Travels, 1773 Jul 17-1797 Aug 24.

1 v. (110 leaves) ; 21 cm.

English

Purchased from Quaritch, June 2002.

George Bowles (1732-1817) of Wanstead Grove, Essex, and Burford House, Salop, was High Sheriff of Essex in 1785. He died unmarried and left Wanstead Grove to his niece, Anne Rushout, whose bookplate is pasted into the volume.

Manuscript, in a single hand, of a description of summer tours, in the author's phaeton, through England, Wales, and Scotland, both alone and accompanied by family members. Each journey begins and ends in Wanstead; along the way, the author records the quality of the roads; houses he visits; and the names of significant inhabitants. In Llangollen, he admires the library of Miss Ponsonby and Miss Butler; in Aberystwyth, he describes the sea and the bathing procedures of women there. In Edinburgh, he writes approvingly of a Presbyterian service he attends but complains of the dark taverns, "and the Stair Cases are nasty & very dark when perhaps your room is 3 or 4 stories high." He visits several factories in Birmingham, including Mr Bolton's, whose factory produces ormolu, silver plate, boxes, and buttons; and Mr Clay's, "who has a Patent for making paper pannels for Coaches tea boards &c." The volume also includes several charts listing mileages from Wanstead to the author's various destinations.

August 07, 2002

George Bowles, Travels. The Lewis Walpole Library, Yale University, Farmington, CT.

George Bowles, Travels. The Lewis Walpole Library, Yale University, Farmington, CT.