‎Trial‎

‎TRIAL: Andrew YETTS & William YETTS‎

‎Report of the trial between Francis Wheatley William Woodrow and William Wiseman plaintiffs and Andrew Yetts & William Yetts defendants; at Guildhall London on the 15th of January 1823 before Chief Justice Abbot and a special jury.‎

‎Yarmouth: printed and sold by G. Hazard Chapel-street. n.d. 1823. 8vo. 24pp. lower margins rather creased and stained title-page soiled last page foxed some minor edge fraying well bound fairly recently in quarter calf over marbled boards spine lettered gilt. First only edition. The case involved a collision between a small brig of 70 tons called the Norfolk and a sloop of about the same tonnage called the August in Yarmouth Roads off the Norfolk coast. The court found for the defendants. Yarmouth: printed and sold by G. Hazard, Chapel-street. n.d. [1823] hardcover‎

Bookseller reference : 27014

‎TRIAL: Andrew M'KINLEY‎

‎The trial of Andrew M'Kinley before the High Court of Justiciary at Edinburgh on the 18th day of July 1817 for administering unlawful oaths.‎

‎Edinburgh: printed for Archibald Constable and Co. Edinburgh and Longman &c. London. 1818. 8vo. 4 70pp. first and final leaves a little soiled the title-page more so well bound in later but not recent maroon cloth spine gilt lettered with a little wear to extremities. A good copy nonetheless. First edition. One of the infamous Scottish treason trials. M'Kinley was eventually acquitted the jury finding the charges against him 'not proven'. Edinburgh: printed for Archibald Constable and Co., Edinburgh [and] Longman (&c.) London. 1818 hardcover‎

Bookseller reference : 27674

‎TRIAL: Arundel COKE‎

‎The tryal and condemnation of Arundel Coke alias Cooke Esq; and of John Woodburne labourer for felony in slitting the nose of Edward Crispe Gent. Contrary to the 22 & 23 Car. II. cap. 1. intitled An Act to prevent malicious Maiming and Wounding; who were found guilty at the Assizes held before the Right Honourable Sir Peter King Knt. Lord Chief Justice of his Majesty's Court of Common Pleas at Bury St. Edmonds sic Tuesday the 13th of March 1721 and received sentence the day following.‎

‎London: printed for John Darby . and Daniel Midwinter. 1722. folio 16 17 - 18 17 - 37 1pp. final leaf bound in reverse order and with small marginal restoration two or three brown spots on imprimatur leaf and title-page well bound recently in cloth spine lettered in gilt. A very good large copy. First edition. A minor but interesting landmark case in which the two accused were convicted under legislation known as the Coventry Act> which had made wounding and maiming to be a felony and thus a capital offence. Coke and Woodburne were both convicted and were hanged at Bury St. Edmunds in Suffolk Coke at his own request at 4 o'clock in the morning. They were the first to be executed under the Coventry Act.> i.e. 1722. London: printed for John Darby, ..... and Daniel Midwinter. 1722 hardcover‎

Bookseller reference : 27545

‎TRIAL: Charles PINNEY‎

‎Trial of Charles Pinney Esq. in the Court of King's Bench on an information filed by His Majesty's Attorney-General charging him with neglect of duty in his office as Mayor of Bristol during the riots. Accurately transcribed from the short-hand report of Mr. Gurney.‎

‎Bristol: printed by Gutch and Martin and published by Cadel sic; Blackwood Edinburgh. 1833. 8vo. xxxviii 2 432pp. with an advertisement slip tipped in at the end announcing the publication of another account of the Bristol riots bound in the original linen boards neatly rebacked and labelled to match entirely uncut. A very good copy. First edition. Pinney was sworn in as mayor of Bristol in September 1831 and thus was in office during the riots that followed the rejection of the Reform Bill. the riots began when Sir Charles Wetherell the city recorder who was very unpopular because of his opposition to reform entered the city. It fell to Pinney as mayor to receive him. Crowds gathered to meet Wetherell and stoned the carriage in which he and Pinney were riding and later the mansion house where they had taken refuge. Incensed the crowd broke in and ransacked the ground floor. Pinney followed Wetherell's example and escaped over the roof while the rioters looted the house. There followed widespread destruction of public buildings as the crowd attacked the Bridewell the New Gaol and the Gloucester county prison liberating the prisoners before firing the buildings. On 25 October 1832 Pinney was put on trial in the court of king's bench charged with neglect of duty in his office as mayor during the riots. After a trial lasting seven days the jury returned a verdict of not guilty asserting that Pinney had 'acted according to the best of his judgement with zeal and personal courage'. Bristol: printed by Gutch and Martin, and published by Cadel [sic]; Blackwood, Edinburgh. 1833 hardcover‎

