3,536 results
1794ref. 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
1794ref. 788791794. 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" x 5". Disbound stab-stitched pamphlet. Light browning faint dampstaining to bottom edge occasional light foxing frontispiece and title page separating at foot but light soiling to exterior occasional light foxing light edgewear to frontispiece which is just starting to separate at head with title page but secure. $200. 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. Cohen Bibliography of Early American Law 13350. unknown
1794ref. 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
1870ref. 780131870. An Important Case in the Development of "Partial Insanity" Jurisprudence Trial. McFarland Daniel b.1820 Defendant. Cazauran Augustus R. 1820-1889 Reporter. The Trial of Daniel McFarland for the Shooting of Albert D. Richardson The Alleged Seducer of His Wife. By a Practical Law Reporter. Containing a Comprehensive History of the Case.Together with the Letters Etc. Offered in Evidence With Full and Unabridged Testimony of All the Witnesses; Together With the Evidence Suppressed by the Daily Press. New York: W.E. Hilton Publisher 1870. 209 31 pp. Text in double columns. Four woodcut plates one of them two-paged. Advertisement to rear wrapper and verso of front wrapper. Octavo 8-3/4" x 5-3/4"; 22.2 x 14.6 cm. Stab-stitched pamphlet with pictorial wrappers bound into later cloth gilt title and publication date to spine. Light rubbing to extremities spine ends bumped light fading to edges of boards. Moderate edgewear and some soiling to wrappers light toning to text with light foxing in a few places. $750. Only edition one of two issues both in 1870. Daniel McFarland was a hard-drinking drifter and Tammany Hall hack. He flew into a jealous rage when he learned that his ex-wife Abby a famous actress and writer was planning to marry Albert Richardson a popular author and editor at the New York Tribune. Claiming that he was defending his wife's honor even though they were already divorced McFarland shot Richardson at his office. On his deathbed Richardson was married to Abby McFarland by the distinguished minister Henry Ward Beecher. The defense mounted a campaign to vilify Richardson as a seducer and to portray McFarland as a defender of honor and marriage. "Hovering in the background of the trial was the controversial 'unwritten law' that a husband could kill his wife's seducer in the 'heat of passion' without being convicted of murder. McFarland's lawyers drew upon and in the process shaped this evolving 'privilege of irresponsible killing.'.Defense lawyers described McFarland's mental condition as one of 'partial insanity.' They.contrasted this image of a delicate husband with a portrait of a powerful wife-a 'wicked woman'-who yearned for money fame and independence. According to defense lawyers Abby.betrayed and humiliated McFarland" and was thus herself "resp. unknown
1818ref. 728811818. Edinburgh: Printed for Manners and Miller 1818. Edinburgh: Printed for Manners and Miller 1818. "For Administering Unlawful Oaths" Trial. McKinley Andrew 1799-1817 Defendant. The Trial of Andrew McKinley Before The High Court of Justiciary At Edinburgh On the 18th Day of July 1817 For Administering Unlawful Oaths. Edinburgh: Printed for Manners and Miller 1818. iv 70 pp. Octavo 7-3/4" x 5". Stab-stitched pamphlet in near-contemporary three-quarter calf over marbled boards gilt title to spine. Moderate rubbing to extremities with some wear to spine ends and corners front hinge cracked rear board separating but secure front hinge mended later owner bookplate of Norman and Janey Buchan to front pastedown. Light browning to interior light soiling to p. 70 and title page which has an owner signature of Andrew Snody likely Andrew Snody SSC c.1795-1881 dated 1858 to the upper outside corner. $650. Only edition. Intended to suppress radicalism the Unlawful Oaths Act of 1812 c.104. 52 Geo. 3 prescribed the death penalty for anyone guilty of "administering of any oath or engagement purporting or intending to bind the person taking the same to commit any treason or murder or any felony punishable by law with death." McKinley was tried under this act and ultimately acquitted for his role in an unsuccessful 1817 labor uprising one of many instigated by the economic depression that followed the Napoleonic Wars. These uprisings culminated in the Cato Street Conspiracy and Radical War or Scottish Insurrection a week of strikes and unrest in Scotland England and Ireland. OCLC locates 6 copies 1 in North America University of Pennsylvania Law School. Catalogue of the Library of the Harvard Law School 1909 II:1137. unknown
