A PROVISIONAL CHECKLIST OF THE LIBRARY OF THOMAS BEWICK

Drawn up for The Bewick Society by David Gardner-Medwin
Last corrected 10 December 2005.
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The Checklist  
Part 1. Books formerly in the possession of Thomas Bewick   

             CLASS II: Voyages & Travels, Descriptions of ForeignCountries, Geography,
             County History, British Topography &c

 


THE CHECKLIST

PART 1

BOOKS FORMERLY IN THE POSSESSION OF THOMAS BEWICK (EXCLUDING BEWICK'S QUADRUPEDS AND BRITISH BIRDS, UNLESS LISTED IN ROBERT BEWICK'S SCHEDULES C-E, AND CHILDREN'S BOOKS NOT IDENTIFIED AS THOMAS'S PROPERTY)


CLASS II: Voyages & Travels, Descriptions of Foreign Countries, Geography, County History, British Topography &c

29. (*)An Account of the Great Flood in the River Tyne, on Saturday Morning, Dec. 30, 1815. To which is added, A Narrative of the Great Flood in the Rivers Tyne, Tease [sic], and Wear, &c. on the 16th and 17th Nov. 1771 With an account of the Eruption of Solway Moss, Newcastle: John Bell, 1816.   (M164)

An Account of the Great Floods, 1771-1815, printed for John Bell, on the Quay, Newcastle, 1816” (M164).

Hugo (1866, No 345) states that four engravings are by Thomas Bewick.

(Inscribed 'To Mr. Thomas Bewick, from his friend John Bell'. Bought in a lot together with Bell's Figures in Rhyme, A Right Merry Garland, and A Garland of Bells, for 12/- by R. Donkin, in 1884.)

29a.  A map of England and Wales, topographically illustrative of national & civil history. A folding map, forming the frontispiece to (Anon.) An accompaniment to the topographical map of England and Wales, interspersed with poetical quotations. Newcastle: E. Charnley; Baldwin, Craddock and Joy, London; and other booksellers, 1823.                 (Y)

See also 294, possibly the same.

(Inscribed on the title page “The Gift of Thomas Bewick. Engraver. Newcastle to his Daugter [sic] Isabella Bewick, 17 March 1824”. It looks as if “Thomas Bewick. Engraver. Newcastle” may have formed his own ownership inscription before the other words were added. In publisher’s boards with later paper spine. Map lacks its lowest one third. No “Bewick Library number”.)

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30. American Geography, 1792.                       (D2,E)

“American Geography 1792” (D)

Probably: Moise, Jedidiah, The American geography; or, a view of the present situation of the United States of America: ... Second edit. London: John Stockdale, 1792.

31. [Baillie] An impartial history of the Town and County of Newcastle upon Tyne and its vicinity, Newcastle: Vint & Anderson, 1801.             (D2,E,W)

“Vint's History of Newcastle 1 Vol. 8vo” (D).

“Vint & Anderson's History of Newcastle” (E).

(Bewick appears twice in the alphabetical subscriber’s list, as “– Bewick, engraver, Newcastle” and as “Thomas Bewick, Newcastle”. The identity of Baillie’s history and Vint’s is supported by the date and publisher, the absence of Baillie’s name from the title page (or elsewhere in the book), failure to identify any such book with Vint or Anderson as authors, and the fact that a definite excerpt from Baillie’s history is in The Reports, Papers, Catalogues &c of the Literary and Philosophical Society of Newcastle upon Tyne, collected by Anthony Hedley (Newcastle: printed by T. & J. Hodgson, 1801) where it is given the contemporary handwritten title ‘An account of the Literary and Philosophical Society and Thomlinson’s Library from Vint and Anderson’s History of Newcastle’.)

32. Cole, B[?]. History of Ecton in Co of Northampton, 1825. (E)      

No doubt: Cole, John. The History and Antiquities of Ecton: in the County of Northampton, Scarborough: John Cole; London, Longman [and others], 1825; (ill. three leaves of plates).

