W. A. Leighton — A Flora of Shropshire

Shrewsbury; London, John Davies; John Van Voorst, 1841 . First edition. Leather. The first edition of Leighton"s Flora of Shropshire, an exceptional presentation copy to John F. M. Dovaston, enriched with botanical correspondence and manuscript records with an early reference to Charles Darwin. In a contemporary half calf binding with marbled paper boards, sympathetically rebacked with modern morocco. Retaining final blank and front endpapers alongside renewed free endpapers. First edition. An exceptional presentation and association copy, given by Leighton to his friend, the Shropshire naturalist and poet, John Freeman Milward Dovaston (1782-1854). Insribed to the verso of the title page: "To John F. M. Dovaston Esq. with the cordial esteem of his friend, William Allport Leighton. Sept. 23. 1840."  Illustrated with twenty etched botanical plates. Collated, complete.  An authoritative work on the flora of Shropshire, covering an extensive series of species and more remarkable varieties of the plants growing wild in any portion of the county. With descriptions of their scarcity, periods of their flowering, soils affected by each species, wild localities of native trees, and more.  With the engraved 1910 bookplate of The Nursery Library, Dovaston"s family home at West Felton, to the front pastedown.  This includes a two-page letter from the botanist Rev. Thomas Salwey, Rector of Oswestry, to Dovaston, bound in. Dated 25 April 1843, the letter dicusses botanical determinations in Leighton"s Flora. Salwey was a significant student of Shropshire botany and lichens whose findings contributed to Leighton"s later work.  Also containing manuscript memoranda bound in between pp. 498-499 and inscribed to lower margin of pp. 498, being a record of seeds and cuttings sent between 1841 and 1850 to a network of naturalists, clergymen and gardeners. Notably, among the entries is one dated 9 November 1843 recording cuttings sent to Charles Darwin Esq. identified simply as "son of the doctor," having not yet acquired the widespread notoriety that followed the publication of his Origin of Species in 1859.  William Allport Leighton (1805-1889) was a Shrewsbury-born clergyman, botanist, lichenologist, antiquary, and school contemporary of Charles Darwin.  In a contemporary half calf binding with marbled paper boards, sympathetically rebacked with modern morocco. Retaining final blank and front endpapers alongside renewed free endpapers. Externally, sound. Rubbing and scuffing to paper boards, resulting in slight surface loss. Slight rubbing and bumping to extremities resulting in slight loss to contemporary paper and calf, more so to corners. Newspaper clippings announcing Leighton"s death are affixed to the rear pastedown. Internally, firmly bound. Pages generally bright and clean if slightly age toned, with the odd spot and handling mark. Bookplate of The Nursery Library and small clipped newspaper notice laid down to front pastedown. Offsetting from loosely inserted ephemera to pp. 150-151. ONe or two contemporary ink annotations to margins. Very Good . Ill.: None Stated. Very Good .