753 Ergebnisse
1821Best.-Nr. 664751821. Concord NH: Hill and Moore 1821. Concord NH: Hill and Moore 1821. He Beat Her to Death with a Shovel Trial. Farmer Daniel Davis 1793-1822 Defendant. Rogers Artemas Reporter. Chase Henry B. Reporter. Trial of Daniel Davis Farmer For the Murder of the Widow Anna Ayer At Goffstown On the 4th of April A.D. 1821. Concord NH: Published by Hill and Moore 1821. 72 pp. Octavo 8" x 5-1/4". Disbound stab-stitched pamphlet fragments of wrapper along spine. Light rubbing to extremities light browning to text light foxing to a few leaves. $250. Only edition. "Mrs. Ayer had charged Farmer with fathering her child. He beat her to death with a cudgel sic and tried to burn her house" McDade. The report states that the murder weapon was an iron shovel. Farmer was found guilty and executed. McDade The Annals of Murder 300. unknown
1757Best.-Nr. 728931757. A "Penurious Old Reptile" on Trial: The 1757 Adultery Trial of Captain James Gambier Trial. Gambier James Defendant 1723-1789. The Proceedings on the Trial of Captain G------ Late of His Majesty's Ship the Severn On an Action on the Case Wherein the Damages Sued for was 10000 l. for Crim. Con. With Ad----l K-----s's Lady; Which was Tried in the Court of King's Bench at Guildhall By a Special Jury On Saturday the Eleventh Day of June 1757. When One Thousand Pounds Damages were Given to the Plaintiff. With an Introductory Preface. London: Printed for H. Owen At the Britannia Printing-Office White-Friers 1757. First edition. Octavo 8" x 4-1/2"; 20.3 x 11.4cm. vii 3-56 pp. Stab-stitched pamphlet in later plain wrappers typed label with title and date to front wrapper. Light soiling and creasing to wrappers. Light toning to interior occasional light foxing light soiling and tiny wear holes in a few places. Crease and a few small holes to foot of title page without loss to legibility. Minor edgewear and localized short tears along the fore-edges of a few leaves. A few small thin spots to page 35 and leaf E4 pages 33-34 which is separating at foot but secure. A very good copy. $250. One of four London issues variant imprints from 1757. This scarce pamphlet details a scandalous 18th-century "Criminal Conversation" crim. con. action-the legal precursor to civil damages for adultery. The plaintiff Admiral Sir Charles Knowles accused Captain James Gambier of an affair with his second wife Maria de Bouget 1733-1796. The trial serves as a fascinating lens into the social dynamics naval politics and public consumption of celebrity scandal in Georgian England. Gambier was notoriously unpopular among his crew; one of his own men famously described him as a "penurious old reptile" Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. This deep lack of personal popularity appears to have spilled over into the courtroom. Failing to win the sympathy of the special jury Gambier was ordered to pay a hefty fine of 1000 to the plaintiff-a significant sum for the era though far short of the original 10000 demanded. Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. English Short-Title Catalogue N20182. unknown
1831Best.-Nr. 736581831. Conspiracy to Suppress a Will Trial. Hodgson Thomas Bent Primary Defendant. Report of the Trial of Thomas Bent Hodgson Esq. And Others Charged With a Conspiracy At the Court of King's Bench Guildhall London On Wednesday & Thursday The 21st & 22d of December 1831 By a Special Jury Before the Right Hon. Lord Tenterden. London: Printed by James & Luke G. Hansard & Sons 1831. 507 1 pp. Octavo 8-1/4" x 5-1/4". Later buckram gilt title and date to spine endpapers renewed speckled edges. Boards bowing slightly light rubbing to extremities rear hinge cracked before final leaf small bookseller's ticket and later bookplate of Geoffrey Briggs to front pastedown. Light toning to interior light soiling in a few places somewhat heavier to title page corners lightly worn in a few places not affecting text crack in text block between pp. 14 and 15 first few leaves loosening at foot but secure brief annotations underlining and marks to margins in several places in an early hand. $250. Only edition. Hodgson and his co-defendants William Young Ann Young and Nancy Watson were accused of conspiring to suppress a will made by William Stephenson a friend of Hodgson and former employer of Watson and the Youngs. Despite what the jury deemed "highly unprofessional" conduct by the prosecutor Hodgson Watson and William Young were convicted; Ann Young was acquitted. Our copy was owned by Sir Geoffrey Briggs 1914-1993 an English lawyer and judge who served as Chief Justice of Hong Kong and Brunei. The brief but substantive notes likely precede his ownership. OCLC locates 6 copies of this title in law libraries Harvard Stanford University of Minnesota University of Virginia Library of Congress Social Law. unknown
