EARLY YORKSHIRE GUILLOTINE
Halifax, and it's gibbet-law Placed in a true Light. Together With a Description of the town, the Nature of the Soil, the Temper and Disposition of the people, the Antiquity of its Customary Law, and the Reasonableness thereof...To which are added, The Unparallel'd Tragedies committed by Sir John Eland, of Eland, and his Grand Antagonists.
Halifax.
Printed by P. Darby, for John Bentley, [1761].
Third edition.
12mo.
[4], 95pp, [1]. With an engraved frontispiece. With a divisional title-page dated 1761: 'Revenge upon Revenge: or, an Historical Narrative of the Tragical Practices of Sir John Eland, of Eland...' Contemporary blind-ruled sheep, the slightest of rubbing to extremities. Pastedowns sprung, recent bookplate of Robert J. Hayhurst to verso of upper board, very slight paper flaw to text of verso of leaf N1 (p.70) - without loss, foxed.
A crisp copy, preserved in the original sheep, of the third edition of William Bentley's history of the Yorkshire town of Halifax (first printed 1708), paying particular attention in the second chapter to their specific Gibbet-Law. An early form of guillotine, the Halifax Gibbet, which was used to execute local thieves, and terrify les autres, is defended vigorously and depicted on the frontispiece.
ESTC T33073.
£ 300.00
Antiquates Ref: 14814
