Book Details

Author: Leigh, Charles:

Title: The Natural History of Lancashire, Cheshire, and the Peak, in Derbyshire: with an Account of the British, Phoenician, Armenian, Gr. And Rom. Antiquities in those Parts.

Publication: Oxford: printed for the author; and to be had at Mr. George West's, and Mr. Henry Clement's, booksel 1700.

Description: Folio, pp. [xxii], 4, [ii], 164, [xvi], 181-190, [ii], 1-97, [iii], 80, [iv], 81-112, [xxxvi] + portrait frontispiece, folding map, 2 plates of engraved arms of the subscribers and 22 further plates. Occasional very light spots and smudges, a few small marginal losses towards the rear not affecting text, final page a bit grubby. Sympathetically rebound in dark brown calf, raised bands, red morocco title label to spine, blind-tooled Cambridge boards, endpapers renewed. A little rubbed with a few scratches, endpapers a little toned and split at hinges, a very good, robust copy. Two illegible library ink stamps to title-page, and one to first leaf of dedication.

Leigh (1662-1701?), a physician and naturalist, had some papers read before the Royal Society, and 'printed in Philosophical Transactions. He also published the following separate works: Phthisologia Lancastriensis, cui accessit tentamen philosophicum de mineralibus aquis in eodem comitatu observatis (1694, reprinted Geneva, 1736), Exercitationes quinque, de aquis mineralibus; thermis calidis; morbis acutis; morbis intermittentib.; hydrope (1697), and The natural history of Lancashire, Cheshire, and the Peak in Derbyshire; with an account of the British, Phoenic, Armenian, Gr. and Rom. antiquities found in those parts (1700). He wrote three pamphlets in 1698 in reply to R. Bolton's Heat of the Blood and one in reply to John Colebatch on curing the bite of a viper. According to T. D. Whitaker, Leigh's 'vanity and petulance' were 'at least equal to his want of literature'. His Natural History is little more than a translation of his earlier Latin treatises.[?]' Leigh was thought to have died the year after the publication of this, his final work. However, 'there is some doubt on this point, as evidenced by Thomas Hearne, writing on 30 October 1705: 'I am told Dr Leigh, who writ the Natural History of Lancashire, has divers things fit for the press, but that he will not let them see the light because his History has not taken well' (MS diary, iv. 222).' (Sutton, rev. Bevan, ODNB).

Bibliography: ESTC R20833; Wing L975.

Reference Number: [55081]

Price: £675

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	Author: Leigh, Charles: Title: The Natural History of Lancashire, Cheshire, and the Peak, in Derbyshire: with an Account of the British, Phoenician, Armenian, Gr. And Rom. Antiquities in those Parts. Publication: Oxford: printed for the author; and to be had at Mr. George West's, and Mr. Henry Clement's, booksel 1700. Description: Folio, pp. [xxii], 4, [ii], 164, [xvi], 181-190, [ii], 1-97, [iii], 80, [iv], 81-112, [xxxvi] + portrait frontispiece, folding map, 2 plates of engraved arms of the subscribers and 22 further plates. Occasional very light spots and smudges, a few small marginal losses towards the rear not affecting text, final page a bit grubby. Sympathetically rebound in dark brown calf, raised bands, red morocco title label to spine, blind-tooled Cambridge boards, endpapers renewed. A little rubbed with a few scratches, endpapers a little toned and split at hinges, a very good, robust copy. Two illegible library ink stamps to title-page, and one to first leaf of dedication. Leigh (1662-1701?), a physician and naturalist, had some papers read before the Royal Society, and 'printed in Philosophical Transactions. He also published the following separate works: Phthisologia Lancastriensis, cui accessit tentamen philosophicum de mineralibus aquis in eodem comitatu observatis (1694, reprinted Geneva, 1736), Exercitationes quinque, de aquis mineralibus; thermis calidis; morbis acutis; morbis intermittentib.; hydrope (1697), and The natural history of Lancashire, Cheshire, and the Peak in Derbyshire; with an account of the British, Phoenic, Armenian, Gr. and Rom. antiquities found in those parts (1700). He wrote three pamphlets in 1698 in reply to R. Bolton's Heat of the Blood and one in reply to John Colebatch on curing the bite of a viper. According to T. D. Whitaker, Leigh's 'vanity and petulance' were 'at least equal to his want of literature'. His Natural History is little more than a translation of his earlier Latin treatises.[?]' Leigh was thought to have died the year after the publication of this, his final work. However, 'there is some doubt on this point, as evidenced by Thomas Hearne, writing on 30 October 1705: 'I am told Dr Leigh, who writ the Natural History of Lancashire, has divers things fit for the press, but that he will not let them see the light because his History has not taken well' (MS diary, iv. 222).' (Sutton, rev. Bevan, ODNB). Bibliography: ESTC R20833; Wing L975. Reference Number: [55081] Price: £675 enquire << Back
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