St. James's Auctions
Auction 55 26 Jan 2022
View prices realized
► Sale information
Find similar lots
Literature: Sylvester Bolton, Esq; Late of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Merchant, A Catalogue of the Genuine, Entire and Curious Collection of Gold, Silver and Brass Coins, Medals and Medallions ... which ... will be sold by Auction, by Mr. Langford on Wednesday the 21st and Thursday the 22nd of this instant March 1753, At his House in the Great Piazza, Covent Garden. 11pp. (Manville [1986], 1753.2), hand-priced throughout and with some additional comments and annotations; The John Bridges Library Auction Sale Catalogue (1725), 'Bibliothecae Bridgesianae Catalogus: A Catalogue of the Entire Library of John Bridges, late of Lincolns-Inn, Esq.: consisting of above 4000 books and manuscripts in all languages and faculties, particularly in classics and history, and especially the history and antiquities of Great-Britain and Ireland, which will begin to be sold by auction on Monday the seventh day of February 1725/6, at his chambers in Lincolns-Inn, no. 6.', Latin text (except title-page), hand-priced throughout, some additional notes in text and end pages, lacks frontispiece and title-page loose, its reverse side giving much biographical detail of Bridges, etc., and other observations [see footnote], bound together, old boards (separated at spine), a few worm-holes and minor damage from use, both catalogues very rare
Sylvester Bolton was a wine merchant in Newcastle-upon-Tyne. His will, dated 7th August 1746, is in the Public Record Office, Kew. Abraham Langford was in business in his own name from 1749 to 1780. The catalogue contains many recognisable coins though the last printed lot remains a mystery, 'A gold coin of WILLIAM the CONQUERER, an UNIQUE finely preserved'. It sold for £10-10-0.
John Bridges FRS, FSA (1666–1724), lawyer, antiquarian and topographer and author of 'The History and Antiquities of Northamptonshire', finally published in its entirety in 1791. He was appointed solicitor to the customs in 1695, a commissioner in 1711, and cashier of excise in 1715. He was also a governor of the Bridewell and Bethlehem Hospital. He compiled his own catalogue for the library hoping that it would be sold in its entirety. It was the third earliest English inventory catalogue (preceded by Brocklesby (1714) and Betham (1720)) and whilst he had catalogued the library by subject the auction catalogue reverted to selling by size. It is said that his two brothers, who inherited the library, manipulated the sale and pushed up the prices.
Amongst the annotations in the Bridges catalogue, 'The library was sold by auction by Mr. [Christopher] Cock, Feb. 7, 1726 at his Chambers, Lincolns Inn, produced 4000£ & though the Auction was from 11 to 2 in the morning & from 5 to 8 in the evening it took 27 days'. The sale actually totalled £4,160-12-6. Later, after the 'Finis', a note relating to lot 4311, a 'Missale quondam Henrici VII, Regis Angliæ ...' states, 'In 1753 Dr. Rawlinson bought the above Missale of King Hen. VII, for Three Guineas'. Also Dr. Rawlinson is mentioned in annotations in the Bolton catalogue (against the lot and on end page) as the buyer of Bolton's cabinet, lot 85 on Day 1, 'A large wainscot medal cabinet with folding doors' for the princely sum of £1-19-0. Dr. Richard Rawlinson (1690-1755), was a clergyman and antiquarian collector who was to bequeath most of his collection to the Bodleian Library in Oxford. A later annotation on the end pages refers to the sale of Dr. Askew's library (Dr. Anthony Askew, MD, FRS, FRCP, 1722-1774). The sale, held on 13 February 1775, also realised about £4000 and, amongst others 'His Majt. purchased £500'
Christopher Cock (c. 1690's-1748), became an auctioneer of great standing, selling many famous collections including, also, Bridges's collection of prints. In the year before his death Cock formed a partnership with Abraham Langford [see above], who then took over the business, making another link between the two catalogues.
(400-600 GBP)
Sylvester Bolton was a wine merchant in Newcastle-upon-Tyne. His will, dated 7th August 1746, is in the Public Record Office, Kew. Abraham Langford was in business in his own name from 1749 to 1780. The catalogue contains many recognisable coins though the last printed lot remains a mystery, 'A gold coin of WILLIAM the CONQUERER, an UNIQUE finely preserved'. It sold for £10-10-0.
John Bridges FRS, FSA (1666–1724), lawyer, antiquarian and topographer and author of 'The History and Antiquities of Northamptonshire', finally published in its entirety in 1791. He was appointed solicitor to the customs in 1695, a commissioner in 1711, and cashier of excise in 1715. He was also a governor of the Bridewell and Bethlehem Hospital. He compiled his own catalogue for the library hoping that it would be sold in its entirety. It was the third earliest English inventory catalogue (preceded by Brocklesby (1714) and Betham (1720)) and whilst he had catalogued the library by subject the auction catalogue reverted to selling by size. It is said that his two brothers, who inherited the library, manipulated the sale and pushed up the prices.
Amongst the annotations in the Bridges catalogue, 'The library was sold by auction by Mr. [Christopher] Cock, Feb. 7, 1726 at his Chambers, Lincolns Inn, produced 4000£ & though the Auction was from 11 to 2 in the morning & from 5 to 8 in the evening it took 27 days'. The sale actually totalled £4,160-12-6. Later, after the 'Finis', a note relating to lot 4311, a 'Missale quondam Henrici VII, Regis Angliæ ...' states, 'In 1753 Dr. Rawlinson bought the above Missale of King Hen. VII, for Three Guineas'. Also Dr. Rawlinson is mentioned in annotations in the Bolton catalogue (against the lot and on end page) as the buyer of Bolton's cabinet, lot 85 on Day 1, 'A large wainscot medal cabinet with folding doors' for the princely sum of £1-19-0. Dr. Richard Rawlinson (1690-1755), was a clergyman and antiquarian collector who was to bequeath most of his collection to the Bodleian Library in Oxford. A later annotation on the end pages refers to the sale of Dr. Askew's library (Dr. Anthony Askew, MD, FRS, FRCP, 1722-1774). The sale, held on 13 February 1775, also realised about £4000 and, amongst others 'His Majt. purchased £500'
Christopher Cock (c. 1690's-1748), became an auctioneer of great standing, selling many famous collections including, also, Bridges's collection of prints. In the year before his death Cock formed a partnership with Abraham Langford [see above], who then took over the business, making another link between the two catalogues.
(400-600 GBP)