The Genealogy of the House and Surname of Setoun... with the Chronicle of the House of Setoun, Compiled in Metre

Edinburgh: William Aitken, Printer, 1830. Hardcover. Small 4to. Full calf, heavily blind-embossed and with gilt borders. xiii, 64pp. Frontispiece, full-page engraving, marbled endpapers and page edges. Very good. Expertly rebacked in calf with crimson leather label titled in gilt; mildly edgeworn; heavy foxing and bit of discoloration, mainly to preliminary leaves. Tight and attractive second edition of this slim study first published in an edition of 100 copies in Glasgow by Hutchins and Brookman in 1829. Maitland (1496-1586) was a Scottish poet, antiquarian, lawyer and statesman known as "Manly Maitland." In 1828 a Maitland Club was founded in Glasgow to continue his explorations into Scottish literary antiquities. This interesting copy bears a unique provenance, for it hails from the library of Prince Augustus Frederick (1773-1843), the first Duke of Sussex, sixth son of King George III. In 1844 Messrs. Evans auctioned off his vast collection of books in a six-part auction taking 61 days, selling 14,107 lots. In August the third part consisted of history, topography, voyages and travel. The right inner flyleaf of this volume bears a note in rich brown ink: "Bought by Boone Aug. 15, 1844 at the Sale of HRH D of Sussex's Library / Lot 904 [illegible but likely a price figure] Derby / Knowsley." The left inner flyleaf notes, "Knowsley / Private Library North Bookcase D / [East?] Division Shelf No. 11." The "Derby" who penned these statements was none less than Edward Smith-Stanley, the 13th Earl of Derby (1775-1851), English politician and well-known naturalist often remembered as artist Edward Lear's patron -- and, by the way, an officer of The Maitland Club. "Boone" was an agent or perhaps bookseller who is known to have acquired items for the Earl. "Knowsley" is Knowsley Hall, ancestral home of the Earls of Derby, still standing today, where many of the 13th Earl's natural history book collection still resides. The Earl of Derby's handsome armorial bookplate (with "Sans Changer" motto in scroll) graces the front pastedown. A choice association copy.