"Always read something that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it."
— P.J. O'Rourke
Kent & Sussex
The Botanical Pocket-Book. With Observations on Some of the Rare Plants Growing in the Neighbourhood of Tunbridge Wells.
Tunbridge Wells: J. Clifford, 1840. [Botany] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (18 x 11cm), pp.v; [1]; 179; [1]; [one of publisher's advertisements]; [1]. Publisher's green textured cloth with paper labels to spine and upper board. Hand-coloured folding plate of Dentaria Bulbifera facing title page. Bookplate of W. H. Hills to pastedown, some..... More
Tonbridge Legends, Etc.
London: Kent and Co, Tonbridge: Richard Ware, n.d. [1866]. FIRST EDITION. Octavo, pp.232. With seven engraved plates. Green cloth with ornate gilt margins to boards, gilt titles and decoration to spine and upper board. All edges gilt. Spine has at some point been professionally rebacked. Bookbinders label of Hanbury and..... More
The Poll for the Knights of the Shire, to Represent the Western Division of the County of Kent in Parliament, including the Registered Electors who did not vote, also, a General Index, and an Abstract of the Number of Votes for each Parish. Candidates: Thomas Law Hodges, Esq.; Thomas Rider, Esq.; Sir William R.P. Geary, Bart.
Maidstone: J. Smith, 1835. [Kent Voting Register] RARE ORIGINAL PRINTING. Octavo (22 x 15cm), pp.[4] 192 [2]. In the original publisher's brown quarter leather grain-effect cloth with brown paper over boards and gilt titles to the original navy blue label on spine. Wear to board edges and head and tail..... More
Varied Verse.
London and Tunbridge Wells: The Reliance Press, no date [1925]. [Kent and Sussex Poetry] INSCRIBED FIRST EDITION. Octavo (22 x 15cm), pp.63 [1]. INSCRIBED by the author in blue ink to title page: 'To Major Heron, with the author's | kindred regards & in remembrance | of many a hearty..... More
The History of Tunbridge-Wells.
London: M. Hingeston, J. Dodsley, T. Caslon; Tunbridge Wells: E. Baker, 1766. [Kent Topography] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (21 x 14cm), pp.[2] xii; 317 [9]. Re-backed in recent tan calf, with raised bands, gilt titles to the original green morocco label laid over, further gilt decoration to spine, and contemporary speckled..... More
The First 100 Years: The Story of the Tunbridge Wells Golf Club.
Tunbridge Wells: Tunbridge Wells Golf Club, n.d., [c. 1989]. RARE PRIVATE PRINTING. Demy Octavo. pp. 58. With b/w photographic illustrations. In publisher's blue cloth with gilt titles to spine. With original blue dust jacket; gilt titles. Slight wear to jacket edges; near-fine. More
The Tunbridge Wells Guide, or, an Account of the Ancient and Present State of that Place, with a Particular Description of all the Towns, Villages, Antiquities, Natural Curiosities, Ancient and Modern Seats, Founderies etc., within the Circumference of Sixteen Miles, with Accurate Views of the Principal Objects.
Tunbridge Wells: J. Clifford, 1829. [Town Guide] FIFTH EDITION. Small Octavo (17 x 11cm), pp.[6] viii; 188. With 22 engravings, including four folding plates, a vignette title page, and a frontispiece folding map. Not including an engraving of the Royal Kent Hotel, but with two engravings of Mereworth House. Contemporary..... More
The Flowering Plants of Tunbridge Wells and Neighbourhood.
Tunbridge Wells: Stidolph and Bellamy, 1871. [Natural history] FIRST EDITION, PRESENTATION COPY. Octavo (22 x 15cm), pp.vi; 371; [1], blank. Professionally recased dark green cloth with gilt titles to spine and upper board, black decoration to boards. Hand coloured frontispiece showing Butomus Umbellatus. Numerous black and white illustrations. Publisher's presentation..... More
The History and Antiquities of Dartford. With Topographical Notices of the Neighbourhood.
London: John Russell Smith, 1844. [Kent] FIRST EDITION, SUBSCRIBER'S COPY WITH MLS. Octavo (24 x 16cm), pp.xxvi; [1]; 478; [2]. Modern russet cloth, gilt titles to a red calf label to spine, the binding done by Canterbury Bookbinders. Portrait frontispiece and hand-coloured engraved title page plus fourteen further plates (some..... More
A History of Mount Sion, Tunbridge Wells.