Bookseller reference : 21628

‎TRIAL: Duchess of KINGSTON‎

‎The trial of Elizabeth Duchess Dowager of Kingston for bigamy. before the Right Honourable the House of Peers in Westminster-Hall in full Parliament on Monday the 15th Tuesday the 16th Friday the 19th Saturday the 20th and Monday the 22d of April 1776; on the last of which days the said Elizabeth Duchess Dowager of Kingston was found guilty.‎

‎Published by Order of the House of Peers. London: Charles Bathurst 1776. folio 4 176pp. complete with the initial licence leaf a good wide-margined copy sometime in the library of the Los Angeles Board of Law library> with its bookplate on front pastedown and perforated blind-stamp on title-page bound in the 20th century in cloth-backed marbled boards. First edition. The official transcript of this celebrated society trial. The self-styled Duchess of Kingston was a coarse and flighty woman who lived a life of scandal dissipation and social decadence. She was married secretly in 1744 to the Hon. Augustus John Hervey but they were soon separated and had no further contact. Twenty years later she married the Duke of Kingston while still married to Hervey. The Duke died after only a few months leaving his wife the whole of the estate on the condition that she remained a widow. Hervey meanwhile wished to remarry and was anxious to prove his first marriage in order to file for divorce. She was tried by her peers for bigamy and found guilty; she fled to the continent and resumed her scandalous lifestyle in Paris Rome and St. Petersburg where she set up a brandy distillery. Published by Order of the House of Peers. London: Charles Bathurst, 1776 hardcover‎

Bookseller reference : 25923

‎TRIAL: Edward William PRITCHARD‎

‎A complete report of the trial of Dr. E.W. Pritchard for the alleged poisoning of his wife and mother-in-law. reprinted by special permission from the 'Scotsman'>. Carefully revised by an eminent lawyer. With an accurate portrait.‎

‎Edinburgh: William Kay. 1865. 8vo. portrait frontispiece viii 134pp. rather later 19th century half calf over marbled boards spine simply lettered in gilt with the original printed yellow upper wrapper bound in slight wear to joints else a very good copy from the library of Alfred Harmsworth Lord Northcliffe> 1865-1922 the newspaper proprietor with his bookplate on front pastedown. First edition thus. Harvard Law Cat.> 1909 II: 1169. This is the celebrated trial of Dr. Edward Pritchard 1825-1865 a well known Glasgow surgeon and the author of several books and a number of medical papers. He was convicted of poisoning his wife and mother-in-law after a five-day trial at the high court in Edinburgh. He in fact confessed his guilt on the day of sentencing and was sentenced to death. He was hanged by William Calcraft in front of Glasgow gaol on 28 July 1865; 100000 attended what was to be the last public execution in Glasgow. Edinburgh: William Kay. 1865 hardcover‎

Bookseller reference : 21751

‎TRIAL: George ROSE‎

‎The trial of George Rose Esq. Secretary to the Treasury &c. for employing Mr. Smith a publican in Westminster upon a late Westminster election and not paying him; on which he was on Thursday the 21st of July 1791 cast in the Court of King's Bench by a special jury in the sum of one hundred and ten pounds five shillings. Taken in short hand by a barrister. This is the most curious trial ever yet published for displaying the arts of our heaven-born minister to obtain his candidates seats in Parliament.‎

‎London: J. Ridgway. 1791. 8vo. 64pp. including the half-title contemporary half calf over marbled boards neatly rebacked to match spine lettered in gilt. A very good copy. First edition. This was a trial that exposed to public scrutiny the worst excesses of a corrupt electoral system and probably hastened the unstoppable clamour for electoral reform. George Rose 1744-1818 politician and publicist was one of Pitt's political fixers. 'The emergence of William Pitt as premier in December 1783 transformed Rose who had pledged his allegiance to Pitt following their meeting in Paris in autumn 1783 into senior patronage secretary to the Treasury. In 1784 he acquired the mastership of the exchequer pleas for life which in 1797 he exchanged for the office of keeper of records in the receipt of the exchequer. His management of elections and public relations as well as his responsibility for financial questions required his constant attendance in parliament where he sat for Launceston on the duke of Northumberland's interest from 1784. He was elected for Lymington on 1 July 1788 after failing to secure the support of the new duke for his re-election to Launceston on succeeding to the Lords clerkships. He was by now enjoying an annual income of over �4000 and so ceded the emoluments of the Journals> office but ensured that his wife received a pension of �300 per annum in lieu. At this time Rose won the confidence of George III who visited his house Cuffnells near Lyndhurst in Hampshire in June 1789 when travelling from Weymouth. From 1788 to 1790 he was preoccupied with electoral surveys for Pitt to ensure a more secure majority at the next general election. He also secured his own parliamentary success on purchasing the interest at Christchurch where he had a cottage in addition to his Cuffnells estate. He retained this manageable seat from 1790 until his death. It was the kind of constituency that Pitt himself would have abolished in his parliamentary reform proposals of 1785 the first of Pitt's measures that Rose candidly opposed. He had cultivated his interest in Hampshire by obtaining the office of verderer of the New Forest in March 1788 and became deputy warden in 1808 but his bumptiousness did make him some enemies. In 1791 he was successfully sued in the king's bench for unpaid debts to George Smith a publican who had helped detect improper votes in the 1788 Westminster by-election. For this he was castigated notably in an unsuccessful motion for a parliamentary inquiry on 13 March 1792 and in the pamphlet Trial of G. Rose> which added impetus to the radical campaign for parliamentary reform.' Roland Thorne in ODNB The report of George Rose's trial in the present volume is followed pp. 54-64 by a hard-hitting anti-Rose essay entitled Reflections addressed to George Rose Esq.> and signed 'Alfred' in which the pseudonymous author should be 'permitted to retire to Cuffnels; and escape by seclusion the scornful pointed finger of your indignant country'. Cuffnells was Rose's country house near Lyndhurst in Hampshire. London: J. Ridgway. 1791 hardcover‎

