The Life of Sir Thomas Craig of Riccarton. With Biographical Sketches of the most Eminent Legal Characters..., by Patrick Fraser Tytler. W & C Tait, Edinburgh, 1823

An uncommon first edition of this study of Sir Thomas Craig of Riccarton (c.1538-1608), the distinguished Scottish lawyer and jurist, best remembered for his influential treatise Jus Feudale, a foundational work on Scottish feudal law. Written by the historian and advocate Patrick Fraser Tytler (1791-1849), the volume examines Craig's life and career alongside biographical sketches of prominent Scottish legal figures, tracing the development of Scottish jurisprudence from the establishment of the Court of Session under James V to the Union of the Crowns in 1603.

An Account of The Life of Sir Thomas Craig of Riccarton; With Biographical Sketches of the most Eminent Legal Characters, since the Institution of the Court of Session by James V. Till the period of the Union of the Crowns. By Patrick Fraser Tytler, Esq., Advocate, F.R.S. and F.S.A.

Printed for W & C Tait, Edinburgh, 1823. Printed by Balfour and Clarke. First edition. Uncommon.

A good copy of this hardback with brown leather spine and corners with gilt brown morocco title label and gilt lined raised bands to spine. Dark cloth with swirl pattern over boards. With some bumping and scuffing. Joints are rubbed but holding firm. Inner hinge with some cracking to paper at gutter.

Some spotting to endpapers and pictorial title vignette and portrait frontisipiece, but text is overall clean and bright. Just occasional light scattered spot. Frontispiece with facsimile signature of Sir Thomas Craig. Previous owner’s scripted name to title page.

Text in English.

(1) frontispiece + (1) title vignette + iv + 362pp.

Dimensions: approximately 171mm high x 108mm wide x 27mm deep.

Weight: approximately 370g (unpacked).