1793ref. 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
1815ref. 731031815. London 1815. London 1815. A Controversial 1815 Court Martial of One of Wellington's Generals Trial. Murray John Defendant. Gurney William Brodie 1777-1855 Reporter. The Trial of Lieutenant General Sir John Murray Bart. By a General Court Martial Held at Winchester On Monday the 16th of January 1815 And Continued by Adjournment Till Monday the 6th of February 1815. Taken in Short Hand. London: Printed for T. Egerton 1815. vii 562 2 pp. followed by 8 blank ff. added by binder. Woodcut folding map. Octavo 9-1/4" x 5-7/8". Contemporary three-quarter calf over marbled boards blind fillets to calf edges gilt-edged raised bands blind fillets and gilt-stamped title to spine edges rouged. Moderate rubbing to boards and extremities light wear to spine ends and corners which are bumped front joint just starting at head hinges cracked faint offsetting from plate to preliminaries. Light toning to interior light foxing to first third of text block ms. index in an early hand to first added blank. $350. Only edition. Murray was court-martialed for his mishandling of an engagement with Napoleon's army in Tarragona during the Peninsular War 1807-1814. A highly debated trial it resulted in Murray's acquittal of all charges except one: abandoning his cannon. That charge was later dismissed. Overall it seems that Murray's performance was marred by incompetence and cowardice. Many believed so at the time including Prince Regent George IV who denied Murray's petition to become a member of the Order of the Bath. OCLC locates 7 copies in North American law libraries Harvard LA County Library of Congress University of Minnesota US Army Judge Advocate General's Legal Center and School Yale. Catalogue of the Library of the Harvard Law School 1909 II:1149. unknown
1815ref. 684441815. London 1815. London 1815. A Controversial 1815 Court Martial of One of Wellington's Generals Trial. Murray John Defendant. Gurney William Brodie 1777-1855 Reporter. The Trial of Lieutenant General Sir John Murray Bart. By a General Court Martial Held at Winchester On Monday the 16th of January 1815 And Continued by Adjournment Till Monday the 6th of February 1815. Taken in Short Hand. London: Printed for T. Egerton 1815. vii 562 pp. Woodcut folding map. Octavo 9-1/4" x 5-7/8". Later library cloth red and black lettering pieces and paper location label to spine. Some shelfwear and soiling with wear to lettering pieces hinges cracked front free endpaper detached partial vertical tear to folding map along fold line. Moderate toning and light foxing to text marks and annotations in early hand to several leaves light soiling and two faint library inkstamps to title page. $350. Only edition. Murray was court-martialed for his mishandling of an engagement with Napoleon's army in Tarragona during the Peninsular War 1807-1814. A highly debated trial it resulted in Murray's acquittal of all charges except one: abandoning his cannon. That charge was later dismissed. Overall it seems that Murray's performance was marred by incompetence and cowardice. Many believed so at the time including Prince Regent George IV who denied Murray's petition to become a member of the Order of the Bath. OCLC locates 6 copies in North American law libraries Harvard LA County Library of Congress University of Minnesota US Army Judge Advocate General's Legal Center and School. Yale Catalogue of the Library of the Harvard Law School 1909 II:1149. unknown