1811Best.-Nr. 683861811. A Notable Study of Tax Indebtedness Trial. Hughes T.B. A Report of the Case of the King Against Bebb and Others. Assignees of Castell and Powell Bankrupts; On an Extent: With Explanatory Notes and an Appendix of Some Cases and Records in Extents Which Have Not Been Before Printed. London: Printed by A. Strahan 1811. iv 244 pp. Half-title lacking. Octavo 8" x 5". Later library cloth red and black calf lettering pieces to spine small shelf label to foot. Light soiling moderate rubbing to extremities corners bumped and lightly worn front hinge cracked front free endpaper lacking. Moderate toning to text faint stains to foot of pp. 176-177 two library inkstamps and embossed stamp to title page annotations to verso. $250. Only edition. Abolished in 1947 a writ of extent was a remedy employed by the crown to recover unpaid taxes from a debtor or bankrupt. This book a combination of treatise and report examines the nature of these writs through a scholarly account with notes and a historical appendix of the important Exchequer case of John Bebb and others assignees of the bankrupt London banking house of Castell and Powell. Bebb and others assignees of Castell and Powell were countersued by the government for the right to assets that would cover payment of bills of exchange drawn by a Newcastle bank against tax-collection funds they were holding on deposit. The drafts had been accepted by the now bankrupt Castell and Powell who had turned them over to the commissioners of excise as collateral for the Newcastle tax deposits payable in thirty days. At issue was the right of the Crown to sue a debtor Castell and Powell of a tax-owing debtor the Newcastle bank. Sweet & Maxwell A Legal Bibliography of the British Commonwealth 2:175. unknown
1723Best.-Nr. 860101723. He Escaped the Tower to Join the Jacobite Rising of 1745 Trial. Kelly George 1688-1762. The Speech of Mr. George Kelly. Spoke at the Bar of the House of Lords on Thursday The 2d of May 1723. In His Defence Against the Bill then Depending For Inflicting Pains and Penalties upon Him. London: Printed for A. Moore near St. Paul's MDCCXXIII 1723. Price One Shilling. 15 1 pp. Folio 13-1/2" x 8-1/2"; 34.3 x 21.6 cm. Disbound stab-stitched pamphlet. Occasional corner creasing; final leaf partially detached with some marginal fraying. Moderate toning and light dust-soiling. A very good unsophisticated copy. $250. "First edition" one of 13 issued by 5 different presses 2 of them anonymous in 1723 6 with later edition statements ranging from "second" to "seventh." The English Short-Title Catalogue ESTC notes that bookseller's name "A. Moore" is fictitious. Kelly an ordained clergyman who refused to take the oath of allegiance to the Hanoverian King George I was implicated in the Atterbury Plot a conspiracy to restore the Stuart monarchy. When the plot was discovered Kelly was arrested. Because the government lacked enough evidence for a traditional treason conviction they passed an Act for Inflicting Pains and Penalties against him which led to the show trial where Kelly delivered the widely-circulated speech recorded in this pamphlet. This specific legislative act sentenced Kelly to life imprisonment and the forfeiture of all his property. Unlike a Bill of Attainder an Act of Pains and Penalties usually stopped short of the death penalty but bypassed the need for a jury trial. After 14 years in the Tower of London Kelly famously escaped in 1736 fled to France. It was a dramatic feat; he reportedly walked out in a disguise after his captors became lax over a decade into his life sentence. His presence as one of the "Seven Men of Moidart"-the small group that accompanied Prince Charles Edward Stuart to Scotland in 1745-cements his role as one of the most persistent and effective Jacobite agents of the 18th century. The imprint "A. Moore" is a classic bibliographical "red herring." During this period printers used fictitious imprints to avoid prosecution for seditious libel. "A. Moore" often punning on "Amour" or simply "more" copies was a common pseudonym used for controversial polit. unknown
