The History of the Orkney Islands: in which is comprehended an Account of their Present as well as Their Ancient State; together with the advantages they possess for several branches of industry, and the means by which they may be improved. by George Barry - 1805

Edinburgh, London: Archibald Constable and Company; Longman, Hurst, Rees, & Orme, 1805 A fair to good copy of the 1st edition in contemporary half leather binding, with 11 plates and folding map. George Barry (1748-1805) was Minister of Shapinsay. He took a prominent role in teaching, and was given superintendence of the Orkney schools belonging to the Society for Propagating Christian Knowledge. When the book was first published it attracted very favourable reviews for its scholarship. It drew on the then unpublished manuscripts of George Low particularly for its account of the fauna of Orkney - and was criticised by Low's editor for not giving Low credit for the work. This copy has a half leather binding with slightly raised bands to the spine and gilt compartments. The binding has been rebacked at some point, and the binder has chosen not to colour match the leather. The cloth is faded and lightly marked with some fraying to board edges. Overall the binding is sound. Endpapers are marbled with the bookplate of 'Mitchell of Westshore and Berry NB' [Scalloway] to the front pastedown, and the bookplate of James William Mitchell 1878 to the fep. Contents: initial blanks; frontispiece; title page; dedication to Lord Dundas; contents; folding map; text pp 1-392 with 10 further plates; appendix - 493; index - 509; directions for plates; adverts 2pp. The contents are generally clean. The pages are untrimmed and the paper is soft so the edges are fragile and sometimes spotty and brown-toned. There is occasional light staining in margins and there is a little worming: top margin pp 122-9, pp 202-210; gutter p 209. The map is complete with a repaired tear to the attachment (which was repaired with sellotape, now removed). There is some loss to the bottom corner and margin of p 337.