English History

Original manuscript Accounts Book 1791/92 – Webster’s Ropery Sunderland, County Durham, England

Original folio accounts book for the two-year ending 31st December 1792 most likely of or the predecessor to one of England’s leading maritime rope makers, Webster of Deptford, Sunderland County Durham. Original quarter reverse calf with marbled paper covered boards. 62 pages of fine handwriting … appears all the same hand.

Titled at the head of page the first page “An Inventory of Goods etc at the Ropery belonging Messrs William Marshall and John Webster together with an account of the Debts due to & from them this first Day of January One Thousand Seven Hundred and Ninety One”

The first record of rope making on Wearside (the river Weir runs through Sunderland) was in 1636. The rope was likely made from Baltic hemp. Before 1800 ropes were hand-made on ropewalks a practice that continued for another 100 years. Ropewalks had to be wide enough for four men to spin abreast of each other and long enough to make a standard 120 fathom marine rope. Up to 20 people may be employed on just one rope.

Webster’s plant at Deptford was the first on Wearside driven by steam. It is believed to be the world’s first factory producing machine-made rope. Robert Fothergill a Sunderland schoolmaster had patented a machine to spin hemp the year after our accounts book (1793). It could be that this careful record was produced as part of an exercise to obtain finance for the mechanisation … although the low wages recorded suggest that that mechanisation may well have been underway. We do know that Fothergill died shortly afterwards and Grimshaw a local clockmaker took up the rights in partnership with our Webster and two others. Although its not clear whether the Webster involved was Rowland a distinguished magistrate or John as noted here.

One of the partners in the business was the distinguished Rowland Burdon who later gave up his Parliamentary position on principle although many though that it was because Webster’s Ropery had gained very lucrative contracts with the Royal Navy and he was avoiding any backlash financially … for sure Webster’s were there at Trafalgar!

The records mention many of the vessels of the day that would have been working out of the North-east along with their captains … e.g. Captain McQuarrie of the Fanny; Johnstone of the Nancy William; Robinson of the Broughton Tower; Cleminson of the Argyll; Kennel of the Endeavour (a new one); Dixon of the Sarah; Holm of the Hollow Oak; Neal of the Betsy.

Neat recording of debts and payments with particulars of sales noted with full description for every transaction with monthly totals compared often against some measure of the physical amount sold (early KPI’s). Stock holdings, wages per wage period all set out very carefully. For an industrial historian there seems sufficient information to paint a pretty full picture of the extent of activities. We have gleamed that the Ropery Buildings are in the books at GBP 220, stockholdings were GBP205 and annual sales GBP484 with total wages of only GBP72. Looks nicely profitable.

Interestingly, the Ropery building still exists and has been restored … it is a magnificent building and has been re-established as Webster’s Ropery … but as a beautiful wedding venue … check it out we have shown an image here.

Accounting Records from 1792 …. unique Maritime interest …

$290.00

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La Grande Bretagne et Ireland – Chatelain – 1717

An original copper engraved map of the British Isles by Zacharie Chatelain and published in Amsterdam in 1717.

A nice example with simple outline simple outline colouring. Engraved area 17 cm by 14cm a good strong plate mark.

Henri Abraham Chatelain (1684-1743) born in Paris but lived variously in Paris, London, the Hague and later Amsterdam. This intriguing map of the British Isles was published as part of “La Science des Personnes de la Cour … “ a monumental work covering religion, astronomy, geography, war and fortifications etc.

Chatelain’s reputation is that of a skilled artist with delicate engraving and an uncomplicated composition. It is considered that Chatelaine primarily used De L’Isle as his reference for maps and we would agree with that view in regard to this little beauty.

Price $280.00 framed in Voyager miniature map style with gilt fillet, burgundy mat and beaded gilt frame.

Attractive 300 year old map of the British Isles

$280.00

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The Northern Hero – being a faithful Narrative of the Life, Adventures, and deceptions, of James George Semple, Commonly called Major Semple. Scarce Ferguson 18 – Published 1786.

Extremely scarce, despite being introduced as a “New Edition” with the circumstances of Each Fraud, and the Names of the Parties injured.