1794Best.-Nr. 788761794. New York: Re-printed by James Carey 1794. New York: Re-printed by James Carey 1794. A Member of the "Scottish Martyrs to Liberty" Trial. Margarot Maurice Defendant 1745-1815. The Trial of Maurice Margarot Before the High Court of Justiciary At Edinburgh On the 13th and 14th of January 1794 On an Indictment for Seditious Practices. Taken in Shorthand by Mr. Ramsey. New York: London: Printed. New-York: Re-Printed by James Carey no. 91 Broad-street 1794. 166 pp. Portrait frontispiece of Margarot. Octavo 8-1/4" x 5". Disbound stab-stitched pamphlet. Moderate toning light soiling to exterior occasional light foxing frontispiece and title page just starting to separate at head but secure. $250. Only New York edition reprinted from the London edition of the same year. Margarot was one of the founding members of the London Corresponding Society a radical group inspired by the French Revolution to demand parliamentary reform in the late eighteenth century. Due to the wave of anti-radical and anti-French hysteria initiated by the French Revolution he and four other radicals later known as the "Scottish Martyrs to Liberty" were convicted and transported to Australia in May 1794. English Short-Title Catalogue W20960. unknown
1794Best.-Nr. 779351794. New York: Re-printed by James Carey 1794. New York: Re-printed by James Carey 1794. A Member of the "Scottish Martyrs to Liberty" Trial. Margarot Maurice Defendant 1745-1815. The Trial of Maurice Margarot Before the High Court of Justiciary At Edinburgh On the 13th and 14th of January 1794 On an Indictment for Seditious Practices. Taken in Shorthand by Mr. Ramsey. New York: London: Printed.-New-York: Re-Printed by James Carey no. 91 Broad-street 1794. 166 pp. Portrait frontispiece laid-in between pp. 52-53. Octavo 8-1/2" x 5-1/4". Disbound stab-stitched pamphlet. Light browning occasional light foxing light edgewear to several leaves first and final few leaves separating but secure. $250. Only New York edition reprinted from the London edition of the same year. Margarot was one of the founding members of the London Corresponding Society a radical group inspired by the French Revolution to demand parliamentary reform in the late eighteenth century. Due to the wave of anti-radical and anti-French hysteria initiated by the French Revolution he and four other radicals later known as the "Scottish Martyrs to Liberty" were convicted and transported to Australia in May 1794. English Short-Title Catalogue W20960. unknown
1793Best.-Nr. 731901793. Highly Politicized Trial of Scottish Radical Who Promoted Thomas Paine's Rights of Man Trial. Muir Thomas 1765-1798 Defendant. The Trial of Thomas Muir Younger of Huntershill Before the High Court of Justiciary At Edinburgh: On Friday the 30th of August 1793: On a Charge of Sedition. From the Records of the Court And Notes of the Evidence Taken During the Trial: To Which are Added The Speeches of the Lord Advocate Mr Muir And the Lord Justice Clerk Addressed to the Jury. Edinburgh: Printed for James Simpson and J. Hamilton 1793. iv 105 1 pp. Octavo 9" x 5-3/4". Disbound edges untrimmed. Moderate toning somewhat heavier in places occasional light foxing light soiling in a few places final leaf detaching slightly at foot but secure. $250. Second expanded edition. Scots radical Thomas Muir an advocate was an ardent supporter of the American and French Revolutions and a proponent of comprehensive parliamentary reform in Great Britain. His activities in Great Britain and France eventually led to a highly politicized trial on sedition charges in 1793. In the end Muir was found guilty of distributing and promoting Thomas Paine's The Rights of Man. He was sentenced to fourteen years transportation to the Australian penal colony of Botany Bay. He had a remarkable escape but his health was ruined and he died soon afterwards. OCLC locates 7 copies of this edition 4 in North America Columbia Newberry Library University of Rochester Washington State Law Library. English Short-Title Catalogue T175339. unknown
1834Best.-Nr. 734791834. Scottish Criminal Conversation Trial Interesting for Issues Concerning Intercepted Letters Trial. Murray William Defendant. Report of Trial in the Action of Damages for Crim. Con.: Poor Alexander Bell Teacher Dundee Versus William Murray Now or Lately Rector of the Dundee Academy Taken in Short-Hand; Containing a Discussion Upon the Law of Intercepted Correspondence. Edinburgh: s.n. 1834. 63 pp. Octavo 8-1/2" x 5". Stab-stitched pamphlet bound into recent quarter cloth over marbled boards printed title to spine. Light soiling to cloth and negligible wear to corners front hinge cracked rear hinge starting at ends printed shelfmark and residue from removed bookplate to inner front board. Light toning to interior light foxing in a few places. A nice copy of a scarce title. $250. Only edition. This trial involved a teacher who was allegedly cuckolded by the rector of his school. The plaintiff's case rested on the admissibility of a letter said to have been sent by the wife to Murray but not received by him. OCLC locates 14 copies 7 in North American law libraries. Catalogue of the Library of the Harvard Law School 1909 II:1015. unknown
