A NARRATIVE OF THE LIFE OF MRS. MARY JEMISON, WHO WAS TAKEN BY THE INDIANS, IN THE YEAR 1755...

Otley, [West Yorkshire]: Printed by William Walker, 1842.. [2],192pp. plus frontispiece. 24mo. Original ribbed brown cloth, stamped in blind, spine gilt, a.e.g. Edges and spine ends worn, slightly cocked. Front hinge cracked, but holding by cords. Internally clean. Contemporary ownership inscription on front free endpaper. Good plus. A rather scarce early pocket-sized edition of this classic captivity narrative, printed by William Walker of Otley, West Yorkshire. Mary Jemison was captured by the Senecas at age twelve in 1758, the rest of her family perishing in the raid. She was initially taken from near Fort Pitt to eastern Ohio, but after the French and Indian War the tribe moved north to western New York State. This volume includes long accounts of the Revolutionary War in upstate New York, as well as incidents of frontier fights throughout the War of 1812, and Mrs. Jemison's life in the area around Buffalo from the Revolutionary period to 1823. Frederick Strecker, bibliographer of the Jemison narrative, notes that "considerable of the history of the settlers of western New York, has its source in the Jemison narrative." The compiler and editor of this narrative, James Seaver, interviewed Jemison personally when she was seventy-seven years old. She continued to live with the Seneca people until her death at ninety, despite long being free to return if she wished. The narrative became as popular in Britain as it was in America, and this is one of three editions printed in Otley by William Walker. Walker was a printer best known for his prolific output of chap books, juvenile literature, books of tricks and legerdemain, and penny dreadfuls, so the unusually small physical size of this edition was likely rather comfortable for him.

"One of the most authentic and interesting of captivity narratives, told by one who spent a long life among the Senecas and was the first white woman to descend the Ohio" - Howes.

"Mary Jemison, who lived her entire adult life among the Seneca Indians, is probably the most famous captive of the nineteenth century. The text remains one of our best accounts of the history and culture of the Senecas, with the appendices presenting Mrs. Jemison's firsthand descriptions of feasts, religion, dances, government, funerals, and agriculture" - Siebert.

This immensely popular narrative was printed in more than twenty editions. This particular one is relatively rare and is not included in the entries on this work in Pilling, Howes, Field, or Sabin; OCLC records it at nine institutions worldwide. AYER 255. OCLC 21579669, 1007541877. FIELD 1380, 1381 (ref). HOWES S263 (ref). SIEBERT SALE 451 (ref). PILLING, PROOF-SHEETS 3541 (ref). SABIN 78678 (ref).