Bookseller reference : 25317

‎TRIAL: Henry HUNT‎

‎The trial of Henry Hunt Esq. Jno. Knight Jos. Johnson Jno Thacker Saxton Samuel Bamford Jos. Healey James Moorhouse Robert Jones Geo. Swift and Robert Wylde for an alleged conspiracy to overturn the government &c. by threats and force of arms. Before Mr. Justice Bayley and a special jury at the York Lent Assizes 1820.‎

‎London: published by T. Dolby. 1820. 8vo. 4 viii 3 - 309 1pp. contemporary or slightly later maroon half roan spine simply gilt and lettered a little wear to extremities short splits in upper joint but nonetheless a good sound copy. Kress C.556. One of several versions of the trial published more or less simultaneously in Manchester Leeds London and perhaps elsewhere. This Dolby printing sympathetic to the defendants is said to be 'excessively rare rigidly suppressed' although this is surely an exaggeration. Henry Hunt 1773-1835 'Orator Hunt' the radical politician and friend of William Cobbett was arrested as the ringleader of the St. Peter's Fields reform meeting in Manchester tried at York in March 1820 and committed to two years' imprisonment. He had unsuccessfully conducted his own defense. The trial is here reported more or less verbatim it lasted from 16th to 27th March and includes the statements of the defendants and the cross-examination of some 84 witnesses. The editor probably Dolby suggests that 'this important trial will be read and listened to with the liveliest interest wherever there is a spark of humanity or justice to be found' Preface. London: published by T. Dolby. 1820 unknown‎

Bookseller reference : 23610

‎TRIAL: James MACKCOULL‎

‎Memoir of the life and trial of James Mackcoull of Moffat who died in the county jail of Edinburgh on the 22d December 1820; containing a full account of his trial before the Jury Court and High Court of Justiciary at Edinburgh for robbing the branch of the Paisley Union Bank at Glasgow of twenty thousand pounds. Illustrated with notes anecdotes and a portrait. With an appendix containing Mr. Donovan's Journal from Glasgow to London in trace of the robbery and other curious papers.‎

‎Edinburgh: John Anderson Jun. 1822. 8vo engraved portrait of Mackcoull vii i 317pp. including a folding table with 4pp. of publishers' advertisements bound in at the beginning efficiently but not beautifully bound fairly recently in cloth-backed boards spine simply lettered. A very good uncut copy. First edition. The fascinating almost gripping anatomy of a big-time bank robbery �20000 was by any standards a massive amount of money. James Mackcoull was born in London in 1763 the son of a respectable pocket-book maker and small shopkeeper but of a disreputable mother. Of James's sister and two brothers one brother was hanged for theft in 1786 and the sister was a habitual and notorious thief like her mother. The oldest of the boys John moved in and out of crime but ended up in Worthing where he opened the Apollo Library and lived in relative respectability. James embarked on and continued a life of crime. For the bank robbery in Scotland he was sentenced to death a sentence later to be commuted. The case and this description throws light not only on the criminal underclass of late Georgian Edinburgh but also on Scottish banking systems and methods of remitting large sums of money. Edinburgh: John Anderson, Jun., 1822 hardcover‎

Bookseller reference : 27521

‎TRIAL: James HILL‎

‎The trial at large of James Hill; otherwise James Hind; otherwise James Actzen: for feloniously wilfully and maliciously setting fire to the rope-house in His Majesty's Dock-Yard at Portsmouth. Tried at the assize at Winchester on Thursday March 6 1777. Before the honorable Sir William Henry Ashhurst Knt. one of the Justices of his Majesty's Court of King's Bench; and Sir Beaumont Hotham Knt. one of the Barons of his Majesty's Court of Exchequer.‎