1833Best.-Nr. 573241833. A Scarce Scottish Defamation Case Trial. Nairne James 1782-1847 Defendant. The Trial Before the Lord President of the Court of Session Lord Mackenzie And a Special Jury Taken in Shorthand Of the Issues in the Action of Damages at the Instance of Lady Ramsay Widow of the Late Colonel Sir Thomas Ramsay of Balmain Baronet Against James Nairne W.S. For Falsehood and Defamation; Containing the Speeches of Counsel and Charge of the Lord President With the Whole Evidence And an Appendix of Letters and Documents. Edinburgh: Published for the pursuer by W. and R. Chambers; London: Orr and Smith 1833. iv 234 80 pp. Quarto 11-1/4" x 9". Original three-quarter cloth over paper-covered boards rebacked retaining original spine and printed paper title label hinges mended untrimmed edges. Some rubbing a few stains to boards early owner signature of John Osbourne Browne Esq. to front. Annotations in contemporary hand to foot of table of contents interior otherwise clean. Ex-library. Shelf number to foot of spine bookplate to front pastedown date-due sheet and label to front free endpaper. A nice copy of a scarce title. $250. Only edition. A highly detailed record of a case involving accusations of marital infidelity by a colleague of Lady Ramsay's late husband. Lady Ramsay prevailed; the jury determined that her "character" was "perfectly pure and unsullied" and awarded her damages of 200 pounds sterling. 234. OCLC locates 10 copies in North American law libraries. Catalogue of the Library of Harvard Law School 1909 II:1171. unknown
1856Best.-Nr. 847541856. Well-Illustrated Contemporary Account of a Famous London Poisoning Trial Trial. Palmer William 1824-1856 Defendant. Illustrated and Unabridged Edition of The Times Report of the Trial of William Palmer for Poisoning John Parsons Cook At Rugeley. From the Short-Hand Notes Taken in the Central Court from Day to Day. London: Ward and Lock 158 Fleet Street 1856. 184 pp. Folding frontispiece woodcut illustrations throughout text several full-page advertisements to wrappers. Report of the final day of the trial and its verdict clipped from the London Times January 14 1856 laid in. Octavo 8-1/4" x 5-1/2"; 20.95 x 13.97 cm. Stab-stitched pamphlet in printed wrappers. Binding slightly cocked light soiling edgewear and a few tiny stains to wrappers creasing to spine moderate wear to spine ends. Moderate toning to interior light browning to sections light soiling to title page lower corner lacking from frontispiece with minor loss to image. A very good copy overall. $250. Only edition. Also known as the Rugeley Poisoner or the Prince of Poisoners Palmer was a physician who abandoned his practice to own and breed racehorses which often put him in financial difficulty. As a full-blown sociopath he saw murder as a convenient way to restore his finances. In order to collect on their life insurance policies he poisoned his brother wife his mother-in-law and four of his children who were killed before their first birthdays. He also defrauded a friend John Cook when he was poisoning him and cheated his wealthy mother out of thousands of pounds. He was finally convicted in 1855 for murdering Cook and was executed the following year. Davenport-Hines "Palmer William Called the Rugeley Poisoner" Oxford Dictionary of National Biography accessed online. British Museum Catalogue Compact Edition 19:281. unknown
1806Best.-Nr. 829611806. London: M. Gurney Bookseller Holborn-Hill 1806. London: M. Gurney Bookseller Holborn-Hill 1806. With an Interesting Manuscript Note Trial. Patch Richard Defendant c.1770-1806. Gurney Joseph 1744-1815 Reporter. Gurney William Brodie 1777-1855 Reporter. The Trial of Richard Patch for the Wilful Murder of Isaac Blight At Rotherhithe On the 23d of September 1805. At the Session House Newington Surrey On Saturday the Fifth of April 1806. Taken in Short-Hand. London: Sold by M. Gurney Bookseller Holborn-Hill 1806. 197 3 pp. Folding frontispiece "Plan of the Premises of the Late Mr. Blight". Publisher advertisement to verso of final leaf. Octavo 8" x 5"; 20.25 x 12.5 cm. Recent cloth gilt title and publication date to spine marbled edges endpapers renewed. A few faint finger smudges spine ends lightly bumped. Moderate toning and light foxing to interior a few creases and short tears and a corner fold to frontispiece later manuscript leaf in a neat hand affixed to its verso. A very good copy. $250. Second and final edition of two issues. Patch the eldest son of a smuggler had been forced to mortgage his Exeter farm and subsequently fled to London in order to dodge his creditors. While there he met Blight a ship-breaker who proposed that he become a partner in the business. Patch agreed but lacked the money to pay for his share and killed Blight instead. In passing sentence the judge told Patch: "you began this practice in fraud continued it in ingratitude and completed it by shedding the blood of your friend and benefactor." The long manuscript note on the affixed leaf discusses whether "the proposed change allowing the Defence of Prisoners by Counsel is not needed" with reference to this case. Its author rejects this proposal. The note concludes with a reference to the Second Report of the Royal Commission on the Criminal Law 1836. The first Gurney edition was published in 1805 and reissued in 1806. British Museum Catalogue Compact Edition 11:313. unknown
