THE HISTORY OF VIRGINIA, FROM ITS FIRST SETTLEMENT TO THE PRESENT DAY (4 Volumes, Complete)

Petersburg, VA: printed for the author, by Dickson & Pescud [and] M. W. Dunnavant, 1816. Full Leather. Good binding. Octavo. Vol. I: ii, iv, 348; II: 335, [1 (blank)], lxii; III: 469; IV: viii, 538, xv, [1 (blank)], [1 (errata)], [1 (blank)] pp. Folding plate. First edition. In contemporary calf. Fairly solid copies with wear to the extremities, particularly the corners and the spine ends; the front boards of Volume II and III have been sensitively secured/reattached; spine label of Volume I is lacking. All volumes show the expected foxing and toning to the contents but are clean. Volumes I and II have the book plate of Virginia and West Virginia politician Charles James Faulkner; evidence of a bookplate removed from Volume III; Volume IV bears the contemporary owner name of John Parham. An important work of Virginia history. In an early catalog, Eberstadt summarizes, "The author dedicates his work to Thomas Jefferson, whose ardent disciple he was, and through whose influence he had access to official records, many of which are now lost. In consequence his work is of the highest historical importance. Burk died before the completion of his task, which was carried forward by Skelton Jones and Lousi Girardin, who wrote most of the fourth volume. This latter treats of the Revolution, describing the events which led up to the outbreak of war; giving many important documents bearing on controversy with Gov. Dunmore; tracing the formation of the state constitution and the proceedings of the early legislature" Eberstadt 121-352. As Howes and others note, Jones and Girardin were aided by Thomas Jefferson in this fourth volume, particularly with matters relating to the Revolution. All in all, a relatively nice set, faults and all, of what is a remarkably uncommon set given the fire that consumed most of the fourth volume. Church 1298; Eberstadt 121-352; Haynes 2499; Howes B-971 "b"; Sabin 9273l; Shaw & Shoemaker 5951.