‎London: sold by G. Kearsly . and Martha Gurney. n.d. 1777. folio 40pp. well bound in 19th century dark green half roan gilt. First edition: uncommon. James Hill 1752-1777 known as 'John the painter' was a young criminal who seemed to have had something of a penchant for crimes of arson most particularly carried out in His Majesty's Dockyards i.e. in Bristol and Plymouth where he actually failed. He succeeded at Portsmouth however having been promised �300 by a Mr. Silan Dean although he received only twelve French crowns. He was duly convicted sentenced to death and hanged at the Dock gate in Portsmouth. It seems by his own account that he had spent about two years in Virginia 'as an adventurer to seek his fortune' before returning to England in 1775 to pursue a short but doomed career in burglary theft and arson. London: sold by G. Kearsly ..... and Martha Gurney. n.d. [1777] unknown‎

Bookseller reference : 25926

‎TRIAL: John LAMBERT‎

‎Trial of the information ex officio the King versus John Lambert and another on a charge of libel on His Majesty's person inserted in the Morning Chronicle>.‎

‎London: edited by James Perry and printed by John Lambert for James Ridgway. 1810. 8vo. xxxi 1 52pp. upper margin of one leaf damaged but not touching printed text title-page just a little soiled and creased recently well bound in linen-backed marbled boards lettered. A good copy. First edition. The long Preface> 31pp. written by James Perry 1756-1821 one of the most notable journalists of the age the editor of the Morning Chronicle> and John Lambert's co-defendant is a significant essay on the liberty of the press and refers back to the circumstances of the first prosecution of Perry and Lambert for seditious libel in 1793. Perry confirms his view that 'a vigilant and direct censure of mal-administration was within the lawful province of the English press and essential to the preservation of our rights and liberties as a people'. And he writes powerfully also about the press and responsible journalism its claim to professional status not simply a 'trade'. Perry was largely motivated the Preface is dated 27th March 1810 by an 'obnoxious' resolution before Parliament which would have prevented the admission of reporters to the gallery of the House of Commons a resolution that in the event was withdrawn after an animated and at times acrimonious debate. The 1810 trial of Perry and Lambert was over a paragraph copied from Hunt's Examiner> against the Prince Regent and then repeated in the Morning Chronicle>. In fact the words alleged to have amounted to a libel were by to-day's standards pretty innocuous: 'What a crowd of blessings rush upon one's mind that might be bestowed upon the country in the event of a total change of system'. The case which turned on the final clause was in the end deemed to have been a fair comment on the King's ministers not on the King himself. Perry and Lambert were thus acquitted. London: edited by James Perry, and printed by John Lambert, for James Ridgway. 1810 hardcover‎

Bookseller reference : 22898

‎TRIAL: Joseph POWELL‎

‎The trial of Joseph Powell the fortune-teller at the Sessions-House Clerkenwell October 31 1807; taken in short-hand by Mr. Gurney: with an appendix and notes containing various original letters and other documents referred to in the trial. By the Society for the Suppression of Vice.‎

‎London printed for F. and C. Rivington and others 1808. 8vo. 28pp. first and last leaves lightly soiled a publishers' slip relating to the distribution of the pamphlet tipped in in old plain wrappers. A very good copy. First edition. 'In 1807 Joseph Powell was tried and subsequently convicted for fortune-telling under the Vagrancy Act. Described in the court record as a 'rogue and a vagabond' he had not only imposed himself on 'credulous persons' and duped servants out of their 'last shillings' he had also taken lascivious advantage of women who had consulted him to find out whether or not they would ever have children. In one such instance Powell practiced his fraudulent art via correspondence. As the prosecutor in the case relates: 'One of his letters in particular seems to have been addressed to a female not of the lowest class who stated herself to be married and who wished to be informed whether she should have any children and the copy of this letter answers that she is certainly destined to have children if she takes the means but not by her husband; that it must be by some other person; that he shall be happy himself to be that person and that he has no doubt their endeavours will be propitious to the object she has at heart. He then goes on to invite her to come the next day when he promises to have his place clear as well for comfort as safety.' Mr. Powell�s prices for his services ranged from half a crown to five guineas but in the above instance the prosecutor states: 'So strong was his amorous propensity on this occasion that he tells the lady if she agrees to his proposal that he will give her as much information as he should charge another person five guineas for but that he will remit the five guineas in her case!' Mr. Powell was sentenced to six months imprisonment.' Mimi Matthews 19th Century Fortune-Telling: From the Drawing Room to the Court Room>. Powell's usual prices for his services ranged from half a crown to five guineas. 'One of his letters in particular seems to have been addressed to a female not of the lowest class who stated herself to be married and who wished to be informed whether she should have any children; and the copy of this letter answers that she is certainly destined to have children if she takes the means but not by her husband; that it must be by some other person;> that he shall be happy himself to be that person and that he has no doubt their endeavours will be propitious to the object she has at heart. He then goes on to invite her to come the next day when he promises to have his place clear as well for comfort as safety.' Powell was convicted and sentenced to six months' imprisonment. London, printed for F. and C. Rivington [and others] 1808 unknown‎