1679Best.-Nr. 727661679. A Victim of the Popish Plot Trial. Popish Plot. Richard Langhorne Defendant c.1624-1679. The Tryall of Richard Langhorn Esq; Counsellor at Law: For Conspiring the Death of the King Subversion of the Government And Protestant Religion. Who Upon Full Evidence was Found Guilty of High Treason And Received Sentence Accordingly At the Sessions in the Old-Bayley Holden for London and Middlesex On Saturday Being the 14th. of June 1679. Published by Authority. London: Printed for H. Hills et al. 1679. ii 41 44-68 2 pp. Collates complete quire M paginated 41 44 45 44. Folio 12-1/2" x 7". Stab-stitched pamphlet bound into recent quarter morocco over marbled boards. Light fading to morocco light rubbing to bottom edge. Moderate toning to interior light foxing and soiling in a few places illegible early marks to front endleaf and head of title page later small stamped "5" to front endleaf. A handsome copy. $250. Only edition. One of the cruelest hoaxes in British history and one that led to a wave of anti-Catholic violence the Popish Plot was the invention of Titus Oates an Anglican clergyman and his friend Dr. Israel Tonge a cleric and passionate anti-Catholic. They pretended to have discovered a Jesuit plot to assassinate the King massacre Protestants and set James Duke of York the King's Catholic brother on the throne. Langhorne was a Roman Catholic and had provided legal and financial advice to Jesuits in London. He was convicted of treason and executed and beatified as a Catholic martyr in 1929 by Pius XI. English Short-Title Catalogue R1705. unknown
1830Best.-Nr. 729131830. Edinburgh: Printed for Daniel Lizars 1830. Edinburgh: Printed for Daniel Lizars 1830. A Notable Scottish Estate Case Trial. Roy Robert Defendant. MacGregor Simon Reporter. Dundonnell Cause. Report of the Trial by Jury Thomas Mackenzie Esq. Against Robert Roy Esq. W.S. Reported by Simon MacGregor. May 11 1830. Edinburgh: Printed for Daniel Lizars by Ballantyne and Co. 1830. 84 pp. Octavo 8-1/2" x 5-1/4". Stab-stitched pamphlet bound into recent period-style three-quarter calf over marbled boards raised bands and lettering piece to spine. Light rubbing to board edges. Light toning to interior light foxing and soiling in a few places. $250. Only edition. Roy a Scottish lawyer was accused of swindling an estate from his client Kenneth Mackenzie of Dundonnell by Mackenzie's son Thomas. The trial attracted several notable legal names among them Henry Cockburn who had secured an acquittal for Helen McDougal in the famous Burke and Hare murder trial the year before. His jury address and the exchanges between counsel are well-documented in our account. The jury was split and a second trial was held in January 1831 which resulted in Roy's conviction. OCLC locates 10 copies of this title 4 in North America Library of Congress University of Minnesota Law Harvard Law Los Angeles County Law. unknown
1689Best.-Nr. 536261689. The Legality of Lord Russell's Trial Trial. Rye House Plot. Atkyns Sir Robert 1621-1709. A Defence of the Late Lord Russel's Innocency By Way of An Answer or Confutation of a Libellous Pamphlet Intituled An Antidote Against Poyson; With Two Letters of the Author of This Book Upon the Subject of His Lordship's Tryal. Together with an Argument in the Great Case Concerning Elections of Members to Parliament Between Sr Samuel Barnardiston Bar. Plaintiff And Sr Will. Soames Sheriff of Suffolk Defend' in the Court of King's-Bench In an Action Upon the Case And Afterwards by Error Sued in the Exchequer-Chamber. London: Printed for Timothy Goodwin 1689. iii 51 pp. Title page preceded by advertisement leaf. Argument in the Great Case preceded by divisional title page. Folio 12" x 7". Disbound text secure. Some edgewear and soiling to first and final leaves worming through upper margins of most leaves with no loss to text. Toning small faint stains to a few leaves internally clean. $250. First edition. This is a reply to a pamphlet by Sir Bartholomew Shower that defended the legal position of the Russell trial. Atkyns was Russell's legal advisor. Russell 1639-1683 was implicated in and ultimately executed due to his supposed involvement in the Rye House Plot a plan to assassinate King Charles II and his brother and heir to the throne James Duke of York devised by a group of Whigs. Some historians believe this plot was largely fabricated by Charles II as a way to destroy the Whigs most notably Russell and Algernon Sydney 1623-1683 who were convicted and executed on the basis of flimsy evidence. English Short-Title Catalogue R4958. unknown
