Biographia Britannica: Or, the Lives of the Most Eminent Persons Who Have Flourished In Great Britain and Ireland, From the Earliest Ages, Down to the Present Times: Collected from the Best Authorities, both Printed an Manuscript, and Digested in a Manner of Mr. Bayle’s Historical and Critical Dictionary.

EDITED BY WILLIAM OLDYS,.

$1,350.00

Item Number: 114752

London: Printed for W. Innys, W. Meadows, J. Walthoe, T. Cox, A. Ward, J. and P. Knapton, T. Osborne, et al, 1747.

First edition of the Biographia Britannica. Folio, 7 volumes bound in contemporary full calf with morocco spine labels lettered in gilt, gilt tooling to the spine in six compartments within raised bands, engraved headpieces and tailpieces. In very good condition. Armorial bookplates to the pastedowns.

The most ambitious attempt in the latter half of the eighteenth century to document the lives of notable British men and women, the Biographia Britannica was first published in 1747 and edited by English antiquarian and bibliographer William Oldys. Contributors included Thomas Broughton and John Campbell, compiler of Lives of the Admirals (1742). "An indispensable work in every English historical library" (Lowndes I, 205).