Folio. iv, [1], 28-72, xii, [4], [1], 6-25pp. Partially misbound. With a tipped-in errata slip. Nineteenth century calf-backed marbled paper boards, contrasting red morocco lettering-piece. Extremities rubbed. Extensive contemporary manuscript notes to margins, title page and terminal leaf (G1) laid-down, occasional short tears touching text (without loss of sense), majority of leaves later repaired/reinforced at gutter with paper (at times obscuring manuscript notes), spotted.

The sole edition of a pamphlet relating the proceedings of the trial of Captain John Donnellan for the murder of his brother-in-law Sir Theodosius Boughton, seventh baronet of Lawford (1760-1780). In August of 1780, Boughton had taken ill. His mother brought him a beverage to soothe his malady; he had complained that it tasted foul, but imbibed nonetheless. He died soon after. After his funeral, suspicions arose surrounding the cause of Boughton's death. The body was exhumed and examined. A coroner's inquest ruled that Boughton was poisoned and returned a verdict of murder against Donnellan. Despite the preponderance of circumstantial evidence, and Donellan's claims of innocence, he was convicted, condemned and executed on 2nd April 1781.

A later pencilled manuscript note to head of p.[27] illuminates the origin of the earlier annotations: 'The manuscript notes in the following Defence are the handwriting of Sir Wm. Wheler, guardian of Sir Theod. Boughton & one of the witnesses in the trials - His opinion (which he often gave to E. J. Sitwell the writer of this note) was that Captain Donellan was guilty of the crime for which he suffered.'

ESTC records copies at locations in the British Isles (Birmingham, BL, Oxford, and St. Andrews), and further in North America (Harvard, Kansas, and Yale).