(John Cole, bookseller and antiquary, came from Northamptonshire but later opened a bookshop in Scarborough (Oxford DNB). His diaries, in York Minster Archive, refer to a visit by Bewick to Scarborough, as follows:  'In July of this year (1827) that celebrated Engraver Mr Thomas Bewick paid Scarborough a visit, when I had the pleasure to enjoy much of his company & conversation. He was accompanied by two of his daughters. ... Mr Bewick remembered Oliver Goldsmith well… One morning during this visit he presented me with a proof ... of the blue throated Robin ... .' Bewick accompanied Cole to the opening of the Cliff Bridge, Scarborough on 19 July 1827. Cole may well have presented the Ecton book to Bewick on this occasion (information kindly supplied by Mr Rodney Ingram). Cole and Bewick may have been acquainted before 1827, however, since two of Cole’s books were said to be illustrated by Bewick, according to F.G. Stephens's A collection of drawings and woodcuts of Thomas Bewick exhibited at the Fine Arts Society's rooms in 1880 ... also a complete list [of TB's works], London: Fine Arts Society, 1881. The two are: A bibliographic and descriptive tour from Scarborough to the library of a bibliophilist in its neighbourhood by J. Cole. 8vo. Scarborough, 1824, with a woodcut on the title page, and "Cole's Catalogue [ie A Descriptive Catalogue of a Select Portion of the Stock of John Cole, Bookseller, Scarborough'] Scarborough, 1825, with one cut".
 
The initial is badly written, though not like a J.

33. *Consett, Matthew. A Tour through Sweden, Swedish-Lapland, Finland and Denmark, 4to, London: J. Johnson, W. Goldsmith, T. Lewis and R. Christopher, 1789.    (?F,M174,O910,R23,Z)

(Seven copperplates, lacks frontispiece; inscribed “A Gift from T Bewick to his daughter Jane 1823” in Bewick's hand; inscriptions on several of the plates by Jane Bewick. She states that Thomas Bewick engraved all the plates present, and also drew the plate of the reindeer, in 1786. A partly effaced pencil inscription records that the antlers of the reindeer [drawn during life at Ravensworth] afterwards ornamented [Bewick's house on the Forth] in 1805. In ink the statement was updated in ink, when the antlers ornamented the Bewicks' kitchen in Gateshead.

M174 notes the missing frontispiece, and that an extra proof impression of the “Kader” and a drawing of the Lapland women in Indian ink were inserted. These points are not mentioned in the Pease cataologue. The proof of the Kader (Capercaillie) is now missing; the drawing of the women is present (entitled “SIGRE and ANAAEI [sic] two Lapland Girls”) and may be the work of Consett; it shows the same costumes as Bewick illustrated in his copper-plate but the postures of the women and the background are different. The existence of such a drawing is mentioned in the text at page 149. The Bewick Memento (n.d., c 1884) records the sale of this copy to W.T. Johnson at the Bewick Sale in 1884, for £1-12-6. Miss Boyd loaned the book to the Bewick Exhibition (1886 – item 102) (Z). The catalogue (Pease 208) of the sale of the Julia Boyd Collection (1892) - Lot 910 - notes the inserted drawing, and confirms “Purchased at the Bewick sale in 1884”. The sequence of owners is thus established - Thomas, Jane, and Isabella Bewick, Johnson, Boyd, Pease, City Library.)

34. Cook's Last Voyage, 4 vols., 8vo.    (C√,D2,E)

(“Cooks last Voyage 4 Vols. 8/vo” (C)

“Cooke's last Voyage 4 Vols. 8vo” (D)

“Cookes last Voyage 2 Vols: 8/vo”  (E)

Possibly: An abridgement of Captain Cook's last voyage: performed in the years 1776,1777,1778, 1779 and 1780 ... London: G. Kearsley, 1787 (5th edition, or another); or

Compendious history of Captain Cook’s last voyage ..., (edition London: J. Fielding & J. Stockdale, ?1785). But these were not issued in four volumes.

35. [Cook  Voyages, plates, 4 vols. bound in two, 8vo, 1784.        (M26)

Possibly: A compendious history of Captain Cook’s first and second voyages ... 2 vols. London: G. Kearsley, 1784.

(Beilby and Bewick engraved copperplates for a later edition of Cook's Voyages, printed by M. Brown of Newcastle in 1790 (see Pease 54). The 1784 edition may have been obtained by Bewick during the preparation of these plates. Bought for 6/6 by R Robinson, in 1884.)]

36. Feldborg, A. Denmark Delineated 3 vols. 8vo. 1821-1824    (C=,D2,E,M73)

“=Denmark Delineated Part 1. 8/vo 1821”  (C)

“Denmark delineated  [blank] Vols 8vo 1821” listed twice (D).

