English History

Armorial Book-Plates. Their Romantic Origin and Artistic Development – Signed limited edition of 300 this number 218 by the expert of all experts Neville Barnett – published in 1932

Unusual faux snake-skin binding. Excellent condition 172 pages.

With numerous book-plate illustrations with 17 tipped in originals from those of great fame (our favourite being that of Polar Explorer Douglas Mawson).

Chapters on the Origins of Armory; the Age of Chivalry; the Pageant of Heraldry; the Romance of Arms; German, French and British Book-plates the latter extensive and importantly Australian and New Zealand Armorial Book-plates.

Collectable work from the doyen of Australian Bookplates – Neville Barnett – Numbered Limited Signed edition with Mawsons bookplate.

$390.00

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Larn Yersel’ Geordie [Learn Yourself Geordie – the Language of the North East of England] – Scott Dobson

Not an expensive book but a priceless one! The “go to” reference for the language of Voyager’s birthplace.

Scott Dobson, a well known local identity, starts by making it clear that this is a language not a dialect … almost correct we would say. Geordie’s take many of their unique words and expression from the Viking’s … and maybe one of two of their customs … e.g. “chatting up each others birds”.

Not only will you learn some “Geordie” the book is a very funny piece .. as you would expect if you know any of the natives.

Paperback, 32 pages, with some daft illustrations, ending in a Vocabulary of Geordie Phrases”. Used but pretty good condition. Published in Rothbury, Northumberland in 1986.

Postage will be reduced on final billing for Australian (and Geordie) customers.

Man Up .. Learn some Geordie today!

$20.00

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Relics for the Curious – Two Volumes – 1824

First Edition set near impossible to find. Printed by Samuel Burton Leadenhall Street, London in 1824.

Two small volumes, 184 pages, 168 pages, frontispiece to both. Bound in contemporary olive half calf, spines gilt with double red leather labels. Lightly rubbed a pretty clean and bright set.

A collection of most peculiar anecdotes. The Literary Magnet of the time praised the contents and demonstrated their approbation of them by making copious extracts available in their rag.

Classifies as anecdotes, clerical, professional and miscellaneous and compounded by “singular customs” and “extracts from remarkable wills”.

Very unusual books for the well read and broadly based historian … facts contained in here designed to liven any dull dinner party … “Did you know that …”

Relics … well anecdotes really of some strange historical happenings.

$180.00

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Le Morte d’Arthur – Sir Thomas Malory – Shakespeare Head Private Press Limited Edition 1933

Full title … The Noble & Joyous Boke Entitled Le Morte d’Arthur Nothwythstondying it Treateth of the Byrth Lyf and Actes of the sayd Kynge Arthur; of his Noble Knightes of the Rounde Table. Theye Merveylous Enquestes and Adventures. Thachyevynge of the Sanc.Greall and the Ende the Delourous Deth: and Departynge out of this Worlde of Them al. Wyche Boke was Reduced in to Englysshe by the Well Dysposyd Knyghte Syr Thomas Malory.

Two volumes, quarto, number xxx of 350 copies for sale (a further 20 copies were not for sale) with 22 woodcut illustrations. Original binding in terra cotta half Morocco over ivory buckram, flat spines with gilt titling, marbled endpapers, top edge gilt. Other edges untrimmed.

The revered Shakespeare Head, Saint Aldates Oxford, edition of the most famous of the Arthurian tales, reprinted from and resembling in layout and typeface the 1498 edition of Wynkyn de Worde kept in the John Rylands Library, Manchester.

Volume I comprises 4 initial blanks; half title; title with limitation on verso; prologus i-iv; table v-xxviii; Fyrste Boke to IX Boke 1-316 with woodcut in each; 3 final blanks. VolI comprises 4 initial blanks; half title; title with note to verso; Boke X – Boke XXI 1-373 with woodcuts to each and a further one in Boke XXI; notes 3; 3 final blanks. All as should be.