1765ref. 752861765. Incest and Murder in Edinburgh Trial. Nairn Katharine Defendant. Ogilvie Patrick d.1765 Defendant. The Trial of Katharine Nairn and Patrick Ogilvie For the Crimes of Incest and Murder. Containing the Whole Procedure of the High Court of Judiciary Upon the 5th 12th 13th 14th 15th And 16th Days of August 1765. Edinburgh: Printed by Auld and Smellie 1765. 200 pp. Lacking final advertisement leaf. Octavo 8" x 4-1/2". Recent cloth gilt fillets and title to spine endpapers renewed. Light toning to interior occasional light soiling light foxing in a few places very faint dampstaining to bottom margin of pp. 13-26 clean tear to bottom of leaf K2 pp. 79-80 upper corner of leaf Aa2 pp. 191-192 lacking text not affected. Early ink corrections to pp. 51 and 137 early pencil annotations and corrections throughout. $500. One of two 1765 Edinburgh editions. In January 1765 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 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. Placed in a lower-security section of the prison she took an opportunity to escape and fled to France. She was never apprehended. This trial was the subject of a volume in the Notable British Trials series edited by William Roughead. An interesting feature of our copy is the extensive annotations and corrections in an early hand likely by the printer. This may have been done in preparation for another edition that does not appear to have come to pass. English Short-Title Catalogue T51693. unknown
1765ref. 756271765. London: T. Becket and P.A. de Hondt 1765. London: T. Becket and P.A. de Hondt 1765. Incest and Murder in Edinburgh Trial. Nairn Katharine Defendant. Ogilvie Patrick d.1765 Defendant. The Trial of Katharine Nairn and Patrick Ogilvie For the Crimes of Incest and Murder. Containing the Whole Procedure of the High Court of Judiciary 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. vii 134 pp. Octavo 7-1/2" x 4-1/2". Later library cloth gilt title and publication date to spine endpapers renewed. Light shelfwear later owner bookplate of Stoughton R. Vogel 1907-1966 to front pastedown. Moderate toning to interior page numbers affected in a few places by trimming faint stain to pp. 40-41 soiling to half-title "2" in early hand to heads of half-title and title pages manuscript table of contents in early hand to foot of p. 134. $650. Only London edition published the same year as the only Edinburgh edition. In January 1765 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 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. Placed in a lower-security section of the prison she took an opportunity to escape and fled to France. She was never apprehended. This case was the subject of a volume in the Notable British Trials series edited by William Roughead. Vogel was a Philadelphia physician and book collector traits reflected in the unique design of his bookplate. English Short-Title Catalogue T51693. unknown
1765ref. 713361765. London: T. Becket and P.A. de Hondt 1765. London: T. Becket and P.A. de Hondt 1765. Incest and Murder in Edinburgh Trial. Nairn Katharine Defendant. Ogilvie Patrick d.1765 Defendant. The Trial of Katharine Nairn and Patrick Ogilvie For the Crimes of Incest and Murder. Containing the Whole Procedure of the High Court of Judiciary 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. vi 134 pp. Lacking half-title. Octavo 8-1/2" x 5". Stab-stitched pamphlet with untrimmed edges bound into nineteenth-century cloth-backed boards printed paper title panel to front board. Light soiling and a few minor stains moderate rubbing to extremities some wear to spine ends corners bumped and somewhat worn crack in text block between front free endpaper and title page. Moderate toning to text light foxing to a few leaves light staining to final few leaves of text light soiling to title page and blank verso of final leaf. $650. Only London edition published the same year of the only Edinburgh edition. In January 1765 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 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. Placed in a lower-security section of the prison she took an opportunity to escape and fled to France. She was never apprehended. This trial was the subject of a volume in the Notable British Trials series edited by William Roughead. English Short-Title Catalogue T51693. unknown
1833ref. 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