The lengthy title continues major Semple .. alias Major Harrold, Major Maxwell, Major Grant, Major Cunningham, Major Winter etc. With and account of his Devices at lord Salisbury’s, Sir Thomas Dundass’s, and Mr Pitt’s. Also the various Inventions by which he obtained Goods of Tradesmen. The Whole supported by indisputable Authority, with the Names of the Persons who were the Objects of his Depredations. Likewise … and Account of his Trial Before Mt Justice Gould and the Recorder at the Old Bailey on Saturday September 2 for defrauding Mr John Lycett, Coach-maker, in Whitechapel, of a Post-chaise, value fifty Guineas, of which he was Convicted.

Published by G. Kearsley, Fleet Street and sold by Bookseller, 1786. Octavo 90 pages after half title, frontispiece with engraving by Barlow of Semple in the dock, full title, book advertisements 2 pages, dedication from Compiler 1 page, blank 1 page, list of content 5 pages and Errata 1 page.

Bound in later quarter mottled polished leather with lavish marbled paper covered boards. Carries previous distinguished ownership bookplates of Nanyce Kent Perry and before that Dr George Mackaness. This being Ferguson No 18 and a manuscript note on the front pastedown “Ferguson Bibliography cites only the copy in Ferguson Collections.

Some evidence of professional repair to the margin on the frontispiece and some aging occasionally in the text but really a very good copy of a desirable early Ferguson book that cannot be found elsewhere.

Least to say the Major Semple was a bit of a rogue and a classy one at that. His final comeuppance rested on the fact the it was found that he intended to steal the coach … his defence was that it was a debt that he couldn’t pay … he lost and was sentenced to be taken to Botany Bay. He slipped ship at Rio!

Priceless Semple … off to Botany Bay in 1786 … or maybe not!

$390.00

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The Story of Nell Gwyn And the Sayings of Charles the Second – Cunningham – Private Printing 1927 Fine Condition

The Story of Nell Gwyn And the Sayings of Charles the Second – Related and Collected by Peter Cunningham with an introduction by John Drinkwater.

Privately printed in London for the Navarre Society 1927. Very good if not fine condition. Original red cloth binding, octavo 194 pages after preliminaries on thick fine bright paper, red silk page ribbon. Top edge rich gilt very clean. Frontispiece of Nell in all her glory and a folding reproduction of Hollar’s view of London and thirty-eight portraits and views from rare contemporary (and relevant) prints.

Nell Gwyn in all her finery – Private Printing 1927

Nell Gwyn (1650–1687) actress and mistress to Charles II. Samuel Pepys referred to her as “Pretty witty Nell”. She was a great comedian and started as an “orange girl” at what is now the Theatre Royal Drury Lane. She had two sons by Charles II one who died young and the other lived long and was granted an Earldom after she remarked when Charles approached “come on you little bastard here is your father”

$70.00

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Horatio Lord Nelson – Brain Lavery

The British Library and the National Maritime Museum combine to produce this fine book on the great man. Published in 2003 a very good copy in a complete dust jacket.

Illustrations not found elsewhere in the Nelson library.

The flash line is just our scanner with the Brodart dust jacket protector

Nelson done well

$20.00

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Map of England – Isaak Tirion – 1730

An original copper engraved map by Dutch cartographer Isaak Tirion (1705-1765) of England. Published in Amsterdam around 1730. Original centrefold as issued. Incredible detail throughout. Hilly areas shown pictorially and wooded areas marked by little tiny trees.

Generally, in very good condition. Map dimensions 37cms by 32 cm.

Tirion produced several Atlases and Dutch town plans. Some suggest that his maps were based on those of Guillaume de L’isle although we see them as being much more detailed than de L’ísle’s standard.

Price $120.00 unframed.

Nice map of England from the early 18th century with many place names and points of detail.

$120.00

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Original manuscript Accounts Book 1791/92 – Webster’s Ropery Sunderland, County Durham, England

La Grande Bretagne et Ireland – Chatelain – 1717

The Northern Hero – being a faithful Narrative of the Life, Adventures, and deceptions, of James George Semple, Commonly called Major Semple. Scarce Ferguson 18 – Published 1786.

The Story of Nell Gwyn And the Sayings of Charles the Second – Cunningham – Private Printing 1927 Fine Condition

Horatio Lord Nelson – Brain Lavery

Map of England – Isaak Tirion – 1730

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