David Murray Collection of 155 titles: Law Reform & International Law

1901. in 16 volumes. in 16 volumes. A Remarkable Collection of Nineteenth-Century Works on Legal Reform and International Law Compiled by a Notable Scottish Lawyer [Great Britain]. [Law Reform]. [Murray, David (1842-1928)]. [The David Murray Collection of Law Reform and International Law]. 16 volumes. 155 titles. Various paginations. Octavo (8-1/2" x 5," Vols. 1-15; 9-1/4" x 6," Vol. 16). Contemporary three-quarter calf over marbled boards, gilt-stamped insignia of the Royal Faculty of Procurators, Glasgow, to front boards, blind rules to joint edges and corners, raised bands and lettering piece to spines, marbled edges and endpapers, presentation bookplate from David Murray to the Faculty dated April 29, 1902 to front pastedown of first volume. Light rubbing to boards, light residue from leather treatment, occasional scuffs, nicks, scratches and spots to boards and extremities, which are more moderately rubbed with darkening in a few places, some lettering pieces loose but secure, cracking to spines of Volumes 14-16, rear board of Volume 1 detached, front joints of Volumes 1-2 starting at foot, joints of Volume 16 starting at ends. Volumes 1, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10 and 13 have descriptions of their contents in Murray's hand to their half-titles. A remarkable, handsomely bound collection. $10,000. * This collection pertains chiefly to the subjects of law reform and international law. It was formed during the nineteenth century by the notable Scottish lawyer, bibliophile and antiquary, David Murray, who presented it to the Library of the Royal Faculty of Procurators in Glasgow in 1902. As we can see in the contents, which span almost the entire nineteenth century, Murray had long possessed a sustaining interest in law reform. Many titles touch upon the numerous areas of law that were dramatically reformed during the 1800s, including bankruptcy law, conveyancing and real property law, judicial administration, chancery and equity, and, to a lesser extent, codification, criminal law and jurisprudence. Many of the works are presentation copies inscribed to other well-known international lawyers and reformers of the nineteenth century, among them Sir Travers Twiss, Sir John Connell, and Edwin Wilkins Field. Among the authors themselves are John Austin, Basil Montagu, Lords Brougham and Grenville, Edward Sugden and John Westlake. Most of the works appear to be quite rar.