1793ref. 759751793. The Trial of a "Scottish Martyr" Trial. Palmer Thomas Fyshe 1747-1802 Defendant. The Trial of the Rev. Thomas Fyshe Palmer Before the Circuit Court of Justiciary Held at Perth On the 12th and 13th September 1793 On an Indictment for Seditious Practices. Taken in Court by Mr. Ramsey An Eminent Short-Hand Writer from London. With an Appendix. Edinburgh: Printed for W. Skirving 1793. 195 1 pp. Lacking portrait frontispiece. Octavo 8-1/4" x 5". Disbound stab-stitched pamphlet. Moderate toning light soiling and a few faint stains to exterior light foxing to a few leaves clean tear to leaf O3 pp. 109-110 affecting text without loss to legibility. $125. Only edition. Palmer an English minister and political reformer active in Scotland was convicted of sedition in 1793 for circulating a radical address to the public. Along with six other men referred to as the "Scottish Martyrs to Liberty" he was sentenced to seven years' transportation to Botany Bay. English Short-Title Catalogue T93757. unknown
1806ref. 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
1736ref. 684421736. Newcastle upon Tyne 1736. Newcastle upon Tyne 1736. Early Account of a Famous Scottish Murder Trial This Copy Includes Two Pages of Contemporary Manuscript Notes Trial. Porteous John 1695-1736 Defendant. The Trial of Capt. John Porteous Before the High Criminal Court Or Lords of Justiciary In Scotland; For Wounding and Killing Several Persons at a Late Execution of a Criminal In the Grass-Market at Edinburgh By Firing and Ordering his Men to Fire on the Spectators. Newcastle upon Tyne: Printed by John White 1736. 32 pp. Octavo 8-1/8" x 5-7/8". Stab-stitched pamphlet and two manuscript leaves in contemporary hand bound into later library cloth calf lettering piece and paper shelf label to spine. Light soiling some fading to spine chipping to edges of lettering piece. Light browning to text some soiling library inkstamps and early owner signature David Hilton to title page library marks to verso. $1500. This appears to be a reissue of an account published the same year in Edinburgh. Porteous was convicted of murder and sentenced to be hanged after soldiers under his command accidentally killed six people while trying to control a mob during an execution. Under pressure from Prime Minister Walpole his execution was deferred pending further investigation. Angered at what was perceived as English interference a mob dragged Porteous from prison and lynched him. More than a murder case this was a highly charged referendum on Scottish autonomy. The events surrounding this case are treated in the early chapters of Sir Walter Scott's novel The Heart of Mid-Lothian 1818. The carefully written manuscript notes appear to have been laid into this pamphlet. It discusses a 1737 Act of Parliament calling for the punishment of the people who lynched Porteous. No print copies located on OCLC. English Short-Title Catalogue T174154. unknown
1814ref. 684711814. London 1814. London 1814. The Great Stock Exchange Fraud of 1814 Trial. Random Charles Baron de Berenger Principal Defendant. Dundonald Thomas Cochrane Earl of 1775-1860 Principal Defendant. Gurney William Brodie 1777-1855 Reporter. The Trial of Charles Random de Berenger Sir Thomas Cochrane Commonly called Lord Cochrane The Hon. Andrew Cochrane Johnstone Richard Gathorne Butt Ralph Sandom Alexander M'Rae John Peter Holloway And Henry Lyte; For a Conspiracy In the Court of King's Bench Guildhall On Wednesday the 8th And Thursday the 9th of June 1814: With the Subsequent Proceedings in the Court of King's Bench; Taken in Short Hand. London: Sold by J. Butterworth and Son 1814. 604 4 pp. Folding table. Includes four-page publisher catalogue. Octavo 8-1/2" x 5-3/8". Later library cloth red and black calf lettering pieces to spine. Light shelfwear and some soiling. Light browning and foxing to text early owner signature Joseph Tate and faint library stamp to title page a few library annotations to verso another owner signature "Wm Green. 