The Percy Anecdotes, Original and Select

London: T. Boys, 1820. Handsomely bound in maroon morocco with ornate gilt-stamped spines. 40 vols bound in 20 volumes. Two engraved frontispieces in each volume by W. Fry. The frontispieces of notable people are associated with the topic of the book - Humanity is illustrated by William Wilberforce, the early abolitionist; Mrs Fry (Beneficence); Mrs. Siddons (Drama); Joseph Banks (Science); Mungo Park (Enterprise); Napoleon Bonaparte (Exile) and so on.

Only electronic resources & single volumes recorded on Trove. With interesting content including George Bruce, a British sailor who served Lt. "Robins, Flinders and others surveying the coasts of Port Jackson" (Sydney) saved Tippahee the king of New Zealand, is welcomed into his family and marries Princess Aetockoe and their later traveling with Dalrymple to the Bay of Islands, thence by foul winds to India, Malacca, Penang, Bengal, New South Wales and returned to New Zealand; account of Mr. Jansen who penetrated the Dismal Swamp in North Carolina; General Israel Putnam in 1756, escaping attacking "Indians" who jumped in a boat and went down rapids of the Hudson River, although where on the Hudson River we do not know.

12mo, approx. 175pp per topic, totaling 350pp per volume. All edges marbled, marbled endpapers. Some early light foxing in some volumes, some volumes with a small chip, "Humanity" with a chipped spine tip. Spines uniformly sunned to dark brown.

Reuben Percy was a pen name for Thomas Byerley, brother of Sir John Byerley, the first editor of the Mirror. Sholto Percy was the pen name for Joseph Clinton Robertson, editor of the Mechanics' Magazine. The name "Percy" was taken from the Percy Coffee House, in Rathbone Place, where the idea of the book was first suggested by Byerley and Robertson.
Printed by D. Cartwright, Printer, 91, Bartholomew Close.

A charming set.