The Petition of William Earl of Banbury; with His Majesty's Reference thereof to the House of Peers; and the Report of His Majesty's Attorney General Annexed.
Privately printed, 1808. 56p, 274p; 16p, 52p. Contemporary calf professionally rebacked with gilt ruled spine. One foldout plate. Complete in four parts. The Earl of Banbury title created in 1626 for William Knolly (1544-1632) became a centuries long legal battle regarding his sons paternity. Encyclopedia Britannica 11th edition p870. The Knolly are descendant "from Sir Thomas Knolly (d1435), lord mayor of London. The first distinguished member of the family was Sir Francis Knolly (c1514-1596), a statesman and courtier in the service of Henry VII and Henry VIII. Sir Francis Knolly's second son, William (c1547-1632) served as a member of Parliament, and a soldier during the reign of Queen Elizabeth, being knighted in 1586. He died in 1632. His second wife, Elizabeth (1586-1658) who was nearly forty years her husbands junior, was the mother of two sons Edward (1627-1645) and Nicholas (1631-1674) whose paternity gave rise to much dispute. By the time Nicholas died in 1674, he had not succeeded in obtaining his writ of summons. Nor did his son, Charles, receive a writ of summons by the time he died in 1740 because the House of Lords refused to move on its position. The family took no steps to prove their title until William (1763-1824), who had attained the rank of General in the British Army. He asked for a writ of summons, but the House of Lords decided against his claim in 1813". This petition was printed for the House of Lords, who at the time had between 350-450 members. Once the claim was denied, it served really no further purpose which explains why so few copies have survived. COPAC records three copies. Armorial bookplate of John Richardson on the inside front board. The bookplate partially covers a handwritten word which seems to be Westminster. Signature of a what seems to be T. C. Farrer, 9 Old Sq. Lincoln Inn on the front blank. Possibly Thomas Cecil Farrer (1859-1940). Occasional underlining in pencil. Foxing on the flyleaf as well as front and rear blanks. Some scattered foxing in the text. A well preserved copy of a very important part of British peerage history. Item #10599
Price: $1,500.00