Samuel Lewis — A Topographical Dictionary of England

London, S. Lewis and Co. 1831. First edition. Leather. The first edition of Lewis's monumental four-volume topographical dictionary of England, providing a richly detailed record of England's towns, parishes and counties, illustrated with forty-five maps. Rebound in a later half morocco binding with cloth boards, endpapers renewed.  First edition. Complete in four volumes.  Illustrated with forty-five engraved maps, comprising county and island maps, a large map of England, and a plan of London and its environs, alongside numerous engraved coats of arms and municipal seals. Volume I contains three folding maps; Volume II, two; Volume III, six; and Volume IV, four. Collated, complete.  A substantial four-volume topographical dictionary of England, arranged alphabetically by place and comprising: Vol. I, A–C; Vol. II, D–K; Vol. III, L–R; and Vol. IV, S–Z. Encompassing counties, cities, boroughs, market towns, parishes, chapelries and townships, together with the islands of Guernsey, Jersey and Man. Samuel Lewis (c.1782-1865) was a London publisher particularly associated with large-scale topographical reference works. The success of the present work was followed by corresponding dictionaries of Wales, Ireland and Scotland. Rebound in a later half morocco binding with cloth boards, endpapers renewed.  Externally, generally smart. Front paste downs with former library reference label from Dorset County Library with associated stamps. Front free endpaper with former library labels and barcodes. Rubbing and bumping to extremities, resulting in slight loss to morocco. The odd scuff and scratch mark, more prominent to morocco. Spine slightly faded; fading more prominent to spine and front joint of vol IV. Institutional stamping to verso of title pages with shelf annotations. Hinges reinforced. Stamp to title page of vol. II-IV, Vertical creasing to rear free endpaper of vol. II. Slight rubbing to boards with one or two minor marks. Internally, firmly bound. Pages slightly age toned with light scattered spotting, heavier to fore edges of first and last few leaves. Spotting more pronounced to margins of plates and folding maps with the odd tide mark. Reinforcement to versos of folding maps along folds and one or two extremities, more so to final map in vol. IV. Repairs to leaf O5 in vol. II with text slightly faded but legible. Very Good . Ill.: None Stated. Very Good .