Bookseller reference : 27668

‎TRIAL: Katharine NAIRN‎

‎The trial of Katharine Nairn and Patrick Ogilvie for the crimes of incest and murder. Containing the whole procedure of the High Court of Justiciary upon the 5th 12th 13th 14th 15th and 16th days of August 1765.‎

‎Edinburgh printed: London reprinted for T. Becket and P.A. De Hondt. 1765. 8vo. 6 134pp. wanting the half-title foremargin of title creased and rather dust-soiled endpapers browned bound in 19th century cloth-backed boards printed label on upper cover corners and extremities worn uncut. See Wellcome IV p.260. In January 1765 in the town of East Miln Scotland 19 year-old Katharine Nairn married 40 year-old Thomas Ogilvie. She soon fell in love with his younger brother Patrick. In June the same year Thomas Ogilvie died after a sudden terrible illness. Katharine and Patrick were arrested and convicted of murder by poisoning. Patrick Ogilvie was hanged but Katharine's execution was delayed when she was found to be pregnant. She took an opportunity to escape from prison and fled to Holland. Wellcome notes that this 'includes medical evidence'. Edinburgh printed: London reprinted, for T. Becket and P.A. De Hondt. 1765 hardcover‎

Bookseller reference : 25315

‎TRIAL: Lieut. Gen. John WHITELOCK‎

‎The proceedings of a General Court Martial held at Chelsea Hospital on Thursday January 28 1808 and continued by adjournment till Tuesday March 15 for the trial of Lieut. Gen. Whitelocke late Commander-in-Chief of the forces in South America. Taken in Short-hand by Mr. Gurney. With the defence copied from the original by permission of General Whitelocke; also all the documents produced on the trial. Vol.I. - Vol.II.‎

‎London: printed for J.C. Mottley Portsmouth; published by Longman &c. 1808. Two vols. 8vo. two folding engraved maps 8 438 xxxix 1 and 8 439-830pp. contemporary half calf over marbled boards skilfully rebacked and labelled. A very good copy. First edition. General Whitelocke's court-martial was the inevitable consequence of his enormous and disastrous ill-judged and ill-directed campaign against Spanish forces in Buenos Aires and the Plate region of South America in May - July 1807. 'Whitelocke returned to England on 7 November 1807 and in January 1808 he was court-martialled at Chelsea. . The court martial took seven weeks and Whitelocke faced four charges covering poor diplomacy military incompetence and negotiation of a shameful surrender each barely relevant to what had happened. He was found guilty and was cashiered. His fault lay in taking on a task beyond his capacity for which those who appointed him should have shared the blame'. John D. Grainger in ODNB. London: printed for J.C. Mottley, Portsmouth; published by Longman (&c.). 1808 hardcover‎

Bookseller reference : 22155

‎TRIAL: Mrs. Ann WOOD‎

‎The trial of Mrs Ann Wood wife of William Wood Esq. Commissary and Pay-Master of Artillery; for adultery with Quintin Dick Esq. merchant of King Street Cheapside London; during the absence of her said husband in North America and the West-Indies upon his Majesty's duty. Being the particulars of an adulterous intercourse for the space of several years. In which the amorous parties shewed as little attention to decency as to fidelity. The cause was tried a few days ago in the Consistorial Episcopal Court at Doctor's Commons.‎

‎London: printed for G. Lister no.46 Old Bailey. 1786. 8vo. engraved frontispiece 2 9 - 76 i.e. 92pp. pp.89-92 misnumbered 73-76 most leaves with largely marginal foxing with advertisements on verso of title-page but no additional advertisement leaf well bound in 19th/20th century half calf over marbled boards spine lettered in gilt minor wear to extremities bookplate on front pastedown of Los Angeles Board of Law library.> First edition. A deliciously sordid adultery case with graphic descriptions by a whole string of witnesses usually servants and domestic staff. It is a story of 'the foul crime of adultery' with stained sheets crumpled beds bribed servants and shameless sex. The graphic engraved frontispiece is divided into three compartments identified as: 'Bed-Chamber Scene' 'Sopha Scene' and 'Lord Mayors Day Scene'. Ann Wood's adulterous affairs seem to have been even more reprehensible in view of her husband's absence on government service in America. The pair had originally lived in America were married at the Presbyterian church in New York in 1763 had lived apparently in various places in New York and Pennsylvania where Ann had produced four children. She and her children were shipped back to England in March 1778 for their own safety. She bought a house in Curzon Street Mayfair and the 'notorious' affair with Quintin Dick soon began. London: printed for G. Lister, no.46, Old Bailey. [1786] hardcover‎

