31. Foster, Vere [Henry Louis / Lewis] / [Emily Albinia “Alba” Foster] / [Georgiana Duchess of Devonshire / Elizabeth, Duchess of Devonshire].

Amazing Vere Foster-Collection including Educational Materials and as a centerpiece the “Presentation Copy of “The Two Duchesses” with Autograph / Manuscript – Letter by Vere Foster to his niece, Emily Albinia “Alba” Foster. With a stunning, unpublished, two-page-letter, revealing several important details about the immediately favorable reviews and reception of the book [″in the Daily Telegraph”] and Vere Foster’s disdain about some criticism from one J.Donohue [which led to an alteration in the second edition of the book]. Vere Foster is also expecting a review to appear in the “Athenaeum” but reports “the Athenaeum has nothing yet”. Vere Foster apologizes to his niece for the delay in sending the book and explains that he had left 12 “parcels″£ with Blackie’s agent and gave instructions to send them but a few days later found they had been “untouched”. / The Two Duchesses – Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire / Elizabeth, Duchess of Devonshire – Family Correspondence of and Relating to Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire / Elizabeth, Duchess of Devonshire, Earl of Bristol (Bishop of Derby), The Countess of Bristol, Lord and Lady Byron, The Earl of Aberdeen, Sir Augustus Foster Bart, and Others, 1777-1859. [See Full list of items which are part of this collection, on our website under the topic “Libraries & Collections”].

First Edition. London / Glasgow and Dublin, Blackie & Son Limited, 1898. Octavo (15 cm x 22 cm). Pagination: Frontispiece, IX, [3], 497 pages with 18 Illustrations (including frontispiece and one Vignette of the two Duchesses opposite page 1). Hardcover / Original, publisher’s green cloth with gilt lettering on spine. Very good condition with some minor signs of wear only. This is an astonishing find for the Vere Foster Research Community and the letter gives significant insight into the importance the publication had for him, its reception as seen by Vere Foster and it solves the riddle why an altertaion was necessary for the second edition [which Vere Foster explains in a brief note to the reader at the beginning of the second edition]. The heartfelt inscription to his niece Albinia Foster is also of great importance and to our knowledge the only presentation-copy of this book on the international market for the several decades we can look back at auction records.

32. Wakefield, Edward.

An Account Of Ireland, Statistical And Political [Volume Two (of 2)] / [With chapters on Irish Peerage and Inland Fisheries in Ireland (Eels / White Fisheries / Herring Fishery etc.)].

First and only Edition. London, Printed for Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme and Brown, 1812. Quarto (24 cm x 29 cm). 838 pages plus Index with Tables [e.g.: “Table of Religious Sects” (in Ireland) / Table with Prices from 1790 to 1802 (taken from County-Surveys)]. Hardcover / Original Publisher’s half – cloth. In protective Mylar. Binding with stronger signs of wear, but professionally restored with new pastedowns and endpapers.

33. Staunton, Sir George / Lord Macartney.

An Authentic Account of an Embassy from the King of Great Britain to the Emperor of China [First Dublin Edition with 34 full-page-plates]; Including Cursory Observations Made, and Information Obtained, in Travelling Through That Ancient Empire, and a Small Part of Chinese Tartary. Together with a Relation of the Voyage undertaken on the Occasion by his Majesty’s Ship ‘The Lion’, and the Ship ‘Hindestan’ in the East India Company’s Service, to the Yellow Sea, and Gulf of Pekin [sic]; as well as of their return to Europe. With Notices of the several places where they stopped in their way out and home: being the Islands of Madeira, Teneriffe and St.Jago, the Port of Rio de Janeiro in South America; the Islands of St.Helena, Tristan da Cunha and Amsterdam, the Coast of Java and Sumatra, the Nanka Isles, Pulo-Condore and Cochin-China. Taken chiefly from the Papers of his Excellency, the Earl of Macartney, Knight of the Bath, his Majesty’s Embassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Emperor of China; Sir Erasmus Gower, Commander of the Expedition and other Gentlemen in the several Departments of the Embassy.

Two Volumes (complete set). Dublin, Printed for P.Wogan, R.Cross, P.Byrne and others, 1798. Octavo. Volume I: XV, 449 pages with 8 full-page plates / Volume II: XVIII, 430 pages, with 26 full-page-plates and including an Appendix. Hardcover / Original, early 19th century half leather with original spinelabels. Bindings firm and strong but rather worn. Bookplate of Richard Meade, Ballymartle, to the pastedown of Volume I. Overall in very good condition with some stronger signs of wear but with all the illustrations / engravings, called for in the Dublin Edition.

