Beschreibung:

Morant (Philip). The History and Antiquities of the County of Essex, 2 volumes, (incorporating the second edition of The History and Antiquities of the most ancient Town and Borough of Colchester), London: T. Osborne et al., 1768, EXTRA ILLUSTRATED AND EXTENDED TO 5 VOLUMES, plus a Manuscript Index, 1908, the contents mounted on large paper, the whole being lavishly extended with hundreds of extra illustrations of varying sizes, containing approximately 36 maps, some coloured, including examples by or after Christopher Saxton, Johannes Blaeu, Jan Jannson, John Chapman and Peter Andre, Philip Lea, Thomas Dix Ordnance Survey, Richard Blome and Robert Morden plus approximately 20 watercolours and drawings and 750 prints including portraits and views, coloured aquatints by Havell and Merigot, other coloured plates by Alken and Daniell, mezzotints by J. Smith C. Turner J. Faber and McArdell, lithographs, stipple etchings, line engravings, india proofs, woodcuts, facsimiles, etc., the five text volumes with additional printed title-pages for this unique copy dated 1908, the manuscript Index volume comprising 24 leaves (plus 18 blank), completed alphabetically in a very neat hand on rectos only, burgundy morocco gilt bookplate of W. A. Foyle, Beeleigh Abbey to all front pastedowns, early 20th-century red crushed levant full morocco gilt by Morrell, inner dentelles gilt, wide and richly roll-tooled panels in gold and blind, gilt-decorated spines with raised bands, Index volume bound in red crushed levant half morocco gilt to match, all with some slight rubbing and a few scuff marks, some darkening from old scorch marks to lowest raised bands and foot of spines and board edges, a little wear and some strengthening to tailcaps, folio (560 x 385 mm) (Quantity: 6) Provenance: W. A. Foyle, Beeleigh Abbey (bookplates). A truly sumptuous and very handsome imperial folio set of this major county history. The contents are largely in very clean and good condition and the whole has been assembled with fastidious care. Sadly, there is no evidence as to who it was done by or who owned it before William Foyle. The maps include those by Christopher Saxton, Johannes Blaeu, Jan Jannson, Emanuel Bowen (7), John Norden and W. Kip, C & J Greenwood, Philip Lea, John Rocque Henry Overton, Robert Morden Richard Blome Thomas Kitchin John Cary, James Pigot, J. Roper and Thomas Dix plus a large-scale 25-sheet map by John Chapman & Peter Andre (220 x 285 cm), and a 4-sheet county map by Colonel Mudge (OS maps), and a large-scale county map by C. & J. Greenwood. There are watercolour views of Woodford by W. H. Bartlett, 1832, (330 x 495 mm); St Botolph's Priory by G. F. Phillips, 1807; Mr Trott's Farm near Romford by J. C. Nattes; Great Canfield by A. Barfield, 1844; large sepia wash drawing of Nether Hall [by Laporte]; large plan of Colchester Barracks by J. Parkyns, 1806; unsigned views of Waltham Abbey, Tilty Abbey, Thaxted (pencil), Southend (2), South Bemfleet (sepia), House of Mrs Masson at Hornchurch; plus portraits of Lady Anne Lucas by T. Athow, Thomas Littleton and Sir Thomas Hervey (fine copy). Among the numerous portraits are approximately 14 mezzotints of Oliver Cromwell (trimmed to oval), George Capel, Earl of Essex, James I, Duke of Albemarle, Admiral Sir George Pocock, Samuel Bosanquet (relined; not in Index), Bishop Compton, Lady Fairfax (small), John Knight and family, Thomas Wood, Edward Bright, Henry Vane, John Morley and Thomas Lane.