Bookseller reference : 25917

‎TRIAL: Prof. John White WEBSTER‎

‎Report of the trial of Prof. John W. Webster indicted for the murder of Dr. George Parkman before the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts holden at Boston on Tuesday March 19 1850. Phonographic report by Dr. James W. Stone.‎

‎Boston: Phillips Sampson & Company. 1850. 8vo. vi 3 - 314 2 2pp. including both the advertisement leaf and the final errata leaf with extensive errata original printed wrappers entirely uncut very minor wear and edge fraying. Overall a fine crisp copy. First edition. John White Webster 1793-1850 was a professor of chemistry and geology at Harvard Medical College. 'On November 23 1849 Dr. George Parkman was murdered. After an investigation Dr. John White Webster was accused of the murder on January 26 1850. The Webster-Parkman Murder trial was the 19th century equivalent of the 'Case of the Century' and has been widely cited as one of the earliest uses of forensic evidence to identify a body. As the remains of Dr. Parkman had been partially cremated dental evidence and bone fragments were used to verify that they were Dr. Parkman. The case was widely publicized in newspapers particularly as Webster was also a professor at Harvard University. After a lengthy trial where under current Massachusetts law Webster could not testify in his own defense the jury was instructed by the principal judge and close relative of the victim that they 'Must come back with a guilty verdict.' The most important factor about the Webster case is that a great body of documentary testimony was either not used by Webster's lawyers or was denied admission into Webster's defense.' Wikipedia. The verdict and Webster's execution a few months later were widely criticised. Boston: Phillips, Sampson & Company. 1850 unknown‎

Bookseller reference : 26996

‎TRIAL: Rev. Niel DOUGLAS‎

‎The trial of the Rev. Niel Douglas before the High Court of Justiciary at Edinburgh on the 26th May 1817 for sedition. Taken in shorthand by John Dow Esq. W.S.‎

‎Edinburgh: John Robertson. 1817. 8vo. with a fine etched portrait frontispiece of Douglas 2 50pp. entirely uncut and with the original printed upper wrapper preserved recently well bound in cloth spine gilt lettered. A very good copy. First edition. In spite of publishing two extremely loyal odes on the King's illness and recovery in 1789 in 1817 Douglas was indicted for sedition for drawing a parallel between George III and Nebuchadnezzar the Prince Regent and Belshazar and representing the House of Commons as a den of thieves. The trial turned into something of a farce and a unanimous verdict of acquittal was returned. Edinburgh: John Robertson. 1817 hardcover‎

Bookseller reference : 27634

‎TRIAL: Robert Sawle DONNALL‎

‎The trial of Robert Sawle Donnall surgeon and apothecary late of Falmouth in the county of Cornwall for the wilful murder by poison of Mrs Elizabeth Downing widow his mother-in-law at the Assize at Launceston for the county aforesaid on Monday March 31 1817 before the Honorable Sir Charles Abbott Knt. one of the justices of His Majesty's Court of King's Bench. Taken in short-hand by Alexander Frazer.‎

‎Falmouth printed by and for James Lake. 1817. 8vo. one plate xiv 2 179 1pp. including the half-title original boards uncut and unopened neatly rebacked to match. A fine crisp copy. First edition. The defendant was charged with murdering his sixty-year old widowed mother-in-law by giving her arsenic mixed in some cocoa as a result of which she died a day or so later. The trial relied on not only the evidence of a post-mortem autopsy but also much on the circumstantial evidence of the tea-room itself and the other family members then present. The plate is a diagrammatic representation of the tea-room showing the seating location of each participant and the 'circuitous route with the bread and butter'. Robert Donnall was eventually acquitted. Falmouth, printed by and for James Lake. 1817 hardcover‎

Bookseller reference : 21527

‎TRIAL: Sir Edward CROSBIE‎

‎An accurate and impartial narrative of the apprehension trial & execution on the 5th of June 1798 of Sir Edward William Crosbie Bart. including a copy of the minutes of the proceedings of the court-martial which tried him: together with authentic documents relating to the whole of his conduct and the proceedings against him. Published in justice to his memory by his family.‎