1843" at head of main text brief early annotations in a few places. $850. Only edition. Gurney's is the most detailed account of one of the greatest English fraud cases of the nineteenth century. In 1814 Berenger a Prussian aristocrat posing as an aide to Britain's ambassador to Russia announced that Napoleon had been killed by Russian Cossacks. This news caused stock prices to rise. After discovering that Berenger's news was a hoax which caused prices to drop investigators discovered that six men had profited substantially from the false information. All were alleged to have been conspirators with Berenger. One of these men was Cochrane a Member of Parliament an admiral and one of the greatest naval heroes of the Napoleonic Wars. The case against him was weak and circumstantial but he was to the surprise of many convicted sentenced to 12 months in prison fined 1000. and ordered to stand in the pillory opposite the Royal Exchange for one hour. In subsequent weeks he was dismissed from the Royal Navy and expelled from Parliament. On the orders of the Prince Regent Cochrane was humiliated by the loss of his appointment Knight of the Order of the Bath. A month later however Cochrane was re-elected unopposed and following a public outcry his sentence to th. unknown
1815ref. 786451815. A Deadly Riot at the Home of a Future Prime Minister Trial. Ripley James Primary Defendant. The Trial of James Ripley Richard Burton Robert Hebert And Richard Matthews For the Murder of Jane Watson At the Sessions House in the Old Bailey On Saturday the 8th of April 1815. Taken in Short Hand by Mr. W.B. Gurney Short-Hand Writer to Both Houses of Parliament. London: Printed for J. Hatchard 1815. 100 pp. Octavo 8" x 5". Stab-stitched pamphlet disbound and recently resewn spine reinforced with tissue. Light toning occasional light foxing small stains to a few leaves. $350. Only edition. Ripley was a butler and his fellow defendants soldiers. All were called upon to defend the house of Frederick John Robinson a senior trade minister and future Prime Minister after an angry mob gathered at his house; Robinson was the target of public ire for his sponsorship of the Corn Laws of 1815 which led to high grain prices that disproportionately burdened the poor. A woman was shot in the chaos and later died of her wounds. Ripley pled self-defense citing Hale Hawkins and Mansfield among others. He and his fellow defendants were acquitted. OCLC locates 7 copies of this title 2 in law libraries Library of Congress Harvard. British Museum Catalogue Compact Edition 21:691. unknown
1869ref. 684631869. London 1869. London 1869. "The Great Convent Trial" Trial. Star Mother Mary Joseph Defendant. Kennedy Mary Magdalen Sister Defendant. The Trial of Saurin v. Star and Another: In the Court of Queen's Bench Before the Lord Chief Justice and a Special Jury. An Action by a Sister of Mercy Against Her Superior for an Alleged Conspiracy to Cause her Expulsion. The Report Copied Verbatim from the Times. London: Diprose and Bateman 1869. ii 264 pp. Woodcut portrait frontispiece of Saurin. Octavo 8-1/2" x 5-1/2". Later library cloth red and black calf lettering pieces to spine. Light soiling and shelfwear a few minor stains minor edgewear to lettering pieces. Moderate toning to text minor tears to a few leaves faint embossed ink and library stamps to title page brief annotation to verso frontispiece detached and edgeworn just touching border of image title page partially detached. $350. Only edition. Mary Saurin Sister Mary Scholastica Joseph brought a case against her superior and another nun for assault and conspiracy to drive her from her convent and have her expelled from the order. Known as "the great convent trial" it was a sensational case that fueled contemporary prejudices against Catholics monastic orders and women. These themes are apparent in the Solicitor-General's opening remarks. This case shows "what women were capable of when they shut themselves up from their kind and did violence to the instincts of their nature and the great though mean and petty cruelty they could wreak upon a sister in the name of a religion of love" 2. The jury found in favor of the defendants on the counts of assault and for the plaintiff on the counts of libel and conspiracy to have her expelled from the convent. OCLC locates 6 copies in law libraries Harvard Northwestern UC-Berkeley and the Universities of Michigan Minnesota and Virginia. Catalogue of the Library of the Harvard Law School 1909 II:1182. unknown