1710Best.-Nr. 651451710. A Triumph for Tories and High-Churchmen Trial. Sacheverell Henry 1674-1724 Defendant. The Tryal of Dr. Henry Sacheverell Before the House of Peers For High Crimes and Misdemeanors; Upon an Impeachment by the Knights Citizens and Burgesses in Parliament Assembled In the Name of Themselves And of All the Commons of Great Britain: Begun in Westminster-Hall the 27th Day of February 1709/10 And from Thence Continued by Several Adjournments Until the 23d Day of March Following. Published by Order of the House of Peers. London: Printed for Jacob Tonson 1710. 456 pp. Bound with The Bishop of Salisbury's And the Bishop of Oxford's Speeches in the House of Lords On the First Article of the Impeachment of Dr. Henry Sacheverell; Also the Bishop of Lincoln's and Bishop of Norwich's Speeches At the Opening of the Second Article of the Said Impeachment. London: Printed And Sold by John Morphew Near Stationers-Hall 1710. 16; 16; 2 35-52; 53-63 1 pp. Four parts each with title page first three parts have individual pagination. And An Impartial Account of What Pass'd Most Remarkable in the Last Session of Parliament Relating to the Case of Dr. Henry Sacheverell. Done on Such Another Paper and Letter And May Therefore be Bound up with the Tryal of the Said Doctor sic London: Printed for Jacob Tonson at Grays-Inn Gate in Grays-Inn-Lane 1710. 47 1 pp. And A List of the Lords Who Protested Against Some Proceedings In Relation to the Case of Dr. Henry Sacheverell In the House of Peers; with Their Lordships Reasons for Entring Their Protestations. London: S.n. Printed in the Year 1710. 15 1 pp. Octavo 7-1/2" x 4-1/2". Recent period-style marbled boards printed paper title label to spine speckled edges. Light toning to text internally clean. An appealing copy. $250. First octavo editions each one among several issues from 1710. The volume collects a group of four fundamental documents relating to the ideological controversy between Whigs and Tories. Dr. Henry Sacheverell was impeached for preaching two sermons that advocated the Tory doctrines of non-resistance and passive obedience. His punishment was unique. He was not allowed to preach for three years but he was allowed to perform other clerical functions and a. unknown
1681Best.-Nr. 806151681. Treason Trial of a Founding Member of the Whig Party Trial. Shaftesbury Anthony Ashley Cooper Earl of 1621-1683. The Proceedings at the Sessions House in the Old-Baily London on Thursday the 24th Day of November 1681. Before His Majesties Commissioners of Oyer and Terminer Upon the Bill of Indictment for High-Treason Against Anthony Earl of Shaftsbury. Published by His Majestie Special Command. London: Printed for Samuel Mearne and John Baker 1681. iv 48 pp. With initial blank leaf. Folio 11" x 6-3/4". Disbound stab-stitched pamphlet spine discreetly reinforced with archival tissue. Moderate toning negligible light foxing in a few places light browning to edges of margins light soiling and a few minor stains to exterior folds and light wear to corners of several leaves faint smudge to head of leaf B1 p.1. $250. Only edition. A founder of the Whig party and an important patron of John Locke Shaftesbury was a prominent English politician during the Interregnum and reign of King Charles II. He was an outspoken supporter of the Exclusion Bill which was intended to exclude the Catholic James II from ascending the thrones of England Scotland and Ireland. Shaftesbury was arrested for high treason by the Tory leadership after the failure of the bill in 1681. The prosecution was dropped several months later. However in 1682 after the Tories had gained the ability to pack London juries Shaftesbury fled the country to avoid a second trial. He died in Amsterdam in 1683. English Short-Title Catalogue R21380. unknown
