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Tate, George.
The History of the Borough, Castle, and Barony of Alnwick [the Callaly Castle copy - Large Paper].
Publisher: Henry Hunter Blair, Alnwick;
Date of Publication: 1866
Stock Code: 14603
First Edition. Two volumes. Quarto, pp., vi, [4], 480; [3], vi, 474, [1], xxiv appendix, 475-481 index. Vol. I With 9 plates including frontispiece and 39 figures within the text; vol. II with 12 plates including frontispiece and 6 figures within text (21 in total as called for). Superbly bound in crimson full morocco in the arts-and-crafts style, intersecting triple rules and hedera in blind to boards, titled in gilt to spine, all edges gilt, marbled end-papers. Armourial bookplates of Alexander (1871-1960), Alexander Henry (1845-1898), and Captain Alexander Simon Cadogan Browne (1895-1985), all of Callaly Castle, to front free end-papers of both volumes. Corners slightly bumped, almost imperceptible spots of rubbing to boards and to gilt edges. Very occasional spots of soiling to plates, contents otherwise clean and fresh. A very handsome copy, near-fine. This copy was formerly owned by the Brownes of Callaly Castle, Alnwick. Alexander Browne bought the Grade I listed seventeenth-century Northumberland manor-house in the 1890s. The binding of this volume suggests it was purchased for the house at this time, and was no doubt consulted by the new lords of the manor. George Tate (1805-1871) was a Freeman of Alnwick, the local Postmaster, a founder member of the Alnwick Mechanics Scientific Institution and secretary to the Berwickshire Naturalists’ Club, and a member of many learned societies. As a pillar of the Alnwick community the publication of this history of his home town was marked by a special banquet at the town hall. This history was regarded as so comprehensive that Alnwick was not included in the mammoth 15 volume ‘A History of Northumberland’. An exceptional large paper copy with an excellent local provenance.

£500.00