Kent town where he lived in retirement.

The book is half bound in brown cloth to corners and spine over paper boards. Corners and edges a little knocked. Title label to spine panel. Considerably enlarged version. Text block entirely sound and crisp throughout; a little age toned as expected; occasional annotation to margins. Front pastedown reveals a chain of ownership from ‘Chas Roach-Smith, Lothbury [City of London where Roach-Smith lived and worked] 1832’ and towards the end of his life gifted ‘To Mr H. Smetham May 16/[18]87 Strood’ (Henry Smetham was a historian of the Kent town of Strood). 356 pp. collated and complete,

Charles Roach Smith (20 August 1807 – 2 August 1890), FSA, was an English antiquarian and archaeologist who was a founder member of the British Archaeological Association who pioneered the statistical study of Roman coin hoards. His papers are at the Society of Antiquaries.