The Life and Times of Henry Lord Brougham, 3 Vols 1871, With Autograph Letter Signed

A complete 3 volume first edition biography of Henry Lord Brougham (1778-1868). Born in Edinburgh, he qualified as a barrister in 1808, before being elected and serving as a member of Parliament from 1810, before becoming a Peer in 1830. He was a British Statesman and became Lord Chancellor of Great Britain, and was influential in the passing of the Reform Act of 1832 and the Slavery Abolition Act of 1833.

Of special interest is a manuscript letter which is signed by him, and headed 'Private & Confidential', and dated to 24 July, 1863. The letter is a 4 page letter written on one folded sheet of blue laid paper. The letter is in good condition, with flattened crease marks, and 7mm closed marginal tear on vertical edge. Folded size of 181mm high x 115mm wide, 4pp.

The paper carries his Brougham, Penrith heading. His handwriting is very challenging, and although words and phrases are decipherable, I cannot state what the subject matter of this letter is with any degree of certainty at all. A task which will have to fall to someone with the time and patience to decipher it fully.

The Life and Times of Henry Lord Brougham. Written by Himself. In Three Volumes.

Published by William Blackwood and Sons, Edinburgh and London, 1871 first edition.

A fair to good set of 3 maroon cloth hardbacks. Some bumping and minor wear to extremities. Spines are sunned to brown colour. Blind embossed decoration to boards. Gilt titles to spine. Binding is fragile - Volume I text block is coming away from the spine, and all have movement in the spine, with some crinkling and markings to the spine cloth. With small Aberdeen booksellers stamp to pastedowns. With cracking to endpapers at inner hinges of Volume 2.

Text is actually bright and clean throughout with heavily dust-toned top edge. Spotting to endpapers and showthrough to gutter in places. Volume I with fold-out facsimile letter. Volume I title page with top right marginal corner cut out (presumably to remove owner's name).

A set in which everything is present, but rather tired.

Text in English.

Vol I: viii + 552pp + 8pp Publisher's advertisements; 

Vol II: xii + 516pp + 8pp Publisher's advertisements; and; 

Vol III: xii + 524pp + 4pp Publisher's advertisements.  

Weight: approximately 3.21kg (the set - unpacked). 

Dimensions:

Each volume approximately 231mm tall x 152mm wide x 42mm deep.