“Denmark delineated 3 Vols”  (E)

“Feldborg (A.) Denmark Delineated, royal 8vo, plates, half-calf, 1824” (M73)

Probably: AA Feldborg. Denmark delineated: or sketches of the present state of that country ... illustrated with engravings from the designs of eminent Dutch artists, 8vo, Edinburgh, [1821-]1824.

(Bought by Mrs Jobling for 5/-, in 1884.)

37. Howlett Select Views in the County of Lincoln       (D2,E)

“Howletts Select Views in County of Lincoln” (D).

“Select Views County of Lincoln” (E).

Probably: Howlett, Bartholomew. A selection of views in the County of Lincoln: ... with plates, London: W. Miller, 1805 or 1813.   

38. [Hutton, William. History of the Roman Wall, plates, 8vo, 1802.        (M154)

Probably: William Hutton The history of the Roman wall: which crosses the island of Britain ... London: J. Nichols and Son, 1802.

(Bought by the Rev JF Bigge for 9/6, in 1884.)]

39. *[Lingard, Rev. John. The Antiquities of the Anglo-Saxon Church, Second Edition, 8vo, Newcastle: Edw. Walker, 1810.                        (M152)

With two wood engravings by Thomas Bewick.

(Bound in half-morocco, bought by WJ Haggerston for 10/6, in 1884.)]

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40. Mackenzie, E. An Historical, Topographical, and Descriptive View of the County of Northumberland ..., 2 vols, 8vo, Newcastle: Mackenzie and Dent, 1811.  (D2,M80,U,W)

(Hugo (1866, 464) claims the woodcuts in the second (1825) edition for Thomas Bewick; the name of Thomas Dick appears as engraver on most of the copperplates. In the first (1811) edition the plates are mostly attributed to R. Scott and may all be his work.)

“Mackenzie & Dent for Histy Northd £1.8.0” paid 9.4.1813 (T&WA 1269/6) (U). 

“Mackenzies History of Northumberland 4 [sic] Vols 8vo” (D)

“Mackenzie, E. History of Northumberland, 2 vols, 8vo, cloth, 1811.” (M80)

(The list of subscribers includes ‘Thos. Bewick, Engraver, Newcastle’ and ‘R. Beilby, Spital Place’. Bought by a Mr Lamb for £1 in 1884.)

41. Martin Geography, 2 vols. 4to.        (D2)

“Martin's Geography 2 Vols 4to” (D).

Possibly: Martin, Benjamin. Philosophia Britannica, or, A new and comprehensive system of the Newtonian philosophy, astronomy and geography ... 3 vols. London: M. Cooper, 1759 (or other edition).

42. Morrison Views and Description of [?Seats near] Edinburgh,       (D2)

“Morrison's Views & Descripn of S??ts ??t?ar Edinburgh” (D).

(The two almost illegible words in the title look like “Siuts” and (probably) “near” written over “at”. Could Morrison have been the publishers “Morrisons, booksellers of Perth” who commissioned Robert Johnson to engrave copies of portraits “in the collection of the Earl of Breadalbane at Taymouth” in 1796 (Angus 1993 p.3)? Possibly the book is the same as an untitled portfolio of views of Midlothian engraved by Robert Scott and published by Morison of Perth in 1795 (copy in Nat. Lib. Scotland).

43. [Paterson, W. Travels, lacking title page and some other prelims.       (L)

No doubt an edition of: Paterson, Lieutenant William. A narrative of four journeys into the country of the Hottentots and Caffraria: in the years one thousand, seven hundred and seventy-seven, eight and nine. London: J. Johnson, 1789 [1st edition], or 1790 [2nd edition].

(Inscribed on one of two blanks inserted between pp. vi and ix, “R.E. Bewicks Book Forth Newcastle”. Listed in the 1916 catalogue as in Isabella Bewick's donation to the Nat Hist Soc of August 1881. Later rebound using the old boards. The address “Forth” (occupied by the Bewicks 1781-1812) indicates that R.E.Bewick owned it in his father's lifetime. Hancock Museum accession number NEWHM.2002.H1055.)]

44. Pennant, Thomas. Some Account of London, 3rd edition, 4to, London: Robert Faulder, 1793.   (M69,R)

“Pennant, Thomas. Account of London, 4to, plates, morocco, 1793. Inscribed ‘The gift of Isabella Bewick to her daughter Elizabeth’.” (M69).