1792Best.-Nr. 812901792. An Important 1792 Trial Related to an Election From the Library of Anne Renier Trial. Tooke John Horne 1736-1812 Defendant. Fox Charles James 1749-1806 Plaintiff. Johnson Joseph 1738-1809 Publisher. Proceedings in an Action for Debt Between the Right Honorable Charles James Fox Plaintiff And John Horne Tooke Esq. Defendant. Published by the Defendant. London: Printed for and Sold by the Booksellers 1792. 39 1 pp. Octavo 8-1/4" x 5-1/4". Disbound stab-stitched pamphlet. Moderate toning light foxing light rubbing to extremities final two leaves partially detached owner name "Renier" to verso of title page owner initials "AR" to verso of final leaf. $250. First edition one of two issues from 1792. This was a legally and politically important trial. Tooke one of the great English radicals of the period opposed Fox in the Westminster elections of 1790. Defeated by a large majority he petitioned the House of Commons for redress based on allegations of riotous conduct by the electors. The action was declared frivolous and Tooke was sued by Fox for 198 damage. To make matters worse under the 1789 law against vexatious suits Tooke was held liable as well for costs. The trial heard before Lord Kenyon gave Tooke a platform from which he condemned Parliamentary corruption and spoke eloquently against the severe limitations imposed upon juries in this and other trials of a similar nature--from a legal point of view perhaps the most interesting feature of the trial. Counsel for Fox was Thomas Erskine. Despite its topicality this pamphlet had an unusually long history; it was re-issued in 1793 1812 1815 and 1819. This copy belonged to Anne Renier 1911-1988. She and her husband Fernand Gabriel Renier 1905-1988 were important collectors of popular books pamphlets and ephemera. English Short-Title Catalogue N11983. unknown
1831Best.-Nr. 833811831. Trial Relating to an Important Event of the July Monarchy With a Presentation Inscription from the Primary Defendant Trial. Valerius Philippe Primary Defendant. Proces du Service Funebre Celebre le 14 Fevrier 1831 a Saint-Germain-l'Auxerrois. Accusation Contre MM. Valerius Durouchoux Fils Boblet Quinel et de Balthasar. Paris: Chez G.A. Dentu Imprimeur-Libraire No 21; Et Palais-Royal Galerie d'Orleans No 13 1831. xxi 128 pp. Octavo 8-1/2" x 5-1/4"; 21.5 x 13 cm. Pamphlet in stiff wrappers bound into later quarter cloth over marbled boards calf lettering piece and gilt ornaments and publication date to spine fragment of ribbon marker publisher advertisement to rear wrapper. A few minor nicks to boards moderate rubbing to extremities some wear to corners and edges of lettering piece pictorial bookplate of Paul Lacombe to front pastedown. Moderate toning and light foxing to interior creases and corner folds to a few leaves offsetting from bookplate to front free endpaper presentation inscription from Valerius to title page. A very good copy with interesting associations. $250. Only edition. A report of a turning point in the Reign of King Louis-Philippe I also known as the July Monarchy 1830-1848: the trial that followed the failed 1831 uprising against the king a member of the House of Orleans provoked by Legitimists people who denied the legitimacy of a non-Bourbon monarch. This event was sparked by a politically charged memorial service for the Bourbon Duke of Berry who was assassinated in 1820. It ended with the repression of the Legitimists. The wry inscription reads "offered by the accused Valerius." A fervent Legitimist he was a primary organizer and financier of the memorial ceremony which was seen by government as an incitement to riot. Valerius and his co-defendants were ultimately acquitted. This copy was later acquired by Lacombe 1834-1919 an important Parisian archivist and historian who was also a notable bibliophile. This is a scarce title. OCLC locates 2 copies in North America Harvard University of Michigan. unknown
1794Best.-Nr. 688001794. taken in short-hand by Joseph Gurney. taken in short-hand by Joseph Gurney. Treason Trial of a Notable Manchester Cotton Merchant and Political Radical Trial. Walker Thomas 1749-1817 Principal Defendant. Gurney Joseph 1744-1815 Reporter. The Whole Proceedings on the Trial of an Indictment Against Thomas Walker of Manchester Merchant William Paul Samuel Jackson James Cheetham Oliver Pearsall Benjamin Booth And Joseph Collier; For a Conspiracy to Overthrow the Constitution and Government And to Aid and Assist the French Being the King's Enemies in Case they Should Invade this Kingdom. Tried at the Assizes at Lancaster April 2 1794 Before the Hon. Mr. Justice Heath One of the Judges of His Majesty's Court of Common Pleas. Taken in Short-Hand by Joseph Gurney. Manchester: Printed for T. Boden 1794. xvi 134 2 pp. With a half-title and errata leaf. Octavo 7-3/4" x 4-3/4". Later library cloth calf lettering piece to spine. Light soiling and shelfwear light chipping to edges of lettering piece. Moderate toning to text somewhat heavier in places light foxing to a few leaves library stamp to title page library mark in pencil to verso. $250. Only edition. A cotton merchant by trade Walker was a well-connected radical and social reformer. His circle of friends and acquaintances included Thomas Paine Charles James Fox Josiah Wedgwood Joseph Priestley and John Horne Tooke. He and his friends aroused suspicion during the anti-radical hysteria in Great Britain that followed the outbreak of the French Revolution. That was the basis of the treason trial of Walker and several of his associates. The defence was conducted by Thomas Erskine. The trial showed that the evidence was perjured so the charge was abandoned. English Short-Title Catalogue T81558. unknown
