A New View of London; or an Ample Account of that City,...
London: Printed for R. Chiswell, A. and J. Churchill, T. Horne, J. Nicholson and R. Knaplock, 1708. First edition. Two volumes. 8vo. (xxxii), 352; (ii), 353-824 pp. Nineteenth century black half morocco over marbled boards, spines with raised bands, gilt lettered direct to two panels, gilt decorated to the others, endpapers and all edges marbled, armorial bookplate of an Andrew Pears "Spring Grove, Isleworth" to the front pastedowns. Frontispiece to volume I featuring the arms of the City of London present but the second frontispiece featuring the arms of the 12 companies of the City wanting, otherwise complete with the large folding plate of the arms of rest of the companies and, more importantly, the large folding plans of London - the first showing London in the time of Queen Elizabeth and the second showing London as it was in 1707. Some light rubbing to the extremities, very good overall. Edward Hatton was a surveyor for an insurance company by profession and compiled this history in the late 17th century, apparently inspired by a similar guide to Paris he had come across. The first volume broadly describes the streets, yards and rows etc. plus the churches; volume II continues with the churches before going on to describe the public institutions such as schools, museums, alms houses etc. and concludes with a nine page supplement describing developments made after the time of writing and streets or buildings he had omitted in error. Andrew Pears was the great-grandson of the founder of the Pears soap dynasty and also ran the firm in the late decades of the 19th century. Howgego, No. 2, (4) for the plan of Elizabethan London, being the final edition of Braun & Hogenberg's famous engraving first published in 1572, and (55) for the contemporary plan of London. Item #40655
Price: £1,500.00