Rare books from Stephen Rench

Birmingham: J. Drew, 1885 Book. Very Good. Full-Leather. 37p + photograph of Marmion Edward Ferrers as frontis. Bound in full vellum, boards gilt decorated and ruled in red and blue. Lettering piece to spine, gilt lettered, rubbed. Binding a little grubby and discoloured, pale stain to front board. All edges red. Original browned wrappers bound in. Presentation inscription to front wrapper - To Mrs Ryland with kind regards from R. Dering 18.. [date cropped by binder]. Armorial bookplate of John Wm Ryland by C.W. Sherborn to front pastedown. Loosely inserted 4p als from R. Dering to [Richard] Savage, 1896. Pages generally lightly browned, those next to original wrappers, heavily so. Foxing mainly confined to pages near the frontis..

Shrewsbury: Printed and sold by T. Wood, 1779 Book. Good. Hardcover. 244, [2] pages. The final unnumbered leaf contains the errata and directions for the binder. Frontis, folding text plate and 13 other plates, correct as listed. Bound in old quater leather, spine worn and joints split, held by cords. Armorial bookplate to the front pastedown of Charles Kent, Vicar of Ludford - this is very browned from old glue. Name written in ink to the head of the title page - W Hands. Additional [later] illustration tipped in before the list of subscribers. Some browning from plates. ESTC T144795..

[ Middle Hill ]: [ Middle Hill Press ], 1826 Book. Good. Soft cover. 3, [5], 20 pages. In the original blue paper wrappers, the lower outer corner at the front has been torn away. There are also 2 small circular stickers to the front. Martin states just 50 copies printed. Holzenberg 341.

Hagae-Comitis: Apud Arnoldum Leers, 1682 Book. Very Good. Full vellum. [xviii], 412 pages + portrait plate of the author Glisson before page 1. Illustrations in the text. Small adhesion damage to the title page affecting the r of puerili. Ink number written on the front free end paper has transferred a little to the title page. In the original full vellum binding, ink titled to the spine..

Paris: Chez Panckoucke, 1766 Book. Good. Full leather. viii, 498, [2] pages. In old full leather, the spine has beenr ebacked, but retaining much of the original. New lettering label, slightly bright gilt. Modern book label and ink owner's name to the front free end paper. Older ink name - Lord Sydney - to the front pastedown. Browning to the end appers form contact with the leather. Insect damage to the edges of the pastedowns. Some browning and spotting to the pages throughout, heavier in places.

London: De l'imprimerie de Vogel et Schulze, 1811 Book. Good. Disbound. xvi, 413, [1]; vii, [i], 352, 351-368 pages. Slight blip in pagination in vol 2 where page numbers 351 and 352 are duplicated. In the remains of what is probably the original full leather, but now all boards detached and all very worn - so effectively disbound. Horrible old tape loosely holding the boards on the end papers of vol 1. Small ink stain to the title page of vol 1. Spotting throughout. Uncommon first edition of this work which was not published in English until 1825/1830.

London: Leonard Smithers, 1896 Book. Illus. by with thirty illustrations by V. Foulpuier, etched by G. Mercier. Very Good. Hardcover. lvi, 316; [iv], 314; [iv], 354 pages + 33 plates. In quarter leather and cloth bindings, rubbing to the leather. Head of spine of vol 1 torn. End papers browned. Small booklabel to each volume - Marion C. Walker her book. 250 copies printed, this set not numbered..

Amstelaedami - Amsterdam: Apud J. Wetstenium & G. Smith, 1735 Book. Good. Full leather. [xxvi], 762, [58] pages. Includes additional engraved title page. Light staining to upper margins of pages. Occasional pencil notes. Pages at start and finish are browned, some other pages also. Large margins to pages, which measure approximately 26 x 19.5cm. Bound in attractive old full leather which has some light wear. Upper edge of front hinge is split, otherwise in good condition. Armorial bookplate to the front pastedown of E. Wyatt Edgell, Milton Place, Surrey. A heavy volume - extra postage will be required to send outside the UK..

London: George Routledge and Sons, 1875 Book. Good. Hardcover. [iv], 4, [iv], 443, [1] pages. A large paper copy numbered 87 [of 150 copies]. A variety of cuttings from booksellers' catalogues and ink notes have been added to the margins throughout. Spotting throughout. In the original cloth, the spine is torn and worn. Book label to the front pastedown of John DF Thornton. A heavy volume, extra postage will be required to send it outside the UK..

Edinburgh: W & C Tait, 1821 Book. Good. Hardcover. [vi], 97, [1], xxx pages + folding pedigree. Engraved title page. Author not named on the title page - COPAC identifies him as John Riddell. The printed paper label to the spine also names Riddell. In the original cloth covered boards, some wear. Pages browning throughout, some more heavily and some spotted. Page edges untrimmed. Ink owner's name to the front pastedown - Norman MacDonald..

Zurich: Bey Orell, Gessner, Fussli und Compagnie, 1796 Book. Good. Hardcover. 342, [2] pages + map. In old half leather binding, some wear and damage to edges. Modern ink owner's name to the front pastedown. Pages browned throughout. Underlining in red and blue crayon throughout, more so to the first half of the volume. German translation of the first 12 letters by Forster. The second part of the letters was apparently published in English in 1798 and in German in 1800..

London: Printed for W. Bristow in St Paul's Churchyard and T. Slack in Newcastle, 1764 Book. Good. Full leather. [viii], 13-262 pages + 2 pages of adverts at the rear. ESTC T203962 where the pagination matches - also another entry at N32423 which seems very similar. Staining to the margins throughout. Ink owner's name to the front free end paper and also the second page of text. Another name scribbled out in ink to the ffep. The outer tip of page 113/4 has been torn away and this affects a couple of lines of numbers. Light browning throughout, some spotting. Ink and pencil writing to the rear end papers. In old unlettered full leather which has some wear..

Andoversford: The Whittington Press, 1982 Book. Very Good. Hardcover. [xii], 83, [5] pages. Numbered 5 of the 95 copies quarter bound in vellum of the total of 320 copies printed. 50 specimen pages mounted on brown paper at the rear. Although not stated this is the copy which belonged to Stephen Marks who is listed on the list of subscribers at the rear of the volume. Pages are top edges gilt. With the paper covered slipcase, although this has tears and marks to the paper. Loosely inserted is a typed letter signed by John Randle, a compliments slip and printed list of titles available at the time of going to press. A large and heavy volume, extra postage will be required to send it outside the UK..

Stratford upon Avon: Printed and sold by J. Ward, 1817 Book. Good. Full leather. Vol 3, the Appendix was published in 1821 by Longman. Pagination Vol 1 - [iv], ix, [i], 361, [1] pages + 3 plates. Vol 2 - [iv], [363]-795, [1] pages + 5 plates but plate facing page 692 duplicates that facing page 573. Vol 3 - xiv, [ii], 333, [vi], 336-575, [1] pages +30 plates. All bound in attractive full leather, creasing to the spine of vol 3. Some light wear. Ink owner's name to the front free end paper in each volume. Lacks one plate due to the duplication in vol 2..

London: Printed for Longman, Hurst, Rees and Orme, 1806 Book. Fair. Disbound. viii, 294, [2] pages + frontispiece. In old full leather binding, now worn and with the front board detached. Respined at some point in the past, but the front hinge now gone. Armorial bookplate of John Smith Esqr to the front pastedown. Pages lightly browned throughout. Some spotting and staining, heavier to the front end papers and half title page..