‎Bath printed by R. Cruttwell . Dublin re-printer by William Porter. 1802. 8vo. xvi 110pp. wanting the half-title recently well bound in cloth spine gilt lettered. A very good copy. No earlier edition recorded. Sir Edward William Crosbie 1755-1798 holds the distinction of being the first United Irishman to be executed for treason after the 1798 rebellion at Carlow Ireland. His younger brother Richard was Ireland's first balloonist. After the 1798 rebellion Crosbie was executed for leading the United Irishmen from his house Viewmount into Carlow. However there seems to be some evidence to suggest that Crosbie's conviction was a miscarriage of justice. The present 'narrative' apparently put into print by Sir Edward's family and friends certainly raises considerable doubt as to Crosbie's culpability. Bath, printed by R. Cruttwell ..... Dublin re-printer by William Porter. 1802 hardcover‎

Bookseller reference : 27760

‎TRIAL: STONE ALTAR CASE‎

‎Stone altar case. The judgment of the Rt. Hon. Sir Herbert Jenner Fust Kt. Dean of the Arches &c. &c. &c. in the case of Faulkner v. Litchfield and Stearn on the 31st January 1845. Edited from the judge's notes by J.E.P. Robertson D.C.L. advocate.‎

‎London: William Benning & Co. 1845. 8vo. 4 62pp. recent marbled boards lettered on spine. A very good copy. First edition. An interesting legal case heard on appeal in the Court of Arches i.e. the provincial court of the Archbishop of Canterbury before Sir Herbert Jenner Fust 1778-1852 who had been appointed official principal of the arches and judge of the prerogative court of Canterbury in 1836. He remained Dean of the Arches until his death. The so-called 'stone altar case' was an appeal by the Rector of the parish church of the Holy Sepulchre in Cambridge against a decree of the Chancellor of the Diocese of Ely granting a faculty awarded to the churchwardens to have 'a stone communion table' i.e. altar and a stone 'credence table' placed in the church. The Minister a Mr. Faulkener took the widely held view that a stone altar was no less than Papist: the Churchwardens for their part not only cited examples of stone altars in other Anglican churches but also acquired the support of the Cambridge Camden Society that had assisted in the restoration of the Holy Sepulchre church. Jenner-Fust's final judgment found in favour of the Rector. Jenner-Fust's opinions and cases had considerable influence in the Church of England at a period of far-reaching change. They include Breeks v. Woolfrey> 1839 on praying for the dead; Mastin v. Escott> 1841 on unauthorized baptism; Gorham v. Bishop of Exeter> 1849; and Cursham v. Williams and Chouler> 1851. Although in the Church of England the legality of stone altars continued to be challenged in the 19th century they have latterly become relatively common. London: William Benning & Co., 1845 hardcover‎

Bookseller reference : 23805

‎TRIAL: TAUNTON ELECTION‎

‎Trial of the Taunton election petition before a committee of the House of Commons February 23rd. 1831.‎

‎Taunton: printed and published by W. Bragg. 1831. 8vo. 2 298 2pp. including the final errata leaf contemporary handwritten index of names on front endpapers one or two gatherings strained contemporary dark green half roan spine gilt and lettered a little wear to binding but a good copy. First and only edition. Scarce OCLC for example finding only 2 copies both at the Un. of Minnesota while COPAC locates only a BL copy. An interesting pre-Reform Bill attempt by the losing Parliamentary candidate Lt. Gen. William Peachy to unseat one of the two successful candidates Edward Thomas Bainbridge on charges of bribery and corruption of voters by offering them cash and other favours in return for votes. The evidence and cross-examination of each of the 74 witnesses is transcribed here in full showing in both colourful and rather sordid detail the influence being brought to bear on voters. The charge of bribery and corruption was not proved however and the election result was allowed to stand. The Taunton printer W. Bragg issued this report on the proceedings in 25 numbers. Taunton: printed and published by W. Bragg. 1831 unknown‎

Bookseller reference : 21489

‎TRIAL: WATSON v. CARR‎

‎Report of the trial of Watson against Carr for an assault and false imprisonment before Sir John Bayley Knt. one of the justices of His Majesty's Court of King's Bench Westminster at the Guildhall Newcastle on Saturday August 2d 1823.‎

‎Newcastle printed for John Sykes bookseller. 1823. 8vo. title-page vignette 4 36pp. the title-page rather foxed in later 19th century half roan spine lettered gilt with the Bewick-style bookplate of J. Cresswell> on front pastedown. The foxing apart an excellent copy. First edition. The plaintiff a certain Thomas Waller Watson alleged that he was beaten up by Thomas Carr the defendant and then imprisoned for 12 hours in the local lock up. Evidence for and against was given by numerous witnesses. John Sykes himself considered it to be an 'important' trial a description perhaps confirmed by the fact that the lead Counsel for the Defendant was the celebrated lawyer Henry Brougham. In fact verdict was found for the plaintiff and a fine imposed. Newcastle printed for John Sykes, bookseller. 1823 unknown‎

