Les Reports des cases & matters en Ley resolves & adjudges en les courts del Roy en Ireland
London: C. Flesther, J. Streater, and H. Twyford, Assigns of Richard Atkyns and Edward Atkyns, Esquires, 1674. [27], 99 leaves. Contemporary calf with the rear board detached. Bound without the Tables printed in 1677 found in some copies. Text in English and Law-French. First published in Dublin in 1615. Remains of a crude sheep skin probably late 19th century rebacking with the end papers and the past down replaced. The name Isaac Foxcroft 9br 1674/5 (the superscript, see image, is almost certainly ?9br? = November in 17th-century usage; 7br=Sept, 8br=Oct, 9br=Nov, 10br=Dec) is written in a contemporary hand on the top margin in the chapter on "Gavelkind" (an historical system of land inheritance, common in Anglo-Saxon England) and repeated on p75. This must be Isaac Foxcroft (1640-1702) who served Northampton County, Virginia as sheriff, vestryman, justice of the peace, as well as in other public capacities. He was also elected Member of the Virginia House of Burgesses 1685-1686. The title "Davies Reports" is written in a contemporary hand on the foredge which was the common practice by those who owned a small group of books due to storage needs. The Catalog of the Library Company in Philadelphia lists five books with the titles written on the foredge whereof four are law books. This practice changed as time went and larger collections developed. The types of libraries during the colonial era in Virginia which included law books were as Bryson writes, varied pvii-viii. "There were those of the professional lawyers with extensive and comprehensive law collections. The lesser gentry, an extensive class in Virginia, were justices of the peace and composed the country clerks". Bryson #12. Light soiling to the title page. Binding worn and corners rubbed. Stored in a protective clamshell box. Item #10526
Price: $2,500.00