Chichester: Phillimore and Co., 2003. [Kent Topography] SIGNED FIRST EDITION. Octavo (25 x 18cm), pp.xii; 484. With black and white illustrations, including a frontispiece map. SIGNED by the author in black ink to title page, being number 100 of 500 copies thus, hand numbered to a label on the verso..... More
The History of Kent. In Five parts. Containing I. An exact topography or description of the county. II. The Civil History of Kent.... V. The Natural History of Kent.
London: Printed and Sold by D. Midwinter, 1719. [Kent Topography/Cartography] FIRST EDITION. Folio (40 x 29cm), pp.[2]; iv, Dedication; iv, Preface; ii, Ode to Kent; iv, List of Subscribers; 592; xl. Illustrated with 43 fine engravings, of which 39 are double-page and/or fold-out. Includes fine panoramas of Rochester and Tunbridge..... More
The History and Topographical Survey of the County of Kent.
Canterbury: W. Bristow, 1797-1801. [Kent history] SECOND EDITION, REVISED AND ENLARGED. Twelve volumes, octavo (24 x 15 x 46cm). With 34 folding maps and 33 plates, (volume twelve lacking two plates). Solidly bound in brown quarter cloth over green cloth sides, gilt titles to spine. Modern bookplates to pastedown of..... More
The History and Topographical Survey of the County of Kent. Containing the Antient [Ancient] and Present State of it, Civil and Ecclesiastical; Collected from public Records, and other the best Authorities, both Manuscript and Printed: and Illustrated with Maps, and Views of Antiquities, Seats of the Nobility and Gentry, etc.
Canterbury: Printed for the Author, by Simmons and Kirkby, 1778-1799. [Kentish history]. FIRST EDITION. In four volumes. Folio (41 x 26cm), pp.[4]; xii; clii; 580; 42; [2]; pp.[4]; 817; [1]; 72; pp.[4]; ii; 765; [1]; 51; [3]; pp.vi; 788; 46; [2]. Complete with all 167 copper engraved illustrations, including county..... More
The Cinque Ports. A Historical and Descriptive Record.
William Blackwood and Sons, 1900. [Kent]. Quarto (30 x 23cm), pp.xiv; 403; [1]. Publisher's beige cloth blocked in gilt, top edge gilt, red endpapers. Fourteen photogravure plates with tissue guards, nineteen in text and other illustrations. Small repaired marginal tear to page 43, discreet cancelled library stamp to flyleaf with..... More
England's Topographer or a New and Complete History of the County of Kent. From the Earliest Records to the Present Time. Including every Modern Improvement. Embellished with a Series of Views from Original Drawings by Geo. Shepherd, H. Gastineau, etc., with Historical, Topographical, Critical and Biographical Delineations.
London: Geo. Virtue, 1828-1830. [Kent] FIRST EDITION, ILLUSTRATED. Four volumes, octavo (22 x 15 x 21cm), pp.[4]; ii; 712; xix of index; [1]; pp.[2]; 713; [1]; xv of index; [1]; pp.[4]; 698; xviii of index; [4]; pp.[2]; 780; xiii of index; [1]; [8 of errata]; 19 list of subscribers; [1]..... More
The Charters and other Documents Relating to the King's Town and Parish of Maidstone, in the County of Kent. With Notes and Annotations Clearly Showing the Right of Election of Members of Parliament to be in the Inhabitant Householders.
London: Printed for Joseph Butterworth and Son, 1825. [Kent history] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (22 x 15cm), pp.xxxi; [1]; 238; [2]. Contemporary brown calf with single gilt borders to boards, recently rebacked in brown calf, modern grey endpapers, edges speckled red. Some spotting to first and last leaves but generally very..... More
A Flora of Tunbridge Wells. Being a List of Indigenous Plants Within A Radius of Fifteen Miles Around that Place.