Written in the 15th century by Thomas Malory the sweeping Mort d’Arthur includes the youth of Arthur, the romance of Guinevere and Lancelot, the Quest for the Grail, the tragedy of Tristan and Iseult etc.

This superb work directly tied to the early days of printing in England, with broad margins, quality handmade paper and the impeccably reproduced typeface … all hallmarks of the Shakespeare Head Press.

The Shakespeare Head Press was started in 1904 at Stratford Upon Avon by Arthur Bullen after he had had a dream about finely printing all of Shakespeare’s works at his birthplace, something that had not been done before. Much of his equipment and initial typeface came second had from William Morris’s Kelmscott Press. After Bullen’s death in 1927 the business was moved to Oxford under its new owners Basil Blackwell and Bernard Newdigate who was the typographer. They continued in the Morris tradition. The building in which they operated was commandeered by the American allies in 1942.

King Arthur and his Legends and Death – Shakespeare Head Private Press edition.

$690.00

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An Essay on the Ancient and Modern Use of Armories; Shewing Their Origin, Definition, and Division of them into their several Species. The Method of Composing them, and Marshalling many Coats together in one Shield. Alexander Nisbet – First Edition 1718 – Nice Item

Title continues … Illustrated by many Examples and Sculptures of the Armorial Ensigns of Noble Families in this and other Nations … To which is added, An Index explaining the Terms of Blazon made use of in this Essay.

First Edition and scarce. Printed by William Adams Jnr for James MackEuen (to be sold at his shop), Edinburgh 1718.

Small quarto, 224 pages preceded by introductions and subscribers list. With seven folding plates of multiple images of arms, and the aforementioned Index of Terms. Contains a detailed account of the reigns of British Royalty and the origins of their arms. Bound in original full calf in very good condition. Internally, very light browning and signs of old worming long gone. The quality and the condition of the copper engraved plates is something special.

Scottish historian Alexander Nisbet’s works on heraldry are considered the best on the subject.

Nisbet the Authority and an early First Edition of his “Essay on Heraldry”

$290.00

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Map of Northumberland – John Speed / Pieter van den Keere – 1627

A delightful and quite rare map of Northumberland … the origin of Voyager.

Pieter van den Keere (1571-1646) engraved a series of miniature English County maps based on the original surveys of Christopher Saxton. First published by Willem Janzoon Blaeu in 1617 they were Anglicised by the great cartographer John Speed and published by George Humble in 1627. They are often referred to as “Miniature Speeds”.

Printed area 12.3cm by 8.6cm good plate mark. This example has a shallow lower margin and a little age … altogether still a very good example of a rare near 400 year old map.

The map stretches to Carlisle and beyond in Cumberland. The county border is clearly shown as a dotted line and at this time Berwick – Upon – Tweed (Barwick) is clearly in England. Holy Island, the Farnes and Coquet Island feature in their olde names. The Cheviot and Simonside Hills are shown and numerous of the Northumberland Norman Castles feature. Interestingly, Cartington has been mis-engraved and a little “t” has been inserted above … a distinctive feature of this engraving that pins its provenance down quite nicely. Voyager used to play among the ruins of Cartington as a young fellow.

Special map of Northumberland a delight for expatriate Northumbrians and all.

$160.00

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Armorial Book-Plates. Their Romantic Origin and Artistic Development – Signed limited edition of 300 this number 218 by the expert of all experts Neville Barnett – published in 1932

Larn Yersel’ Geordie [Learn Yourself Geordie – the Language of the North East of England] – Scott Dobson

Relics for the Curious – Two Volumes – 1824

Le Morte d’Arthur – Sir Thomas Malory – Shakespeare Head Private Press Limited Edition 1933

An Essay on the Ancient and Modern Use of Armories; Shewing Their Origin, Definition, and Division of them into their several Species. The Method of Composing them, and Marshalling many Coats together in one Shield. Alexander Nisbet – First Edition 1718 – Nice Item

Map of Northumberland – John Speed / Pieter van den Keere – 1627

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