Abingdon

rif. AQ12564 — London: Printed for Debrett 1793 23pp 1. Disbound. Recent book-label and armorial bookplate of Robert Washington Oates to verso of title page single early manuscript correction to p.21. An account of the speech delivered by English politician Willoughby Bertie fourth Earl of Abingdon 1740-1799 at the House of Lords on Thursday April 11 1793 regarding the abolition of the slave trade. Curiously for one regarded as something of a political radical his having previously supported the American struggle for independence Abingdon viewed the potential ending of slavery as a negative development seeing attempts at limitation of the trade as a troublesome compromise in favour of Jacobinism. Indeed Abingdon voted against motions to restrict the trade on two occasions both in 1792 and 1799. Rare ESTC locates only copies at just three locations in North America Cornell Harvard and NYPL and just a single location in the British Isles UoL. ESTC N37228. First edition. 8vo. Printed for Debrett, [1793?] unknown