Tunbridge Wells: J. Colbran, [1845]. [Botany]. FIRST EDITION. Octavo (18 x 12cm), pp.xx; [4]; 134; [two of sunscriber]. Publisher's brown cloth, gilt titles and blind stamped decoration to spine and upper board. Two hand-coloured plates. Yellow endpapers. Small embossed label for the 'Colbran Library Tun. Wells' to pastedown. A very..... More
Wolves of the Channel (1681-1856).
London: Wishart and Company, 1931. FIRST EDITION. Octavo, pp.xi; [1];309; [3]. Publisher's red cloth with gilt titles to spine, in orange typographic dust-jacket. Illustrated with plates. Some spotting to edges and offsetting to endpapers, light shelf wear, dust-jacket is toned with loss to the bottom of the front panel, to..... More
A Compendious History of Sussex, Topographical, Archaeological & Anecdotical. Containing an Index to the first Twenty Volumes of the " Sussex Archaeological Collections."
Lewes: George P. Bacon, 1870. [Sussex History and Topography] FINELY BOUND FIRST EDITION. Complete in two volumes. Octavo (22 x 15cm), pp.[8] xxx; 270 [2]; pp.[6] 278; xiv [2]. With the folding map to volume I, and EXTRA ILLUSTRATED with 78 additional topographical engravings, carefully trimmed and mounted to fit..... More
Cricket in the Park. The Life and Times of Lord Sheffield 1832-1909.
London: Methuen, 2009. [Cricket] SIGNED FIRST EDITION. Octavo (25 x 17cm), pp.xii; 288; [4]. Publisher's black paper covered boards, gilt titles to spine, dust-jacket with printed price of £18.99. With a foreword by Sir John Major. inscribed by the author to the title page: "To Leonard F. Johnson | Best..... More
Villare Cantianum: Or Kent Surveyed and Illustrated. Being an exact Description of all the Parishes, Burroughs, Villages, and other Respective Mannors Included in the County of Kent; and, the Original and Intermedial Possessors of them, even until these Times, Drawn out of Charters, Escheat-Rolls, Fines, and other Publick Evidences; But especially out of Gentlemens Private Deeds and Muniments.
London: William Godbid, 1659. [Kentish history] FIRST EDITION. Quarto (30 x 20cm), pp.[16]; 401; [1]. In contemporary brown full calf, recently rebacked with the original spine laid on, gilt titles on polished leather square to spine. Armorial bookplate of John Wells Esq. and booksellers ticket of C. Brown, High Street..... More
Colbran's New Guide For Tunbridge Wells. Being a Full and Accurate Description of The Wells and its Neighbourhood Within a Circuit of Nearly Twenty Miles, and Notices of the London and Dover Railway; Illustrated With Plates, Wood Engravings, etc., of Most of the Principle Places.
London: A.H. Baily and Co., 1844. SECOND EDITION. Octavo, pp. x; 353; 4 [addenda]; 38 [advertisements]. Seven engravings plus fold-out map (Goulden notes nine), other illustrations within the text. Bound in later half tan calf over cream card boards, red title label to spine with gilt lettering, five raised bands..... More
The Story of Loopy and Loo. Especially Written for Children of All Ages.
Tunbridge Wells: The Tunbridge Wells School of Art and Crafts, 1945. [Children's Illustrated]. PRIVATELY PRINTED PAMPHLET. Quarto (25 x 19cm), pp.[12]. Illustrated throughout with striking red, blue and green lino-cuts by Minnie Sutton. In original blue and red illustrated card covers, sewn. The very lightest of wear; near-fine. No copies..... More
The Prince's Album of Tunbridge Wells.
London: Rock Brothers and Payne, no date [circa 1880]. ORIGINAL SOUVENIR ALBUM. Small oblong booklet (8 x 12cm) with four engraved images of Tunbridge Wells in a folding concertina. Likely incomplete - other similar albums generally consist of 12 images. Also with five loose contemporary black and white photographic cards..... More
A New Topographical, Historical, and Commercial Survey of the Cities, Towns, and Villages, of the County of Kent. Arranged in Alphabetical Order.
Canterbury: Printed for the Author, 1776. [Kent Topography] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (19 x 12cm), pp.[4]; xxxvi; 828; [4]. With the folding distances chart. In recent brown quarter calf with raised bands and gilt titles to a red label on the spine. Marbled paper over boards. Textblock toned to edges, some..... More