Ewbank Clarke Gammon Wellers Auctioneers
Lot 402
William Dugdale/ Roger Dodsworth, Monasticon Anglicanum, formerly the property of Richard Towneley, Scientist and Astronomer, First edition in Latin (3 Vols) Volume 1 was published in 1655, Volume 2 in 1659 and Volume 3 in 1673. Whilst volumes one and two are often found together it is much rarer for the third volume to be found with them because many copies of this volume were destroyed in a fire at the printers. HISTORICAL NOTE; Christopher Towneley (1604-74) and his nephew Richard Towneley (1629-1707) were members of a Catholic gentry family from Towneley in Lancashire. Christopher Towneley is known as an antiquary but also had an interest in scientific research, particularly astronomy. He befriended a number of the northern astronomers, Jeremiah Horrocks, William Crabtree, William Gascoigne and John Stephenson, and collected their papers. His nephew, Richard Towneley, working with other local collaborators, conducted experiments into the relationshi between air pressure and volume which became known as Boyle`s Law. He also perfected the micrometer and was a pioneer of meteorology. All three books are signed with ownershi details by Richard and Christopher Towneley and have Richard Towneley book-plates dated 1702. There is also a signed inscription pasted in to the front of Vol 3 as follows; "The three vols in Folios of Dugdales Monasticon Anglicanum are the property of Mr Townley of Townley of Lancashireand are to be sent to him with care in case of my death, J Clayton, Breadsal December 22nd 1773" confirming that the books had remained within the family for 100 years. PROVENANCE These books have been sent in for sale by executors from an estate in Winchester. Family tradition indicates that they were inherited through the Bohn family of Hull and through earlier connections from the Boleyns. Many of the earlier books in this estate certainly came from the library of publisher Henry George Bohn 1796-1884 or his descendants. Bohn was born in London as the son of a German bookbinder who had settled in England. In 1831 he started as a dealer in rare books and "remainders." In 1841 he issued his "Guinea" Catalogue of books, a monumental work containing 23,208 items. Bohn was noted for his book auction sales: one held in 1848 lasted four days, the catalogue comprising twenty folio pages. Printed on this catalogue was the information: "Dinner at 2 o`clock, dessert at 4, tea at 5, and supper at 10." His Libraries which he inaugurated were begun in 1846 and comprised editions of standard works and translations, dealing with history, science, classics, theology and archaeology, consisting in all of 766 volumes. It had been one of Bohn`s ambitions to found a great publishing house, but, finding that his sons had no taste for the trade, he sold the Libraries in 1864 to Messrs. Bell and Daldy, afterwards G. Bell & Sons. Bohn was a man of wide culture and many interests. He himself made considerable contributions to his Libraries: he collected pictures, china and ivories, and was a famous rose-grower. He died at Twickenham on 22 August 1884 and was buried at West Norwood Cemetery. An extract from the Daily Graphic dated July 10th 1909 states, " His advice was often sought by such great Collectors as the Duke of Hamilton `Vathek` Beckford and on more than one occasion he was consulted on everyday matters by the Prince Consort. He was chairman of the committee appointed for the printed books department of the 1851 Exhibition. Gladstone who had a high opinion of Bohn`s abilities, offered him a baronetcy but we are told that the publisher declined the honour on principle. Bohn tired of his success in 1864 when his sons preferred other professions to following in this footsteps and sold the whole stock and copyrights of his libraries to Messers Bell and Dalby for about £40000........His second-hand books which subsequently took forty days to dispose of at various auction rooms realised £13000." Of his early career the paper said " while Napoleon was ravaging the Continent whole libraries were being dispersed by ancient families and religious institutions lest they should fall into the Emperor`s hands and many treasures were picked u this way by the Anglo-German bookseller. ..... He happened to be attending an auction at Leipzig while the Battle of Waterloo was being fought."