Bookseller reference : 27056

‎Trial; Abbot Joel‎

‎Trial of Lieutenant Joel Abbot by the General Naval Court Martial.‎

‎1822. Early U.S. Navy Court Martial Trial. Abbot Joel 1793-1855 Defendant. Trial of Lieutenant Joel Abbot by the General Naval Court Martial Holden on Board the U.S. Ship Independence at the Navy Yard Charlestown Massachusetts on Allegations Made Against Him by Capt. David Porter Navy Commissioner. Printed From the Official Record on File in the Navy Department. Washington: Printed and Published by Davis and Force 1822. 152 pp. Octavo 9" x 6". Stab-stitched pamphlet in plain wrappers contemporary hand-lettered label to front board uncut edges. Moderate rubbing with wear to corners and spine ends front cover just beginning to detach at head. Several uncut signatures light browning and occasional light foxing to text. Small inkstain to title page interior otherwise clean. $125. First edition issued the same year as the Boston imprint published by Russell and Gardiner. With an appendix containing texts of documents relating to irregularities at the Boston naval station and the misconduct of the naval agent Amos Binney. Abbott was a decorated naval officer who fought under Commodore Rogers on the frigate President during the War of 1812. "In March 1822.he discovered a series of frauds upon the government. and made very serious charges against his commandant Captain Isaac Hull. Failing to prove these accusations when brought before a court-martial Abbot was suspended from the naval service for the period of two years.": Dictionary of American Biography 1:14. Cohen Bibliography of Early American Law 13395. unknown‎

Bookseller reference : 41878

‎Trial; Andrews Samuel M Defendant; Davis C.‎

‎Report of the Trial of Samuel M. Andrews Indicted for the Murder.‎

‎1869. New York: Hurd & Houghton 1869. McDade 13. New York: Hurd & Houghton 1869. McDade 13. Sodomy "Transitory Insanity" and Murder: McDade 13 Trial. Andrews Samuel M. b.1830 Defendant. Davis Charles G. 1820-1903 Reporter. Report of the Trial of Samuel M. Andrews Indicted for the Murder of Cornelius Holmes Before the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts December 11 1868. Including the Rulings of the Court upon Many Questions of Law And a Full Statement of Authorities upon the Subject of Transitory Insanity. New York: Published by Hurd and Houghton; Cambridge: Riverside Press 1869. iv 287 1 pp. Double sided frontispiece maps. Octavo 9-1/4" x 5-3/4". Contemporary three-quarter morocco over marbled boards raised bands and gilt title to spine. Light rubbing and a few minor scuffs to boards moderate rubbing to extremities. Moderate toning to text light edgewear to a few leaves. An attractive copy. $450. Only edition. "Holmes was beaten to death with stones by Andrews whom he had named as his heir in his will. The defendant pleaded insanity and self-defense for he had to fight off Holmes' attempted act of sodomy" McDade. Davis was the defense attorney in this case. McDade The Annals of Murder 13. unknown books‎

Bookseller reference : 71483

‎Trial; Atchison Thomas Defendant and Compiler‎

‎Trial of Captain Thomas Atchison of the Royal Artillery by a .‎

‎1825. A Trial Concerning the Status of Catholics in Early Nineteenth-Century Britain Trial. Atchison Thomas Defendant and Compiler. Trial of Captain Thomas Atchison Of the Royal Artillery By a General Court Martial At Malta; In Consequence of Having to be Exonerated from Firing Patteraro Salutes And Tolling a Roman Catholic Bell For the Church and Image Rites of Roman Catholic Priests. With an Appendix Describing Those Rites of the Romish and Greek Churches which British Protestant Troops Infantry as Well as Artillery Were Required by the Priests to Attend and Assist; Also The Nature of the Attendance and Assistance Consequently Ordered to be Given. With Official Documents on the Subject. London: Printed for Hatchard and Son 1825. viii 91 pp. Octavo 8-3/4" x 5-3/4". Disbound stab-stitched pamphlet untrimmed edges front wrapper retained. Moderate edgewear and soiling front wrapper detached and worn "12" and owner signature in early hand at head moderate toning to text faint dampstaining to heads of a few leaves above text "From the Author" in contemporary had to verso of half-title. $500. Only edition. Atchison was accused of imposing Catholic practices on the soldiers under his command. Found guilty by a court-martial he was dismissed from the army. Atchison compiled this pamphlet to show he was the victim of anti-Catholic prejudice. OCLC locates 4 copies in North American law libraries Harvard Library of Congress Stanford York. Catalogue of the Library of the Harvard Law School 1909 II: 1006. unknown books‎

Bookseller reference : 69971