Books and Manuscripts

Murray, James
An Impartial History of the Present War in America...
Newcastle Upon Tyne: Printed for T. Robson; London: R. Baldwin, et al., (1778-80). In three volumes. Mixed set, first volume with earliest dedication to the King, dated July 29, 1778. 8vo. 573; 576; 140 (but 144) pp. (pp. 141-332 wanting). Illustrated with three engraved frontispiece portraits (Murray in first volume, George III in second, and George Washington in third), 23 engraved portrait plates, one folding plan of Boston, and two folding maps (of the eastern seaboard and of the area around Lake Champlain). Nineteenth-century full straight-grain crimson morocco, stamped in gilt, joints and extremities lightly worn; all edges gilt; by J(eramiah). Larkins; front free endpaper in first volume detached, same starting in second volume; light edgewear to prelims in first volume; text leaves lightly to moderately toned; scattered very small repairs in text. Howes M-916; Sabin 51505; Adams, The American Controversy, 78-73a (first volume), 78-73e (second volume), 78-73f (third volume); Gephart 1016; Reese, The Revolutionary Hundred 54

A handsome set of James Murray's contemporary history of the American Revolution, "the first effort at a general history of the Revolution beyond what appeared in the periodical press." (Reese). Less than impartial, Murray was a pro-American British clergyman who blamed the conflict on Parliament. Noted for its handsome portrait engravings of the Revolution's key players, including George Washington, King George III, Benjamin Franklin, John Hancock, Frederick Lord North, Benedict Arnold, British Generals William Howe, John Burgoyne, and Henry Clinton, and many more.

Bibliographically complex, this set went through many editions, and is rarely found with the third volume which was left unfinished--considered by Sabin to be of "extreme scarcity." Howes and Adams both indicate that the earliest edition of the first volume lists London first on the imprint, while Sabin calls for all three volumes to have Newcastle listed first on the imprint. This copy lists Newcastle first followed by the same four cities and publishers as Adams's earliest edition, but in a different order. Adams's subsequent editions list a different publisher in Edinburgh, C. Elliot (ours lists Bayne and Mennons). All three volumes of the current set feature the Newcastle imprint first, with the first volume with the earliest dated dedication to the King.