1841 Fine Leather ; Scottish Chiefs William Wallace Robert Bruce Bannockburn

Description: The Scottish Chiefs By Miss Jane Porter Revised, Corrected, And Illustrated with Notes, Etc. By The Author Vol. II Published By George Virtue London circa 1841 The title-page is undated, however this is a circa 1841 printing. The last page of the Appendix is dated 1841, and this publisher and binding are correct for an early 1840s printing. Antique hardcover. Fine Leather Binding. Half calf. Raised spine bands, tooled leather. Marbled cloth over boards. Color endpapers. Note that the marbled material over the covers is cloth ( not paper ) - a sign of higher quality. 5.25" x 8.25" 481 pages. ------------ About 180 years old. 19th century London publisher George C. Virtue, Esq. (ca. 1793 – 1868) was well-known for printing engravings. His publishing house was located at 26 Ivy Lane, Paternoster Row, London. Books published by George Virtue are of high quality. He selected accomplished artists, employed the best engravers, and produced books that were rarely surpassed in elegance and correctness for the period. He retired from his publishing business in 1855, but returned briefly, in 1865, as a partner in "Virtue and Yorston", before passing away in 1868. ---------------- An historical novel, The Scottish Chiefs by Jane Porter (1776-1850), is a famous tale of Sir William Wallace & Robert The Bruce , and the Patriots of Scotland. ( events brought to the movie screen in 1995 in " Braveheart ," with Mel Gibson as William Wallace ) The story opens in the year 1296 A.D., and concludes in 1314 A.D. at the Battle of Bannockburn , at which the Patriots of Scotland won their freedom from English rule. This is volume II only ( of II ), opening with William Wallace marching through the battle-scarred valleys of Clydesdale , Scotland. Several engravings. Antique fine leather binding. --------- Condition. Light binding wear ; the binding is in very good condition. The leather is very good. No splitting. The marbled cloth is also in very good condition. ( see the photos ) The hinges are tight. Old name, in pencil, on the front blank endpaper. No other writing. No markings. Old waterstaining on the engraved plates, but little visible elsewhere. Foxing. Some aging of the paper, misc. stains. A couple of the plates have a 1" tear at the outer margin. The pages are otherwise in good condition. The leather parts of the binding have recently been treated with Bookbinder's Leather Preservative-Restorer, to replenish essential oils and help preserve the antique leather. Carefully packed for shipment to the buyer. -------------- Biographical Information : Jane Porter (1776-1850) Author of two well known books, "Thaddeus of Warsaw" and "The Scottish Chiefs". Miss Jane Porter, an English romantic novelist of Irish descent, whose story of the Scottish fight for independence was to make her name a byword in the English speaking world, was born in the year that the American colonies struck for their independence also - 1776. The little girl whose daydreams were of knights and battles when other children played with dolls lived to see her dreams entertain the world. Her father was an Irish officer - a surgeon in the army of Ireland who died when Jane was quite young. Having been born in the late eighteenth century, her father’s death left the family with limited means for their support and education. Mrs. Porter moved the family, which included two girls and two sons, to Edinburgh , Scotland for the education of her children. It was here that Sir Walter Scott , then a student in college, became a fast friend of the family, and often entertained the little girls with stories of witches and warlocks. The family later moved to Ireland and then again to London , all chiefly due to educational opportunities. Honor is due to the mother of this family for the careful training of her four children. The two girls and their brother Robert attained eminence in artistic and literary lines and the eldest son, William became a doctor. This was no small accomplishment for a mother who was left practically destitute with a young family to care for both physically, emotionally, and financially. Both girls became writers, and Miss Jane Porter became the author of two well known books, "Thaddeus of Warsaw" and "The Scottish Chiefs". Little did she know that her novel, The Scottish Chiefs, would eventually be translated into every language of the continent , and that it would be read by kings, queens and princes. Jane Porter died May 24, 1850 in Bristol, England , at the age of 74. Her remains were interred at Bristol Cathedral , with other members of the Porter family.

Price: 125 USD

Location: Coventry, Rhode Island

End Time: 2024-10-28T12:51:39.000Z

Shipping Cost: 6.88 USD