1832ref. 729711832. Executed after a Failed Insurrection Trial. Scotland. Mackenzie Peter 1799-1875. Wilson James Defendant 1760-1820. The Trial of James Wilson For High Treason With an Account of His Execution at Glasgow September 1820 Etc. Etc. Now Respectfully Submitted to the Consideration of the Reformers of Glasgow By Their Faithful and Devoted Servant The Exposer of the Spy System &c. &c. Glasgow: Printed and Published by Muir Gowans & Co. 1832. 48 pp. 3 parts in one with continuous pagination. Octavo 8" x 5". Disbound stab-stitched pamphlet. Light toning more moderate to pp. 17-32 light foxing and soiling in a few places. $450. Only edition issued first as three parts and then a composite edition. Wilson a Scottish radical and would-be revolutionary led a march on Glasgow after being fed information by British government spies who claimed that England was in the midst of an insurrection and that the French were assisting the rebels. This was not the case and upon his return Wilson was arrested and executed in August of 1820. Mackenzie was a journalist who wrote about the British infiltration of radical networks. OCLC locates 11 copies of this title 4 in North America Harvard Princeton New York Public Library Queens University. Goldsmiths' Library of Economic Literature 27585. unknown
1874ref. 726231874. Otego N.Y.: Otego Job Printing 1874. Otego N.Y.: Otego Job Printing 1874. "Criminal Intercourse" in Otego NY Trial. Smith Charles S. Defendant. The Trial and Conviction of Charles S. Smith Of Otego N.Y. Elder of the Presbyterian Church Superintendent of the Sunday School And Trustee of the School District For Bastardy With Sketch of Lucy Edith Wilson His Victim A Girl Eleven Years and Five Months Old And One of His Sunday School Scholars. Otego NY: Otego Job Printing Office 1874. 60 pp. Octavo 9" x 5-3/4". Stab-stitched pamphlet in printed wrappers portrait of Charles S. Smith to front wrapper and title page. Light soiling to wrappers some chipping to extremities with loss to lower right front corner small tear to back wrapper near spine. Light toning to interior occasional light foxing some small folds to corners. $650. Only edition. Smith a married Presbyterian elder was put on trial in December 1873 for repeatedly raping and ultimately impregnating Edith Wilson an eleven-year-old girl. Although the account is highly sympathetic to the victim the assault described as "criminal intercourse" was apparently less at issue than the bastardy. Edith swore an affidavit in November 1873 that she was pregnant by Charles Smith "without means of support" and "likely to become a charge upon the town." Still pregnant she testified against Smith in open court a remarkable act of bravery and self-possession. The scandal rocked the small upstate New York town. Despite gossip that Edith's father had been involved and a certain degree of scapegoating by other witnesses Smith was convicted of criminal bastardy on the strength of her testimony. Nothing is known about the aftermath of this remarkable trial. OCLC locates 8 copies 3 in law libraries Harvard Social Law University of Missouri. unknown
1822ref. 726351822. Edinburgh 1822. First edition. Edinburgh 1822. First edition. Tried for Killing Boswell's Son in a Duel Trial. Stuart James 1775-1849 Defendant. The Trial of James Stuart Esq. Younger of Dunearn Before the High Court of Justiciary At Edinburgh On Monday June 10 1822. With an Appendix of Documents. Taken in Short Hand. Edinburgh: Printed for Archibald Constable and Co./London: Hurst Robinson and Co.: James Ridgway 1822. iv 186 2 20 pp. Octavo 8-1/4" x 5-1/4". Period-style quarter calf over marbled boards lettering piece and blind fillets to spine marbled edges endpapers renewed. Moderate toning to text light foxing to a few leaves light soiling and owner signature "Archd. Speirs Esq. of Eldersley" to title page faint fold line to its upper outside corner. A nice copy in a handsome binding. $950. First edition. The son of Samuel Johnson's associate James Boswell Sir Alexander Boswell First Baronet 1775-1822 was a Scottish poet antiquary and songwriter. He used the funds from his