(Found in the reference section of Newcastle City Library and transferred to the Bewick Collection, July 2004. Bound in late 19th century blind stamped dark red morocco, all edges gilt. Inscribed on a flyleaf “To the ingenious Mr Bewick with the author’s compliments. June 14th 1798” in Pennant’s hand, and on the title page “The bequest of Isabella Bewick to her Daughter Elizabeth” in Thomas Bewick’s. Referred to in a letter from Pennant to Bewick dated June 28 1798 “I sent last week a copy of my History of London, the best edition, to Mr. White, bookseller, Fleet Street, to be delivered to your order. May it prove some amusement to you” (Fox, 1827, p.25). Bought by R Robinson for 18/-, in 1884 (M69). Inscribed on verso of t.p. “Mawson Swan 1/10/4 S/O/l” (presumably sold by this Newcastle firm in October 1904) and with the bookplate of the City Library of about that date. The ownership between 1884 and 1904 is the only period unaccounted for. Probably rebound by Robinson. No Bewick library number.)

45. Salisbury Guide,    (A,D2,E)

(Identified by Tattersfield (2001) as by James Easton, with editions 1769 - 1800).

46. Sibbald, Sir Robert, M.D. The History, Ancient and Modern, of the Sheriffdoms of Fife and Kinross ... with an account of the natural products of the land and waters, A new edition, 8vo, Cupar - Fife: R. Tullis, 1803.         (C=,D2,L)

“Sibbalds History of Fife, 1 vol. 8vo. 1803” in C and D (double entry in D).

(Inscribed “Ja. Wemys” in an unknown hand, and “to Thomas Bewick” in his; “Bewick Library number” “No 33” on flyleaf. Donated to Nat Hist Soc by Miss Isabella Bewick, August 1881. On 22.5.1804, not long after its publication, Bewick received from “Lt Col Wemyss 7s.6d.” (T&WA 1269/5) and five weeks later he “Paid Jopling for cutting Col. Wemyss, landscape stone 3s.” (ibid). At about this time also Bewick may have undertaken an engraving of the arms of the ancient Earls of Fife (Rush, 1987); but this was not published in the book. In the Memoir (page 181) Bewick describes “my gallant friend Coll.Wemys, of Wemys hall in Fife Shire formerly of the 11th Regt of foot & afterwards Coll. of the Fife Shire Militia” who spent some time in Newcastle “ardent in his pusuit after mechanical knowledge”. See also item 301.)

47. *Trusler, Dr. The Habitable World Described, 12 vols. 8vo, plates, some designed by John Bewick, 1787, half-calf.               (A,C√,D2,M85)

(Tattersfield, 2001, JB24, records that John Bewick contributed illustrations to six of the first ten volumes of what became a twenty volume series. He quoted a letter of JB to TB saying that he stopped subscribing by 1795 - presumably after 63 parts had been issued, comprising 12 volumes. Only M gives the date as 1787. Tattersfield gives 1788-91 for J Bewick's contributions, in volumes II, IV, V, VIII-X.)

“Trusler's Habitable World Described 63 Numbers Compleat” (JB24) (A)

“Trusler's Habitable World 12 vols: 8/vo” (C)

“Trustler's Habitable World Described 12 Vols 8vo” (D).

(Bought by R Robinson for 8/6, in 1884.)

48. Vint Geography, 2 Vols. 8vo.          (C√,D2,E)

“Vint's Geography 2 Vols. 8/vo .geo:” (C)

“Vint's Geography 2 Vols. 8vo-” (D).

(“.geo:” after 8vo in C, may indicate shelving under “Geography”; it appears to have been written in a different hand.)

No doubt: Vint, John. A concise system of modern geography, or, a description of the terraqueous globe, exhibiting a distinct view of all nations; in which is given an historic account of their origin, their relative situations, their political constitutions, their laws, their religions, their natural productions, their arts, [etc] to which is prefixed a large introduction [in Volume 1]  ... Enriched with every natural occurrence in Cook’s Voyages Round the World ... and subjoined, a Complete History of the French Revolution, including all the events of the present war [in volume 2], 2 vols Newcastle: Vint and Anderson, 1800, 1801.

(“Vint's History of Newcastle 1 Vol. 8vo” (D).

“Vint & Anderson's History of Newcastle” (E).

See Baillie’s Impartial History ... (31), above.)

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