1795Best.-Nr. 789051795. Edinburgh: Printed for William Brown 1795. Edinburgh: Printed for William Brown 1795. The Trial of a Would-Be Revolutionary Trial. Watt Robert c.1761-1794 Defendant. Trial of Robert Watt For High Treason Before the Court Under the Special Commission of Oyer and Terminer Held at Edinburgh. Taken in Short Hand by Mr. Blanchard Revised by the Counsel on Both Sides And Published with the Permission of the Court. Edinburgh: Printed for William Brown 1795. ii 364 pp. Folding plate illustrating pikes found in Watt's possession. Octavo 8-1/4" x 4-3/4". Contemporary calf gilt fillets to spine lettering piece lacking blind tooling to board edges. Light rubbing and a few small nicks and scratches to boards which are slightly bowed and separated but secured by cords faint dampstain to front board moderate rubbing to extremities shelf location in ink to foot of spine corners bumped and worn faint offsetting to preliminaries front free endpaper loosening but secure. Light toning to interior light soiling in a few places edgewear and light creasing to folding plate brief recent ink annotation to title page. $250. Only edition. Watt a wine merchant and political radical was the architect of a somewhat confused plot to establish Scotland as an independent country. After a search of his house turned up a number of pikes and the type for a seditious handbill he was arrested and tried for treason. A co-conspirator was pardoned but Watt was not so lucky. He was convicted and sentenced to be hanged and beheaded despite the jury's recommendation of mercy. The sentence reflected the court's opinion of the severity of Watt's crime. It was also intended to be a warning to other radicals. English Short-Title Catalogue N013806. unknown
Best.-Nr. DADAX3319679333New unknown
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1682Best.-Nr. 144001682. De Vries Simon. Persian royal court scene 1682 depicts kingship judgment and punishment in a European publication describing Persia and other regions of Asia Africa and the Americas. Issued during the Safavid period the scene places a Persian ruler above assembled courtiers and judges while a kneeling governor is restrained before him presenting Dutch readers with a visual account of royal authority and judicial punishment in seventeenth-century Persia. De Vries compiled his extensive geographical work from earlier travel and eyewitness accounts rather than presenting it as the record of his own travels. De Vries Simon. Curieuse aenmerckingen der bysonderste Oost en West-Indische verwonderens-waerdige dingen; nevens die van China Africa en andere gewesten des werelds. Utrecht: Johannes Ribbius 1682. Original etching on laid watermarked paper. Image 6" x 7.5"; overall sheet 8.25" x 6.5". A Persian king occupies an elevated carpeted throne above an assembly of courtiers and judges. Below him a governor kneels while another figure restrains him establishing punishment as the central action of the composition. Most of the assembled figures wear turbans and long garments; several others have markedly different European-style headwear. Through an architectural opening additional guards appear within the palace setting. Small numbers incorporated into the composition correspond to explanatory text printed in early Dutch above the image linking individual figures and actions to De Vries's written account. Published at Utrecht by Johannes Ribbius De Vries's Curieuse aenmerckingen appeared in four parts in 1682 and compiled European accounts of geography customs religion government and court practices across numerous regions. Bibliographic records confirm both the four-part publication and its substantial series of engraved plates. The present scene documents how Persian royal government and judicial authority were explained pictorially to a late seventeenth-century Dutch readership with the numbered key allowing the image to be interpreted alongside the accompanying text. Uncut as published; overall excellent condition. The watermark surviving margins numbered explanatory system and detailed court scene preserve material and textual evidence of the engraving's original use as an illustration within De Vries's 1682 geographical compilation. unknown
Best.-Nr. DADAX1784416800New unknown