34. Ó Tuama, Seán Óg.

An Chóisir Cheoil. [The Music Party] – Volume IX.

Baile Átha Cliath, Comhlucht Oideachais na hEireann, 1965. 8°. 16 pages with notations (songs set to music). Original Softcover. Very good condition with only minor signs of wear.

35. Birch, Thomas.

An Inquiry into the Share which King Charles I had in the transactions of the Earl of Glamorgan, afterwards Marquis of Worcester, for bringing over a Body of Irish Rebels to assist that King, in the Years 1645 and 1646. In which Mr.Carte’s imperfect Account of that Affair, and his Use of the MS. Memoirs of the Pope’s Nuncio Rinuccini, are impartially considered. The whole drawn up from the Best Authorities, Printed and Manuscript. The Second Edition; to which is added an Appendix, containing several Letters of the King to the Earl of Glamorgan, from the Originals in the Harleian Library of Manuscripts.

London, A.Millar, 1756. Octavo. VIII, 376 pages. Hardcover / Original 18th century full calf. Spine starting and professionally reinforced. New spinelabel. In protective Mylar. Two names of previous owners on titlepage in ink: “O’Connor” / “Francis Hutchinson – (Lord Donoughmore)”. Subsequently the book was owned by Daniel Conner, with his bookplate / Exlibris to pastedown.

36. [Croker, John Wilson].

An Intercepted Letter from J- T-, Esq. – Writer at Canton, to his friend in Dublin, Ireland.

Fourth Edition. Dublin, Printed for M.N.Mahon, 109, Grafton Street, 1804. Small Octavo (11.5 cm x 18 cm). III, 42 pages. Hardcover / Stunning, recent half leather and marbled-paper-covered-boards with gilt lettering and ornament to spine, bound to style of the 18th/19th century. Excellent condition. From the library of Richard Meade (Ballymartle), with his name in ink to titlepage.

37. Grist, Berna.

An Introduction to Irish Planning Law.

Second edition. Dublin, Institute of Public Administration, 2012. 24 cm. xvi, 207 pages. Softcover. Excellent, as new condition with only minor signs of external wear. Rare, out-of-print publication !

38. Wells, Warre B.

An Irish Apologia. Some Thoughts on Anglo-Irish Relations and the War.

Dublin and London, Maunsel & Co., Ltd., 1917. 8°. 82 pages. Original Softcover. Excellent condition with only minor signs of external wear. Name of preowner on endpaper (W.P.Pearse). Original newspaper review of this title tipped in on rear pastedown (from “The Irish Homestead” – 1917).

39. [Pearse, Patrick / Pearse, Pádraic] Pádraig Anraí Mac Piarais.

An Mháthair agus sgéalta eile. [The Mother and Other Stories].

Second Edition with Vocabulary. Dun Dealgan [Dundalk], The Dundalgan Press [William Tempest], 1927. 19.5cm x 12.8cm. 95 pages with frontispiece and further beautiful illustrations throughout the publication. Original, illustrated softcover. Excellent condition of the rare softcover-issue with only minor signs of external wear.

40. [Provenance: Manch House – Daniel Conner & Henry Langfield Conner Library] – [Spenser, Edmund / Campion, Edmund / Hanmer, Meredith / Marlborough, Henry of].

Ancient Irish Histories – The Works of Spencer, Campion, Hanmer and Marleburrovgh [sic] – In Two Volumes. Volume I: Containing Spencer’s View of the State of Ireland and Campion’s Historie of Ireland / Volume II: Containing Doctor Meredith Hanmer’s and Henry Marlebvrrough’s ‘Chronicles of Ireland’.

First Hibernia Press Edition in the year 1809 of the original 1633-Edition. Two Volumes [complete set]. Dublin, Printed by the Society of Stationers / Reprinted at the Hibernia Press, for the Proprietors, by John Morrison, 1809. Large Octavo. Pagination: Volume I: [2], 22, [4] pages, including the rare, engraved dedication-leaf with allegorical vignette for the “Dublin Society” [showing the Irish Harp etc.], [10], 266, [8], 204 pages plus one errata-leaf / Volume II: [4], 410, [II], 32 pages. Hardcover / Original, 19th century publisher’s binding. Now professionally restored by a professional bookbinder. Very good condition with only minor signs of wear. Binding with some staining. Deckled edges. Name of pre-owner, H.L.Conner. to both title-pages.