inheritance to purchase a seat in Parliament and later achieved a Baronetcy for his political support of the government. After he left Parliament Boswell wrote a series of anonymous essays denouncing James Stuart a prominent Whig. When Stuart suspected Boswell's authorship he demanded that Boswell deny authorship or apologize. Boswell refused to do either so Stuart challenged him to a duel. Boswell deliberately fired wide but Stuart who had never before handled a gun shot Boswell in the collarbone. The wound was fatal. Despite Boswell's popularity Stuart was acquitted unanimously. Archibald Speirs 1758-1832 this copy's former owner was a member of Parliament for Renfrewshire and a prominent local landowner. Like Stuart he was involved in local politics and the two likely knew each other. Both men attended a contentious county meeting in Renfrew in January 1816 Moss. Catalogue of the Library of the Harvard Law School 1909 II:1200. Moss The Duel Between Sir Alexander Boswell and James Stuart 89. unknown
1776ref. 732761776. London: S.n. 1776. London: S.n. 1776. Perhaps the Most Notorious English Example of a Rigged Election Trial. Sykes Francis 1730-1804 Defendant. The Trial of the Cause on the Action Brought by Hans Wintrop Mortimer Esq; Member for the Borough of Shaftesbury Against Francis Sykes Esq; For Bribery Committed at Shaftesbury Previous to the General Election In October 1774. Tried by a Special Jury On Saturday the 27th of July 1776. At the Assize Held at Dorchester for the County of Dorset Before The Honourable Sir James Eyre One of the Barons of His Majesty's Court of Exchequer. London: S.n. 1776. 19 1 pp. Main text in parallel columns. Quarto 10" x 8". Stab-stitched pamphlet bound into recent marbled boards wit cloth spine imitation calf lettering piece to front board. Moderate toning to interior faint dampstaining throughout mostly along fore and bottom edges. $350. Only edition. The Shaftesbury Election of 1774 was perhaps the most notorious English example of a rigged election. After learning that Sykes won the election after distributing thousands of pounds of bribes to the voters Mortimer disputed the outcome. Mortimer brought actions against Sykes for twenty-six acts of bribery won his case was awarded 11000. in damages and given his seat in the House of Commons. OCLC locates 8 copies in North America 3 in law libraries Harvard Library of Congress Yale. English Short-Title Catalogue N13883. unknown
1776ref. 712211776. London: S.n. 1776. London: S.n. 1776. An Account of a Notorious Case of Election Bribery Bound with a Related Unrecorded Broadside Trial. Sykes Francis 1730-1804 Defendant. Mortimer Hans Wintrop Plaintiff. The Trial of the Cause on the Action Brought by Hans Wintrop Mortimer Esq; Member for the Borough of Shaftesbury Against Francis Sykes Esq; For Bribery Committed at Shaftesbury Previous to the General Election In October 1774. Tried by a Special Jury On Saturday the 27th of July 1776. At the Assize Held at Dorchester for the County of Dorset Before The Honourable Sir James Eyre One of the Barons of His Majesty's Court of Exchequer. London: S.n. 1776. 19 1 pp. Main text in parallel columns. Quarto 9-3/4" x 7-1/2"; 24.8 x 19 cm. Bound with Text Two later tipped-in leaves of notes. Affixed to one of these leaves are a contemporary account of the trial and a section of a letter in Mortimer's hand. And Tipped-in contemporary 14" x 21" 35.5 x 53.3 cm mezzotint by an unknown artist The Shaftsbury Election or the Humours of Punch 1775. Additional annotations about the mezzotint to front endleaves one followed by two ownership inscriptions one of Henry White. Affixed to one of these is a small clipping about the Mortimer family. And Broadside. Mortimer Hans Winthrop. To the Worthy Electors of the Borough of Shaftsbury. Shafton: s.l. 11 June 1790. Trimmed to 9" x 6" 22.8 x 15.2 cm and affixed to verso of title page. Nineteenth-century calf rebacked in period style gilt rules to boards gilt fillets and retained nineteenth-century lettering piece to spine hinges mended marbled endleaves. Moderate rubbing to boards and toning to text occasional early underlining and brief notes in pencil. $3500. THIS DESCRIPTION IS TRUNCATED DUE TO CHARACTER LIMITS. PLEASE CONTACT US FOR A COMPLETE VERSION. The Shaftesbury Election of 1774 stands as one of the most infamous instances of parliamentary corruption in 18th-century England. Ministerial candidates Sir Francis Sykes and Sir Thomas Rumbold bribed electors with thousands of pounds routing money through a masked figure known as "Punch" to avoid direct liability. Voters were given cash in exchange for signing promissory notes payable to an imaginary figure named "Glenbucket". The defeated candidate Hans Winthrop Mortimer. unknown
