Skip to content

A General History of Connecticut, from its First Settlement under George Fenwick, Esq., to its Latest Period of Amity with Great Britain; including a Description of the Country, and many curious and interesting anecdotes. To which is added, an Appendix, wherein new and the true Sources of the present Rebellion in America are pointed out; together with the particular Part taken by the People of Connecticut in its Promotion. By a Gentleman of the Province by [Peters, Samuel] - 1781

by [Peters, Samuel]

Similar copies are shown below.
Similar copies are shown to the right.
A General History of Connecticut, from its First Settlement under George Fenwick, Esq., to its Latest Period of Amity with Great Britain; including a Description of the Country, and many curious and interesting anecdotes. To which is added, an Appendix, wherein new and the true Sources of the present Rebellion in America are pointed out; together with the particular Part taken by the People of Connecticut in its Promotion. By a Gentleman of the Province by [Peters, Samuel] - 1781

A General History of Connecticut, from its First Settlement under George Fenwick, Esq., to its Latest Period of Amity with Great Britain; including a Description of the Country, and many curious and interesting anecdotes. To which is added, an Appendix, wherein new and the true Sources of the present Rebellion in America are pointed out; together with the particular Part taken by the People of Connecticut in its Promotion. By a Gentleman of the Province

by [Peters, Samuel]

  • Used
London: Printed for the author, 1781. First edition. Contemporary tree calf, rebacked to style. Extremities rubbed, a few short tears to front flyleaf, bookplate on free front end-paper, neat ownership signature to title, clean with wide margins, a very good copy.. x, 2, 2*, 3-436 pp. 8vo. Peters was the first to popularize. the term 'Blue Laws'. "An entertaining but wholly untrustworthy account of Connecticut by an exiled and embittered Tory. Fiction and fact are so run together in the narrative that their separation is well-nigh impossible. The most famous part of the book is the alleged code of New Haven laws popularly called "Blue laws," (Larned, Literature of American History, p. 88). The entry in the Church Catalogue (V. 5, pp. 2317-2319) notes: "Peters, a native of Hebron Connecticut... was a Loyalist during the Revolution. He made himself so obnoxious by his prominence and activity as such, that he was presented with a coat of tar and feathers and permitted to visit England for his health...[where he remained until 1802]. His apocryphal history of Connecticut is a remarkable tissue of misstatements and exaggerations, not to say of malicious falsehoods." Howes calls the work a "false and vicious misrepresentation." Sabin notes that the first edition is "very rare." Provenance: Illustrated bookplate of Justin George Turner (1898-1976), highly respected historian, author, and collector of Lincolniana, co-author of 'Mary Todd Lincoln: Her life and letters' and other works. Sabin 61209. Howes P262. Church 1183. Lowndes II: 472. Larned: 1006. ESTCT122416.
  • Bookseller Kaaterskill Books, ABAA/ILAB US (US)
  • Format/Binding Contemporary tree calf, rebacked to style
  • Book Condition Used - Extremities rubbed, a few short tears to front flyleaf, bookplate on free front end-paper, neat ownership signature to title, cl
  • Quantity Available 1
  • Edition First edition
  • Publisher Printed for the author
  • Place of Publication London
  • Date Published 1781
  • Keywords , Americana, Colonial & Early America, Connecticut, Book

We have 1 copies available starting at £1,020.50.

A GENERAL HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT, FROM ITS FIRST SETTLEMENT UNDER GEORGE FENWICK, ESQ. TO ITS...
More Photos

A GENERAL HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT, FROM ITS FIRST SETTLEMENT UNDER GEORGE FENWICK, ESQ. TO ITS LATEST PERIOD OF AMITY WITH GREAT BRITAIN; INCLUDING A DESCRIPTION OF THE COUNTRY, AND MANY CURIOUS AND INTERESTING ANECDOTE

by [Peters, Samuel A

  • Used
  • Hardcover
Condition
Used
Binding
Hardcover
Quantity Available
1
Seller
William Reese Company
New Haven, Connecticut, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
£1,020.50

Show Details

Description:
London: Printed for the Author, 1782. x,2,436pp. Modern half calf and marbled boards, spine gilt, leather label. Small paper repair to verso of titlepage, minutely affecting one letter of text. Some light foxing and soiling to first and last few leaves. Minor toning and foxing to rest of text. Very good. Second edition, after the first of the previous year, consisting of the first edition sheets with a cancel title. The author was a native of Hebron, Connecticut, and later rector of the Episcopal church there. "Mobbed in Connecticut for his Tory activities, Peters fled to England and, in retaliation, wrote this false and vicious misrepresentation of that commonwealth. Included were the BLUE LAWS OF THE NEW HAVEN COLONY, manufactured by his animosity, but still swallowed as true by many people" - Howes. "The first edition is very rare" - Sabin. Indeed, ESTC locates only a handful of copies of this second edition, as well - which is essentially a fiction, being simply the original sheets with a new… Read More
Item Price
£1,020.50

Hang on… we’re fetching the requested page.