1846ref. 694211846. Boston: Daily Mail Report-Full and Complete 1846. Boston: Daily Mail Report-Full and Complete 1846. Not in McDade: A Skilled Boston Orator's Courtroom Triumph Trial. Tirrell Albert J. Defendant. The Trial of Albert J. Tirrell Charged with the Murder of Mrs. Maria A. Bickford. Before the Supreme Court in Boston. Boston: Daily Mail Report-Full and Complete 1846. 37 pp. Text in parallel columns. Portraits. Illustrations. Octavo 8-1/2" x 5-1/4"; 21.6 x 13.3 cm. Disbound stab-stitched pamphlet in pictorial wrappers rear wrapper lacking. Portrait of Tirrell on front wrapper depiction of crime scene to verso; portrait of Bickford on p. 37. Light soiling small chip to upper corner of front wrapper moderate toning light foxing to a few leaves. $650. Only edition. As McDade remarks "The murder of a harlot seems to lend a special interest to a case which is measurable by the many publications which ensue." He considers the Tirrell case "one of the triumphs of Rufus Choate who convinced the jury that his client did not cut the throat of Mrs. Bickford or if he did he did it in his sleep. The defense of somnambulism by Choate might well join that other classic of defense put forth by Delphin Michael Delmas who as counsel for Harry K. Thaw pleaded 'dementia Americana.'" Choate a Massachusetts lawyer orator and politician is considered one of 19th-century America's greatest lawyers for his powers of persuasion and innovation in the courtroom. The Tirrell case was one of several landmarks he achieved in private practice: it was the first successful somnambulism defense in an American murder trial. Our 37-page account is not among the 8 accounts in McDade which lists a similar account with 32 pages. OCLC locates 11 copies 3 in law libraries Harvard University of Missouri Yale. McDade The Annals of Murder note to 986. unknown
1864ref. 694191864. Derby: W. Bemrose & Sons 1864. Derby: W. Bemrose & Sons 1864. With "Dr. Winslow's Analysis of the Convict's Mind" Trial. Townley George Victor b. 1838 Defendant. The Trial and Respite of George Victor Townley for Wilful Murder. With Original Documents and Correspondence Now First Published; Dr. Winslow's Analysis of the Convict's Mind Portraits Autographs and Plan. Derby: W. Bemrose & Sons 1864. iii 6-70 pp. Portraits. Plan. Octavo 7-1/4" x 4-3/4"; 18.4 x 12 cm. Stab-stitched pamphlet in printed wrappers. Negligible light soiling to exterior early owner signature St. John Crookes/ Sunderland/ 1864 to head of front wrapper moderate toning to text slightly heavier in places. $450. Only edition. In 1863 Townley murdered his girlfriend Elizabeth Goodwin after she broke off her engagement to him. An expert witness at Townley's trial was Dr. Forbes Winslow one of the founders of forensic psychiatry and the author of The Plea of Insanity In Criminal Cases 1843. Despite Winslow's testimony Townsend was found guilty and sentenced to death. He was granted a reprieve however after evidence was produced confirming hereditary insanity and a history of delusional behavior. Public outrage over the reprieve led to a second committee investigation which judged him to be sane. Our account includes memorials from the public and the committee's report along with Winslow's account of a visit with Townley in prison. Townley was later transferred to an asylum where he committed suicide. The portraits are of Townley and Goodwin; the plan shows the scene of the crime. Crookes was a British antiquary and bibliophile with an interest in true crime particularly provincial murder cases. OCLC locates 11 copies in North American law libraries. Catalogue of the Library of the Harvard Law School 1909 II:1210. unknown